The Pledge

I find when life turns up the intensity and we are caught off guard, we are forced to take the focus off of what we want and focus on only what we need. We start to peel away the superficial layers of ourselves and find the very core of who we truly are.

The moments where we are so overwhelmed by the task at hand, we forget to brace ourselves when we fall. In these dark times, I believe we get the rare opportunity to prove to ourselves what we are really capable of and learn what we truly value.

It’s looking at the twenty miles left after being dead tired at mile six of a marathon. Or when you realize that you just don’t measure up, and in the past when you thought you could, you were just a fool. It's being betrayed by the one person you knew would never let you down. It’s in these moments we get to measure our fight, our will to get back up, and our very tolerance for living.

"The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark. " - Michelangelo

On Safari

There are a surprising number of people out there that have dedicated themselves to doing good. We have gotten the word out and within a few weeks we have three different organizations that are willing to help us get to Africa. It’s refreshing to know that there are genuinely good people out there.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world; indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Meade

This weekend we will be deciding where we want to direct our efforts, if you would like to come along; please get in contact with me. I wouldn’t be doing anyone justice by trying to explain what one of these trips could be like. I've found that the best lessons are often the ones lived rather than taught. With that said, we are one step closer to my thought becoming a reality.

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt within the heart." - Helen Keller

Gets better with Age

With my 26th birthday less than two weeks away, I had a close friend inform me how I was growing old so young. In reflecting this statement, I’ve found actions speak louder than words, and that statement pretty much defines my world.

- I am more likely to get up at 4:00 AM for a run than stay up past midnight
- Instead of turning to Jack Daniels for a little stress relief, I now listen to Jack Johnson
- My idea of mixing things up is going to spinning on Wednesday instead of Thursday
- I have to have a reason to stay up late
- I schedule my free time
- I get confused by MTV
- I drink diet sodas
- I listen to NPR and watch the market
- I don’t feel odd wearing a suit and tie
- I write the politicians that represent me and actually have an opinion

From the outside this might look sad, a younger version of me could have never imagined this life as I know it today. The truth of the matter is, what my world consists of today is totally up to me. I am free to do anything and I continue to choose this path. Young or old, I think I’ll have myself a pretty good day.

Got any Change?

There are two primary choices in life; to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them. I made three big changes this week – one that I will never be able to go back on, one that I finally grew out of and another that ended before it started.

I believe we choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them. I seldom second guess myself after my mind has been made up. So although, I am nervous about all these changes, I’ve been able to find one thing I have been seeking – a good long night of sleep.

“It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.” - Alan Cohen

Enjoying the Moment

Here is my little, we have been matched for almost three years now. He continues to teach me lessons every time we hangout. Just the other day he was telling me how he couldn’t wait until he grew up.

For some reason, I got really upset and told him that he needs to enjoy his childhood. Once this time passes, you don’t get to go back… long summers breaks without a care in the world. Where the biggest problems were which night games to play, or whose house would host the sleepover. I might have just confused him, or probably just assumed I was quoting Billy Madison, since he’s only eleven.

This made me reflect on my current state in life. I should heed my own advice, instead of worrying about my future all the time. I need to take a moment and enjoy my freedom, see the world, and really get to know my number one constant – me.

I know I will be a family man one day, and once that day comes I will not be able to go back. So I better do myself a favor and really live this stage of my life, no regrets.