DETERMINATION

Effort. Desire. Persistence. How far will you go?

WORLD: TAKE A LOOK

The world is a reality. When faced with it - gotta face it. Can't always hide in a bubble... tempting as it is... to get real far away - from so many neglected souls. The world before us, gotta face it. Gotta face faces. I'll give to needy people beyond just my money, by taking less pains to avoid them - sharing a rare confidence and something of myself: by having no fear.

LEADERSHIP

You could see it happening... You could feel the effect. Ryan Smyth's heart before pride style of play in the recent Spengler Cup tourney was a huge impact on his teammates and an unstoppable force in Canada winning the championship. Not afraid to look risky in all-out-forechecking, not afraid to enthusiastically celebrate his goals in the final, you could see the real belief Smyth had in himself and his teammates.

http://www.cbc.ca/player/Sports/Top+Stories/ID/2322306399/?sort=MostPopular

WHAT ARE YOU MADE OF?

No challenge, no improvement. No push, no strength. No sweat, no health. Test your mettle... show what you got. Don't be neglectful. Man, if you do not have heart, I will kick your butt and possibly embarrass you. Get off your seat and move your feet! Become active. Overcome your fear. Show courage. Gain confidence. Be free and happy.

SURVIVOR

Growing up, the chance for me to have a stronger confidence was not provided - being an athletic guy, who needed (and still needs) a sport. Competitive sports were frowned on by some Christians and seen as "ungodly" by my preaching dad.

I have therefore had to fight an overly intense battle at times, just to be who I am today. My present freedom... my normal, athletic, self... have been fought very hard for, by me - with very little support and encouragement, except for some kind family and friends who understand my fight. These people see my potential, spiritually and athletically. They do not advise me to become a "missionary" in a far away land. You see? Coming from a strangely religious background, I have had to overcome so much - and do a lot of healing, and address a lot of nonsense. 

And while I greatly appreciate morals (showing gratitude is, I think, the best moral I learned from my parents), I am greatly disheartened by a mere lip-service kind of love, in which there is no evidence, action and proof of the real thing.

You can have all the values and morals you want to, but if you don't have charitable love, for which you have proof for, what do you have? Love, to be meaningful, must be proven with evident and charitable action (real action).

Also, I have at times reflected on my childhood and I would like to share some thoughts. I feel I should suggest that children ought to be raised and taught according to their individual strengths, and particular needs, with understanding of where they might excel and where their yet-to-be-seen and untapped potential actually is. What imagination or empowering vision might unleash an outpouring of excellence? Education (public, private or home-schooling) should not be like a factory... producing inhibited, limited, greatly restricted and confined students. Parents (and teachers, too) must not be pushy, but rather supportive, understanding and faithfully encouraging. Counsel: show real faith in verifiable, clear, acts of charitable love. Children normally have a lot of positive energy. Do not discourage such a gift, rather allow flourishing - in such a way where this is kindly true, brilliant, healthy and generous.

Childhood experience is important, and for many years I've had to dig deep and try to find positive memories, just to get by in the present - which seems to be a continual state of survival, rather than a life being fully lived.

Some say "forget the past," or "move on!" But I know that the positive things, especially, of the past should not be forgotten.

To some extent, every time I train, run or hike (where there are mountains) I'm reliving memories and things familiar and positive to me.

For years, I've survived and not fully lived. I'm still a survivor, but I continue to hope for a better life... as a hockey player, especially.

Engaging in physical activity helps to sustain me spiritually. This helps to take my mind off a sometimes bleak present.

It's an unexciting fact, but sometimes life is more about surviving than living. If you don't conform to what the masses say and do, you pay a price. If you want to have genuine freedom, you must have a lot of courage.

I would like to say that good times and healthy memories can be like a steady foundation, on which you can presently build. Remember the times when things were perfect, then desire good things now.

I'm thankful for music also, as well as the positive memories (I have been blessed with) to draw upon.

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MOMENTS IN TIME

I watched the LA Kings on-ice celebrations with a happy smile. "Believe in yourself," I hear Dustin Penner answer a reporter, now no longer just a player, but a repeat Stanley Cup champion! A bit of a cliche, I've heard before... but what does it mean? In my upbringing I was basically taught that self-reliance was wrong. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding..." was a verse I was told to memorize (in the KJV). But somehow, an important detail of the two greatest commandments got missed. Self-examination. If we are to love God with our "whole being," it follows that we ought to ask, "what is our (my) whole being?" And if we are to love our neighbors as ourselves, it follows that we ought to ask: "what is ourselves (myself)?" So living properly has very much to do with our IDENTITY! Our unique identity. Our genetic identity. Our God-given identity. If I hear another player say "believe in yourself," I will interpret this as: "BELIEVE IN YOUR GOD-GIVEN IDENTITY." And interestingly enough, this identity for me (although not always encouraged by my parents) happens to be quite athletic... which, somewhat regrettably, I have had to discover by much of my own thoughts, inquiry, hardships and toil. Ha, ha, ha. I'm very much an athletic guy. Hallelujah! Competitive hockey is a fitting sport. Praise be to God forever!!!! I should be permitted and encouraged to live to my full potential! Amen. 

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