Thursday, December 8, 2011
A date which will live in infamy...
Being so busy with finals, work, and the holidays, I didn't have a chance to post his yesterday. But I hope everyone remembered the importance of December 7th, 1941. Thousands of innocent men and women gave their lives in an unprovoked attack on US soil that day, and the events which followed over the next few years as the world fought for freedom! God bless these fine souls, both past and present (and future!) who so willingly stand at the ready to fight for our freedoms, and repel those who would oppress us. We cannot thank the men and women of the Armed Forces enough for the sacrifices they and their families make on a daily basis! In reference to those who fought in WWII, they truly were the greatest generation, in my opinion. May we never forget, lest we be doomed to repeat the awful events that transpired 70 years ago...
Friday, November 25, 2011
This is how you do it!
Here, ladies and gentlemen, is a video I've had in my YouTube que for a long while. I've seen it a few times, and have always enjoyed it, but now it's time to share it with otheres. Naturally, it appeals to me from a visual standpoint, as I LOVE sportbikes (and bikes in general, really), as well as racing. But listen to what is being said in the video. These words are EXTREMELY powerful and motivating to me. I often find myself butting up against the wall of doubt and fear when it comes to certain areas of life, but the advise contained in this video is truely inspiring. Many times, the things we want most in life are shrouded in opposition, fear, and uncertainty. It is at those times that you must fight hardest! Go out and grab life by the friggin' horns, and tell it how things are REALLY gonna be! You may fall, you may come up terribly short. But at least you can say you tried, and you'll eliminate a situation where you may spend the rest of your life asking "What if I'd taken the risk and acted, instead of cowering in my comfort zone?" As Bruce Wayne's father always asked, "Why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up." Falling sucks, but you'll learn an awful lot in the process, and next time, rather than life beating you to it, you may have the chance to kick life in the teeth and say "Not this time! This time, it's MINE!"
What are you thankful for??
Wow, over a year since I posted last! =-O
Life has taken quite a few turns since I was on here last. I've lost family members, gained and lost a job, found another job, broken bones, been on workmen's comp for the first time, got back into school, been in and out of a relationship, had family move back to the state, started some informal competitive shooting, started rebuilding the first motorcycle I learned to ride (a YSR50, and you'll likely see a number of posts about it soon), jumped out of an airplane twice (soon to be three times!), carved a pumpkin at 15' under water, and had plenty of struggles along the way. Life is certainly unpredictable, isn't it?
At this time of year, Thanksgiving, I have much to be thankful for. I won't make a full accounting of everything, but I will mention a few of the big ones, and apologize for being somewhat sappy in the process. While I enjoy the idea of "being a man" about things, I'm not above expressing my thanks and appreciation for the rich blessings I enjoy in life!
1) The Gospel. I don't intend this blog to be preachy, but my faith in God and His son, Jesus Christ, is something I cherish. I struggle with religion sometimes, because there's little to actually see or handle, and I best understand things I can interact with directly, things I can examine and figure out exactly how they work. When it comes to things like religion, there's not really anything that's a tangible, physical item I can handle and learn on. Rather, it's day-to-day living that schools you. How you live your life, the choices you make, how you treat others, etc. Without my belief in a restored gospel, lead by prophets of God, I'd be entirely different man, and likely not for the better. Sure, I still have things I struggle with, some more so than others, but that's what makes me human. So long as I understand what those weaknesses are, and I strive to overcome them, I'm moving forward on the right path. I owe everything to my Savior.
2) Family. I'll admit I'm not the biggest people person there is. If someone isn't directly connected to my daily life, I have a hard time keeping in touch with them. It's nothing personal, that's just how I am. I have this ability to detach myself from people when I'm not near them, something that helps me focus on what I need to take care of in my own life, in order to keep my life on track. It's both a hinderance and a help at times. So when I say I'm thankful for my family, it's because they're the one group of people I can count on at all times, who'll be there when I need them, and hopefully I can be there when they need me. I could perhaps communicate with them a little more often, but I'm a quiet guy who only speaks my mind when I have something worthwhile to say or contribute, for the most part. But regardless of that fact, I hope they know I care for and love them!
3) Good health. I'm plagued by minor disabilities just like everyone else on the planet, but I'm WAY healthier than the vast majority of Earth's population, and for that I'm thankful! I have pretty good eyes (aside from needing glasses, but I can still see!), good hearing, the ability to taste, smell, and touch, all my fingers and toes, a good heart and set of lungs, and a clear, strong mind. All of these things (and many others, of course), allow me to do the things I love doing each day.
4) Freedom. The US of A is struggling in many ways right now, but this is a nation that enjoys more freedoms than just about anywhere else on earth. I cannot thank the AMAZING men and women in the Armed Forces who, throughout or nation's history, have put their lives on the line so simple people like me can go on enjoying the freedoms we so often take for granted. THANK YOU, service men and women!
5) The future. This is kind of a funny thing. While I enjoy jumping out of airplanes, swimming 80' underwater, and riding a sportbike at semi-legal speeds while almost dragging body parts on the ground, I fear the unknown to some extent. Despite the bleak outlook many have, and the fact that I also feel we're headed for tough times, the future holds so much promise! Tomorrow is another chance to live life to the fullest, another chance we have to dare to dream, to work for our deepest desires, to laugh, love, and learn. Having a tomorrow means I still stand a chance of reaching my goals, having a wife and kids, and making a positive difference in someone's life and the world around me. It's a clean slate that I can do ANYTHING with, if I'll just set my goals and then have the courage to go after them.
So, there you have it. A brief look inside the mind of a pretty simple guy who puts his pants on one leg at a time, just like everybody else. But a guy who's not going to settle for mediocrity, and neither should you. ;)
Life has taken quite a few turns since I was on here last. I've lost family members, gained and lost a job, found another job, broken bones, been on workmen's comp for the first time, got back into school, been in and out of a relationship, had family move back to the state, started some informal competitive shooting, started rebuilding the first motorcycle I learned to ride (a YSR50, and you'll likely see a number of posts about it soon), jumped out of an airplane twice (soon to be three times!), carved a pumpkin at 15' under water, and had plenty of struggles along the way. Life is certainly unpredictable, isn't it?
At this time of year, Thanksgiving, I have much to be thankful for. I won't make a full accounting of everything, but I will mention a few of the big ones, and apologize for being somewhat sappy in the process. While I enjoy the idea of "being a man" about things, I'm not above expressing my thanks and appreciation for the rich blessings I enjoy in life!
1) The Gospel. I don't intend this blog to be preachy, but my faith in God and His son, Jesus Christ, is something I cherish. I struggle with religion sometimes, because there's little to actually see or handle, and I best understand things I can interact with directly, things I can examine and figure out exactly how they work. When it comes to things like religion, there's not really anything that's a tangible, physical item I can handle and learn on. Rather, it's day-to-day living that schools you. How you live your life, the choices you make, how you treat others, etc. Without my belief in a restored gospel, lead by prophets of God, I'd be entirely different man, and likely not for the better. Sure, I still have things I struggle with, some more so than others, but that's what makes me human. So long as I understand what those weaknesses are, and I strive to overcome them, I'm moving forward on the right path. I owe everything to my Savior.
2) Family. I'll admit I'm not the biggest people person there is. If someone isn't directly connected to my daily life, I have a hard time keeping in touch with them. It's nothing personal, that's just how I am. I have this ability to detach myself from people when I'm not near them, something that helps me focus on what I need to take care of in my own life, in order to keep my life on track. It's both a hinderance and a help at times. So when I say I'm thankful for my family, it's because they're the one group of people I can count on at all times, who'll be there when I need them, and hopefully I can be there when they need me. I could perhaps communicate with them a little more often, but I'm a quiet guy who only speaks my mind when I have something worthwhile to say or contribute, for the most part. But regardless of that fact, I hope they know I care for and love them!
3) Good health. I'm plagued by minor disabilities just like everyone else on the planet, but I'm WAY healthier than the vast majority of Earth's population, and for that I'm thankful! I have pretty good eyes (aside from needing glasses, but I can still see!), good hearing, the ability to taste, smell, and touch, all my fingers and toes, a good heart and set of lungs, and a clear, strong mind. All of these things (and many others, of course), allow me to do the things I love doing each day.
4) Freedom. The US of A is struggling in many ways right now, but this is a nation that enjoys more freedoms than just about anywhere else on earth. I cannot thank the AMAZING men and women in the Armed Forces who, throughout or nation's history, have put their lives on the line so simple people like me can go on enjoying the freedoms we so often take for granted. THANK YOU, service men and women!
5) The future. This is kind of a funny thing. While I enjoy jumping out of airplanes, swimming 80' underwater, and riding a sportbike at semi-legal speeds while almost dragging body parts on the ground, I fear the unknown to some extent. Despite the bleak outlook many have, and the fact that I also feel we're headed for tough times, the future holds so much promise! Tomorrow is another chance to live life to the fullest, another chance we have to dare to dream, to work for our deepest desires, to laugh, love, and learn. Having a tomorrow means I still stand a chance of reaching my goals, having a wife and kids, and making a positive difference in someone's life and the world around me. It's a clean slate that I can do ANYTHING with, if I'll just set my goals and then have the courage to go after them.
So, there you have it. A brief look inside the mind of a pretty simple guy who puts his pants on one leg at a time, just like everybody else. But a guy who's not going to settle for mediocrity, and neither should you. ;)
Sunday, June 6, 2010
The Reason
Well, I'm probably one of the last people I know to start a blog, being beat out by my little sister even, haha! So I figure it's time to start something that I can post from time to time, if for no other reason than to have casual conversation about random bits. :)
Anywho, the reason I named the podcast "The Will to Act" is because I recently re-watched one of my favorite movies, "Batman Begins," and the quote is used to outline an important aspect of life that many of us overlook. So many people talk big, but it seems that very few people are willing to follow those words with their own two feet. I'm guilty of this myself sometimes, but I generally do OK at it. Seeing the name each time I post a blog will also serve to help me focus on this. I just feel that if you don't have the will to act, then you'll be unprepared for a great many of the important events you'll face in life. The address to the blog contains the statement "No Ordinary Cause" because I feel that everyday, we should be fighting for a cause that is not ordinary. The world we live in is rapidly changing, and often it's not for the better. It will take the efforts of courageous men and women from all walks of life in order to get things back on the proper path towards productive living, and that includes even small acts of service, bravery, and standing for truth.
In this blog, I intend to touch on a number of various topics ranging from sport bikes, scuba diving, and firearms, to model aviation, full-scale aviation, and perhaps even politics, with everything in between. I tend to enjoy a great number of hobbies (maybe too many, LOL), and wish to share my enthusiasm for them with those around me. I also have become somewhat of a thrill seeker in the past few years, so I'll try to share my various experiences as I try new and challenging things. Please feel free to comment on my blogs, share your views, etc. You'll find I can be fairly outspoken on a few key subjects, but open discussion is a great way to see things from another point of view. :)
Stay tuned!
Anywho, the reason I named the podcast "The Will to Act" is because I recently re-watched one of my favorite movies, "Batman Begins," and the quote is used to outline an important aspect of life that many of us overlook. So many people talk big, but it seems that very few people are willing to follow those words with their own two feet. I'm guilty of this myself sometimes, but I generally do OK at it. Seeing the name each time I post a blog will also serve to help me focus on this. I just feel that if you don't have the will to act, then you'll be unprepared for a great many of the important events you'll face in life. The address to the blog contains the statement "No Ordinary Cause" because I feel that everyday, we should be fighting for a cause that is not ordinary. The world we live in is rapidly changing, and often it's not for the better. It will take the efforts of courageous men and women from all walks of life in order to get things back on the proper path towards productive living, and that includes even small acts of service, bravery, and standing for truth.
In this blog, I intend to touch on a number of various topics ranging from sport bikes, scuba diving, and firearms, to model aviation, full-scale aviation, and perhaps even politics, with everything in between. I tend to enjoy a great number of hobbies (maybe too many, LOL), and wish to share my enthusiasm for them with those around me. I also have become somewhat of a thrill seeker in the past few years, so I'll try to share my various experiences as I try new and challenging things. Please feel free to comment on my blogs, share your views, etc. You'll find I can be fairly outspoken on a few key subjects, but open discussion is a great way to see things from another point of view. :)
Stay tuned!
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