For all the marbles

What moves you? What keeps you up at night thinking? What gives you the faith to know that you will actually succeed? What are you playing for?

You may not think like me…but I hope you ask yourself these types of questions too. Questions like this inspire me. Even as I write this I feel the adrenaline pumping through my body. I believe we have unlimited potential and that we can achieve anything we set out to do. Don’t get me wrong…it’s extremely difficult to achieve any level of success in any area of our life. But I believe it is possible and that it enough for me to play the game. Often I think about all the overnight success stories out there and laugh. There are very few “overnight successes” but the world would have us think that this may be the case. When people set out to try and achieve their goals, very often they find how difficult it is and they quit. Most times we fail to realize the amount of work that went into building the success of the individuals we think are overnight successes.

I believe we knew how difficult it was going to be to live on this earth before we decided to come here….but we chose to come anyway. I admit there are days that this is difficult to comprehend for me….but there are days that this knowledge inspires me to do more and to be more. You don’t have to agree with my beliefs to be my friend…but know that this is what I believe.

So let me ask you again… What moves you? What keeps you up at night thinking? What gives you the faith to know that you will actually succeed? What are you playing for?

As for me?…. I know what moves me...and I am playing for all the marbles.

Don't judge a book by its cover. Not everybody fits the part

It has been far too long since I have posted on here so I thought I would take a moment and post something. Two times today I have thought to myself that I don't have the time to do something and realized we always can make time for anything.

I just received an email from my brother with a link to a youtube video and a confession that he is an X Factor fan. My first thought was "how does he have time to watch X Factor?" ( I am assuming DVR) And my second thought was "I don't have time to watch this 9 minute clip, I need to get a lot of work done." But for some reason I decided to watch the clip...and I am glad I did. The clip is of a guy named Chris Rene and his audition on X Factor. I don't know who this guy is and I don't know what will come of him. However, his story and this clip really touched me. As you may know, I love success stories and inspiring topics. This story also taught me once again not to judge a book by its cover.

Here is the clip if you'd like to view it:

As I experience more in life and continue to add to my family, I realize more each day the value that each individual brings into this world. My father as my greatest fan and teacher once (or thrice) told me that "God has invested a lot in you and knows your potential. It is up to you to realize your own potential." Not only are those incredibly inspiring words but there is a lot of wisdom in them as well. We all have a lot to offer and I hope I can remember that not everybody "fits the part". But that doesn't mean that they aren't right for the part.

If somebody tells you that you can't accomplish something or that something needs to be done one way. Reply to them "Who says?" My father's words of wisdom make it possible for us to create our own reality and I believe that this is the purpose of life....to reach our potential even if we don't "fit the part".

New Baby New Life

Tomorrow morning at 7am we will enter the hospital and my wife will give birth to our fourth child...a baby boy. As I sit here I feel completely calm and blessed. If you are a parent then you know how incredible it is to bring a new child into your world. Although it has been perhaps the most stressful time of my life, I also realize it is the best time of my life. I believe God blesses us with more as we take on more responsibility.

I have had many new opportunities come my way in recent months and some are completely overwhelming. I chose to not let anything get in my way of accomplishing my big dreams and goals. Instead of running away from things bigger than me....I am running straight at them. Each person has their own goals in life...but greatness comes when we pursue them with complete faith that we can accomplish them.

Can't wait to meet my little guy tomorrow morning. I'm sure he will come out yelling "bring on the world!"

If we don't hit the moon....we are sure to land on the stars. That is the purpose of our journey on earth...and don't try to convince me otherwise.

Daydreams or not...they become reality

I have been thinking recently about how unique we all are and how much we all have to offer the world. It doesn’t matter our background or past accomplishments, we all have huge potential. I think the thing the world fails to teach us is that there is always a way to accomplish dreams and goals. It doesn't happen overnight and it may come in the form of a non traditional vehicle...BUT there is always a way.

I remember many days even as a young child where I would dream of doing incredible things instead of being confined to a classroom. One day in particular sticks out in my mind. I was in 6^th grade and I was staring outside through the windows while the lesson was going on. I felt the playground calling me and I felt like I was there as I stared intently out the window. Some people call it daydreaming but I felt alive while in those dreams. I do admit I became a professional daydreamer throughout Junior High and High School and reached my peak in College. This was until that kid inside of me, the one that was staring through the window at the playground, decided that enough was enough. I will never forget the day I decided that I was going to make something happen in my life, one way or another. I was 22 years old and pulled out of the driveway and headed west.

This leap of faith led me to Los Angeles where I met my amazing wife. Her belief in me made me realize I could do anything I set out to accomplish. So many times in my life I have felt scared that I wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything or provide for a family. I realize now that we need to draw on hope, courage and belief from any place we can. For me it is from my faith, my wife and kids and yes…even from my dreams. Whatever it is for you, find it and use it.

I don’t write this to make myself sound like a success, because I believe success is a never ending process. Success to me is simply the consistent pursuit of a worthy goal. I write this because I have met many people recently that have experienced some things that I couldn’t imagine experiencing and I see them gain strength from many places… and that makes them a success.

There is a story I love about when Disneyworld was completed and they had the opening celebration to celebrate the great accomplishment. Walt Disney had already past away at this point but Disneyworld was a dream of his so it was a significant occasion. Someone turned to Walt Disney’s wife and said “It’s too bad Walt wasn’t here to see this.” Walt’s wife responded with “Oh Walt saw this long before any of us ever did.”

Dreams become reality. If you want something enough….go and get it! Even if it means taking the road less traveled.

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
and sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
and looked down one as far as I could
to where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
and having perhaps the better claim
because it was grassy and wanted wear;
though as for that, the passing there
had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
in leaves no feet had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less travelled by,
and that has made all the difference