The road to....

So often in sports a game is referred to as a battle. Sometimes teams are complimented on their ability to battle. Athletes are asked to battle the elements, the game, the other team, and even themselves at times. Every close game is a battle or a fight. Its one person vs. another or one team vs. another team. Nothing else at that time matters. Only the contest at hand.

Throughout NCAA soccer playoffs and even in my own season at Navy in the last few months the idea of battling or fighting has been an interesting concept to wrestle with and explore. Some teams know how to battle and fight, while other teams struggle to understand what that means or how they can embrace the concept. The interesting thing about this concept is that just like any other skill in life or sports its something that can be learned, developed, and cultivated.

As Ive watched Messiah’s soccer team this year Ive seen a team that has learned what it means to battle and fight for not only a win but for one another and for the continuation of a season. After a loss in the first game of the year, they’ve rattled off 21 straight wins and have managed to find a way to win in all circumstances.

As NCAA’s have approached and progressed in the last month its been interesting to hear people talk about how this years run to the final four has compared to other years and how this year the team has had a relatively easy road. The beauty of the whole situation though is that Messiah did exactly what they were supposed to do. They fought their battles and won each one. What other teams were doing, who they could have/should have played that was better, or who had a tougher road wasn’t their concern- they focused on what they needed to do. Now they are right where they want to be, in a position to spend as much time together as possible, battle for two more games, and hopefully win a National Championship.

Another example of this concept occurred today as I was running a 10k on Thanksgiving morning. I have been wanting to run in a race for a while but haven’t really been looking overly hard nor have I had a lot of time to find a race to run in. Well since I was home this thanksgiving I figured I could find a race this morning and give it a shot. Heading into this morning I didn’t do much to prepare ahead of time, nor have I really been running any kind of distances to be in “racing shape”. With that said I didn’t really know what to expect from the race (other than freezing cold temperatures since its Rochester, NY) or how fast I was capable of running.

I told myself at the beginning of the race that I had to run my own race and not worry about anything beyond that. For me that meant that I wanted to be able to run faster in the last mile and a half of the race than the rest of it. For that to happen I knew I had to run at MY pace and not react to anybody around me. That is sometimes harder than it sounds when there is a person 50 yards away and you want to catch them or when a little kid passes you and every fiber inside you wants to pick up your pace and catch him. This race had to be about my battle and what I could control, not what other people were doing or the battles that other people were fighting. Those weren’t important. They were only traps to keep me from accomplishing my purpose. I had to decide if I was going to fight my battle and run my race and end up in a position to attack the last mile and a half or if I was going to get bogged down in other people’s battles and react to the race around me. In essence it was a choice of doing what was best for me or letting the race dictate how I would feel and how I would finish.

Isnt life a lot like sports when it comes to this? Arent we faced with a lot of battles in life that force us to make a decision? Either face the battle head on and put ourselves in the best position possible or let ourselves be affected by everyone else’s battle, caught up in the roads that aren’t ours. Soccer teams, runners, and other athletes are not the only people that must learn to battle and fight. Everybody has battles from time to time. Sometimes it’s a sporting event, other times it’s a career decision, maybe it’s a academic struggle. Whatever the fight may be, there’s always two ways to handle it and 9 times out of 10 one is better than the other. The problem is that we usually choose the 9 wrong answers before we choose the right one. We take a look around at everyone else’s fight or wish we had a different situation well before we rise above the battle and embrace the One that has overcome anything we will ever face. Its only then that we really can block out the distractions and battle the competition that stares us in the face and win.

In the end, life isn’t really that different than athletic competition. We learn to battle, and fight, and we have to rise above the challenge. The road we get put on in life isn’t too far off from the road to the final four. In each one we must battle one thing at a time and we must not get sidetracked by someone else’s bracket………the best we can do is to try to win our own.

One of those days....

"It’s just been one of those days, one of those days
Every glass half full, every drop lemonade
Just one of those days, one of those days
All my worries to bed
And my faith wide awake
Hey, hey, hey
Just one of those days
Just one of those days

There’s a smile I can’t turn down
For a dance across my face
And the way I see things now
A frown would just be out of place"


These lyrics are by Shaun Groves and I think they seem to fit this blog perfectly. Let me explain...

You know when you have one of those days where you look back and simply smile? Im talking about a day where everything in the world seems to be right for a brief period of time. Even though reality is right around the corner, some days are the perfect break from all stress, worry, and anything that can get us down in this world. Days like these are the days when we truly feel alive.

I had a day just like the one I am referring to this past week. As most of you know I am living in an apartment attached to the house of one of my friends from Messiah. Well, due to the fact that he is still in school and is going to be a US Marine Officer after college, he hasnt been home hardly at all. Well the past few weeks he has finally had a chance to have a real summer vacation and this past Tuesday we decided that we were going to take advantage of living in the same place.

The day started at 9am. We left the house and headed to the PA border where his family has a membership to a shooting range. I had never been shooting so it was a sweet new experience. If you are reading this you probably know that Im all about trying new things and new adventures so this was right up my alley. We spent about two hours at the range shooting pistols and rifles. I think I held my own for my first time. I wasnt the most accurate marksman in the world but it was a start. As Dan put it, "you did really well for your first time, I just wouldnt let you shoot an apple off my head."

From the range we headed back to Califon, NJ (home) to move onto our next activity: Dirt biking. This was another activity I hadnt done before and there was a slight risk of death/injury so naturally I was stoked. I had two issues with dirt biking. First, you have to understand the workings of a manual car to ride a dirt bike. I have a decent understanding of how that all works but I like to stick to automatic cars. Needless to say this made it a little tougher. I caught on pretty quick though. Second, I have little fear of injury so I wasnt too concerned about my body or the fact that Ive never driven a dirt bike before. I had a few nice crashes but overall it was a blast.

Once we put the dirt bikes away we gave ourselves five minutes to change our clothes and hop into our bathing suites. We were back on the road in no time and on our way to Penwell Mills. Basically its like the yellow breeches of New Jersey. It was a creek with some spots to swim but more importantly it had three different rope swings. It also had a few trees we could climb and jump into the river. Dan and I both took our fair share of turns on both the tree and the rope swing. Personally, Im partial to the rope swing. While Dan and I discussed the dynamics of doing a backflip of the rope swing, our brilliant maturity and wise minds decided it would be more fun to enjoy the rest of the day with all our body parts where they belong.

On the way back home from the rope swing Dan and I took a look at the clock and discovered that we were going to get home around 4:00pm. If we moved quickly we could make it to the golf course in time to get a good round in before dark. So upon arriving at the house, we took 15 minutes, changed our clothes and hit the road yet again for the golf course. At this point in the day both Dan and I were a bit worn out and I think it showed on the golf course. As I mentioned before, it was one of those days where the glass was always half full. In this instance it was a good thing because both of us played some less than desirable golf.

After a quick dinner at McDonalds we arrived back at the house at 9:00pm. A mere 12 hours after we left the house for the first time that day.

Needless to say, when our heads hit the pillow that night it didnt take long to fall asleep. Word of advice for the day. Make time to rejuvenate not only your body but also your spirit. We all need a break from the stresses of day to day life. We all need a day to feel alive (whatever that means for you).

Later days

Brett

Camp Daze

Have you ever done something that seemed like a tiresome task at one point and then when you revisited that something at another time you were able to see it with a new sense of freshness and excitement?

I felt that very thing this past week. I spent last week in Annapolis Maryland at the Naval Academy (my soon to be new home) and worked soccer camp in 100 degree heat for five days. Ive always seen camp as a fun time to see friends, make some quick money, coach, and be outside. At the same time, I always left camp worn down, tired, and beat up from long days and little sleep. Not this time.

This time was different. I arrived at camp on 3 hours of sleep and a 10 hour work day the day before and left camp energized, excited, and renewed. Maybe it was because I was able to spend a week with some of my best friends. Maybe it was because I had a chance to make an impact on kids lives. Or maybe, just maybe it was because I was doing something that I love.

Moral of the story. Do what you love and love what you do and you wont regret it. Find your passion.

Ill leave you with these words from the late great coach wooden...

"You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you."
John Wooden

Positive moments

Getting gas. Most people dont view that as a good experience regardless of what type of gas Im talking about (Im referring to fuel as far as this blog is concerned). Its just not a good experience. Even if you can find a gas sale youre still spending anywhere between $30-$75 and you dont really gain any enjoyable benefits. Its almost like paying a bill. You get to drive your car from place to place but its not as if you could decide one day "hmm, I dont think Im going to buy gas today."

Well thanks to New Jersey (take note...its likely Ill never use that phrase again) someone must pump my gas for me. Now I wouldnt say Im a huge fan of this law but in this case it has made fueling up an enjoyable experience. One thing you must know is that in NJ all gas stations seem to be owned and operated by different races or types of people. For example, I could tell you what gas stations are run by middle eastern people, African American people, and English people. Well it just so happens that the gas station I frequent is operated by a few english lads.

I have made a new friend at my local gas station named David who has single handedly made getting fuel an enjoyable experience. Every week, I pull in, say hi, and he begins to pump my gas. As he pumped my gas we talk football (soccer) and discuss our thoughts on the English premier league, the world cup, and our respective national teams.

Its interesting to think about how such a small encounter can create such a positive experience for a person. We all know how a miserable person can make a good day into a nightmare in a matter of minutes. I think the same can happen on the positive side of things. If you and I decided that we were going to make a positive impact on every person's day that we came in contact with for one day I dont think we'd ever turn back. Im convinced that this attitude would not only create positive experiences for others but we would live a richer, more fulfilling life ourselves. Isnt that what we are called to do? I believe we are.

Later days

Growing up

It happens in a blink, it happens a flash, it happens in the time it took to look back.

Whats the deal with this fascination with growing up? It starts when we are young. People ask us who or what we want to do when we grow up. If we are immature or rude to someone we are told to grow up. And in time, eventually we can earn the label of a grown up. All these phrases or terms are used in a way that makes growing up such a positive thing. Personally Im starting to think Peter Pan had it right when he wanted to escape to never never land and not grow up.

Its not that I think growing up is such a negative thing. I am looking forward to things about growing up like getting married, having kids, a carrer, retirement (if that still exists when Im that old). What I don’t like about growing up is that if you ever take a look around in todays society, there isn’t a whole lot to be desired about what most would consider a normal life and growing up. Settling for an average job, working 50-60 hours a week, stressed all the time, and little enjoyment with life seems to be the norm these days. What happened to chasing your dream job? What happened to the 40 hour work week? Whatever happened to the simple life? Why are people constantly stressed if they have a family they love and a job they love? Have people given up completely on doing what they love and living the life we are called to live?

Maybe Im a naïve 23 year old recent college grad but If Im going to grow up I want to do it without being a ball of stress in a dead end job. I think the USA should take some lessons from Europe and learn to enjoy our life a little more. What would happen if everyone truly chased their dreams, worked jobs they enjoyed, helped people who had less, sought after true happiness and and were able to live without constant negative stress? Wouldn’t that make growing up sound more inviting? That’s the growing up Im looking for.

Counting sheep and Pimped out cars

Note: This blog is nothing close to serious so if youre looking for a good thought of the day.....maybe Ill leave you a little nugget at the end.

So last night I was having trouble sleeping. It may be because I had a lot on my mind. It may have been because I took a nap at 6pm. It may have been the 20 oz of caffeinated sweet nectar that I drank around 8pm. Anyhow, whatever it was I was unable to get my body to shut off. So I figured for some strange reason that I would try the old counting sheep trick. Now Im not sure how many of you have actually tried this but It certainly is an impossibility for me. Whoever came up with counting sheep must have had some sort of farm because I dont think its as easy as advertised.

First of all, the sheep in my mind are jumping sheep. They jump over obstacles like horses. Maybe thats my first problem. If I had walking or standing sheep it might be easier but mine jump.

Secondly my sheep jump way too fast. I cant count fast enough to keep up with them. If counting sheep is going to be successful at all I would have to have slowly moving sheep with huge black numbers on their sides to make the counting easier. Neither is the case in my mind.

Long story short I think counting shape is nonsense. Clearly somebody discovered this a long time ago and created other alternatives like Nyquil. Personally I think that works a lot better.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

On a different note lets talk about cars for a minute. Maybe I have a slanted perspective since my car is better than all the other cars out there but I cant seem to understand why people try to make their cars look really "cool". All it usually does is make that person look like a moron and their car look even worse. I was driving today on the highway and noticed this car driving recklessly in the far left lane so I had to take a closer look. Sure enough it was a tricked out car with one of those huge mufflers, a racing stripe over the top of the car and windows tinted far beyond legality. Wouldnt ya know it the car I am talking about was a Chevy Malibu. I have nothing against Chevy Malibu's (although I do dislike most American cars on principle) but if youre gonna get a car and go through all the trouble to TRY to make it look cool, at least buy a car that isnt your standard American family car. Why not just pay the extra money and buy a "cool" car to begin with? Again, I think Im just spoiled that I drive a car thats better than everyone else's. If I offended you with this tangent.....Im not that sorry.


Quote of the day: "What we accomplish in life is based less on what we want and more on how much we want it. The secret to willpower is what someone once walled wantpower. People who want something enough usually find the willpower to achieve it." - John Maxwell

Later Days

Time to clean up....

So I knew back in December that once I graduated I would have about 6 months to clear out my Messiah email account and make sure everything I wanted was either moved to another email account or deleted. Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and soon enough 5 months had passed. Now I know everyone handles their email accounts differently but I personally tend to keep A LOT of emails around. Whether I need them or not they tend to pile up. Some I just want because they mean something to me, some I want because I can use them for something later, and then some just never get deleted because I forget to do so.

Well when April rolled around I probably had a couple thousand emails in my inbox from the last 5 years. Little by little I began to chip away at them. One night I was able to eliminate or move an entire years worth of emails. Eventually I had gotten down to two years worth of emails. I found it extremely fun to look through old emails and relive stories, time periods, and friendships that I had collected emails from over the years. Every now and then Id stumble upon a gem of an email that I was glad I hadnt deleted but at the same time had forgotten about.

I can proudly say that today my email account is void of all emails except emails that I have received or sent from a few special people. Its amazing how much work it can be to simply remove hundreds of emails without losing the important stuff as well.

The only question is....Did you send me an email or several emails that got rescued? :)


New email: brettfaro@gmail.com

Later Days