Friday, July 13, 2012

Leave the brass, seek the gold

Well, it's safe to say this will be a Friday the 13th to remember.

I think I can best sum it up by saying... I'm thankful for the past and excited for the future.

That's the way you move forward in life. You appreciate the experiences, good and bad, and all the people you meet along the way. You trust in your work ethic and work through the challenges. You meet people and build relationships. You win some, and you lose some. But you're grateful for all of it. All of it.

At times like this, I tend to take my own advice and remember that I live in my own reality. The future really is bright, you just have to make it there. Some days, you don't make a lot of shots, but you wake up the next morning, get in the gym and you keep shooting. You have a short memory, because yesterday's misses are through, you can't shoot them over. You are a better player because you put up the shots, whether you made them or missed them.

Now I have a chance to go do something else! There have been a lot of new opportunities coming my way for a while, and yet I held on to a few brass rings for too long. Brass sucks. It's made to look like gold, but it's not, and I need to find the gold rings and take them for myself. I used to not settle for brass, I used to walk away from it in search of the gold. It's good to remember that in life you can't settle for less than you deserve. My good friend Bomani Mintz always reminds me that if you keep accepting peanuts, they will keep feeding you peanuts. Go get something better, don't put up with the nonsense.
  
I'm so excited to enjoy an actual weekend. What a great feeling this is going to be. I really can't wait to do something as simple as go to church on Sunday morning, for the first time in over two years!!! That's going to be a great feeling, to be free.

As always, thanks for reading. Remember, live in your own reality and keep working hard today. It's easy to settle for brass in life, but keep reaching for the actual gold. It's good to be free.

-Travis 
 




Monday, July 9, 2012

Thomas Paine

 "What we obtain cheap, we esteem too lightly."

These were words written in a pamphlet entitled American Crisis way back in 1776 by a man named Thomas Paine.

Thomas Paine... a man considered by many to be one of the lowest profile of our founding fathers, a true American Patriot and one the greatest early American ideologists and writers. Thomas Paine inspired this post tonight. It's funny that I can convey my idea over this medium, an online blog, and yet for Thomas Payne in the 18th Century, they were using moveable type printing presses that took hours and hours of hard labor.

My writings will likely never have the impact of Thomas Paine's, and yet that inspires me. How did he reach tens of thousands of Americans and British during the American Revolution, and inspire so many, and yet I can only reach hundreds online? If he can do it, so can I.

And yet, almost 250 years later, his words still ring true. They spoke to me when I heard them. What we obtain cheap, we esteem too lightly. The literal interpretation is that we, as human beings, value to some degree expensive items. We all have our prized possessions that we secure, because so many of us do live in excess.

But Paine wasn't being literal with his theology. He was speaking to the American colonists, struggling through a cold winter, losing their war for Independence, close to the edge of giving up. His message was that if it was easy or "cheap" for us to get what we were after, what we wanted, we wouldn't savor it and value it as much. Fighting for something, overcoming the challenges, winning despite a superior opponent, paying the highest prices, these things give value to success.

We don't all always succeed. But I believe it's through the little failures that we learn to appreciate our victories. In modern day culture, we reference these same ideals. The game hasn't changed. Chris Brown has lyrics, "Work your own way to the top, because if they put you on a pedestal they can take you off." That's amazing to me, that these concepts transcend the ages. They keys to success are as old as time, it's amazing.

So, I hope that Thomas Paine's words speak to you as much as they speak to me. Life can be a struggle. But keep paying the price everyday. Fight, scrape, claw, prove yourself, sacrifice, promote your cause, stand up, sweat, bleed, cry, invest. It's not cheap. But for me, the thought of one day getting there makes it all worth it. I will always look back and appreciate the struggle.

No short shots tonight, but as always, thanks for reading. Share this post with your friends and family. Remember to wake up tomorrow and live in your own reality. Work to get better tomorrow. Keep fighting, keep climbing the hill.

- TP
P.S.- follow me on twitter if you don't already

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Insanity...

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different result.

Keep that in mind as you read this.

I'm sick and tired of hearing the same old complaints of disappointments and incompetence from the same people. Why complain about people who continue to mess up even the most basic of work-related tasks when, come tomorrow, they will walk right back in to their same position, a position that's above the ones of people like me, who deliver every single time. EVERY SINGLE TIME.

But you don't. Heck, they will probably get a raise. They deserve it. Since you're insane, I'll go ahead and say, they DON'T deserve it.

If you're in a place like this, and we all are here at one time or another. If you're like me, you live in your own reality. You strive to be great every day. You look at the top and strive to work harder than that individual, because that's where you want to be. That's where you belong. Expect nothing less than the top spot.

I don't make these senseless mistakes. Why? Oh I don't know, because I actually care. I don't EVER just show up and dial it in. I WANT TO BE GREAT TODAY, and I WANT TO BE GREATER TOMORROW. Greatness doesn't come easy. It's earned. You fight for it. You sweat for it. You bleed for it. You cry for it.

I'm not great. I can only hope to one day be there. But I do deliver. I bring it every time out, and I want to be the best. I trust my ability and work ethic, because I invest the time into it.

It's okay to be frustrated. It's healthy. Even more so, it's fine to voice that. No sense in keeping it in. That's not going to get you anywhere. If you know you can do it better, then make a guarantee and back it up. After all, if you aren't willing to be part of the solution, you just add to the problem.

Work hard. Live in your own reality. Break the cycle of insanity.

-- TP

Thursday, June 14, 2012

I say live strongER

I want to be the best.

In college, I had a professor give me one of the greatest quotes I've ever heard in person, "Greatness comes from the sacrifices of those who strive to be perfect."

In the Bible, the book of Matthew tells us, "Be perfect, even as your Lord in Heaven is perfect."

Obviously, stuff like this motivates me in different ways, depending on what role I'm playing that very moment, as a journalist, coach, etc., but believe it or not, there are people out there who don't want to be at the top. Some people are just find coasting in the middle of the pack, being good enough.

That doesn't work for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not the best at anything I do. Trust me, I'm the first to admit that. It doesn't mean that I have to like it, though, and it will never stop me from wanting to get there.

I'm better for wanting to be the best. The key there is those two letters, the ER. I was thinking yesterday, I need to put a little more ER into my life. I was heading to the gym, and I looked down at my Livestrong rubber band. Livestrong is a great campaign, through NIKE and Lance Armstrong, and the amount of money they've raised has made a difference, I have no doubt.


But then I start to wonder about the concept. You wear this band around your wrist to remind you to live strong everyday, but why stop there? I want to live STRONGER.

Tell me to be good, and I'll be better.

Tell me to be hungry, I'll be hungrier.

Tell me to work hard, I'll work harder.

This is the fundamental attitude of success. Strive to outdo the expectations, strive to outdo the competition, and strive to outdo yourself. Some people don't like this attitude you say? Well I've learned that other people's opinions don't add up to a lot, and you can't let them slow you down. I'm guilty of that. But if you truly do live in your own reality, all that noise will be too far down to hear from your seat on top.

A few quick thoughts...
- I really am tired of being a jobber. What's a jobber? A jobber is someone who is built up minimally and paid to lose to those who are viewed as higher up on the card. This term absolutely may be translated into the world of television. I've been jobbed out so much the past couple years, I forget what it feels like to win every once in a while. One would think that commitment, work ethic, and putting out a good product on a consistent basis would move you up the card, up the depth chart a bit, but that's not always the case, because at some point, someone has to put you over. Usually that either comes from management or the willingness of an older, more established "star". Let's just ask, which one of those things is LESS likely to happen?

- I did not enter a Finals prediction, but I think that the Thunder is the hot team, and they have home court advantage. Taking game 1 was huge, but not a clincher. A win over the Heat tonight though, and it might just bring the big trophy to OKC. Neither team matches up well with the other though, so I expect a high-scoring series with some good games. I think that's what most basketball fans want anyway.

- We all have letdowns and get bad news. It sucks. Keep fighting. When you're lost in a maze and you run into a dead end, you can either sit in the corner and cry about it, or backtrack and take a new route. Think about it.

- Always stand up for yourself. No matter what position you are in, don't let anyone talk down to you, play you, patronize you, or intimidate you. Remember, you're very good at what you do too, even if this person doesn't see you in that same light. You'd be surprised, too, at the type of person that does that kind of thing. Bullying is a problem in the adult world too. Don't let yourself be a victim. Trust you work ethic and ability, and fight back.

Well, as always thanks for reading and sharing this post. Remember to follow me on twitter and to live in your own reality. And lastly, remember to live STONGER every single day, stronger than yesterday, stronger than anyone else.

-- Travis

Saturday, June 9, 2012

So what can I do right now...

We all have things we need, and we all have things we want. Sometimes, what we want is something we really do need, but we don't always need what we want.

Any self-motivated person sets goals for themselves. Everyone wants to achieve their goals, but the special ones need to achieve them. Think about it. Which one are you?

You've probably been asked time after time, what's your biggest fear? My answer is easy, failure. I've failed before, and I'm going to fail again. I think i risk failing all the time, but my desire to be successful drives me, and not being successful ALWAYS hurts.

So I often find myself asking, what can I do right now to get what I want and get what I need? I've made it my goal the past few months to do something every day to try and take a step forward. I guess I haven't done enough yet.

Starting the past few days, I've tried to step it up a little. A good friend told me, hey, what do you have to lose? My answer, absolutely nothing. Sometimes it's real easy to get down on yourself if you think too much about a bit of bad news, trust me it's happened here recently to me. But I have to be a little more aggressive and assertive if I want to get to where I want to be, and I began that journey yesterday.

Over the next couple of weeks, I have to get in my car and just show up places. I call it turning it up a notch. I'd advise you to always ask yourself, what am I doing right now, and how is it helping me get what I want and get what I need. I don't think it's a problem if sometimes the answer is that it's not, but I know in my case, I could always do more.

So, do more. Be bold. Take steps forward. Push the limits. Change the rules. Live in your own reality. Find a way to do more.

A few quick hits:
- I'm taking the Heat tonight to beat the Celtics, sorry Bryan. Lebron James imposed his will in Game 6, and they're at home.

- Shout out to my former players who won a State Championship today over at Cosby. Big win for softball and girls soccer there, great stuff for a great school. Ted Salmon does a fine job as an administrator, and there are a lot of great people there. It was cool to cover some of the games last week, and I always love seeing my kids succeed.

- The Yanks are on a roll. I'd love to go to a Subway Series game one of these years, put it on the bucket list. But if they keep hitting and pitching like this, like they are capable of, the Quest for 28 might just end in October.

- Really excited to be working some great camps this summer for some great organizations and programs. If I had the time, I'd work more. It's a great way to give back to the game and also to meet new people and learn. All positives.

Tomorrow is going to be long, as usual. Should be good to get out of work in time for a great workout, as the knee-hab continues.

Thanks for reading. Remember, follow me on twitter- @travisponton and keep your chin up, good things are about to happen.

--TP

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

It doesn't always go your way, but it always keeps on going...

When I was in high school, I always used to turn to one of my favorite movies to cheer me up from a tough day, you know a bad workout or something on the court. That movie is Oh Brother, Where Art Thou, the classic George Clooney film based on Homer's epic, The Odyssey. No matter what, it's always been a go to for me, for whatever reason. Maybe it's the theme song to the movie, "Deliverance" by Bubba Sparx. Both the song and movie are about a long journey, full of highs and lows, different characters, and the twists and turns along the way to your destiny, your deliverance.

So I guess it's fitting that I got home tonight, and flipping through the channels, my go to movie was on. I think that I just went through a day I will remember the rest of my life, for better and for worse. Needless to say, I learned a lesson the hard way today, which is never fun, but I'm a better coach because of it, and for that, I'm appreciative. But, it still stings a bit, which is why I was glad my movie was on.

Right now, I have to follow the baseball hitter's approach. Sometimes you strike out, heck you go 0-4 in a game and find yourself in the middle of a slump. One bad at bat leads to a bad game, leading to a bad week, and you slide. Good hitters though get through it. They show up early to the ballpark the next day, get in the cage, and take their cuts. You've got to have a short memory and a desire to get out of this funk you're in.

So somehow, tomorrow, I have to get to the ballpark early and get more work in, and put this bad day behind me. Easier said then done, huh? But hey, this is what success is made of, overcoming struggles and defeating opponents. That process always starts with you looking yourself in the mirror and putting the work in.

Staying in the 2000s, perhaps 50 cent said it best, "Sunny days wouldn't be as good, if it wasn't for rain. Joy wouldn't feel so good, if it wasn't for pain." I'd like to wake up tomorrow to sun, but if I don't, and this is the million dollar question, how do I bring the sun out?

Some quick thoughts....
- Our spring sports banquet was last night at CH, and we said goodbye to a wonderful group of seniors who have meant a lot to our girls soccer program. It's always great to see our players get honored with All District and All Academic awards, and all 6 of our kids that earned these honors deserved it. It was great coaching both basketball and soccer at CHHS this year, and I admit, it's weird not being up at the school around the great staff and our players already. But, there's a lot to look forward to.

- The Yanks beat the Rays tonight, and remain on a roll. I've decided that when Nova isn't striking guys out, he's also not giving up hits and runs. Weird. Not sure if this has to do with his approach or just a statistical coincidence, but either way, I hope America's Baseball Team stays on a roll.

- I got to watch the 2nd half of the OKC-San Antonio game tonight, and I have to say I'm convinced more than ever that OKC wins it all this year. However I have to say, I enjoyed watching Mark Cuban and Dirk raise that trophy last year a lot more haha. 

Remember that things don't always go your way, but the one thing that's for sure is that things always keep going. Get back up to the plate and take your hacks. Time to get on a hit streak...

--TP

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Back to the Blog

After a 6 month hiatus, I feel like now is the time to get back on my blog again. It's been a busy time for me, and I have a lot to talk about. I think I need to continue to be open and honest on this blog, and not be worried about it.

Anyway, I would wager that there's a longer, more encompassing post coming from yours truly very soon. I'm glad I could give you something to look forward too.

-- TP