Friday, May 26, 2017

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

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.

1 comment:

  1. Been feeling really down lately, because I feel insecure about my writing. But after reading your perspective, I want to get better... so right now, I'll continue writing on my journal and blogs and hopefully one day, I can say that my writing is so much better.

    I can express myself better when writing than talking. "Repetition is the mother of skill", I'll remember this.

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