Play Your Heart Out

You can't strive to be significant
If you aren't willing to see blood, sweat and tears
You won't play hard enough
or dive into the depths of your affairs.

You can attend to your immaculate play-by-plays.
But there is no single gameplan for love.
There are hundreds-- thousands.

"Love is For After The Game"

And NOT ONE of them compels a win.

So continue to take heed to the plans for attack
Your strategies of defense
And even your fraudulent flags of surrender
No one can successfully predict the end of every season

None are a promise of a game,
an oath for completion, or a contract for a ring.
So stop planning for the endgame of "Happily Ever After."
Instead, give yourself completely to the game.

Forget nothing, cherish everything
And play your heart out.
Because that feeling--
is the only guarantee for greatness you have.

Fiz Out? I don't know the name yet.

New blog coming soon. The Breakdown of... (cue the lonely girl song) 

an Education Girl Living in a Business World.

Why You Might Be Single: The Best Practice Share of the Business World

Last week a friend of mine and I went to get frozen yogurt and ended up fixing the world. 

Call me a sucker for what I read and maybe I just bought every word on the page, but I truly think I figured out how to fix (almost) every single, single friend I know, the business world AND the education world. 

Crazy right?

Well that’s just the day we were having. I will save you the boring saga on the business and education world for now. Since, lets be honest, thats not the part you want to read.

Do you want to know why you, your friends and like everyone you know is single? Its easy really. They don’t know themselves. They don’t take the time and analyze themselves like the rest of the world does.

Now I am going to gear this towards gentlemen, because lets be honest. 90% of who i talk to are guys and I feel it will better point out my thoughts on this one. 

So lets think about it. What do girls do? They think, they digest it, throw it up, eat it again. Then they rewind it and think about it for the billionth time again. They break out every single thought into a web of crazy design just to TRY to figure out what you think.  But it works for them (or they normally assume). If not, they go back to the root of the problem and web out their thoughts again. 

An example: 

Why do guys play guitar?

Well there are normally 3 options. 

1)They genuinely like music. Normally you can see a connection with the songs they listen to, the thoughts they have, the things they remember, maybe their father played, their hero was in a band. etc.

2) They just want something. They see this as their ticket in. Their friend taught them how to play a song or two and they just kept it going to keep themselves in the game. Girls will pick this up. They realize that you don't really know what you are doing, or you only know one song. They will see that you listen to rap, play rock and sing country. None of it will make sense except for your handsome eyelashes and the fact your muscles show off when you play.

3) They are romantic. They normally look like a fool and are trying to impress you. They want to show that they care and aren't great at finding the words. They learn your favorite song and its the only one they really know how to play. (Other than mary had a little lamb) 

So if you have a guy figured out enough (or close enough) you can rightfully assume their reason through your intricate web of designs. And girls do this all the time. 

The difference is that the guys don’t. “Why do you play guitar?” “Because." "Because I do.” “Because I want to”. None of that is who they are, it is just what they do. They are defined by their actions. Girls then define them by their reasons. 

Girls don’t fall for the actions. Actions change. Actions can be spun into the wrong webs. 

They care about the reason. Because the reason is a part of who you are. It is what you stand true to. It is your values, your beliefs and your morals and everything you do can be determined by it (assuming you attemped to listen to your own reasons either consciously or subconsciously)

So how can a guy get more girls that last? Figure out his own reasons. Self reflect on what makes himself tick exactly how he does. The more you know about yourself the more you can gear your actions to your reasons and help you get a girl and keep her.

There Are Plenty More Fish in the Sea

 

Most people feel a need for love. They believe if they even get a nip on the end of their fishing line, they need to reel in, quick. They are insecure with their own skills and need the help of the proof. "If I catch one... I am OBVIOUSLY good enough." They need to physically see the fish on the end of their hook.
But how many fast, little fish do they need to catch before they realize that they know how to fish? At some point they will feel that nip and realize that they want to see whats farther, what can be deeper and what can really satisfy their fishing cravings. They have heard the stories, after all, about the fisherman down in California who caught the biggest salmon ever or the largest catfish in Thailand, while all they are catching are baby blue gills. And they want it. They want to feel the satisfaction of knowing they can handle it. That they are experienced enough to pull it off.
So they research into what bobs to use and what hooks work best. They look into the different fishing lines and fishing hooks to best meet their needs.  Fishing becomes more about their talents than it does about their luck in the waters.

And thats the difference. In relationships there are two kinds of fisherman. The ones that sit and wait to get lucky. The ones that view the other person as a way to feel completed. They need the proof. They need the first thing they touch and they clench onto it.
Then there are the fishermen that know they will get the big one. They are patient enough to sit there knowing they have something to give to this process. They have researched what works and what doesn't. How to  act and how to be themselves. They are confident in who they are and what they want. And those are the fishermen that strive.

I wrote a thought a few weeks back that I wanted to look into. "Maybe the only way of holding onto a relationship was holding off."

It is an interesting theory to say the least. That "holding back" from someone in all aspects of the terms means that you will be stronger in the end. That maybe in the world where we rush in and out of stores; money in and out of bank accounts; and friends in and out of our lives, we need to take the time and slow down for something (and someone) meaningful. 

Maybe the reason everyone dates so young is because they expect their relationship to give them meaning. (Much like the first fisherman.) They don't believe in themselves, so they need someone else to. 

But to really love, is to love yourself. What you do and how you do it. It is a matter of knowing what you want and knowing why. To do this, you need to back off sometimes. You need to research. You need time for yourself and what you believe in.

Because there are a lot of fish out in the sea. But aren't you sick of looking for blue gills? Don't you want the best ones for yourself?

Do You Really Need That Cup?

"Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after."

Most days I feel like people are letting the wrong kind of coffee seep through them. I don't know if you people watch, but since I lived in the city the last couple of years, I've learned how to entertain myself in a place where I am always surrounded. My favorite was to gaze out the fingerprint-y window as I listened to the conversations around me. There were always conversations. Albeit, some were one sided phone conversations, as a by-passer I heard it all. 


"Oh My God! Did you hear what I heard Deanna say last night?"
"I know! How dumb!"


"So I just wanted to call you and let you know that I had the worst day at work today..."


"I just don't understand why Thomas has the nerve to treat me like that. I am a good person."


The more I listened, the more I realized, most people are far too focused on themselves. They need to tell one another their thoughts, their feelings, their problems and occasionally their joys. But how many of them take the time to listen? Better yet how many dig deeper?
As a society we never ask the question "Why?" Sometimes we get asked "Why do you feel that way?" but that is more-so for clarification than for actual analytical understanding. People all around us seem to live without understanding and it amazes me. How can someone not view their routines in a way that begs the question of "Why?" How can people not take the time to realize when they are stuck there is more than a need for discussing feelings and thoughts. 


You need to discuss motives too. Motives. Something inside us all makes us tick and if you can reach that thought process then you will not only grow as an individual but become increasingly aware of how those around you mold as well and WHY. 
If you have the fortunate ability to communicate with someone in a way that pleads for the question of why, your mind will feel jolted and you will realize you have the ability to learn and an increasing ability to grow. 


Whoever said coffee stunts growth never diverged in a deep conversation in the early hours of the rooster's beckoning. 

You’ve got a bad case of being over there. The only cure is being over here.

I have a lot on my mind today. It's my last day of college classes. Next semester all i have left to do is student teach. its crazy, the reality of the rest of my life is seeping in every chance it gets.

The rest of my life.

I won't pretend I know where it is going. I wouldn't dare be that naive. However, if it goes where I want it to, I know I will find a way into your arms every night.

My life before you was hectic. I was young and naive and I thought I knew what I wanted. I thought I knew who I wanted to be and where I wanted to go. But I got my heart broken, I got chewed up and spit out. But I needed it. I needed a bit of tough love to toughen who I am.

It's like everything that has happened in my life has made me strong enough for this.

A White Sox Game.

When people ask how we met, they laugh. It only seems to perfect to be true. Me, with my passions and crazy emotions over this sport, would meet someone that would turn my world upside-down in a place that couldn't be more up my alley. I got so many "You are kidding me, right?", "Really?" and "Figures" it could last me a lifetime.

This love that is over 9,000 miles apart for God-Only-Knows-How-Long is more than amazing. Before I had the hard times in my life, I never would have been able to handle this. Starting a relationship based off of messages on Facebook? Pictures that keep me holding on? Talking for 3 hours a day via texting on a good day? Thinking about what you are doing and what we would do together every other second of the day. Living for myself and being able to be there for you. Sharing as much as I can think of while sharing every important thought with you in such a brief time.

You are the best person I have ever met. And I knew the second we (finally) got together (my bad babe ;) ) that I wanted to be with you as much as possible.

Distance is hard. Longer distance is harder. And the military can be downright disarming. But it can be soooo easy too. So many people say they couldn't handle it. So many tell me that they are not that strong. But what they don't realize is its not that hard. 90% of the time its easy because in the end it is so worth it. Just getting a silly text from you or smiling from the cute things you say makes it easy. They make me continuously fall in love with you.

I have learned a lot about who I am since I met you. I have learned a lot about love since I met you. And I want to remind you that I will put up with the distance, the hardships and the rocky roads if it means I can talk to you for just a minute a day.

I never knew love could be so strong. I never knew I could be so strong. And I owe most of that to you and that fateful White Sox Game.

I know my life is turning around. And the "real world" is as frightening as it is exciting half the time. I just wanted to say thanks for the 80 billionth time. Thanks for being such a handsome part of my life. Your love is better than anything I ever imagined. Thanks for this time together and I can't wait to see what is in store for us in the future.

All In

Baseball season is here: The season of love, heartbreak, passion, sorrow, confidence, ignorance, thrills, abandonment, and hope. It's the season of life.

I can feel more emotions in 9 innings then I can an entire week in winter.

I've never understood how someone can't be passionate about baseball. It's in our blood, in our society. To watch as the curve leaves the pitcher and the bat resonates. The flirtatious way the way the runners advance. The way you sit on the edge of your seat. The characters you see and the commitment you feel. It's a whole lot like love. Every. Single. Game.

I am a White Sox Fan. In Chicago, I got asked "Why?" on probably a weekly basis. It's simple really. My dad was. My friends weren't. The arguments you can spark going against the grain are enticing. It's a different mentality on the Southside. We don't stand for losers. We won't go because we know that that will change. We believe in teams not in individuals. We believe in personalities and spunk. We give 150% in a game that most only give 110. We don't diss the other teams by throwing the ball back into the park. We keep it as a momentum to a game that brought you so much passion that you couldn't help but want to hold onto a part of that memory forever. (We diss them by throwing stats at them.) I am a Sox Fan because I know what baseball means. Looking passed the dollars, passed the ignorance, passed the failures. I am a fan of a sport and a fan of a team that resembles the top qualities of that sport.