Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone:"SUP"

True statement:

We only try things we feel completely comfortable/confident in doing most of the time!  

Well last week I definitely stepped out of that "comfort zone".  Let me restate that, at first I felt forced by my wife Morgann to step out of my comfort zone.  But then when it was over, I was excited and pumped I did. 

What holds us back from wanting to step out of that zone?

For me it is a lack of confidence, if I am not confident in it or think that I will not perform well then it ain't for me.  Well, that is what went down last Thursday as Morgann signed me up for my first ever Stand Up Paddle board race.  (SUP)  

Going through my mind:  I have never done this before and I am not only going to just "SUP", I am going to race.  Knowing my competitiveness and hating to lose, I was definitely not wanting to step out of the zone for this.  Well, by the time Thursday had rolled around I had run out of excuses to give Morgann to why I shouldn't do this.  (ya know... my knee has been hurting me, other guys have their own paddles, do we even know how to get there, is it going to rain?, it is two hours before Thursday night football starts won't that be cutting it close? it cost 5$ to enter, and the obvious I have never done this before)  Morgann being her awesome self wasn't having any of it - IT WENT DOWN, AND OUT OF THE ZONE I WENT!

AND IT WAS AWESOME!!!  I did horrible in the race as you can tell in the above picture, no one is around me, because I am in dead last (really want to learn how to turn).  But it didn't even matter, it was so much fun, I have never enjoyed an activity so much that I finished last at. (can't believe I just wrote that)

After a couple disqualifications  (people not going around buoys correctly) and lack of people racing I even left with a medal?  

So I really can't wait to do it again, aka get my own Paddle Board so I can get in paddle board shape and actually learn how to maneuver one.  But I will take this as another prime example in life - that stepping out of your comfort zone, whatever that may be for you, in the end, REALLY IS WORTH IT!!!

Hunting Island/Beaufort Trip

One thing Morgann and I love to do together is take trips.  Since the move we haven't really wanted to as we have been recuperating from the move by going to the beach every weekend for two months.  So this past Saturday we planned a little date day/night down to Beaufort/Hunting Island, the recap by pictures...

So we started the date day early at Palm and Moon Bagel shop (suggested by one of my students).  We took it to go and ate out on the harbor in downtown Beaufort.  I obviously had to go with the Joey special - 2 bagels.  (Friends TV Show reference)

So after the early breakfast we drove into Hunting Island (about 15 minutes from Beaufort).  Honestly, the most beautiful drive in, because you feel like you are literally in a jungle.  So I must have said this 20 times - "it is like we are in a jungle, there had to have been movies filmed here".

Since it is a state park, there are no houses on the island so it is literally what any beach you go to would look like if we hadn't built anything on the land, amazing!  

First time I have ever seen trees growing out of the ocean.  In which I definitely kept thinking this quote all day as well - "we are really still in the USA".

Had to post this shot because after doing a little research on movies shot on the island (Forest Gump, G.I. Jane, and Jungle Book), this is the spot where Forest brings Cap't Dan out of the jungle to save him and also where Bubba passes away.

After spending all afternoon lounging/reading on the beach we ended the day with a date night dinner downtown Beaufort by the harbor at The Old Bull Tavern which I would highly suggest to eat at if ever in the area!

One great date day!!!

Side note story from the day:  After spending all day on the beach Morgann and I wanted to get ready to go out to eat.  Obviously there are no showers, so I had planned on just rinsing off in the outdoor shower rinser-offer that everyone in the state park is using and then I was going to change once I got the sand off of me.  Morgann has other plans, as I am just rinsing the sand off of myself, I look over and Morgann has brought an entire bar of soap in a travel case and is actually taking a shower in the beach rinse off station.  As I am laughing uncontrollably at her and have left the scene as I do not want to be a part of this, I look over and Morgann has this other woman that is rinsing off rubbing the soap off of her back.  It is things like that why I love Morgann King, because I would never do that but she has no problem with taking a public shower, and getting others to help her with it.

Last week College Football season began, and I am typing to admit that I was out right addicted to watching/learning everything I could for the start of the season.  I hadn't had it for 8 months and I needed it, I wanted it back in my life, it is/(was) a part of me.

Coming to the realization that this was the case lead me to tweet this out...

"I have told MORE people in the last year that I LOVE college football more than I have told people that I LOVE JESUS!"

CONVICTED!  I don't want that above tweet to be true!!!

This quote has stuck out to me:
"The true God in your heart is what your thoughts effortlessly go to when their is nothing else demanding your attention." - Tim Calhoun

So with that quote I simply want to ask you to think about who/what in your life do you make YOUR GOD?
What is "IT" that you think about majority of the time?
What is "IT" that if you didn't have it in this life you would really miss it?
What is "IT" that would make you disappointed if you didn't get to be a part of it for years on end?
When their is an awkward silence in a conversation or to start a conversation with a friend what is "IT" that your mind goes to to talk about?

IS YOUR "IT" MORE IMPORTANT THAN GOD?

I am so thankful for the forgiveness of an awesome God, His mercy, and His grace!!!

Also would love for you to watch this amazing video that I am including in this post of Chris Norman, a starting linebacker for Michigan State who chose not to do what the world wanted him to do (pursue his career in the NFL) but to stand up and stand out for Christ and go into ministry... CHRIS NORMAN - NFL OR MINISTRY?


 

It's Not That Easy

About 6 months ago I came to the realization that when I workout, sometimes I don't really perform an exercise with correct form when I don't enjoy doing the exercise.  I have also come to the realization that it stems from not wanting to do that particular exercise at all really.  (I think most people would be lying if they say they have never had this feeling)  But then I asked myself, why not do it correctly, do it slower, do it not as many times as I have been able to do it.  It is not as if a coach is going to make me do more for not finishing in a certain time or I am trying to stay with a team and not look like "that guy" that is behind everyone else.  So why?  Why go faster or not use the right technical form, and not do the exercise correctly?

So I created a workout which incorporates every exercise I hate to do, because every exercise I hate to do is more than likely one that I really need to be doing.  (AKA Squats of some sort)  Whoa...wait a second. 

 "Life Lesson" Time - are there things in your life you are just trying to "get it over with", "rushing it", "saving it for later", so you can move on in life?  Why?  Why not do it better, and do it right?  Who is stopping you, maybe you had something in the past that was holding you down from accomplishing this "thing" in your life, but now, why not now?  Time to make ourselves uncomfortable, step out, and do what may be holding us back of accomplishing more of a God given talent, or God given opportunity, or something you didn't have time to do in the past!  Do it with a greater PURPOSE - NOW!

Back to the exercises... So I created a workout in which I do 10 exercises that I hate to do, but I do them correctly! Doing them the right way!  (Old Coach saying - "Do it Right, do it Light" - meaning do it right the first time and you won't have to do the task for too long) I don't do them in a circuit, I just perform them until I can't perform them perfectly anymore (to fatigue) then I move on to the next exercise.

If you are wondering what the exercises are that were put in my 10 then maybe I need to make a separate post for that (or email me and I will let you know)... but a little teaser...
BURPEES  If you are unsure of what a burpee is then here is THE BURPEE in a video.
GOBLET SQUATS If you are unsure of what a Goblet Squat is then here is a GOBLET SQUAT (Please don't watch that whole video)

Both exercises I am not a big fan of but I do them incorrectly all the time and just move on, so what is it that you need to stop doing, sit back, and ask yourself can I perform this task better than I am right now because really I am just going through the motions but if I slowed down and put thought into it I could excel like I never have before?  Choosing to do it the right way now, will only help you become better in the future!  

But time to step back and ask yourself what would your top 10 look like?  (And they definitely don't have to be exercises)

July Book Review

Instead of doing a blog for each book I have read, every time I read one (I couldn't handle the pressure...haha).  With four read in July I will just post them all together!  Read on for quick reviews and recommendations!

Unbroken - By Laura Hillenbrand

For this one you get my suggestion first - YES!  I would suggest this book to everyone, if you love Fiction or Non-Fiction books you will fall in love with it.  I honestly had a little trouble getting past the first 100 pages and then after that it was smooth sailing because this book became gripping and every minute I had free in a day I was picking it up to read.  It is a true story of an Air Force Bomber (Louis Zamperini) during World War 2 and his days of running in the Olympics.  He has so many things happen to him that you will not be able to stop reading this book once you start, so I suggest buying it up if you need an awesome story to read.  (Do not read anything about Louis before or while reading this book because you might ruin it for yourself)



Seven - By Jen Hatmaker

A book suggested to me by my wife, for months as she read what felt like one page a night because she never wanted it to end.  (Morgann and Jen have this connection, Jen's humor is Morgann's humor so every page of Jen's witty-ness Morgann was laughing, and then she would put it down and say I don't want it to end so I am going to stop reading it for awhile)  So with that said, when she finally finished it, I had to pick it up and see what it was all about.  I can describe this book any better than they have online so here it is so you can really understand...
"7 is the true story of how Jen (along with her husband and her children to varying degrees) took seven months, identified seven areas of excess, and made seven simple choices to fight back against the modern-day diseases of greed, materialism, and overindulgence.  Food. Clothes. Spending. Media. Possessions. Waste. Stress. They would spend thirty days on each topic, boiling it down to the number seven. Only eat seven foods, wear seven articles of clothing, and spend money in seven places. Eliminate use of seven media types, give away seven things each day for one month, adopt seven green habits, and observe “seven sacred pauses.” So, what’s the payoff from living a deeply reduced life? It’s the discovery of a greatly increased God—a call toward Christ-like simplicity and generosity that transcends social experiment to become a radically better existence."
Do I suggest this book? - You will love this book if you fall into this criteria - Christian, Woman, and Love to recycle.  That was mostly a joke but I do suggest if you feel a calling to have a challenge in your own life of finding out what really matters in life!

One Heartbeat - By Mack Brown

I usually try to read several coaching books leading up to football season so this was one of my first of the fall.  I found this book to be a little outdated, and not really well written.  I did find out several things that I obviously didn't know about Mack Brown (his time at UNC, App. State, and growing up in Cookeville, TN) but honestly I wouldn't pick this book up.  I would assume there has been other books written about Mack Brown since this book was written in 2001 that would be much better.  




Top of the Morning (Inside the World of Cut Throat Morning TV) - By Brian Stelter

You may be wondering why I would have any desire to read this book.  But in the past three years I have had Morning TV on for at least 15 minutes before leaving for work to catch some quick news.  With switching from watching TODAY show to Good Morning America in the last year, I thought it would be interesting to see if I could read any information that goes on behind the scenes.  In essence this is what I found out - the first 100 pages is how TODAY Show came to fire Ann Curry from the main chair, the next hundred pages talk about the past of ABC and CBS morning shows and how they try to catch TODAY Show in viewer ratings.  And the book ended by talking about Good Morning America taking over TODAY for the most viewers and how they have done.  (By having more fun...and they all actually get along).  All in all not a bad read, would I suggest it?  Maybe if you are more than a little bit interested in background info, as it is a quick read but definitely not worth a buy, just get it from the library as I did!

As I have read these books pretty quick, the book I am reading right now is not going to fall in that boat - "What is the What - By Dave Eggers" (it is the longest book I have ever read...haha...obviously not counting when I fake read Little Women to get Accelerated Reader points in 5th grade, just wanted that personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut so bad!)

Beach Blue Print #1

I would say when I go to the beach  80% of the time that I am reading, standing/trying to swim in the ocean, putting up/taking down the umbrella, getting beat by Morgann in paddle ball, and sleeping.  The other 20% of the time I am literally just looking out at the water, thinking about important and unimportant things of life.  "Things" at which I will call a "Beach Blueprint"! 


BEACH BLUEPRINT #1  

Several weeks ago, sitting on the beach and thinking about what are a couple happenings in my life that have had a big impact.  The first thing that came to mind was football.  Going to my first ever college football game.  This lead to; me playing football in high school, going to a college that had a high importance on their football program, getting my Masters degree while working for a college football program, and building relationships along the way by attending games with friends, working with a team, and wanting to become a football coach, ALL of which were a huge POSITIVE IMPACT!

So with that said, I started thinking about how can I have an impact on kids in this way.

So this is my Beach Blueprint:
-  Working with the Boys and Girls club in the area I will take 10 kids each weekend to a high profile college football game 8 to 10 Saturdays in the Fall.
-  I will rent a 10 to 12 passenger van.  (Once this grows bigger (in my mind I think I will just buy a van)
-  College football teams to choose from - USC, Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, N.C. State, UNC, ECU,  and Virginia Tech
-  Getting tickets?  Well, to this I think I would try different avenues, coaches, boys and girls clubs, other non-profit organizations, alumni, and message boards to get the word out of what I was doing.
-  Paying for it?  (Gas/Food/Etc)  I think for the first year of it I would just pay for it out of my own pocket and see how the idea was working, then for the future I would begin to raise money for each fall.

Points of thought:
-  I will not be doing a lower division football games (no offense to these games/teams) I just feel that I was impacted by the "big time" college football scene so that is what I would want the kids to see.  (Also not going to NFL games in the area for the same reason)
-  I will only take kids that have never been to a Division 1 college football game

So, with that said, please leave comments below of how you would change my Beach Blueprint, recommendations you have, or anything you would like to say, I look forward to reading any other ideas!

More Blueprints will be on the way throughout the year as I love when I get lost in ideas while sitting at the beach!

Just Doesn't Work in my Mind

With Football season fast approaching, I felt it appropriate to post this "thought" I can't seem to fathom.

A basketball goal laid down is only about THREE yards on a football field? 
THREE YARDS

For any of you that have ever laid foot on a football field that was marked, please explain how this works.  Or the next time you are on a football field, please think about it!  It is crazy to think about these numbers;

• Every time a team gets a first down they have just gone over the length of 3 basketball goals (ground to rim)
• Every time a QB completes a pass for 20 yards he just threw it the length of six basketball  goals (ground to rim)

These lengths are really just hard for my mind to process, my only conclusion is that gravity and looking up have a greater impact on my judgment of distances than I think.

If you were to ask me to throw a football 40 yards I would say, "ok!"  But if you were to ask me to throw a football the length of 12 basketball goals laid down, on after the other, the response - head tilted down, eyebrows raised, saying "say what, are you serious"?

Makes me really think about what goals or ambitions in life do I feel like I am looking up to, thinking it is so unreachable!  But if I were to put that high unreachable goal on the same playing field, standing face to face to it, is it really that difficult?  

Time to stand on top of everything and get that different, face to face look, so we can achieve more every day!!! 

Really?

Once again, I go another month and half without a post?  Really?  Yes… what are the excuses this time. 

In the past month and half these things have happened in no particular order:

-          I received my first ever pocket knife

-          I was offered and accepted a new job

-          I stayed up for an entire 24 hour period for the first time since I was in 3^rd grade

-          I ate my very last box of FUEL cereal (I had literally been saving it for a year and half because they don’t                                                                 make it anymore)

-          I started the devotional book “Experiencing God”!

-          Was in a wedding

-          Went to the dentist

-          Went on a weekend beach trip with friends

-          And the biggest - My wife and I have moved to South Carolina (for the new job)!!!

      So this post is not about my excuses/reasons for not being on my blog action.  Well, actually I guess it is.  But the month of August WILL be different, I can feel it!  I am not moving anywhere, not in any weddings, and I don't plan on receiving awesome gifts like pocket knifes.