Photo by Anis Shaikh

I’ve started, what has now become, a series about life lessons and what I’ve learned as a young adult in this fast pace, ever changing world we live in. The first post titled Keep Your Head Held High set the precedent for this so called “series” that I now refer to these posts as. I also posted Words of Encouragement: A Journey That Never Ends, which I received a lot of positive feedback from friends and visitors from the site! All of you have motivated me to keep expressing myself openly through my not so good writing. With that said I have some more advice, some may refer to it as knowledge, that I’ve learned and wish to pass along to you. Hopefully these posts as a collective whole will resonate with some of you or at the very least someone will be able to take something valuable or positive away from these posts.

Never apologize for having an opinion
I read about this in an article and it settled home with me because I truly believe in expressing yourself without worrying what others think. You nor anyone else’s opinion is right or wrong. Speak your mind freely and say only what you mean. We all have our own opinions. Just remember to be receptive to those around you and take into consideration their thoughts and opinions, even if you might disagree. Most of the time, especially in the workplace, two sides will have to compromise and find a common ground in the middle.

Choose your friends wisely
Most people, not everyone, will use you for their own personal gain. Surround yourself with people that have similar qualities and traits as yourself. Obviously you don’t want to surround yourself with exact replicas of yourself, but when you surround yourself with people who have similar core values, mindset, and goals you’ll find that you can relate to those people on a higher and more intimate level. I’ve learned that sometimes you have to open yourself up and be more vulnerable–to put yourself out there. I’ll leave you with another quote, “life is so much richer when you take the walls down and allow yourself to be vulnerable.”

Believe in yourself
It may be difficult to believe in yourself at times, but have faith in your ability to do things and grow as a person. If you’re good at what you do don’t second guess whether or not you really are good at what you do. Kind of obvious huh? It’s easier said than done though! I went through a period where I had doubts and didn’t believe in myself. It’s an easy hole to dig, but even more difficult hole to climb out of. Don’t let yourself fall into that mindset.

If you don’t believe in yourself then why would anybody else want to believe in you? The way you carry yourself has the power to exhibit qualities such as weakness, confidence, trustworthiness, etc. Have the confidence to show others that you believe in yourself. You’ll find that others will be more willing to invest their time, money, and give you opportunity that otherwise wouldn’t exist.

Love what you do
Whether it’s work, hobbies, or anything else..be certain that you love what you’re doing. Most people relate the phrase “love what you do” when referring to a person’s job or career. If you don’t love what you do you’ll be miserable, absolutely miserable. People will see that there’s no passion in whatever it is you’re doing. It takes some people years to figure out what they love to do. I still don’t know what exactly it is that I can tell others that I absolutely love doing. I used to think it was online marketing because of the challenge involved and potential money to be made. Unfortunately, the corporate world has shown me otherwise! I guess when you know, you just some how know. Maybe you’ll get a warm and fuzzy feeling inside of you…who knows. When you do know, people around you will see the passion in your eyes, see a difference in your body language and attitude, and hear a difference in the tone of your voice.

I guess I’ve kind of experienced it with one of the sites my brother and I started–the music blog we run. When I talk to people about the site, music, people I’ve met, and amazing experiences I’ve had over the years some of you have responded that Glenn and I should do something in that space for a living. Let me tell you, I’d absolutely love to drop everything else I do but unfortunately there are other obstacles we must overcome first. We’re working on it…so hopefully one day. Right now, I guess you could just say it’s a fun hobby.

Don’t get me wrong though, I understand that sometimes we all can’t jump into something with two feet in and do what we love. We have all made and will make more sacrifices down the road towards doing what we love. You have to start somewhere though, right? It’s better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing than a long life spent in a miserable way…

Here’s a great video (3 minutes 9 secs) that went viral on Facebook this past week. It does a great job depicting what I tried to in the paragraph above. The song featured in the video is by Ludovico Einaudi Divenire.

Don’t be good, be great
This one sort of falls into the previous statement from above–love what you do. Whatever it is you do in life, strive to be great. Give it your all, not 100%… 110% every day. Why are there superstar athletes and other athletes who play the same sport, but aren’t as good? That’s because they excel at what they do. They’ve decided long before they became superstars to be great. Superstars become champions because they’re great at what they do.

Despite my political beliefs and whether or not I like/dislike Obama, Vicetone did a great job putting together quotes and creating the above track! On a last note, I almost used this picture as the main image for this post but decided not to. A well deserved runner up though!

Photo by: Dennis Minty

Photo by 500px user Hossein zare

Disclaimer: I began writing this in August of 2011. Finally finished it up and decided to publish it!

This post is a follow up to Keep Your Head Held High where I share important lessons I’ve learned these past few years.

When I’m annoyed, angry, or stressed out sometimes I feel the need to write to get away from everything. It helps me clear my mind. So here I am letting my fingers flow on the keyboard. My punctuation and grammar may not be the greatest on this post, but fuck it. Clickity clack.

Quality over quantity
We’ve all heard this one time and time again. Quality really does go a long way. I’ve seen evidence countless times throughout my [short] life, especially in the corporate world. A lot of the time it seems like people are willing to sacrifice quality for quantity because of greed. They do this for instant gratification rather than think about the long-term. Don’t get caught up in this game because it will lead you down the wrong path. It’s kind of like the saying there are no shortcuts in life. When you do things the right way, even if it means it will take longer, you’ll see a more handsome reward in the end with whatever it is you’re trying to do or accomplish.

Always ask the questions others are afraid to ask
People are afraid of stepping on other people’s toes. Don’t be. Successful people have reached the top because they took risks, they asked the right questions, and they had the courage to hold themselves accountable for their words, actions, and performance. Whether it be on the field, in school, during an interview, or at your job don’t be afraid to ask the questions no one else will. I’ve learned that if you don’t ask the questions everyone else is afraid of asking you’ll stumble upon those answers later down the road when you’re kicking yourself in the ass and regretting not asking those questions to begin with. Clarity comes to those who ask the right questions at the appropriate time.

Never underestimate the power of passion
Passion goes a long way. Without passion you have no vision. Life without passion is living death. Have a purpose and with that purpose, conviction. If you believe in something then there’s nothing in the world that can or should be able to stop you. There will always be pessimists alongside of us. We must ignore those critics and not let them get the best of us. Just remember, someone trying to bring you down is already beneath you.

Devote yourself to an idea and make that idea into a reality
This one goes hand-in-hand with the previous topic “never underestimate the power of passion.” Devoting yourself to something, anything, can be quite tough. A lot of things are usually running through our minds, such as “am I making the right decision” or “is this idea really worth pursuing”? You never know unless you devote yourself to that idea and give it EVERYTHING you have. Blood, sweat, and tears. Be 100% committed to your ideas or don’t be committed at all.

The negative will trump the positive
Don’t dwell on the negative. It’s easy to get into a slum and let that energy influence your attitude and outlook on life. It’s kind of like the saying that you need to learn how to use pain and pleasure instead of having pain and pleasure use you. It’s ridiculous how one negative outcome will trump ten positive outcomes, but we keep letting it happen.

When you make a choice, don’t look back
When a choice is made it’s easy to look back and ponder whether or not you made the right decision. Make that choice and keep looking forward. Looking back only hinders your ability to grow. It creates doubts and ultimately has you questioning yourself along with creating thoughts of regret. You made that choice, that decision. It was something you wanted at that point in time. Prove to yourself that you made the right decision by keeping your sights ahead of you. But remember, because you made that choice to go down a certain path it’s already the right decision. You just have to make the journey worth while.

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To let you know how far I’ve come, let me tell you where I’ve been.

Not that long ago, there were nights I went to sleep in strange places praying I wouldn’t wake up. After another night of bad decisions, I’d lie down with my heart speeding inside my chest like it was about to burst through the skin. My thinking was clouded, and my talent was one day closer to being totally wasted.

I prayed to be spared another day of guilt and depression and addiction. I couldn’t continue living the life of a crack addict, and I couldn’t stop, either. It was a horrible downward spiral that I had to pull out of, or die. I lay there—in a hot and dirty trailer in the North Carolina countryside, in a stranger’s house, in the cab of my pickup—and prayed the Lord would take me away from the nightmare my life had become.

When I think of those terrible times, there’s one memory that stands out. I was walking down the double-yellow of a two-lane country highway outside Raleigh when I woke up out of a trance.

I was so out of it I had lost consciousness, but my body had kept going, down the middle of the road, cars whizzing by on either side. I had run out of gas on my way to a drug dealer’s house, and from there I left the truck and started walking. I had taken Klonopin, a prescription antianxiety drug, along with whatever else I was using at the time, and the combination had put me over the edge. It’s the perfect example of what I was: a dead man walking.

And now, as I stand on the green grass of a major league outfield or walk to the batter’s box with people cheering for me, I repeatedly ask myself one simple question: How did I get here from there? I’ve been in the big leagues as a member of the Cincinnati Reds for half a season, but I still find myself taking off my cap between pitches and taking a good look around. The uniform, the ballparks, the fans—it doesn’t seem real. How am I here? It makes no sense to anybody, and I feel almost guilty when I have to tell people, over and over, that I can’t answer that one simple question.

I go to sleep every night with a clear mind and a clear conscience. Every day, I walk into an immaculate clubhouse with 10 TVs and all the food I can eat, a far cry from the rat-infested hellholes of my user past. I walk to my locker and change into a perfectly clean and pressed uniform that someone else hung up for me. I grab a bat and a glove and walk onto a beautifully manicured field to play a game for a living.

How am I here? I can only shrug and say, “It’s a God thing.” It’s the only possible explanation.

There’s a reason my prayers weren’t answered during those dark, messed-up nights I spent scared out of my mind. There’s a reason I have this blessed and unexpected opportunity to play baseball and tell people my story.

My wife, Katie, told me this day would come. At my lowest point, about three years ago, when I was wasting away to skin and bones and listening to nobody, she told me I’d be back playing baseball someday. She had no reason to believe in me. During that time, I did nothing to build my body and everything to destroy it. I’d go five or six months without picking up a ball or swinging a bat. By then, I’d been in rehab five or six times—on my way to eight—and failed to get clean. I was a bad husband and a bad father, and I had no relationship with God. Baseball wasn’t even on my mind.

And still Katie told me, “You’re going to be back playing baseball, because there’s a bigger plan for you.” I couldn’t even look her in the eye. I said something like, “Yeah, yeah, quit talking to me.”

She looks pretty smart, doesn’t she? I have a mission now. My mission is to be the ray of hope, the guy who stands out there on that beautiful field and owns up to his mistakes and lets people know it’s never completely hopeless, no matter how bad it seems at the time. I have a platform and a message, and now I go to bed at night, sober and happy, praying I can be a good messenger.

Addiction is a humbling experience. Getting it under control is even more humbling. I got better for one reason: I surrendered. Instead of asking to be bailed out, instead of making deals with God by saying, “If you get me out of this mess, I’ll stop doing what I’m doing,” I asked for help. I wouldn’t do that before. I’d been the Devil Rays’ No. 1 pick in the 1999 draft, supposedly a five-tool prospect. I was a big, strong man, and I was supposed to be able to handle my problems myself. That didn’t work out so well.

Every day I’m reminded that my story is bigger than me. It never fails. Every time I go to the ballpark, I talk to people who are either battling addictions themselves or trying to help someone else who is. Who talks to me? Just about everybody. I walked to the plate to lead off an inning in early May, minding my own business, when the catcher jogged out to the mound to talk to his pitcher. As I was digging in, the home plate umpire (I’m intentionally not naming him) took off his mask and walked around the plate to brush it off. He looked up at me and said, “Josh, I’m really pulling for you.

I’ve fought some battles myself, and I just want you to know I’m rooting for you.”

A father will tell me about his son while I’m signing autographs. A mother will wait outside the players’ parking lot to tell me about her daughter. They know where I’ve been. They look to me because I’m proof that hope is never lost.

They remind me that this isn’t really about baseball. It’s amazing that God allowed me to keep my baseball talents after I sat out three years and played only 15 games last season in A-ball. On May 6, I hit two homers against the Rockies at home, and I felt like I did in high school. I felt like I could do anything on the field.

I’ve been called the biggest surprise in baseball this year, and I can’t argue with that. If you think about it, how many people have gone from being a crack addict to succeeding at anything, especially something as demanding as major league baseball?

If I hadn’t been picked up by the Reds after the Rule 5 draft, which opened up a major league roster spot for me, I’d probably still be in A-ball. Instead, I’m hanging around .270 with 13 homers through 60 games with Cincinnati; not bad for a 26-year-old major league rookie. But the way I look at it, I couldn’t fail. I’ve been given this platform to talk about the hell I’ve been through, so it’s almost like I need to do well, like I don’t have a choice.

This may sound crazy, but I wouldn’t change a thing about my path to the big leagues. I wouldn’t even change the 26 tattoos that cover so much of my body, even though they’re the most obvious signs of my life temporarily leaving the tracks. You’re probably thinking, Bad decisions and addiction almost cost him his life, and he wouldn’t change anything? But if I hadn’t gone through all the hard times, this whole story would be just about baseball. If I’d made the big leagues at 21 and made my first All-Star team at 23 and done all the things expected of me, I would be a big-time baseball player, and that’s it.

Baseball is third in my life right now, behind my relationship with God and my family. Without the first two, baseball isn’t even in the picture. Believe me, I know.

I’LL NEVER forget Opening Day in Cincinnati. When they called my name during introductions and a sellout crowd stood and cheered, I looked into the stands and saw Katie and our two kids—Sierra, who’s nearly 2, and my 6-year-old stepdaughter, Julia—and my parents and Katie’s parents. I had to swallow hard to keep from breaking down right there. They were all crying, but I had to at least try to keep it together.

I pinch-hit in the eighth inning of that game against the Cubs, and Lou Piniella decided to make a pitching change before I got to the plate. The crowd stood and cheered me for what seemed like forever. It was the best sound I’ve ever heard. When I got into the box, Cubs catcher Michael Barrett looked up at me from his crouch and said, “You deserve it, Josh. Take it all in, brother. I’m happy for you.” I lined out to left, but the following week I got my first start and my first hit—a home run.

Whether I hit two bombs or strike out three times, like I did in a game against the Pirates, I never forget that I’m living with addiction. It’s just part of my life. Johnny Narron, my manager’s brother, is a big part of my recovery. He’s the Reds’ video coordinator, and he once coached me in fall baseball when I was 15. He looks after me on the road. When they pass out meal money before a trip—always in cash—they give mine to Johnny, and he parcels it out to me when I need it. I see no shame in that; it’s just one of the realities of my situation. I don’t need to be walking around with $400 in my pocket.

I know I’m different, and my teammates have been very accepting. Being a rookie in the big leagues, there are certain rituals involved, and one of them is carrying beer onto the plane. My teammates gave me that job on one of the first road trips, and I didn’t do it. I didn’t think it would be a good idea for me to be seen carrying beer onto a plane. They respected my decision.

I get a lot of abuse in visiting cities, but it only bothers me when people are vulgar around kids. The rest I can handle. Some of it is even funny. In St. Louis, I was standing in rightfield when a fan yelled, “My name is Josh Hamilton, and I’m a drug addict!” I turned around and looked at him with my palms raised to the sky. “Tell me something I don’t know, dude,” I said. The whole section started laughing and cheering, and the heckler turned to them and said, “Did you hear that? He’s my new favorite player.” They cheered me from that point on.

I live by a simple philosophy: Nobody can insult me as much as I’ve insulted myself. I’ve learned that I have to keep doing the right things and not worry about what people think. Fortunately, I have a strong support group with Katie, my family and Johnny. If I ever get in a bad situation, I know I would have to get out of it and give Johnny a call. The key is not getting myself into those situations, but we’ve talked about having a plan for removing myself just in case. It’s all part of understanding the reality of the addiction.

In spring training, when I hit over .400 and made the team, there was a lot of interest in my story. I decided to be open about what happened to me; early on, I was doing long interviews before my first game in every city. It’s been amazing how people have responded, and I think being honest helped. I can’t avoid my past, so I don’t try. It’s not always easy, though. I got sick in late May and ended up on the disabled list after going to the hospital with a stomach problem, and I knew I’d have to answer questions about whether I was using again. I can’t control what people think, but the years of drug abuse tore up my immune system pretty good. I get tested three times a week, and if it comes back positive, I know I’m done with baseball for life.

Aside from our struggles as a team, this season has been a dream for me. And that’s fitting, because in a way I had to learn how to dream all over again. When I was using, I never dreamed. I’d sleep the dead, dreamless sleep of a stalled brain. When I stopped using, I found my dreams

returned. They weren’t always good dreams; most of the ones I remember were haunting and dark. They stayed with me long after I woke up.

Within my first week of sobriety in October 2005—after I showed up at my grandmother’s house in Raleigh in the middle of the night, coming off a crack binge—I had the most haunting dream. I was fighting the devil, an awful-looking thing. I had a stick or a bat or something, and every time I hit the devil, he’d fall and get back up. Over and over I hit him, until I was exhausted and he was still standing.

I woke up in a sweat, as if I’d been truly fighting, and the terror that gripped me makes that dream feel real to this day. I’d been alone for so long, alone with the fears and emotions I worked so hard to kill. I’m not embarrassed to admit that after I woke up that night, I walked down the hall to my grandmother’s room and crawled under the covers with her. The devil stayed out of my dreams for seven months after that. I stayed clean and worked hard and tried to put my marriage and my life back together. I got word in June 2006 that I’d been reinstated by Major League Baseball, and a few weeks afterward, the devil reappeared.

It was the same dream, with an important difference. I would hit him and he would bounce back up, the ugliest and most hideous creature you could imagine. This devil seemed unbeatable; I couldn’t knock him out. But just when I felt like giving up, I felt a presence by my side. I turned my head and saw Jesus, battling alongside me. We kept fighting, and I was filled with strength. The devil didn’t stand a chance.

You can doubt me, but I swear to you I dreamed it. When I woke up, I felt at peace. I wasn’t scared. To me, the lesson was obvious: Alone, I couldn’t win this battle. With Jesus, I couldn’t lose.

I GET cravings sometimes, and I see it as the devil trying to catch me in a weak moment. The best thing I can do is get the thought out of my mind as soon as I can, so it doesn’t turn into an obsession. When it happens, I talk to him. I talk to the devil and say, “These are just thoughts, and I’m not going to act on them.” When I talk like that, when I tell him he’s not going to get the best of me, I find the thought goes away sooner.

Believe it or not, talking to the devil is no harder to explain than many other experiences I’ve had since that day last December when my life changed. I was working for my brother’s tree service in Raleigh, sending limbs through a chipper, when I found out I’d been selected by the Cubs and traded to the Reds in the Rule 5 draft.

But there is one story that sticks with me, so much so that I think of it every day. I was driving out of the players’ parking lot at Great American Ball Park after a game in May, with Katie and our two girls. There’s always a group of fans standing at the curb, hoping to get autographs, and I stop to sign as many as I can.

And on this particular night, a little boy of about 9 or 10, wearing a Reds cap, handed me a pen and something to sign. Nothing unusual there, but as I was writing the boy said, “Josh, you’re my savior.” This stopped me. I looked at him and said, “Well, thank you. Do you know who my savior is?” He thought for a minute. I could see the gears turning. Finally, he smiled and blurted out, “Jesus Christ.” He said it like he’d just come up with the answer to a test. “That’s exactly right,” I said. You see, I may not know how I got here from there, but every day I get a better understanding of why.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3622003
Suggested Reading: The Things We Forget, Part 5: Josh Hamilton

Photo by Bahadir Bermek

Mashup-Germany – Who Knew Someone Like You…
Download: Soundcloud Link

I ran across the poem The Benjamin Franklin of Monogamy written by Jeffrey McDaniel back in July of 2005 and wanted it share it with all of you. Jeffrey McDaniel is quite the published author under Manic D Press. Many of his poems have appeared in highly regarded publications such as The Best American Poetry 1994, An Anthology of new (American) Poets, The new Young American Poets, and American Poetry: The Next Generation. I’m not too big on poetry, but when I read this piece I felt like many people could relate to it. Enjoy!

Photo by: Emmanuel Rosario

Play Me:

As always, I’m here to write because I’ve been thinking a lot lately. This time around it’s not because I’m stressed out or feeling negative. It’s because I’m inspired, motivated, and ready for a change. A change for the better. I used to see the negative out of a lot of things rather than the positive and those thoughts were poison seeping into my mind. Those no longer exist. For example, my brother and I purchased a tape converter for the car, since we don’t have a CD player, so we could play music off our iPhones/iPods. We’ve had it for well over a year now and something started to go wrong with the chord and we can’t hear music come out of our speakers that well. Rather than saying “oh, what a piece of crap this thing sucks” why not look at it and say “wow, this thing was really worth the $20 we paid for it! It’s allowed us to play countless hours of our music that we otherwise wouldn’t have been able to!” Back to the point.

In this day and age it’s very easy to get down on yourself and feel…hopeless. To feel like the world is against you and that nobody cares when in fact, they really do. It’s hard to really see beyond a person, their intentions, and who they really are. Fortunately, I’d like to give myself the credit for knowing I can easily tell a person’s character after shortly meeting with them and and get a feel for who they really are from the motives behind their drive.

What I’m getting at is that my brother and I have seen much success (not as much as we’d like, but we’re taking baby steps) with our website Drop Beats Not Bombs. Both of us have also seen a lot of success in our careers and from the perspective of growing as an individuals this past year. We’ve been through a lot, trust me. What I’ve realized through the development of my career, ambitions, and experiences is there are genuinely good-hearted individuals out in the world. People who want to help you reach your goals, keep you motivated, and truly see your vision. Though sometimes it may be hard to believe this and look beyond all the bullshit that may have previously occurred, you need find the needle(s) in the haystack. And when you do, it’s well worth it. The friendships and relationships you develop by networking are priceless.

So, when in doubt please know there’s always hope. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Keep pushing harder and harder to accomplish what you set out to accomplish and become who you desire to become.

In my opinion, though in a time of sorrow and mourning, the eulogy Ted Kennedy gave for his brother Robert Kennedy’s memorial on June 8, 1968 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York is an all time great. Personally, I’d dub it the greatest speech of all time, but I haven’t listened to nor have I read many speeches to compare it with. I’ve been meaning to share this for a while now and it just so happened that I was going through some of my old audio files back from 2006 and came across a snippet of the speech that I could listen to over and over again. For some reason I draw quite the inspiration from this speech and maybe you will as well.

Your Eminences, Your Excellencies, Mr. President:

On behalf of Mrs. Kennedy, her children, the parents and sisters of Robert Kennedy, I want to express what we feel to those who mourn with us today in this Cathedral and around the world.

We loved him as a brother, and as a father, and as a son. From his parents, and from his older brothers and sisters — Joe and Kathleen and Jack — he received an inspiration which he passed on to all of us. He gave us strength in time of trouble, wisdom in time of uncertainty, and sharing in time of happiness. He will always be by our side.

Love is not an easy feeling to put into words. Nor is loyalty, or trust, or joy. But he was all of these. He loved life completely and he lived it intensely.

A few years back, Robert Kennedy wrote some words about his own father which expresses [sic] the way we in his family felt about him. He said of what his father meant to him, and I quote: “What it really all adds up to is love — not love as it is described with such facility in popular magazines, but the kind of love that is affection and respect, order and encouragement, and support. Our awareness of this was an incalculable source of strength, and because real love is something unselfish and involves sacrifice and giving, we could not help but profit from it.” And he continued, “Beneath it all, he has tried to engender a social conscience. There were wrongs which needed attention. There were people who were poor and needed help. And we have a responsibility to them and to this country. Through no virtues and accomplishments of our own, we have been fortunate enough to be born in the United States under the most comfortable conditions. We, therefore, have a responsibility to others who are less well off.”

That is what Robert Kennedy was given. What he leaves to us is what he said, what he did, and what he stood for. A speech he made to the young people of South Africa on their Day of Affirmation in 1966 sums it up the best, and I would like to read it now:

“There is discrimination in this world and slavery and slaughter and starvation. Governments repress their people; millions are trapped in poverty while the nation grows rich and wealth is lavished on armaments everywhere. These are differing evils, but they are the common works of man. They reflect the imperfection of human justice, the inadequacy of human compassion, our lack of sensibility towards the suffering of our fellows. But we can perhaps remember — even if only for a time — that those who live with us are our brothers; that they share with us the same short moment of life; that they seek — as we do — nothing but the chance to live out their lives in purpose and happiness, winning what satisfaction and fulfillment they can.

Surely, this bond of common faith, this bond of common goal, can begin to teach us something. Surely, we can learn, at least, to look at those around us as fellow men. And surely we can begin to work a little harder to bind up the wounds among us and to become in our own hearts brothers and countrymen once again. The answer is to rely on youth — not a time of life but a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease. The cruelties and obstacles of this swiftly changing planet will not yield to the obsolete dogmas and outworn slogans. They cannot be moved by those who cling to a present that is already dying, who prefer the illusion of security to the excitement and danger that come with even the most peaceful progress.

It is a revolutionary world we live in, and this generation at home and around the world has had thrust upon it a greater burden of responsibility than any generation that has ever lived. Some believe there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world’s ills. Yet many of the world’s great movements, of thought and action, have flowed from the work of a single man. A young monk began the Protestant reformation; a young general extended an empire from Macedonia to the borders of the earth; a young woman reclaimed the territory of France; and it was a young Italian explorer who discovered the New World, and the 32 year-old Thomas Jefferson who [pro]claimed that “all men are created equal.”

These men moved the world, and so can we all. Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation. *It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped.* Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.

Few are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change a world that yields most painfully to change. And I believe that in this generation those with the courage to enter the moral conflict will find themselves with companions in every corner of the globe.

For the fortunate among us, there is the temptation to follow the easy and familiar paths of personal ambition and financial success so grandly spread before those who enjoy the privilege of education. But that is not the road history has marked out for us. Like it or not, we live in times of danger and uncertainty. But they are also more open to the creative energy of men than any other time in history. All of us will ultimately be judged, and as the years pass we will surely judge ourselves on the effort we have contributed to building a new world society and the extent to which our ideals and goals have shaped that event.

*The future does not belong to those who are content with today, apathetic toward common problems and their fellow man alike, timid and fearful in the face of new ideas and bold projects. Rather it will belong to those who can blend vision, reason and courage in a personal commitment to the ideals and great enterprises of American Society.* Our future may lie beyond our vision, but it is not completely beyond our control. It is the shaping impulse of America that neither fate nor nature nor the irresistible tides of history, but the work of our own hands, matched to reason and principle, that will determine our destiny. There is pride in that, even arrogance, but there is also experience and truth. In any event, it is the only way we can live.”

That is the way he lived. That is what he leaves us.

My brother need not be idealized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life; to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it.

Those of us who loved him and who take him to his rest today, pray that what he was to us and what he wished for others will some day come to pass for all the world.

As he said many times, in many parts of this nation, to those he touched and who sought to touch him:

Full Version:

Original Article: : Humbled MBA (Source)

I ran across this article a while back and wanted to share it with all of you! The advice in this article given by Jason Freedman is great for those who are entrepreneurs and even those of you who aren’t! Enjoy!

When we were raising money for FlightCaster in Fall 2009, we met with dozens of investors, both VCs and Angels. Most of them turned us down. The investors that did put money into FlightCaster provided us a ton of value, both in terms of their capital and all the support/guidance/networking.

And what about all those investors that had turned us down? They actually ended up providing a lot of value as well, and that’s what this post is about. I had noticed a funny trend from each one that had turned us down. They all closed with a variant of this statement:

At first, it sounded like a standard pleasantry, in the same vein of “I wish you the best of luck.” But then, I started thinking about why it was that every investor was saying it. I realized that there are two forces at work here:

The first is that many investors are genuinely nice guys that do root for entrepreneurs. Many made it as entrepreneurs and remember the pain and the hustle. If (and this is an important if) an action is not at odds with their fiduciary duty to their limited partners, most investors will do what they can to support you.

The second force at work is pure incentives. Investors know that relationships matter. An investor that passed on a company may want back in at a later point if that company takes off. Or she may want to fund a future company of that entrepreneur. Doing favors without an investment is a cash-free way to prove to the entrepreneur that they have real value to provide in addition to their capital.

So, back to our story. I decided to take them up on their offer. All of them. I literally contacted every investor that turned us down and asked for a concrete favor.

We had just launched the FlightCaster product and were working hard to meet people in the industry. My co-founder Evan Konwiser was not yet recognized as the thought leader of the travel industry that he is today. We had a big conference coming up where every leader of the travel industry would be in attendance. And we knew no one.
With a few hours on LinkedIn, I was able to see which investors knew someone that knew someone we wanted to meet. I sent a personalized version of this email to all those investors that offered to help:

Thanks for offering to further support us as we build FlightCaster.

Right now, we’re preparing for the PhoCusRight conference next week, the travel industry’s largest get together. We’re trying to make some connections with people at the conference. Can you help us connect with leaders in the Business Travel divisions of Expedia or Orbitz? Or any other introduction that you feel would help us?

Thanks for the help!

Jason

And you know what happened? A huge number of those investors responded within 48 hours, and most of them were able to help in some way. And it was the most impressive investors that responded the quickest. Here’s the response I received from Ron Conway the next day (using his classic all caps):

I KNOW THE CEO OF EXPEDIA…send us an email template to send to him

Ron

So, yes, we got introduced to the CEO of Expedia because Ron Conway, who had previously passed on investing in us, was willing to help. Booyah!! Why did he do it? Because Ron Conway is also one of those guys that is fundamentally rooting for the entrepreneur.

The other reason he did it? Because we asked. You don’t get shit you don’t ask for.

A few tips on asking for help:

Ask for what you want
This is a common Paul Graham statement to YC companies. Figure out exactly what you need and just ask for it. Don’t play games, don’t posture, don’t hint. Just ask for what you want.

Make your request very concrete
We didn’t ask for general advice. We did our homework and made very specific requests. It’s much easier for people to respond to concrete requests. Even if they can’t provide for that direct request, the specificity of the request helps them find an alternative way to help.

Don’t use and abuse
I only wanted to ask these incredibly busy investors for help once or maybe twice. Obtaining industry introductions was one of the most important necessities of our startup. I made sure to ask for something that they could provide with minimal effort and risk.

Pay it forward
We’re all part of the same innovation community. This whole entrepreneurship thing is hard for everyone, but fortunately, everyone has something to offer. Don’t procrastinate on giving back.

Say thank you
Investors love knowing the outcome. For both personal and professional reasons, they’re interested in long term relationships. Do your part by keeping them up to date with your successes. I like to email everyone that helped me immediately prior to something showing up on Techcrunch. It helps me communicate to them that I appreciate everything they did to be a part of our success.

Give it a shot. The worst that can happen is that they say no. And even that’s not so bad–investors love knowing that you hustle. So hustle.

Photo by 500px user Olga Skrund

Time goes by fast. Real fast. It has been just about a year since moving out to Huntington Beach, California and boy have I learned a lot–personally and professionally. Overcoming adversity has been something I’ve been used to growing up. Challenges motivate me and push me to go the extra mile…when I set my mind to it. Failures disappoint me, but I’ve learned to pick myself back up. I absolutely hate failing and will not accept failure as an option.

When times get tough it’s easier to give up and throw in the towel. Trust me, I’ve been there multiple times this past year (2010). Sometimes it seems like you just can’t catch a break. You will. Sometimes it seems like the world is against you. It’s not. Sometimes it seems like you’re by yourself in a small dimly lit or dark room struggling to find your way out. You aren’t. Life can get pretty discouraging at times. Maybe a lot of time to make it sound more realistic! Trust me, I’ve been to the bottom of the barrel mentally and physically. My will has been tested time and time again. At times it seems like no matter how much effort you give or how hard you try nothing goes as you expected them to or planned them out to be.

I’ve felt discouraged on multiple occasions throughout the year. Just until recently, I’ve felt like no matter how hard I tried things wouldn’t get better. Negativity found it’s way and dug itself deeper into my mind. Thoughts ran through my head that used to never exist. I was constantly asking myself and to a higher being (God if he exists), why me? People closest to me may have not noticed, but I was miserable. I’m pretty good at putting up a front and acting like everything is normal. Especially to those around me. I’ve always known that friendships were priceless. In times like mentioned above friends and family are your backbone, your support.

Throughout this year, I’ve always known, but learned first hand that quality friendships and the time spent with those friends is priceless. And though it’s hard especially in these economic times, don’t grow old, look back, and regret the things you didn’t do with the people who meant the most to you. Be free and let loose every once in a while. Make the time to be around and surround yourself with the ones you care about most. I’m guilty of this one and haven’t made enough time to build upon existing relationships. To that I’m sorry.

Here are a few things I’ve learned during my first year as a struggling unemployed graduate, door-to-door salesman, and corporate puppet:

Creating balance is essential
Balance is essential to living a less stressful lifestyle. People work way too much these days. It’s not a bad thing, but sometimes we forget to make time for ourselves. It takes a lot out of you. What’s it worth going through the daily grind and letting life pass you by? I was working way too much at one point. I forgot to make time for myself because it felt like I didn’t have enough time in the day. Making the time to go out with friends or just do some personal reflection is quite refreshing. Don’t let yourself get caught up in a daily routine, that’s…well…boring!

The ‘Real World’ is all about experience
The school you graduated from and the degree you have mean absolutely nothing. It does mean something, but not everything. In this day and age with the technology that surrounds us we have access to unlimited resources of information. If you set your mind to it, apply yourself, and put forth the effort you can learn anything you want to learn. Your degree can get you into the door somewhere, but your experience is the deal breaker.

Suggested Reading: Will Paypal Billionaire Peter Thiel’s Team of College Dropouts Change Learning

At my current job I manage a book of over 80 accounts, optimize new and existing campaigns, responsible for the initial set-up of a new campaign, and the landing page copy writing. Guess what…there weren’t any classes that I took or was even offered on the subject of ‘Pay-Per-Click advertising’ and ‘search engine marketing’. Much of your success in this world (in my opinion) will be based on what you do with the hours after your normal work hours. What are you going to do to better your life? That’s why I carry the mentality and philosophy to always be learning. Apply myself at my job and when I’m at home. Eventually, this will hopefully assist me on reaching my goal and working for myself on my own terms!

Don’t let money dictate the way you live YOUR life
This one is kind of hard to follow. Trust me, I’ve been here as well. Not having money can be quite depressing because you just can’t go and do many of the things you want to do. Especially when your friends are always asking you to go out as well! Don’t get down on yourself and crawl into a cave because you don’t have any money. There are plenty of things to do that don’t require money and it’s much better than sitting at home complaining about the fact that you don’t have money! I do want to say though, make wholesome decisions and don’t be careless with the little bit of money you do have.

Look out for yourself, ’cause no one else will
No one has really screwed me over “royally” I guess you could say, but… When conversation arises and good advice is flowing I’m all ears. I’ve heard this many times from [older] successful people that I’ve had conversation with. The business world is a nasty world. The business world is where you separate the men from the boys.

Just the other day my brother and I were talking to a man by the name of Scott. He started a successful business and sold it back in 1999 for lots of money. Despite being screwed over on big deals a few times his advice was to watch out for the pricks. He said, “there are people out there who will take a carrot and stick it up your ass. They’ll act like your friend and fuck you over in the blink of an eye.” His message was clear as day and I definitely won’t forget it. He also advised us to be aggressive. We’re young, ambitious, have energy, and no obligations…to basically take the world by storm. Go after our wildest dreams and make something of them.

You must LEARN to make sacrifices
We’re all young (most of us) and love to go out and spend our money on who knows what. What I’ve learned is that making sacrifices in the business world (career and growth opportunity) and in our personal lives is essential. Think of it like this. You’re chilling with some friends drinking some beers or just shootin’ the shit. What you’re doing at that point in time is what you’re doing and nothing else. You’re obviously not going to be getting anything productive done. Tomorrow is a new day though, and what you do with your time is up to you!

In the business/corporate world you must make unwilling sacrifices that may not seem too glamorous at times, but will pay off if you stick with it. It’s crazy when you look at the breadcrumbs of the many coincidences that occur in life. Here’s my past year in a nutshell. Work door to door sales commission only for 5 months, apply for inside sales position at Internet Brands but get interviewed for the marketing support analyst position and get the job, work at Internet Brands for 6 months, apply to Deluxe Corporation and because of my experience in the non-corporate world as well as at Internet Brands get a job offer. As the year progressed things gradually got better. It didn’t seem like they would at times, but they did. It may seem like hell right now…your hard work and perseverance will pay off. Trust me, it will. I lost faith in myself many times and when you do that it makes things so much harder. Don’t lose faith in yourself and believe in your capabilities! Each job was a stepping stone and without each job preceding the other I wouldn’t be where I a today.

Making more time in the day isn’t impossible
Do you find yourself occasionally saying “there’s not enough time in the day“! Referring back to the creating balance is essential topic, it never seems like you have enough time in the day. There’s always so much to do and just not enough time. I’ve figured out the secret to making more time in the day. Some say it’s impossible, but it’s not. You can literally slow down time… just kidding! Sorry, I had to. Anyways, the only way to gain more time in your day to accomplish more is by going to bed later and waking up earlier. Don’t push yourself to exhaustion doing this. Get your rest, but put the hours you’re awake towards being productive and getting the things done you want to get done. You need to get done. This way, you will have extra time for yourself to do what you want, when you want, and with who you want.

This post is getting a little lengthy. I know there’s more advice that has crossed my mind. When I remember those topics I’ll make another post. For now, this will suffice. Hope you enjoyed this read and feel free to share your thoughts if you so please.

Follow-Up Post:

Words of Encouragement: A Journey That Never Ends

For a recent survey, IBM asked 6,000 top CEOs, CIOs, and CFOs about what companies are doing to make their business succeed. Their answers were not about doing “business as usual,” but finding creative solutions for a fiercely competitive, rapidly moving marketplace. In a world where technology and global demands seem to change every day, here’s a snapshot of what the view is like from the corner office.

A collaboration between GOOD and Oliver Munday.

Source: Good.is