PUSH IT (Going For The Things You're Interested In)!

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Everyone single one of us have various things that we're interested in. There are all kinds of hobbies and interests that exist within our world that we have an added enthusiasm for. For most of us as we age and get a bit older, some of the things that kept our interest during our childhood tend to go away. As an example, a person may have been interested in painting when they were younger, and while that particular hobby may be something that person still may do on occasion, they may find that they no longer have the desire to pursue painting due to life getting in the way. Regardless if an individual may have an interest that exists from their past, or even if it is something they actively engages in today, anything that captures our interest is something that we should be willing to pursue. We're all unique and special in our own way, and we all have different talents and abilities that we tend to excel at. As previously stated, life sometimes gets in the way of us actively going after some of the things that we're interested in. With that said, although life sometimes get in the way of our pursuits, we also must be willing to find time for the things we're passionate about. There are various factors and circumstances that can keep us from our passions, but fear is one that we can't let deter us. Anything that interest us is worth going for, and we can't be afraid to PUSH IT when it comes the things that interest us.

Hey, what is good everybody? It is Brad H. back once again, and I'd like to welcome everyone to another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! Like always, I hope everyone has been doing pretty good as of late. I am back for another week to give my perspective on the various topics that I think about on a daily basis. Before getting into the topic for this week, I'd like to talk a bit about the NBA Playoffs. As we all know by now, my San Antonio Spurs were swept by the Golden State Warriors a few days back. Although I'm disappointed in the outcome, I have to say that I'm okay with it being that the Spurs were not at their full strength with they injuries to Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker. I'm not taking anything away from the Warriors; they were definitely the better team and earned the right to advance. So it appears that we're going to have another Warriors vs. Cavaliers NBA Finals for the third straight year. I've been telling people all along that I felt like this was the match up that we would see. For one, it is the series that would bring in the most ratings. Two, as far as the NBA Finals go, the series between the two teams is tied up at 1-1. A third series between the two would give the chance to settle the tiebreaker. As I've documented before, I don't care for neither one of these teams. However, just for the sake of being entertained, I will more than likely watch to see what happens. I thought the Warriors had the better team last season, but I personally think the Warriors adding Kevin Durant is going to help put them over the top this time around. We'll just have to see what happens. Alright, now that I've gotten that out of the way, lets talk more about this week's topic of pushing the things we're interested in.

As with the normal disclaimer that I give on every single topic that I discuss, I want to say that everyone has different thoughts, ideas, and opinions. The objective here isn't to focus on what is considered to be right or wrong, but rather to encourage others to view various topics in ways they may normally would not. It's totally fine and understandable if the way I see a particular topic doesn't resonate with others. Any other feedback or opinions that others may have on this or any of the other topics I talk about is always welcome here. As for some insight on how this week's topic came to fruition, I can only point to the fact that this is something that has crossed my mind as of late. I've been thinking a lot about how we often allow fear to keep us from really pushing some of the talents that we have. If it's not fear, it's normally not having enough time or energy. As I mentioned earlier, there can be all kinds of reasons for us not actively going for the things we're interested in. Much of this applies to myself and how there have been past occasions were me having a lack of confidence kept me from pushing towards an opportunity that may have ultimately turned out good for me. I want to use this week's topic to encourage myself and anyone else out there that may be sitting on their talents to make more of an effort to push those talents. Again, there is no right or wrong mentality here, just inspiration.

Now that we are aware of what this week's topic is about, I want to get more into the biggest reason why I feel that so many of us let go of things that used to interest us so much. Now I do realize and understand that sometimes we just outgrow certain things from our past. If that happens to be the case for a person, then I would suggest that person to not put a lot of effort into anything that no longer moves you. A person can only excel at something that they're truly passionate about, and if that fire is no longer there, then the pursuit will often be a waste of energy. One of the biggest reasons that I think many of us don't really push it when it comes to things we're passionate about deals with what I stated earlier; a lack of self confidence. In my opinion, a lack of self confidence and fear pretty much run right along with one another. Whenever doubts as to whether we can really be successful at something creep in, we become hesitant to act. As I mentioned earlier, I myself know this all to well. Now I do believe it is normal to have a level of self doubt when it comes to going after something. Lets face it, as bad as it can be, we often compare our abilities to others. However, I feel the most important thing to do is not put too much emphasis into the level of expertise the next person may have. Instead, we should be focusing on and honing our abilities to try and become the best version of OURSELVES. It's not about competing with what the next person can do, but rather putting emphasis on becoming better at what you're good at.

So how exactly do we "PUSH IT" when it comes to our passions? From my perspective, I see two ways that we can overcome the lack of self confidence that we may have. Again, this only applies to people that still have a desire to pursue something they're passionate about. First, continue to practice and work on whatever it is that you're passionate about. There's a saying that goes; "repetition is the mother of skill." In order to potentially become great at something, you have to be willing to work tirelessly at it. As an example, think of a great shooter like Stephen Curry from the Warriors. In order to become the great outside shooter that he is currently, he's had to work on his shot endlessly till he got to the level he's at now. That same mentality applies to the things we're passionate about as well. Remember, there is no such thing as part time success. Secondly, try and get feedback from others whom opinions you value. Because of the Internet and the ability to connect with others instantly, we have a greater array of options to get out thoughts and ideas out there for others to see. Don't be afraid to show some of the things you've worked on to your family and friends, and allow room for constructive criticism. One thing that I can guarantee is that if and when you receive positive feedback from people whom opinions you value, the level of determination to stick with something will go up ten fold. Similar to a snowball, the momentum will build up to the point where those doubts will slowly creep out of your mind.

As I stated earlier, we all have things that we're passionate about. Not all of us will be able to fully succeed in our passions to the degree that we'd probably like, but that is not what this week's topic is about. This is about finding the motivation and confidence to be willing to at least give our interests a shot if the desire is there. If you're talented at something that you've been doing as a hobby for quite sometime, and you've felt something inside of you that tells you to do more with it, don't be afraid to push it. Even in the event that you don't succeed at it in the manner you'd like, you can at the very least say that you weren't afraid to go after your interests. One thing that many of us feel as we get older in our lives is regret. How often do we look back at the past and regret not doing certain things? We all have to live with certain regrets, but we don't have to live with the regret of not being willing to go after the things we're interested in. It all is ultimately up to us, so lets be willing to PUSH IT when it comes to our talents and skills. The quote that I'm going to leave you all with comes from boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. I do realize that there are many that aren't fans of his, but regardless as to whether you like him or not, you cannot deny his talent when it comes to boxing. The quote goes: "Everybody is blessed with a certain talent, you have to know what you talent is, maximize it, and push it to the limit."

Well we've come to the end of another topic for the week. Thank you all once again for checking in to another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! As usually state at the end of my topics, I hope there was some meaning and understanding that could be gained from this topic. In the event that wasn't the case for you, your visit and feedback is still welcome and appreciated. Well the weekend is here, so I hope everyone has a great one. Try and do something this weekend that you normally do not do. Pick up the phone and call someone that you haven't talked to in awhile, go visit with someone you haven't seen recently, or just get outside and do something fun if you're able to. It's a beautiful world that we're living in, so lets try to enjoy it as much as possible. Alright, I'm out everyone, so I'll see you all in the next one. Till then, I wish you all the best in life. See you all soon!

©2017 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

We're Just Small Fish In A Gigantic Ocean (Stay Humble And Make An Impact While You're Here).

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I'm of the belief that every single person that is living matters in some way, shape, or form. You may feel at times that you do not matter to the world in general, but regardless of who you are, you likely matter to at least one person. Now although I'm a firm believer that we're all important as individuals, I also believe that no one person is truly better than the next person. It's kinda unfortunate that I have to even bring this up, however, we cannot deny the fact that the society we're living in has painted a false image of how important and relevant to the world that a person should be. We look at these television personalities and celebrities, and often feel that because these people are being broadcast to a wide range of people that they somehow matter more than those who may not have that kind of exposure. Even everyday average people these days have a superiority complex going on. People that may be more well off than others talk and look down upon those that may be less fortunate that they are. Now I'm not saying that every person that is well off thinks this way, but most of us have found ourselves being around people that feel they're better than others regardless of what they feel they're better at. I'm going to attempt to debunk this myth of betterment in this week's topic, and hopefully show why we should always try and stay humble, because at the end of the day, we're all just small fish in a gigantic ocean.

Hello once again ladies and gentlemen. It's ya boy Brad H. back at it once again, and I'd like to welcome everyone to another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! I hope that everyone has been doing well and maintaining since the last write up. If that hasn't been the case for you, stay strong and keep on holding your head up. As with the normal standard here, I've come to give my perspective for the week on various topics and thoughts that I think about regularly. So how has everything been going with you guys? A lot of wild things have been going on in the world as of late. One thing that I talked about in the last post was the NBA playoffs. We had a good ole I-10 rivalry that happened here in the Lone Star State between the Houston Rockets and my San Antonio Spurs. Now although I'm a Spurs fan first, I do like the Houston Rockets as well. Obviously I wanted to see the Spurs go on and advance to play the Golden State Warriors, but it probably wouldn't have bothered me too much if they happened to lose to the Rockets. However, as much as I hate to say, I think that the Spurs are going to have their work cut out for them going up against the Warriors. The Warriors have truly been on point this entire playoff tournament, and I honestly in my heart feel that the general public wants to see another Cavaliers vs. Warriors NBA Finals. I'm personally not a part of that group, but I also understand that the NBA is a business where ratings and revenue matters. I guess we'll just have to see how this all ends up playing out. It should be a good series, so Go Spurs Go! Hope everyone that likes basketball has been enjoying the playoffs thus far. Now that I've talked about that for a bit, lets go ahead and talk about this week's topic of how I feel that we're all just small fish in a gigantic ocean.

As I always aim to do before getting more into my thoughts for the week, I'd like give a disclaimer and say that everyones individual viewpoints will always vary. My objective here is isn't to focus on what may be considered right or wrong, but rather to hopefully inspire the people that read to think about various topics from a different approach than they normally would. I totally understand if my my viewpoints don't register with others, and any perspective other than my own is always welcome here. As always, the goal that I'm looking to achieve here is to first inspire myself, and then hopefully through the process of writing out my thoughts, inspire others as well. As for insight on how this topic came to my mind for this week, I have to give total credit to my younger sister. She and I were having a discussion on the phone a few days ago, and she mentioned something about small fish in a big ocean. That discussion got me to thinking about how so many people these days feel that they're better than others, and I thought the whole small fish in the ocean is a decent analogy to hopefully get my point across. I want to thank my sister again for the inspiration, and this just goes to show how the interactions with others can often be the spark for motivating us. Before moving forward with this week's topic, I want to stress that I'm in no way conveying that we shouldn't see ourselves as people of value and worth. I'm simply hoping to get others to see that there is a bigger picture at work that is happening.

So what exactly does the small fish in a big ocean analogy refer to? I'm pretty sure that all of you probably get it, but for the sake of trying to get a point across, I'll go ahead and talk about it. I personally see the oceans and large bodies of water that occupy this Earth as being similar to humans and how we interact with the world in general. The planet that we're living on in gigantic, and the same applies to these large masses of waters. So there are all kind of animals that inhabit these waters right? You have your whales, sharks, etc right? Then you have your smaller fish and sea creatures that are existing out there as well. From my perspective, this can somewhat be equivalent to how we are as humans in regards to the way we look, our races, etc. So there's this entire ocean of creatures out there trying to survive, similar to how we as humans fight for survival as well to a lesser extent. So I want you to think about this; if a shark or another of the more powerful creatures out in the ocean eats one of the smaller creatures that are in the ocean as well, does the entire ocean cease to keep existing? Of course not. The same thing applies to us as humans. When a person dies, the world continues to move forward right? Life will end for all of us eventually, but that doesn't mean that the world won't keep on carrying on. This is exactly why I say that no one is better than anyone else, because regardless of how important someone may be, life will continue to carry on despite that person no longer being here.

I know that me saying all of what I said above sounds like doom and gloom, but it is a true fact that death is just a part of life. None of us will be here forever, which is why I feel it is important to laugh and smile as much as you possibly can. Now that I've gotten the whole small fish and big ocean analogy out of the way, I wanna give my thoughts on what we can do to make ourselves more valuable during our time here on this Earth. First off, keeping a level of humility is important, but I feel the most important way to be valuable is to make an impact on the lives others while you're here. From my perspective, making an impact doesn't mean that you have to be a celebrity, TV personality, or athlete. It doesn't mean that you have to have a lot of money or resources, although having those things can definitely give the people that have obtained those things the ability to have a greater impact. I think that the best way to make an impact means leaving a part of yourself behind for others. If you're a parent, it means leaving the values and teachings that you gave to your kids behind for them to have an impact on the lives of others. If you're an older sibling, it means being a positive role model to your younger sibling. If you're a mentor, it means leaving an imprint on those you're teaching. Having an impact means that you were valuable to the life others. It means that you were able to make someone else life easier, or you were able help that person through the trials they may be facing. Again, regardless of who you may be, you can always have a positive impact on the lives of other people.

Now I feel it is entirely okay for a person to have confidence in themselves and their abilities. However, I feel that many people today confuse confidence with cockiness. It's okay to see yourself as worthy and valuable, but also remember that there is a bigger world outside of the one you're living in. Going back to the ocean analogy, some peoples impact can be like a whale, and some people are similar to sharks, squad, etc. Some people are like regular fish, and some are the smaller creatures in the ocean. However big or important you feel you are, try to focus on leaving a lasting impact. When we look at the television personalties and celebrities, try to remember that they are just humans like we are. As I stated earlier, everyone matters regardless of what people may think. The truth of the matter is that none of us are going to outlive this life that we're in, and we're all going to have to exit here eventually. Just like the soldiers that may be involved in a war; when one of their comrades fall they mourn them, but they continue to press on right? That's exactly how this world is. Life will always carry on. To end this topic, the quote I'm going to leave with comes from Behdad Sami. The quotes goes: "Some people like being a big fish in a small pond, others a ferocious shark in the ocean, I rather be the ocean. In the end, fish die."

Well we've reached the end of this week's topic folks. Thank you once again to everyone that stopped by for another edition of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! As usual, my hope is that there was some meaning and understanding that could be gained from this topic. Even if that may not always be the case of some people, it is totally okay. Your visit and support is still greatly appreciated. If you have any comments or thoughts to share, feel free to leave them for me. Well the weekend is upon us again, and this is Mother's Day weekend. Big shout out to all the mothers out there. I hope you all enjoy your day, and for the people out there that still have your mother in your life, take a little time out of this weekend to spend with your mom. Hope everyone has a great weekend, and I'll see you all in the next post. Till the next time we meet, I wish you all peace, happiness, and positive thoughts.

©2017 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.