Guest Writer #11: Ghost Writer

Guest Writer #1: SpeakingMyMind
Guest Writer #2: Letters To You
Guest Writer #3: TC
Guest Writer #4: Anonymous Queen B
Guest Writer #5: Someone You Used To Know
Guest Writer #6: Heartlocked
Guest Writer #7: LG Slayer 231
Guest Writer #8: TC
Guest Writer #9: G. Ho
Guest Writer #10: Golden Frieza

Being Successful

What does it mean to be successful? This is a question I have been trying to visualize for my future for the past few years. On one hand, there’s making tons of money to the point where you live a luxurious life but there is also success in contentment. Which one will be the best? Making money is obviously the choice that is the one most people want but would I say that is even success. If you are content with what life is giving you I’d say you are way more successful than the man trying to make the next business deal or the person making $50 dollars an hour. I’ve had a conversation with many friends on this. Being in the profession I’m in, you don’t make that much money compared to the 9-5 office job but rather you get what you make for yourself. At first I really wanted just a 9-5 job where everything is stable but my friend said one thing that really struck me. You work so much in a 9-5 for a small vacation time, but instead if you like what you do, every day will become a vacation. I knew the old cliché statement of “do what you like, not what earns more money” and I always wanted that. All my friends are out there making 20 dollars an hour in some summer job where as I don’t make anywhere close to that. I wonder sometimes if it’s even worth it to be doing what I am doing. However, I’m not in a rush to find out where I am going to go. I hear that the most fun you’ll have in your life is when you weren’t sure where you will end up. Maybe finding your way to success is really what it’s about more than success itself.

Being Content

If it’s one thing I’ve learned is that you should be content with what you have. Stop trying to be something you aren’t. Most of my life, I’ve tried to keep up with people, constantly looking somewhere else instead of where I am. I was never satisfied with only hanging out with one group of friends, I wanted a bit of everything. However, now as I look around, it’s those you put effort into that stick around. I’ve learned to build friendships not fake them. Don’t go for the ones who look best when you walk around in public. Find those who really mesh with you because eventually, it won’t matter who is cooler because everyone is cool when you become an adult. Be happy with what you got. Don’t change yourself just to fit in. Don’t find the ones who will only stay with you because you act a certain way or party a lot. Find ones who you know will stick with you through thick and thin.   

To My Future Wife Part 3

Part 1
Part 2

I love watching like cute proposal videos and marriage videos, I'm corny like that lol...I was listening to Savage Garden - I Knew I Loved You Before I Met You and was inspired. So, to my future wife...sorry in advance that you're going to end up with me, I'm a complicated guy and I know I sometimes come with a lot of baggage, so I know you're going to be a hella strong woman physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually to be able to handle me. Sorry for everything you're going to have to put up with...from my laziness, to my lack of initiative to do the dishes, clean the house or mow the lawn. As a matter a fact, sorry cuz I\ll most likely be the one who constantly messes up the house, sorry for being such a slob. But I promise I'll change, it's all definitely a work in progress...and being with you, well I know it'll make me better...a better man, a better husband and definitely a better father. To my future wife...know this, I'm gonna love the life out of you to the point where it overwhelms you. I'm going to do everything in my power to make you happy, to never see you in pain or sadness, even if that means sacrificing my own happiness. I wanna put you first in everything that I do, to lead you first and foremost to Christ, but as well to lead you in every aspect of your walk and growth as an individual. I wanna love you like Jesus loved us, I wanna sacrifice for you, I wanna know you inside and out. I wanna take you on spontaneous dates because you're worth it, I wanna cook you breakfast in bed for no reason and surprise you at work with flowers just to see your smile light up the room. I'm sorry for the times that I may get mad or upset at you...it'll happen, that's life, that's love, but I know every argument and night where I sleep on the couch because of something stupid I did will be worth it and will only serve to help us both grow individually and together. I wanna be the best dad ever...wear those corny shirts that says Number 1 Dad....put our kids in sports teams and watch their every game. Sorry in advance for spoiling our daughter, I can't help it, she's daddy's little girl. I'm sorry for being so tough on our son, I want him to be strong, so one day he can lead his family one day. Thank you for being with me, for loving me and being there for me through everything. I thank God every day before I go to sleep that I get to wake up to you every morning, to smiles, to kisses, to comfort and to an everlasting love. To my future wife...I can't wait to share the rest of my life with you.

My Spirit Animal

You know how people always ask questions like oh if you could be one animal, what would you be? I've always wanted to be something cool like a lion, the king of the jungle or a wolf, sometimes travelling in a pack and sometimes a lone wolf. But one night, I was trying to sleep and for some reason, I was like hm, I'm def not a lion, a lion is the alpha, the top of the food chain, that's definitely not me. I don't think I'm a wolf, wolves are ferocious, calculated...I sat there thinking about my interactions with my friends, with strangers, with people I've just met...and I'm like, hmmm....I've got it...I\m a turtle...LOOOOOL. A turtle is often pretty cautious...withdrawing in it's shell if it senses danger, putting up a guard if it's uncomfortable. That's kinda like me...I pick and choose my moments to let my guard down. I've been told that I can be hard to approach sometimes and that's true, I put up my guard...or I hide in my shell per say. But at the same time I've been told that I'm very friendly and I have a warm personality...so like a turtle...I guess it's 50/50 with me...some days, I'm in my shell and some days I'm not. Sometimes, I get frightened or nervous and hide in my shell and proceed with caution. Funny story, pretty sure I've told this before....couple years ago, I went to this retreat with my 2 friends and we didn't really know anybody. My 2 friends bunked together, so I ended up sharing a room and a bed with a stranger, I ended up being pretty cool with the guy, he was a friendly guy. So we're sleeping, and we're just talking, keep in mind we're in the same bed, he goes hey man...when I saw you walk in with your boys, I told myself, that guy looks really friendly, I sensed that you had a really warm personality and I was right...LOOOOL I was in bed trying to sleep like uh...thanks man, kinda weirded out, but thankful for the compliment lol. Thinking back to that story, it was hilarious lol...The more I think about it, a turtle suits me pretty well, I'm not a very aggressive, violent or physical person, I'm pretty passive, I like to chill and sort things out passively and calmly lol...just call me Franklin I guess.

A Lesson In Humility

Every summer for the past like 5 years, I play softball for this church and it usually takes up a good chunk of my time during the summer. So I remember in my 2nd year I believe, I had a close friend who played for another team and I saw that we were facing her team for our last game of the season, so we would always like jokingly talk trash back and forth. As the season progresses, they hadn't won a game and we ourselves won like 2.7 or 3/6 games...so we would talk a lot of trash leading up tot he game like oh, it's gonna be so easy, we're gonna beat them by so much, we're gonna hit so many home runs. Come game time...were like 2/7 I'm pretty sure and they're 0/9....the last game of the season and we're cocky as heck...everything falls apart...our hits were solid, our defence was half hearted, it seemed like everything went their way and against our way. It ended up being a pretty close game near the end, but there was no dramatic ending, straight up...they won. I remember being distraught, shocked, pissed, upset, angry...and my friend, the coach at the time was probably feeling double of everything that I was feeling. The morale of our team was pretty low, we knew we had just lost a game that we could have and should have won, but our heads were down for a different reason, as they yelled and cheered super loudly for their first victory...we had our heads down in disappointment...but we knew that we deserved to lose that game...and we did. I walked aside to my head coach who was sitting my himself, seething...telling him, hey...you know we deserved to lose that game right...the whole season we were chirping them...saying to our team oh, they haven't won a single game, we're gonna crush them...it's gonna be a walk in the park. We deserved to lose...we got exactly what we deserved. I remember talking to my friend on the other team that same night and apologizing and also congratulating her...because it was a fun time and I was happy to see them happy, despite being upset that my team lost. It was a needed lesson in humility, pride and cockiness. To not get ahead of yourself, but to be humble in your triumphs and accomplishments. I look back today at that game and laugh...cuz we had no right to be cocky considering we were the 2nd worst team to their worst...we weren't even a good team ourselves. I look back at that game and am happy we lost, we deserved it. I'm glad God knocked me off my pedestal because I got too cocky, too full of myself, too boastful. Any ways, kinda unrelated...one year later, one season later...here we were again, in the same shoes, facing the same team with majority of the same people on both teams...I was coaching this time, my friend who coached the year previously was assisting me. We never spoke it outwardly, but my friend and I both has sour tastes in our mouths just as competitors of sports. But we knew it was just a game, we cheered hard for the other team, encouraged our team to play and work hard...but I know for sure him and I played with a chip on our shoulders, wanting to win extra bad, not for boasting, but just to know we could...and we did...and it was super satisfying inwardly, but it was nice to talk with them after the game and reminisce and share stories and such. I know it was unrelated, but it kinda was at the same time...moral of the main story is anything can  happen, never get cocky...being confident is one thing, but never get boastful about it.

Dear Nice Guy Part 2

Patt 1 http://thebestyouneverheard.blogspot.ca/2015/03/dear-nice-guy.html

Dear fellow nice guys, how are you doing, holding up I hope. I haven't...I've been pretty impatient lately nnd it hasn't been good, it's been unproductive, unfruitful and damaging to my heart. I've been trying to find happiness in all the wrong places. You already know I'm the kinda guy who likes to see both points of views...so I ask myself the question do nice guys really finish last...but at the same time I tell and remind myself deep down, every girl wants to settle down with a nice guy, or most girls at least. Dear fellow nice guy, stay the course, patience can be your best friend but also your worst enemy. I know it's tempting, I know these women are beautiful, but do not...DO NOT jump the gun. DO NOT give in to the first pretty girl that comes knocking on your door. It's hard, I know...you're scared...what if another chance doesn't come, what if she's the one. My fellow brothers...be patient...if she's the one, I promise you'll have multiple opportunities to go after her. Keep your head up, BELIEVE in yourself...one of the biggest things about us nice guys, about me, about you...is we lack confidence. That's something I've been working on and building up. Be patient, but be ready to actively pursue. Don't be that dude who waits around for the girl to throw signs at you and pretty much hand you her number...but don't be the dude going around and chasing skirts and chasing numbers. Be patient, if opportunities are presented, take them, don't be afraid...but be patient as well, opportunities will come. Be patient, but be ready nice guy...your time will come, this I know for sure.

Retreat 2015

To refine something or to be refined is to purify, to remove elements you don't want, simply put...to make better. The theme for retreat this year was refining in the fire. Retreat's always been something that's been hyped and anticipated...but this year the hype wasn't the same as it has been in previous years. Less numbers, less excitement, less buzz...but I kept my head and my hopes up...ready to embrace whatever was put in front of me. And I had a dang good time...sleepless nights, early mornings, insight from kiddies...it definitely met and exceeded my expectations, but then again I set them pretty low. As of late, I feel God's been speaking to me a lot...well trying to, I haven't really been listening let's just say. Retreat hit me hard in a lot of ways...from worship, to the sermons, to listening to the kids in my small group. I get so happy when I see or am around those kiddies...they're so joyful and happy, it just rubs off on you. The sermons and songs surrounding the theme really spoke to me...being refined, striving to be a better christian each and every day. Refining your faith, your commitment, your everything to God. It's felt like a slow summer, but I know God has been good...the summer has been up and down...messy, stressful, fun, happy, all that jazz...one thing that I was reminded of at retreat...is to be still, to know that He is God...and He is good...and He will always come through. I need to refine that passion for God...refine that joy and thirst for more. I know I'm filled to be emptied again...God is always working in my life whether I see it or not...I just had to have faith that everything in my life happens for a reason...times of happiness, times of drought and when I'm in the desert...to be still, to hear his voice...and praise him regardless or where I am or what is happening to me.

Same Thing, Diffferent Perspective

Read this first to fully understand where I'm coming from...
http://thebestyouneverheard.blogspot.ca/2014/11/early-experiences-of-heartbreak.html

Now I understand why people always tell you to sleep on it and maybe things will change tomorrow or you'll see it different. My teacher used to say  write your essay, then proofread it tomorrow and you'll see and read it different and point out mistakes you wouldn't normally point out if you edited it right after you wrote it. Another example would be at church...pastors and preachers using the same verses, but taking away difference things out of it. Couple weeks ago, I visited my teacher and we were just talking about old times...I brought up that moment in the link above...I was like man...I remember missing that serve, losing the game, sitting in the stairwell as you were talking and just having my head down...the whole atmosphere in that stairwell was dreary cuz we were all disappointed we lost. He's like wow, that's what you remember from that season...I remember it so much differently...I remember team dinners, practising till the sun went down and I remember a team that was told they weren't good enough and managed to make it to final 4 and got third, I was like wow...as he said those words...I was like dang, cuz I always thought he was disappointed in us...cuz in all his years coaching at that school...our year, that year...had the most potential to win it all, he always says that himself. But to hear that he remembered it so much differently...is crazy...and eye opening. That you might see something one way...heck, you might even see YOURSELF one way, but others may see that same thing or YOU in a completely different light. You may see yourself as uncool, ugly, unintelligent, whatever...but someone else might see you as caring, friendly and beautiful. It's all about perspective. I don't really have a main point here, it's kinda just a bunch of random things that came to mind. I've never thought I was the most good looking guy...or the coolest guy...or the guy who got the most girls...but hey, someone out there thinks the world of me...and someone out there thinks the world of you too. So whatever negative feeling you're feeling about yourself or whatever...know someone sees it completely differently. That's why I'm such an on the fence kinda guy...I don't like picking sides because I like to see and understand all sides. I'll be gone this weekend at my church's annual retreat, will def update you when I'm back. On a brighter note, my fam booked a vacay in August for a week in Cuba at a resort...super excited, till next time, PEACE.