amazing awaits.

Everyone knows by now that Conan O'Brien's last time hosting The Tonight Show was Friday, and that before jamming out to Freebird with Will Ferrell, he gave a heartfelt speech. It was classy and showed his true character. My favorite part:

"Please don't be cynical... Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get, but if you work really hard, and you're kind, amazing things will happen."

It's a great message. One that our real-life role models have been trying to instill in us for years. Haven't your parents or grandparents or teaches or coaches told you that before? Work hard. Be kind. You will go far. I hope that people were striving for that before, and not just because Conan said so. It's an important idea to embrace.

Just think. Amazing things will happen. If you work hard. And if you're nice to people. And because it is my livelihood to know this kind of thing, this all kind of circles back to this phrase that the U.S. Olympic Committee began using leading up to the Beijing Games.

Amazing Awaits.

It's lurking behind every corner. It's in decisions you make, and chances you take. It even rhymes, which is nice, but it can touch your heart to think about how great things lie ahead "when we work hard enough, want badly enough, and refuse to say we’ve had enough."


As the 2010 Vancouver Games are fast approaching, and we're inspired by Olympians and things like this video:


...we need to remember that amazing awaits in all of us. Olympian or non-athlete. No matter your education, your background, or your physical prowess. Anyone can accomplish amazing things as long as they work for it, no matter what those aspirations are — just like the video, Conan, or your parents say.

So dream big. Work hard. Be kind.

Amazing awaits.

so close!

If you know me at all, you understand why I am excited about February 12.

If you don't know me, and you don't follow the Olympic Movement... well...

2010 Winter Olympic Games!

I hope you watch. Really. I say this as someone who works for a summer sport (one that is booming but doesn't get as much exposure as it should, I might add!), and who is really just a big fan of the Olympic Games. I don't get anything for promoting the Olympic Games to you. I wish I did, but really, the joy I get out of sharing it with you (and you and you!) is all I need.

What I'm saying is that you'll be seeing a LOT more of Olympic-related nonsense on my blog. No, I won't be talking to Olympians like my friend Jamie, who actually runs a highly successful website collection for figure skaters (and runs sites for 5 of the 7 skaters named to the U.S. Olympic Team). I won't be going to Vancouver. I won't even get to see the broadcasts at the same time as half of the U.S., since my experience with Mountain Standard Time means I'll be an hour behind.

But I want you to be as excited as I am about the impending Games. Each time there is an Olympic Games, whether it be summer or winter, we see athletes who up the ante. They set new records, they have skills that athletes in previous Games didn't have the guts to try, and really, they inspire us. You'll see athletes you've never heard of, and they'll win medals out of nowhere. It's like an Olympic sleeper. Baseball has them.

The sad thing is, if you followed sports like biathlon or bobsled in non-Olympic years, you might know these athletes. They've been training for years. But I regress.

I am going to make a "guide" for you - and you will be able to follow the Olympic Games like a pro! For now:

Follow these sites:
Figure Skaters Online
NBC Olympics
Team USA - the U.S. Olympic Committee
Universal Sports

Follow these bloggers:
Alan Abrahamson
Philip Hersh

And me, of course. But seriously, I highly suggest you follow the sites mentioned above. There are bound to be others, and if I find them, I'll share them. Of course, you can always tune into NBC to catch some of the action (but check your local listings for the times). ESPN and Sports Illustrated are great for sports coverage, most of the time, but during the Olympic Games, they don't do justice to the enormity of this event.

I hope you're excited about the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver - even if it's just a little bit. Someday, I hope I am lucky enough to make a trip to an Olympic Games, but for now, I know that from February 12 til the 28, I'll be glued to my TV and my computer, cheering for the red, white and blue.

lesson learned.

We're alike, you and me.

We have hopes and dreams, and we make plenty of mistakes. We learn from those mistakes - most of the time.

Example: my brother learned on his second birthday that candles are hot, something he unfortunately figured out by sticking his finger into the candle on his birthday cake. There is proof of this realization on videotape somewhere, as it was someone else's birthday and he pointed at the candle on the cake (from far away) and said, "Hot! That's hot!"

Not all lessons we learn are so obvious.

It makes you wonder how some mistakes teach us something, and some mistakes we make again and again. Maybe it would be easier if all of our mistakes had the backlash that a small birthday candle burn had on a two-year-old finger.

I'm not going to try to tell you how to avoid mistakes. I make them everyday.  What I want you to think about is how you're looking at your mistakes.

This guy, who happens to be a public speaker, wrote this lengthy essay about how to learn from your mistakes. He talks about categorizing them in one of four ways: stupid, simple, involved and complex. Here's an excerpt in case you're not interested in reading the whole thing:

"Learning from mistakes that fall into the first two categories (Stupid & Simple) is easy, but shallow. Once you recognize the problem and know the better way, you should be able to avoid similar mistakes. Or in some cases you’ll realize that no matter what you do once in a while you’ll do stupid things (e.g. even Einstein stubbed his toes).
But these kinds of mistakes are not interesting. The lessons aren’t deep and it’s unlikely they lead you to learn much about yourself or anything else. For example compare these two mistakes

1. My use of dual part harmony for the 2nd trumpets in my orchestral composition for the homeless children’s shelter benefit concert overpowered the intended narrative of the violins.
2. I got an Oreo stuck in my underwear.

The kind of mistakes you make define you. The more interesting the mistakes, the more interesting the life. If your biggest mistakes are missing reruns of tv-shows or buying the wrong lottery ticket you’re not challenging yourself enough to earn more interesting mistakes."

With that in mind, maybe some of our best mistakes are from taking chances and making the most of opportunities that are presented to us.

--We want to learn to ride a bike (or a horse, for some). We might fall off but we learn about balance and somehow we're able to ride again without incident.
--We want to have our dream job. We sometimes have to put up with a position we're not all that into, just because it eventually leads to our next career move.
--We want to fall in love. We kiss some frogs before we meet the right person.

It's not that we're wrong for making mistakes, or even for not learning from them. If we were perfect all the time, we'd be pretty boring.  If we didn't take chances, we'd be stuck in a rut forever. We make mistakes because we want something to happen in our lives, even if it's subconsciously.

You could make it some sort of challenge to go through the day without making mistakes, but why would you want to? Maybe your mistakes are related to your quest to live your dream. Even if it's something small, it still contributes to the big picture. The mistake might teach you something about your life - about yourself - and it really might not be that bad after all.

Unless you somehow find yourself with an Oreo in your underwear...

dish me up some humble pie.

Think about people you know. How would you describe them? Confident? Self-assured? What about modest?

I know I've heard this "joke" many times - someone is going on about how great they are (or maybe something they've done), and someone else adds, sarcastically of course, "And you're so modest, too!" I've said it to others before. I'm sure I've had a few friends tell that to me. We laugh at this, but at the same time... maybe that's one of the problems with our world today.

I like this article: Where has Humility Gone? It asks a great question, one that I'm not sure anyone really cares to acknowledge. I know, I know. I'm only 23. Who am I to say that people today are unable to practice humility? I attribute it to the fact that I've learned some of the best life lessons from people who know how to be proud, how to be humble, and most importantly, how to be respectful.

The article uses the example of professional athletes who stop after every play to congratulate themselves on a job well done. But... isn't that their job? That is what these athletes are being paid to do. They don't need to celebrate every great play. (Maybe if you're a team like the Detroit Lions, you can celebrate a great play, as they are few and far between!) Play the game and celebrate after a win. One play might change the game, but likely there will be many more great moments in your career.

This can apply to anyone. Feel proud of your accomplishments, but don't expect a pat on the back every time you complete a task. Many people would argue that this is what's wrong with my generation - they are coddled. Actually, it's been said that older (wiser?) generations think we have it too easy. My mom might even have told me that a time or two. But this article hits the nail on the head: "Baby boomers believe that Gen Y has been 'coddled,' ... because they are constantly told they can do anything they put their minds to."

I know I've been told I can do whatever I put my mind to. Don't you remember the children's story, The Little Engine That Could? "I think I can, I think I can." So we think we can. We're unstoppable. Maybe.

The world is constantly changing, but that doesn't mean that people should feel entitled to whatever they want. Even though I'm part of Generation Y, I still believe in hard work and owning up to my mistakes. You learn more lessons if your life isn't handed to you on a silver platter. If you make a mistake at work, maybe you should try to see what you can do to fix it, instead of letting someone else take the blame. And before you feel you need to take time to celebrate a minuscule task like breathing, maybe you should think about whether it's worth it or not. Would your time be better spent joining the ranks of people who have really made a difference in the world? Probably.

Remember all those generations before us? The generations that fought wars, invented cars and telephones, and cured diseases, among other things? They probably didn't boast about every step they took to get there (unless it's to tell you how far they had to walk to get to school or the store - uphill, both ways). They earned their place in history for changing our world, not for bragging about it. They respected each other, even if they didn't always agree.

I hope you accomplish great things, but I also hope you do something every day that you're proud of, even if nobody will care but you.

gym, schlym.

I've gotta tell you - if life were a Disney movie, the villian in my story would be the gym.

It's not that I hate the gym. But I kind of do. And isn't that how it works in those storylines anyway? Ariel the little mermaid wasn't aware of Ursula's nasty side at first. Winnie the Pooh did alright until he learned about huffalumps and woozles (by the way, I love this song).

The gym is like Jafar, trying to steal my magic lamp.

In all reality, life is not a Disney movie (I know - bummer!), and exercise isn't bad. Exercise usually feels pretty darn good, but a lot of times you have to actually get to the gym first. Penelope Trunk actually talks in an entry on her blog about how you have to start small, and getting to the gym maybe just means driving there and setting time limits for yourself. If you pull into the parking lot at 4:30, don't allow yourself to leave until at least 5:30. Things like that.

My problem is knowing what to do once I get there.

Gyms are intimidating. Maybe not to some, but to me? Intimidating. There are at least six different cardio machines, not to mention the strength training machines and free weights and mats for who knows what and... It's overwhelming. What should I do? I can't go on the elliptical every day, as easy as that may seem. I am not a runner. Swimming is great but takes a lot out of you, since you absolutely have to shower after unless you want to radiate cholorine.

Do I go in the morning? At night? What about lunch? Let's be serious, the gym is 15 minutes away at least so this means I have to have time to drive there, time to spend at least 30 minutes there (so it's worth it), and time to drive away again. There are about three times as many people at the gym at night. Lunchtime is impractical. Mornings are so early.

Not to mention that there are so many people at the gym who frequent the gym (see: gym rats) who are buffed and just glistening instead of lumpy and soaked in sweat like I am. I know I'm not the only one. I'm not embarrassed. If you came to the gym, you'd see me.

Maybe while we're only five days into the year, and we're still thinking about our "resolutions" I need to resolve to go to the gym! Get over that fear? But I feel like I need a jumping point. I need direction.

So tell me - when you go to the gym, what do you like to do? Do you go to classes? Do you have a routine with machines? Do you believe this article that says that women should focus on strength training more than cardio? It's not that I am completely incapable of overcoming my fear/dislike of the gym, but maybe if I had a plan to go by, I'd have the motivation I need to go.

The gym may be more like Scar than Simba. The gym may try to thwart my plans of falling in love with a prince. The gym may even resemble a hideous beast (which actually may not be a stretch!).

But the thing about Disney movies is that even though there is always a nasty villian, there's always a happy ending. I'm guessing in this case, my happy ending is going to have to be me getting off my cozy chair and heading over to the gym for a quality workout.

good, better, best.

I'm sure you've heard this old saying:

Good, better, best
Never let it rest
Til the good is better 
And the better best.

Do you live by this mentality?

Maybe as we head into the new year, we shouldn't be focused soley on what we can change. Maybe we should be thinking of how to improve ourselves, our hobbies and our jobs so that we're living up to our full potential. We should think about why we want to make a change.

I pose this question because four days into 2010, I am sitting in my apartment and wondering how I can make it better. Should I rearrange? Should I move the stuff from the front closet to the closet in my room? Maybe I should put away my clean laundry and take down the Christmas tree. There are improvements to be made! I can see them. I think this will make me feel better, to live in an organized environment. It'll be better.

I'm not just sitting around thinking about where my chair should go. I'm also thinking of how I can improve my job performance; how I can contribute great ideas and ask great questions that get our members involved. I might not be in the office, but I'm constantly thinking about what I can do to make my job better...maybe the best. I want our members to be interested in the material we're throwing their way. Sometimes this is hard because I am not a triathlete. Does this mean I should get involved in the sport to provide better information?

Maybe.

But there are ways we can learn and improve ourselves in small ways. I want to organize my apartment, but that doesn't mean I'm going to become an interior decorator. That would be an option, I suppose, but becoming an interior decorator is not the change I'm looking to make, nor is it something I really care to do.

Pick the things you want to improve because they will make you happy. Rearranging might make you happy. So might being complimented on a job well done. Donating to charity. Volunteering your time. Sure, these can be "resolutions" but don't just resolve to do something because you think you should. Think about changes you can make to be a happier person, instead of deciding to change for the sake of change. No matter what changes you make, whether it's a "resolution" in January or just an improvement you want to make in the middle of May, you should choose this change because of what it means, not just because of what it is.

Hopefully, your change will make you feel like you've gone from good to better to the best. 

happy new year!

Goodbye, 2009.

Hello, 2010.

You have a lot to live up to, 2010. 2009 really set the precedent. I wouldn't say it was the best year ever!, but it was pretty good. I visited new places, lived in my new state for a full year, stayed employed at the same organization (despite the fact that I was lucky lucky lucky to "move up" to a job I like better). 2009 was a good year for friendship, family, fun. I really was able to settle into my "adult life" and kind of grow up (but not totally!).

I'm not really sure how you will top it, 2010, but I sure hope you try.

That being said, I have to admit: I've never been one to get real excited about resolutions, but maybe 2010 is the year to get serious about some changes.

So maybe I will "resolve" to go to the gym more. And not spend so much money? A friend of mine is going to try to be more social. That's a good goal for the year. Maybe I should resolve to go to places like the library. Just to hang out. To meet some new people. Or something.

Whatever you resolve to do or not to do, I hope that 2010 is a great year for you. Take chances, try some new things, and do something that might change your life.

Maybe now is the time, and 2010 can be the year!