The Emotional Side of Sports

I took my nephew to the Rose Bowl yesterday.
The game, UCLA vs ASU.

I am an ASU alumnus, but have no attachment to that school.
I went to one game when I attended ASU, and 3 after I graduated. I saw ASU play against USC twice at the L.A. Colosseum and against UCLA at the Rose Bowl.

It was a good game and I enjoyed it once I was able to position myself to a seat where I can see the action. For some reason UCLA fans like to stand more than sit. The game itself ended up down the wire. The final score UCLA 29-28. ASU had the chance to win the game with 2 seconds left, but the ASU kicker missed the field goal, resulting in the video you see to the left. I enjoy a good game. While I grew up an avid New York sports fan rooting for the Yankees and Giants, I don't have a favorite team now. I find that when we identify myself with a team I compromise my state of mind at a situation beyond my control.

I don't want to feel down just because a field goal kicker misses and the team loses. That's their problem. There are enough situations in life to put myself down. But then I do feel happy for a team or athlete that wins. it's the same feeling I get when I find that they graduated, earned a bonus, or published a book.

I often wonder if the enthusiasm people feel towards their sports teams can be placed toward their own lives. Can they cheer for themselves? Can they place the time and effort (and money) to go to a ball game to proper care for themselves? Yesterday's tickets were about $50 each, $8.00 for hotdogs, and then we had to walk 2000 feet to our cars. Yet people have a hard time putting dollars into their IRAs, go to church, and enjoy a good massage.

I'm not saying that it's wrong to support for your team. I enjoy sports and I especially enjoy watching football on Sundays. But its the refreshing aspect of getting my mind from thinking too much about the week ahead that I enjoy the most. There is a lot going on in my life so Sundays are nice days for rest and relaxation. Watching football is a part of that relaxation.

Note that I said, 'watching'. The cheering I reserve for myself, my family, and my friends when they score big points in life.

Cheers,
Jim

Silence: My Toastmaster Speech

Fellow toastmasters, thank you for this opportunity.

Two weeks were visited by a representative from Tony Robbins who really tried to sell us tickets to attend the event. I enjoyed the guy. I thought he was lively, enthusiastic. I've been to a Tony Robbins event, I've been to the Millionaire Mind Intensive, I've been to several other leadership programs. There we see a lot of hooting and hollering, people are jumping up and down making all that noise.

I for one am not wired to receive so much noise. I am a silent person. Yes Tony Robbins helped me in many ways, but I got more out of his tapes than his live show. Partly because when I listen to his tapes I do so in the quiet of my home.

I believe in three magic words, BE DO HAVE. If you "BE" it, then you will "DO IT' and then "HAVE IT."
So many people I know are conditioned to be "HAVE", "BE", "DO". If they have the large house then I can BE cool and DO what it takes to remain cool. If I HAVE the model spouse then I will be able to DO more things and I can BE happy. If I HAVE a million dollars then I can DO many more things and BE secure.

The secret to live is to BE the change you want for yourself before you even get there. It's also called FAITH, seeing something before it becomes reality.
The most magical words in the BIBLE to me are BE, STILL, and KNOW.
Being still in meditation or just being still before a tree or in traffic, opens
up the channels of communication.

BE STILL and KNOW, that I AM GOD. Being still and receiving whispers is a powerful way to live life. It’s called Intuition but I like to call it Whispers.

When you have inner peace you HAVE WHAT YOU HAVE. You don’t worry about desiring more, rather you focus on aiming for more. Accumulation is a scoreboard, not a fulfillment.

Inner stillness allows you to become the OBSERVER of your LIFE. You see your self as if you are someone else. Silence also boost CREATIVITY, which is the secret to life. I am a webmaster, what makes me any different then other webmaster. It’s creativity. What makes one running back in football different then another, it’s CREATIVITY to make moves better than others. It may also be called TALENT.

The most inspiration people on earth used SILENCE to gain the upper hand and defeat their enemies. GANDHI had one day of complete SILENCE. He managed to create the world’s largest democracy. MOTHER THERESA listened to the silent whispers of a dying peasant, and those whispers save many lives.

NELSON MANDELLA’s years of imprisonment was spend thinking of his move.
In his famous book, THINK AND GROWN RICH, NAPOLEON HILL describes how many of the wealthiest people often go on private retreats to contemplate for their business

More important is that silence allows you to communicate with yourself. This promotes love within yourself. And DO WHAT YOU LOVE. Those who do, never fear failure. All things start with SILENCE. In the BEGINNING the earth was null and void and then became great.

And so can YOU.

Jim Hague
JimHague@hotmail.com

The Whispers Diary

Tuesday, November 2, 2011 A New Career Shift I am going through yet another career shift. I sense that through the voices that enter my mind and the changes in my physical existence. For 15 years I have had the pleasure of designing websites. I recalled how I made the shift into web design back in 1996. I recalled feeling glorious,empowered, and things just came into place. After 10 years of working in the biological sciences as a lab technician I finally felt alive. I recalled taking a strong interest in using this new thing called 'the internet' to publish a book that I've written. I had a hard time finding publishers and agents, so I thought about trying self-publishing. A cousin then bought me an HTML book and that was it, a new career started. I began creating websites originally for the entertainment industry, specifically independent film directors and music composer. This career has allowed me to know new people and I have traveled many miles. I don't really want to leave it like the way I left biology. If I do, I will leave it with much gratitude. Most likely, however, I will create the school as a way of giving back to this career. Now a new shift is happening. A powerful one. I knew web design would lead me closer to Hollywood. I am the webmaster for the Scriptwriter's Network. That brought me closer to two important people: (1) Barrett Sanders of Fellowship Studios and (2) Manny Steinberg, a holocaust survivor. These two great individuals entered into my life because of my affiliation with SWN.

Today a client of mine, American Custom Coach now want to create an infomercial with me being the writer. My gut feeling tells me that I am going to be involved in making film. I ended the night planning my new website,'enlight and empower.com'. This is a website where people can share stories of inspiration in hopes that it may be turned into a book or script.

Now a shift is happening again. I have people coming in wanting me to help write and produce their stories. I am a story teller. That is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I’m allowing this shift to happen because I felt the vibes happening. It has always been my desire and my purpose. I am here to enliven the lives that I touch.

Now I realize that money is important because I have a family to feed. However, at the same time I realize that God will provide. Money will come and it come in heaps.