Today I celebrate 26 years of what has been an absolutely interesting life! I'm at a point in my life where the young think I'm old and the old still call me a baby. Regardless as I take a moment to reflect, I know that I have some insight to offer. I've compiled a list of 26 lessons that I've learned through my years on this planet! Hopefully you can learn from this post and skip having Professor Life teach them to you!
1. Even after years of "mastering" walking, I still continue to fall down. The key is to laugh harder about it than the people around me...and of course get back up.
2. Talking can be a lot of fun, but using the wrong words still get me in trouble. I have to remind myself to be deliberate in what it is I'm going to say and I really have to focus on my delivery!
3. Curiosity is awesome and I don't know everything! Because of this I'm going to ask a lot of questions, check things out for myself, and I'll continue to learn and grow.
4. I have to share. Instead of sharing my material possessions, I have to share my talents, my message, and my love with the world.
5. Meeting new people is easy, all you have to do is say, "Hi. My name is_____." In this competitive world the cliche, "It's not what you know, it's who you know," couldn't be more true.
6. I'm not always going to get my way, but I'm going to pull all the stops and try!
7. I've got to stand up to the bullies even if I'm not the one being picked on.
8. A firm handshake let's my opponent know, I'm serious. It also let's people know that I respect myself.
9. Always test a branch before trusting it. Falling out of a tree hurts a lot worse than falling while walking. I'm all about taking risks, but for my sake I'm making sure the risks are calculated.
10. Losing sucks, but there will be times I'm going to lose. I can thank a good number of my wrestling opponents for teaching me this lesson. It is a very humbling experience and a lesson that I will never forget.
11. Winning is awesome, but is a lot of work! In contrast to #10, I LOVE winning, maybe a little too much. I've learned the hard way though that if I want to experience victory I'm going to have make a lot of sacrifices.
12. I'm not going to be good at everything. Another humbling lesson I learned. I always dreamed of being the next Brett Favre even though I couldn't throw a football to save my life. I also dreamed of being in the MLB, but the only way I was getting on base was if the pitcher hit me. These realizations were tough, but necessary to point me in the direction of my strengths.
13. I'm going to be good at something. I might not be good at everything, but through a lot of different experiences and I found what I was good at. I continue this trial and error way of life even now and thanks to it I've found my passion and I know what I love.
14. Prove people wrong every single day and they'll still doubt. As a freshman going into my first Cross Country season people thought I was cocky because I believed I could make the varsity squad. They gave me every reason why I wouldn't make it. The first race of the season I didn't just make the team, I was the #2 runner. The conference meet came around and people told me why I wouldn't win, in their defense I was runner up thanks to my lack of kick, but I still shocked the whole crowd. State Meet I wanted to place in the top 20 and even after proving what I was capable, people still told me why it wasn't possible, I placed 18th and was the top runner for the team. I learned quickly I only have prove things to myself.
15. There are people who have beliefs different than mine, neither of us are wrong and we can still get along. In Australia I met so many people from different backgrounds and we all had different views. The craziest thing, we still got along! I might fight hard for my point of views, but at the end of the day I still care about the people around me.
16. Quitting sucks a lot more than just losing. I've had more than my fair share of races where I've given up after I saw that I wasn't going to be #1. I learned that it hurt a heck of a lot more to quit and lose than to put it all on the line and come up short. I wish I would've figured it out sooner though.
17. Speeding is not worth it. No deep meaning behind this one, getting a speeding ticket is expensive!
18. "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." -Steve Prefontaine. No more needs to be said, Pre nailed it.
19. Every choice brings you closer or further from your dreams. I worked hard in school, just not on school stuff. I had poor grades and because of my life choices all the way back in high school, the road to living my out my dreams is a little rockier.
20. Hard work is an investment that doesn't always pay out big dividends, it does however create a lot interest. I might work hard for weeks, months, even years before I see the return on what I've put in. I know however that it'll be big!
21. Be present in every moment, you don't know if it'll be the last. If there's one thing I don't regret, it's the undivided attention I gave Cody the last night we hung out. I'm glad I wasn't glued to my phone and I'm glad we got to have one of the most fun nights I've ever experienced. It's a memory I'll cherish forever.
22. Life has some rough times, but I don't have to go at it alone. I tried taking the loss of Cody on by myself and failed miserably. It wasn't until I asked my friends to help me that I was able to pull myself together and create LIVE.
23. Don't be too proud to go back. I left Starbucks thinking I was a big shot sales manager, then I was a branch manager, and then I realized I wasn't on the path I wanted to be on. I packed up, headed home, and went back to the company I swore I'd never go back to. All I have to say is THANK GOD! I've learned that I'm not too good for any job.
24. My job, my hobbies, my achievements, and my failures do not define who I am. These things are a part of me, but they aren't the definition of who I am. I haven't figured out what exactly does define me, but I know it's not those things!
25. Everything happens for a reason. I might or might not like that something has happened, but it has a reason.
26. I am responsible for who I am, where I am, and what I am going to do. My future is up to me. It always has been and always will be. It is my responsibility to build it to the best of my ability!
Thank you for taking the time to read! If you liked what you saw, be sure to "Like" and "Follow" us on all the various social media sites as well as pass this along! Together we can spread the LIVE Life message and bring a positive message to those who need it most!
LIVE it Up,
Zach
1. Even after years of "mastering" walking, I still continue to fall down. The key is to laugh harder about it than the people around me...and of course get back up.
2. Talking can be a lot of fun, but using the wrong words still get me in trouble. I have to remind myself to be deliberate in what it is I'm going to say and I really have to focus on my delivery!
3. Curiosity is awesome and I don't know everything! Because of this I'm going to ask a lot of questions, check things out for myself, and I'll continue to learn and grow.
4. I have to share. Instead of sharing my material possessions, I have to share my talents, my message, and my love with the world.
5. Meeting new people is easy, all you have to do is say, "Hi. My name is_____." In this competitive world the cliche, "It's not what you know, it's who you know," couldn't be more true.
6. I'm not always going to get my way, but I'm going to pull all the stops and try!
7. I've got to stand up to the bullies even if I'm not the one being picked on.
8. A firm handshake let's my opponent know, I'm serious. It also let's people know that I respect myself.
9. Always test a branch before trusting it. Falling out of a tree hurts a lot worse than falling while walking. I'm all about taking risks, but for my sake I'm making sure the risks are calculated.
10. Losing sucks, but there will be times I'm going to lose. I can thank a good number of my wrestling opponents for teaching me this lesson. It is a very humbling experience and a lesson that I will never forget.
11. Winning is awesome, but is a lot of work! In contrast to #10, I LOVE winning, maybe a little too much. I've learned the hard way though that if I want to experience victory I'm going to have make a lot of sacrifices.
12. I'm not going to be good at everything. Another humbling lesson I learned. I always dreamed of being the next Brett Favre even though I couldn't throw a football to save my life. I also dreamed of being in the MLB, but the only way I was getting on base was if the pitcher hit me. These realizations were tough, but necessary to point me in the direction of my strengths.
13. I'm going to be good at something. I might not be good at everything, but through a lot of different experiences and I found what I was good at. I continue this trial and error way of life even now and thanks to it I've found my passion and I know what I love.
14. Prove people wrong every single day and they'll still doubt. As a freshman going into my first Cross Country season people thought I was cocky because I believed I could make the varsity squad. They gave me every reason why I wouldn't make it. The first race of the season I didn't just make the team, I was the #2 runner. The conference meet came around and people told me why I wouldn't win, in their defense I was runner up thanks to my lack of kick, but I still shocked the whole crowd. State Meet I wanted to place in the top 20 and even after proving what I was capable, people still told me why it wasn't possible, I placed 18th and was the top runner for the team. I learned quickly I only have prove things to myself.
15. There are people who have beliefs different than mine, neither of us are wrong and we can still get along. In Australia I met so many people from different backgrounds and we all had different views. The craziest thing, we still got along! I might fight hard for my point of views, but at the end of the day I still care about the people around me.
16. Quitting sucks a lot more than just losing. I've had more than my fair share of races where I've given up after I saw that I wasn't going to be #1. I learned that it hurt a heck of a lot more to quit and lose than to put it all on the line and come up short. I wish I would've figured it out sooner though.
17. Speeding is not worth it. No deep meaning behind this one, getting a speeding ticket is expensive!
18. "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." -Steve Prefontaine. No more needs to be said, Pre nailed it.
19. Every choice brings you closer or further from your dreams. I worked hard in school, just not on school stuff. I had poor grades and because of my life choices all the way back in high school, the road to living my out my dreams is a little rockier.
20. Hard work is an investment that doesn't always pay out big dividends, it does however create a lot interest. I might work hard for weeks, months, even years before I see the return on what I've put in. I know however that it'll be big!
21. Be present in every moment, you don't know if it'll be the last. If there's one thing I don't regret, it's the undivided attention I gave Cody the last night we hung out. I'm glad I wasn't glued to my phone and I'm glad we got to have one of the most fun nights I've ever experienced. It's a memory I'll cherish forever.
22. Life has some rough times, but I don't have to go at it alone. I tried taking the loss of Cody on by myself and failed miserably. It wasn't until I asked my friends to help me that I was able to pull myself together and create LIVE.
23. Don't be too proud to go back. I left Starbucks thinking I was a big shot sales manager, then I was a branch manager, and then I realized I wasn't on the path I wanted to be on. I packed up, headed home, and went back to the company I swore I'd never go back to. All I have to say is THANK GOD! I've learned that I'm not too good for any job.
24. My job, my hobbies, my achievements, and my failures do not define who I am. These things are a part of me, but they aren't the definition of who I am. I haven't figured out what exactly does define me, but I know it's not those things!
25. Everything happens for a reason. I might or might not like that something has happened, but it has a reason.
26. I am responsible for who I am, where I am, and what I am going to do. My future is up to me. It always has been and always will be. It is my responsibility to build it to the best of my ability!
Thank you for taking the time to read! If you liked what you saw, be sure to "Like" and "Follow" us on all the various social media sites as well as pass this along! Together we can spread the LIVE Life message and bring a positive message to those who need it most!
LIVE it Up,
Zach
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