find a way

the beautiful thing about life is that there is always a way. It may not be easy, it may not be what we want, but we can always find a way. We may face situations that seem to have no resolution, that seem impossible to deal with, but it's not true. There is a solution for all the problems we face and our challenge is to take those problems and find a way to work through them. To find the best answer, even if it isn't what we were hoping for.

There's no fear inside.
This is our time, no giving up.
When we connect our hearts, to our minds,
There's no stopping us.

We need to approach everything before us with the an attitude of success. Take on every challenge knowing we can make it through, no matter how hard. It isn't easy, but it's not supposed to be. We're here to learn and be tested. We're here to grow. We're here to find our way.

human

nobody said this was easy, right?
after all we're only human.

Life is meant to be lived, but it isn't always that easy. Too often we get in our own way; we make mistakes, we stumble, we get distracted. We see everything that we should be, everything we are working for, but it's always just a little too far out of reach. I've come to realize that's ok. If we set goals that were easy to reach we would never grow, never improve. We aren't supposed to be perfect, we aren't supposed to get everything we want. We have to learn to appreciate the little things. Baby steps and small victories. Success isn't instant nor is it guaranteed, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try. Our imperfections and attempts to be better are where true character is revealed. No, we won't always succeed, things won't go according to plan, but we learn to run with it. To make the best of anything that comes our way. Baby steps, small victories, the little things that keep us going.

Things won are done; joys soul
lies in the doing...

legends

Everyone has a secret desire to make history. Everyone has woken up one morning thinking, "maybe someday I'll be more than just another person." It's inherent in human nature to want to be more, to want to be known. Some people want to make history for the fame, some because they want to create change, and others do it merely because they want to make a statement. They want to prove something. This year my team did that.

We made a statement.
We made history.

The rugby club I play for has never made it to the national collegiate stage. Last year we made it to the Pacific Coast playoffs, the farthest we had been able to go in 8 years. Since this club started 9 years ago we've faced struggles. We get no school support of any kind, all our funding is out of pocket or through generous donations. And, until last year, the national tournament was held on Saturday/Sunday so we were not able to compete because we don't play on Sundays. Last year it all changed. The tournament changed to Friday/Saturday and we were all of sudden in a position to make a name for ourselves. We unfortunately had to play the eventual national champions in the first round of the PacCoast so we weren't able to advance any farther. This year we had a vision and the skills to make that vision happen. PacCoast playoffs come and we come out with a bid to the national stage. 16 of the top teams in the nation, the stage was set. The first round was difficult, but we prevailed. Top 8. The sacrifices, the hard work, it was all for this. The next day we faced Penn State. A team better than any we had played, but we felt prepared. We played our hearts out. Left everything on that field, but Penn State was the better team. They went on to run over Brown and Stanford to win the national title. Despite the loss we still made history. All the hard work paid off, we made a name for ourselves. We proved that heart and desire can overpower brute strength any day. Next year we hope to grow more and make it to the final four, but it won't be easy. We start the season ranked #4 in the nation, there's a target on our backs. Now is the time legends are created and history is made. Again.

We'll part the seas, make history
While chasing dreams like every legend before us

(*fin)

end.

school is half way finished. I can't believe I've almost finished two years of college. It is so crazy how fast time can move when you're not paying attention. Have I made the most of these years? Have I made a difference? Can I look back and say I have enjoyed college the way I should be enjoying it? I think too often we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life and we forget to look around and enjoy the sights. People are so busy. We go to school, we work, we play sports, a thousand other things monopolize our lives and make even breathing feel like it takes too much time. And then when we try and take breaks, we stress about all the things we could be doing and therefore completely nullify all relaxing moments. We need those moments. We need that time to recuperate. We need that time to live.

Follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be.

Follow your bliss. This quote was above my senior year English teachers door and every time I walked out I would look at it and think "I'll have time for that when I get to college." Well here is college and it's still difficult to find time. In fact it's probably more difficult. I don't want to look back on college and just remember a blur of school/work/rugby/and any other thing I've tried to do. I want to remember the nights that turned into mornings with friends I'll always have a special place in my heart for. I want to follow my bliss wherever it may lead me.

a little's enough

It's very apparent in the world today that things are not easy. Everyday we face something that threatens to pull us down and destroy all that we've worked for, but there is hope. There is always hope.

Cause we are broken
What must we do to restore our innocence
And all the promise we adored?
Give us life again, cause we just wanna be whole.

Poets, musicians, artists, regular people. All of them share the same message of love. Love never fails; love heals all wounds; hate is easy, love takes courage; where there is love there is life; love is the movement. The message is always the same and carries the same strength. Everyone wants to feel loved, everyone wants to say they have a reason to go on and live the life they have always wanted. You would think a concept as universal as love would be easy to remember and use, but, sadly, there is far too much hate in this world. Nation against nation, people against people, brother against brother. Many battles hit even closer to home as people battle their inner demons, too often this is the case. People forget they are loved, forget that they have made a difference for someone, sometime. An enduring message of love can do so much.

The cure is if you let in just a little more love.
I promise you this, a little's enough.

Something as simple as a smile can change the course of a persons day, we can be that love. We can share that message. One person at a time, we can spread that hope, spread that love. The chain reaction will spread like fire, bringing peace of mind to those who desperately need it. All it takes is just a little love, I promise you this, a little's enough.

start again

It often feels like coming in to life we've been set up for failure. There is no way to come out without facing some kind of pain, some kind of heartache. The beautiful thing, though, is that we have the chance to start again. There is the opportunity to change. We can learn, grow, become better. We aren't forced to stay the same person we've always been, there are so many ways we can become the change we want to see in the world. We have to stand up and be that person we want to be though, we can't sit back and expect change to just happen.

Be the change you want to see in the world. - Ghandi

It's up to us to start over and be all that we can be. To take action and make our lives and the lives of those around us better.

We will hold together
to become the change

my heart

I am finding out that maybe I was wrong
That I've fallen down
And I can't do this alone
Stay with me
This is what I need, please

Too often people get caught up in trying to be so independent, myself included. Accepting help is one of the hardest things to do because that's like admitting you can't do it. Admitting that defeat pulls at self esteem and makes our shortcomings blatantly obvious. As hard as it is though, it's often necessary. There is so much we don't understand, so much we can't even comprehend. We could make it through life on our own, but not only would it be much more difficult, it would also be very sad and stressful. The joy of connections is that we can turn to those people closest to us and ask for help. They are there to buoy us up and help us when all else seems lost. It's amazing how much support one person can provide. We all face those times when all seems lost, when it seems like going on isn't even worth it. But then there's that one person. The one person who comes in and takes what is left of our heart and holds it together until we can do it ourselves. Whether it is a family member, a friend, a significant other, or God, without fail there is a network of support all around us that we take for granted. Trials are a part of life, a part of learning and growing. Through them we can learn how far we can go and when we need to seek help. Seeking that help is far from admitting defeat though. There are people in our lives who are there, just waiting for us to reach out a hand. Waiting for the moment when they can come in and be the shoulder to cry on.

Sing us a song and we'll sing back to you
We could sing our own
But what would it be without you?