The Self-Centered Black Hole

We are emotional beings

We all have our ups and downs. Over our lives we experience the gamut of emotions. We soon discover we’d rather stay on the satisfied, fufillled and joyous side of life as much as possible

Here’s why you shouldn’t let yourself get too wrapped up in yourself
Being self-centered leads to depression, it draws you inward facing your imperfections, focusing on all you don't have.

It’s like a Black Hole
It’s a downward spiral that can grab you and not let go. You lose perspective. You forget about the good things in your life. You forget so many others have it much worse than you because you aren't thinking about them, you are thinking about you. You focus on all that you are lacking and that makes you feel bitter and helpless. Down, down, down.

Thinking about others has the opposite effect
Satisfaction and fulfillment are usually related to going outside yourself, getting involved in the world and other people. The more you get involved in others lives, the more appreciation you get for your life. You get a balanced perspective on life. You have new experiences, make new friends and learn new things. You stay fresh.

We are social beings, we need to be around others and involved in their lives to stay emotionally healthy. The alternate is a life of isolation and self-centeredness, a life of despair.

Watch out for yourself, but also for your friends and family as well. 
If you see any of them withdrawing into themselves, go get them. Take them to dinner. Get them out and find something fun to do. Let them know they have a friend. Draw them out and let them talk. 

They may be stuck in a downward spiral. They may desperately need a helping hand to get them out. Be that friend. Make a difference!

Tim Tebow: What the Analysts Miss

Tim Tebow is one of the biggest sensations in the NFL right now.

The Denver Broncos were 1 and 4 when he was installed at quarterback. The analysts and critics howled. He can’t throw. He is inaccurate. He has a long wind up and release. It takes too long. He can’t make the professional throws. He doesn’t have the skills to lead a team to the Super Bowl. No team has ever won running the option attack that best suits his strengths.

There was an explosion of criticism unlike any that’s ever occurred over a first round draft pick. The verdict seemed to be unanimous—he would fail, he wouldn’t last.

Set up to fail
The team was depressed. There’s nothing worse than being in a losing locker room. They had just lost 4 out of 5 games with Tebow installed as quarterback, in spite of the fact that they have mediocre talent and almost no receivers who can catch a pass because they had even traded away Brandon Lloyd who was their best receiver one a week before Tebow took the starting job. It seemed like Tebow was set up to fail. 

Then something shocking happened
When Tebow went in he asked the team just one thing, “all I ask is that you believe in me.” They were energized by his excitement and intensity. They became filled with hope and their spirits renewed. They started playing inspired ball and 5 out of the next 6 games which gave the Tebow Era a 5 and 1 record. A dramatic and immediate turnaround, once Tebow took over at quarter back.

It was astounding because they won on the road—the toughest place to win. They did the unthinkable; they beat every one of their division opponents in their own stadiums. That almost never happens, certainly not with a rookie quarterback in his first start. 

What the analysts missed
They missed the fact that a players impact and performance goes way beyond his skill set. It has to do with how few errors he makes. Does he throw interceptions? Does he fumble the ball? Does he make stupid decisions?

It also has to do with sprit and inspiration. Does he energize his team? Do they play better because he’s in the game and they believe in him? Do they feel like as long as he’s in the game they have a chance to win? And also how does he play in the clutch when the intensity and anxiety is in the highest? Does he fall apart or does he rise to the occasion? You can be a picture perfect passer of the ball, but if you panic during the game, you’re useless. 

Tebow excels at all the intangibles
What the critics have underestimated are Tebow's strengths. Just take a look at his stats. He makes great decisions plus he’s turning out to be one of the greatest running quarterbacks the NFL has ever seen. He’s so dangerous and smart about his running that it has opened up the line for the other running backs to have huge games.

And in crunch time his passes are deadly accurate. The Denver Broncos have become very dangerous for the senses to face. And the other thing is he’s just now getting his first chance to play regularly and he’s improving every game.

That’s what the inexperienced players do. They improve when they’re given a chance. You can’t learn how to play and perform as an NFL quarterback until you get a chance to get experience in the game. Tebow is getting that now and is developing rapidly. But all of these things seem to fly right over the radar of the expert analysts. Maybe they’re not so expert after all. 

The lesson for me and you 
Don’t give up your dreams because you might not be as talented as someone else. You can win anyway. You can improve. There are a lot of ingredients that go into winning and talent is just one—and talent will only take you so far.

A willingness to compete, a love of the “game” and a determination to improve and win is what really takes you to the top. If you’re driven you can do amazing things in your life and… like Tim Tebow you can astound your critics as well!

One Hopes, One Fights

You don't win by hoping.There are no prizes, no banners, no awards handed out for the ones who hoped the most.

You don't win by hoping. You hope when things are out of your hands. Someone else controls your destiny. You anxiously wait on the sidelines hoping things work out. And usually…they don’t.

But if you really want something to happen there is a better way. You find away to get involved where you can influence the outcome. This dramatically increases you odds of winning because….

You win when you fight.

You get involved. You get in a position to have an impact on the outcome.
You find the barriers and you attack them because they aren’t going to go away by themselves.

If you really want something, stop hoping and start fighting to make it happen.