I learn so much from this lady here and yesterday I learned yet another lesson. Don't cry over split beverages even when it stains your shorts. We were out enjoying some beverages having some good laughs when suddenly her husband, being kind and trying to give her a taste of his beverage, knocked over a half-full glass which started a domino effect of spilling. Beverages were spilling everywhere and all she did was laugh. Had that been me, I am not sure I would have reacted that same way. This is only one of the many reasons that I love this woman. Next time I am the "victim" of a beverage spilling incident I hope that I am graceful as she was. Life lesson #6,972,500 (give or take) |
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is important to not give up. Several weeks ago as I was talking baseball with the superintendent he (a White Sox fan) told me of an article he read in Sports Illustrated about Jake Arrieta. As soon as he told me about the article I felt inspired. Jake Arrieta is (in case you are not aware) a pitcher for the Cubs. He's not just a pitcher he is one of the "strongest pitchers in the game." He has many different ways that he throws that baseball and can throw it up to 98 miles an hour. Arrieta joined the Cubs in 2013 after he was released from the Orioles. In 2013 he was "the worst starting pitch the Orioles had seen since 1954." When he was released from the Orioles he was ready to quit. He experienced doubt in himself. While playing for the Orioles Jake had struggles, he tried to make the changes his pitching coach was giving him but, they didn't feel right. In trying to be someone he wasn't the natural pitching ability that he had was being masked. Fast forward to Arrieta joining the Cubs. When he joined the Cubs he said that he wanted to be himself and that is what the Cubs coaching staff wanted too. They focused on strengthening his style. The rest as they say is history. This article has a lot more inspiration in it and I highly recommend you read it. In addition to learning a lot about Jake Arrieta this article made me think about how often we are ready to throw in the towel because something didn't work right the first time. Sometimes we try to be someone we aren't and sometimes we have success for a little bit but experience a set back. So often we take these situations and say "it's a sign" and then quit. Imagine if Jake Arrieta did that, he would never have experienced the joy of success in something that he is passionate about. If you try something and do not succeed at first, take a step back and rethink it, then try it again. The only way you are truly finished is if you say you are. Never give up on your dreams, with a varied perspective and a positive outlook you can do anything you put your mind to.
My first experience losing a peer came when I was in seventh grade. She was killed in a snowmobile accident, it was devastating and incredibly difficult to process. Sadly, as the years have gone by I have experienced the passing of many friends. It has not gotten any easier. It makes no difference if it was after a sickness or due to an accident. This year I have lost a few friends; one after a long illness, one after an accidental fall followed by a long hospital stay, and one by pure accident. As I write this the faces of all the friends that I have lost flash through my mind like little snapshots and I feel incredibly humbled to have known each and every one of them. While dealing with these most recent losses I have done a lot of reflecting. I can remember something about each one of these souls and that makes me smile. When someone passes from this life they leave a hole in the lives of those who loved them and who had the honor of calling them "friend." I realized that sometimes in life things happen that are not easily explained and that is okay perhaps we do not need to understand everything. Over the years I have had a thought flit in and out of my mind; even though people are gone the influence they had on other's lives remains, especially mine. There are things I see, things I say, things I do that instantly bring back memories. Sometimes in life people leave us but their memory and spirit can live on in us and through us. Sometimes in life we have a responsibility to keep a memory alive. I promise to do my part in keeping their memory alive...
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Do you like what you have read? Do you know someone who will benefit from reading this blog? Feel free to share it.A bit about me:I am who I am thanks to God, my parents, my family, and my friends. My life is driven by faith. Oh, and I am a cancer survivor. Archives
February 2017
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