Day 52 - WANTED

Day 52 - WANTED

Yes. Yes, we do.  This world needs more encouragers.  :)

Day 51 - Admit Something...

Day 51 - Admit Something...

I'm just going to lay it out there.  I struggle with insecurity and self-esteem.  And you know what?  That's alright.  

You might be asking yourself, "seriously?  You're ok with that?"  Yep.  The truth is: I'm human.  I'm not perfect.  No one is.  And the more I continue acting like I am, the worse things get.  So, yeah.  I struggle with insecurity and self-esteem.  I'm not afraid to admit it.  There are reasons both internally and externally that cause these struggles for me--reasons that frustrate me all the time and that need to be resolved.  So, it's time to start looking those frustrations in the eye, stair them down, and kick 'em out.  It's time to "admit something" and overcome.  

Reading the following tonight really brightened my day: "Consider it beautiful."

That's right!  You read that correctly.  "Consider it beautiful."  Insecurity.  "Consider it beautiful."

"Insecurity--vulnerability of spirit--is essentially humility, which is a divine quality.  In fact, since pride is considered to be the origin of sin (Saint Augustine), then humility would be the greatest spiritual virtue.  With insecurity, we admit that it's not all about us, and that philosophy in this world of self-centeredness is quite lovely." ~ Therese J. Borchard

Wow.  A feeling I find to be revolting, embarrassing, and disgusting was completely changed after looking at it from a different lens.  I'm human.  And I make mistakes.  We all need to remind ourselves of that sometimes.  

Are you insecure?  Do you struggle with self-esteem?  Is there something you're struggling with and need to admit?  I'm feeling pretty good about letting this out.  You know what I did?  I Googled it...and I'm not ashamed to admit it...

I found the following articles that I plan to really dig through, fight, and eventually knock out:

Insecure?  Reclaim the Joy of Being You

How to Overcome Insecurity

5 Things to Do When You Feel Insecure

I have a lot of work to do to.  Is there something you need to knockout?  Is there something you need to admit?  Just take that first step, then pick up the gloves.

Day 50 - A Concert You Attended

Day 50 - A Concert You Attended

ROCKAPELLA

Brittany and I had the privilege to attend the Rockapella concert on Sunday night at Wartburg College in Waverly.  I believe this was my fourth time seeing them in action and I have to say, they still know how to kick it.

Rockapella is a well-known  acapella group that has been around for the last 20 to 30 years.  One might recognize a few of their tunes from old commercials (Coca-Cola, Folgers, etc.).  Then there was their ever famous "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" theme song that they sang for the hit PBS show back in the early nineties.  

In high school, there were several of us guys that really got into Rockapella.  We would listen to their music, perform some of their numbers during swing choir shows, and enthusiastically attend their concerts when they came to Iowa.

So, back to Sunday night.  The show was incredible.  I hadn't been to a live concert in quite sometime and it was nice just to kick back and listen.  The group really put on a show as they made people smile and laugh, in addition to bringing the goosebumps.  If you haven't seen Rockapella before, and you get the opportunity to do so, I encourage you to check them out.  Below are a couple of my favorite songs from them (and it's important to note that the group is entirely vocal.  There are absolutely no instruments).  Enjoy!

"Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" / Beat Box Solo

Up On the Roof / Don't Know Much About 

Zombie Jamboree

Day 49 - 4 Years Ago Today

Day 49 - 4 Years Ago Today

4 years ago today I became a blogger.  My first blog was started on Tumblr.  Not liking the functionality of the Tumblr site and wanting to be sure my blog aligned with upcoming technology, I switched over to Blogger.  And here I am, four years later, still reflecting on life.  I believe my audience has grown and my content continues to evolve, but I'm excited to move forward sharing my reflections on the world around me.

October 5, 2010 - I'm a Blogger Post

I've been thinking about starting a blog for quite some time.  you know, just to throw some fun thoughts out there regarding my daily adventures.  Sometimes it is important to record and reflect on our magnificent journeys that we encounter in life.  

So here it goes!  I'm a blogger and I present to you, the Adventures of SuperTeeJ!  :)  (Bum, BaDa!)

Day 48 - Share a Quote

Day 48 - Share a Quote

I love this quote from Christian Bale's Batman in The Dark Knight Rises.  Simplicity.  It's a powerful thing.

Day 47 - Favorite Books

47 - Favorite Books

So, in the past, I have listed my top favorite children's books, but I've never listed my top books of all time.  This is even more challenging.  Nevertheless, no matter how badly I want to add one more book to the list, I'm going to list 5 of my top favorites.  Here it goes:

1. The Harry Potter Books - J.K. Rowling

I'm on book 5 of 7 and so far my favorite of the ones I have read would be Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

2. Superman: Earth One - J. Michael Straczynski and Shane Davis

“How can I decide what to do with my life when I don’t even know who I am?  I feel like I’m walking in a dream, and nothing’s real, not even me.” - Clark

“Then maybe the answer is to wake up.  There will come a day Clark, when for the very first time, you won’t have to hold back…a day when you can cut loose…a day when you can finally be who you truly are…you’re unique in all the world.  Extraordinary.  Not just any man…and more than just a man…a SUPER-man.  Live Clark.  Follow your passion.  Show the whole world what you can do.  Fly Clark…fly…” - Jonathan

3. The Monster at the End of this Book - Jon Stone and Mike Smollin

It's unbelievable what we will discover about ourselves if we just keep turning the pages.

4. Quiet Strength - Tony Dungy

"It's about the journey--mine and yours--and the lives we can touch, the legacy we can leave, and the world we can change for the better." ~ Tony Dungy

5. The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch

"Never lose the childlike wonder.  It's just too important.  It's what drives us." ~ Randy Pausch

Day 46 - Do Nothing

Day 46 - Do Nothing

There's a lot to be said about doing nothing.  Seriously.  Sometimes, it's ok to do nothing.  In the fast-paced, busy, attention-seeking, stressful society we live in today, sometimes we miss out on the little things; the things that make all the difference.  EVERYONE should make time for nothing for in nothingness, there are infinite possibilities.

For those who can't do nothing today, take at least 2 minutes out of your day and do nothing.  To hold yourself accountable to doing absolutely nothing for 2 minutes, visit:

www.donothingfor2minutes.com

Enjoy! :)

Day 45 - A Post from Awhile Back

Day 45 - A Post from Awhile Back

Here's a post from awhile back.  Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

All the Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
Layin’ in the sun,
Talkin’ bout the things
They woulda-coulda-shoulda done…
But those Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
All ran away and hid
From one little did.
~ Shel Silverstein

Day 44 - A Shout Out to...

Day 44 - A Shout Out to...

I want to throw a HUGE shout out to Mitch Matthews, author of the book Ignite: 3 Simple Steps for Re-Sparking Your Buried Dreams and Building a Plan that Finally Works.  I've known Mitch since 2008 and he's someone you should know.  

Mitch is the "BIG Dream" guy.  He goes around the country speaking to individuals and organizations about the importance of dreaming big and going after BIG dreams.  Mitch is one of the best encouragers I know, and one of his goals is to launch 1 million dreams in his lifetime; a goal I know he will reach and surpass.  

On Tuesday, September 30th, Mitch re-released his Ignite book on Kindle in an effort to help even more people get clear on their big dreams and put a plan in place to reach them.  I strongly encourage you to pick his book up.  It's an excellent read and it has some tangible advice and insight on actually putting some steps into motion to achieve your BIG dreams.  

Mitch, congratulations on re-releasing your book and keep up the excellent work pursuing a dream that is incredibly moving and worthwhile!  You rock sir!  "Keep bringing your awesome!"  :)  

Day 43 - You Know Who's Awesome?! - #10

Day 43 - You Know Who's Awesome?!

This couple:

Makenzie and Steven Schultz are from Cedar Rapids, Iowa and on September 27th, they paid it forward.  After visiting a restaurant that was understaffed, Mackenzie and Steven left a $100.00 tip for their server despite the amount of time it took to receive their orders.  Upon leaving the server a $100.00, Mackenzie Schultz posted the following message on her Facebook page:

"So here's the deal. Our service tonight sucked. Took 20 minutes to get water, 40 minutes for an appetizer and over an hour for our entree. People all around us were making fun of the restaurant & how bad the service was. Yeah, it was pretty terrible. But, it was very obvious that the issue was being short staffed, not the server. He was running around like crazy and never acted annoyed with any table. At one point we counted he had 12 tables plus the bar. More than any one person could handle! As I sat there and watched him run back & forth and apologize for the wait, I said to Steven... Wow, this used to be us. Waiting tables. I don't miss it at all and I never loved that job. I did it for the tips. Steven and I agreed it would feel good to make this guys night when he would probably be getting minimal to no tips due to slow service. We walked out before he saw this and I'm not posting this for a pat on the back. I'm just sharing this as a friendly reminder to think of the entire situation, before you judge. And always always always remember where you came from."

I absolutely love the last couple parts of this post:

"I'm just sharing this as a friendly reminder to think of the entire situation, before you judge.  And always, always, always, remember where you came from."

Three lessons from this story:

1. Pay it forward.  Do a good deed out of the goodness of your heart once in awhile.  It feels great and it makes a difference.

2. We really have no clue what everyone's situation is.  In a world full of "heavily-opinionated-online-commenting" and a "sense-of-only-one's-self" personas, we HAVE TO be careful with judging so quickly.  After all, "...everyone is fighting their own battle..." and we are all human.  Why not be gracious enough to allow other people's mistakes considering we would want the same thing in return.

3. "Remember who you are." ~ Kathryn Daugherty.  Don't get so caught up in success that you forget where you've been.  The climb up the mountain is more important than the view at the top.  Yes, the view is worthwhile, but don't forget how you got there and help others with their climb as well.

This story was awesome and huge shout out to Twila Falk for sharing this story with me.  I loved it a lot!  :)