What is Necessary?

Why was this so necessary again? I was looking through a box of stuff I had brought from home to my wife and I's one bedroom apartment. It was a giant, bulky, awkward to carry paint holder (ideally used for artists who need a handy place to store their numerous bottles of paint. While I do not consider myself a starving artist, if one was looking in on us from the outside, you might call us that. Koah and I are both crafters, and love everything having to do with art and design. We are doing our very best to make our second floor one bedroom as stylish and cozy a nest as ever you saw, but now I am struggling with a couple of items that I just don't see using anytime soon. I brought a Nerf gun for heavens sake. When did Nerf guns become necessary  items? I will tell you: never. 

What is truly valuable to you? Better question: How do you figure out what is really valuable to you? One day, all our worldly possessions will be meaningless. So why do we cling to them now? We box up and store all our items till TLC comes to our house wanting to make another 'Hoarders' episode out of our lives. We cling to them because we think they give us meaning. That we are defined by our possessions. Our possessions do not define us, they bind us. It is our actions that define who we are. Our actions are dictated by our beliefs and our thoughts. So when I get home and look at that box of what I thought were "necessary" items, I will go against my nature and try to rid myself of these chains. 

Where am I going with this? Well, what ties you down? What makes you not want to do something? Too often I hear athletes complain about worries or small things that go on in their daily lives, and how it affects their performance during practice, or even a meet. The fact is, you need to let go of those worries. Save them for a time when you need them. Are those worries necessary right now? And when I say right now, I mean here at practice? No, they are not. Save them for after practice when you have time to focus on fixing them. Don't let outside thoughts cloud your mind in the pool. Same goes for your life out of the pool. When you are living your life, going about your daily business, moving boxes from the closet and opening them up to find blankets or Nerf guns you forgot you had, think about what is really necessary for you to continue to live your life to the best of your ability. What you own does not define you. Your actions define you. Go out there and be great! 

Getting Back on the Horse

Another school year begins...
Tomorrow I am moving up to Pennsylvania with my new wife, into my new apartment, to start my old job at Saint Vincent College. I am excited to get started with practices, but I know those are a little bit further away. My prayer right now is that they are coming back to the team in somewhat good shape, but I need to remember that not everyone takes swimming quite as seriously as I do.
Admitting time: I haven't swam in weeks. I know, I know, I feel terrible for it. I am not a great coach for encouraging my kids to do something that I haven't done in who knows how long. I strive to set a great example for the kids I coach, and it really bums me out that I haven't put a foot in the water in weeks, but I have been busy. So how exactly does one get back into the best shape of their life? I am lucky. I am young, and still have a decent body build. So in essence, I have the tools to work with, but not the ambition. Is it because my dreams and goals have altered slightly? I suppose so. But I still have one dream that has been steady: to continue to compete as a swimmer. But now that I don't even smell like chlorine anymore, how am I supposed to do that?
Well the answer is simple: GET BACK ON THE HORSE AND DON'T LET GO. Dedication and determination are key points here. If I want to get in shape, I need to get my butt to the pool and dedicate myself to my goals and dreams. Each day is a new challenge, and new opportunity for the future. I am the only one who can reach out and grab those dreams.
So tomorrow, with a new school year in sight, and new horizons on the move, I am an explorer embarking onto an old and familiar frontier. My tools are a bit rusty, but with some polish, spit, grit, and hard work, things can be done.
The human body loves routine. There is a new commercial for some arthritis medicine that says "A body in motion tends to stay in motion." That simple phrase has been rattling around in my brain for weeks now. I have lost my motion. Top athletes don't ever stop. They have set up a routine that they follow, and they have habits that they keep to. I have created new habits that aren't exactly good ones. But they are not old habits, so hopefully they won't die hard. I want to get my body back into motion, and keep it in motion for as long as I can. I have had a summer of beginnings, and I look forward to another one. It is time to get back on the horse and keep riding. Keep pressing onward.
So that is my encouragement for the day. Get on the horse, and press on. There are new discoveries to be made.