I love football.Nobody can hide on a football field: all your strengths, fears, and weakness are on the field of battle for everyone to see.The toughness is your mind and the grit in your heart will determine how well you play; how much you’re willing to sacrifice for victory.It’s not only the game that I love, but the elevating calm before the storm.Getting your mind in a place that will know no surrender-no defeat.Creating a mental zone to give it everything you have and leave nothing on the battle field.(Leave nothing but the body parts of your opponent, as one of my coaches use to say) With the season approaching fast, I decided to dedicate one post to my favorite sport.I hope you will enjoy this inspiring and motivating speech by coach Flowers…
Today gentleman, I am honored to coach you, and I am more honored to take you onto the field of battle.There is another honor to be bestowed upon you. That is the answer that comes with that question.Who Am I?
Answer: I am a champion!
That’s right and I need you to remember that all throughout this game.
I will conquer what has never been conquered. Defeat will not be in my creed. I will believe where all those before me have doubted. I will always endeavor to uphold the prestige, honor and respect of my team. I have trained my mind and now my body will follow!
WHO AM I? ….
I AM A CHAMPION!!!
I will acknowledge the fact that I am an elite warrior who arrives at the cutting edge of battle by any means at my disposal. I accept the fact that my team expects me to move further, faster and fight harder than our opponents. Never shall I fail my comrades. I will always keep myself mentally alert, physically strong and morally straight and I will shoulder more than my share of the task whatever it may be. One hundred percent and more
WHO AM I? ….
I AM A CHAMPION!!!
Gallantly will I show the world that I am a specially selected and well trained warrior. My heart and my soul will be the fuel to carry my body when my limbs are to weary. I will never falter, I will never lose focus as long as there is hope in my mind and my heart still beats. I will never give in to the evil that is weakness and I will fight that evil with my dying breath.
WHO AM I? ….
I AM A CHAMPION!!!
Energetically will I meet my enemies, no one will challenge me, none will stop me from my goal. I shall defeat them on the field of battle for I am better trained and will fight with all my might. Surrender is not a Champion’s word. I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall at the hands of my enemy and under no circumstances will I ever surrender.
WHO AM I? ….
I AM A CHAMPION!!!
Readily will I display the discipline and strength required to fight on to my objective and I will complete my mission. I will rise when I fallen. I will rip the heart from my enemy and leave it beating on the ground. My enemy need not fear me but he will respect me and if he does not. I will make him respect me with all that I have to give.
WHO AM I? ….
I AM A CHAMPION!!!
History will remember my name and he will not have to be kind. For I will have denied his criticisms and put in my own praise, No one will define me, no one will tell me what I can achieve, none will say I have not given all I have to give and none will take my glory.
WHO AM I? ….
I AM A CHAMPION!!!
Our believe, our code, OUR RELIGION is what? …. The 5 Commandments of football.
Only the fool compares the true beauty of a sunset or mountain top view.They must be admired individually without any attempt to compare or contrast.Just sit back, take a deep breath and suck it the entire splendor of the moment before you.For me, gazing upon sunsets is a truly wonderful experience.The soul of the universe reveals its grand and vast beauty in the sky as the sun sinks down below the horizon line: the sky changing with each moment before you in an escalading array of remarkable colors that grow more beautiful as time fades before you.I tried not to miss a single one during my stay in Costa Rica.To the true admirer, each is as spectacular as the next.You can feel the wonderful power of the sun that makes the seasons change; the flower bloom, and brings life to our planet.A captivating experience no writer could ever hope to transcend to his or her readers.Even those unknowing souls can peacefully enjoy a moment of enlightened clarity and soothing calm.It is a moment to enjoy alone, with friends or a lover: enlightenment seeping ever more closely to the heart and mind.Before you are some pictures of the beauty I want to share with the world from my journey to a new distant land; each individually as beautiful as the one before it.I hope are able to enjoy; for I was able to marvel.
I hate flying. One of my old college buddies flew anywhere in the world for free courtesy of his step dad who worked for Air Canada.When I told him that I hated to fly; he was shocked.He told me to “just relax, you can watch a movie, eat, read, meet someone new, have some good conversation; the journey is always what you make of it.Forget about arriving, enjoy each little moment that you’re free and away from the routine and hassles in life.”I never forgot that statement; I carry it with me on every trip.Time is so precious in life, at some point the hourglass drops its finally grain of sand, so treasure every moment.
Here are 4 tips on changing you life while experiencing the Zen of travel.
1.)Take some time alone in a special place to contemplate your happiness.Some people are always shocked when I tell them I traveled somewhere alone.They will never understand the complete and absolute feeling of freedom one receives from standing in a new part of the world and thinking “what do I want to do today, what will make me the happiest”.It’s so refreshing to get away from everyone and everything that has influence in your life; you can hear the voice in your own soul so clearly.Remember to take some time for yourself; Walk on the beach or up a mountain until you find a secluded spot and just sit back; enjoying the moment while contemplating your happiness.I sat on a rock in Greece and made a list of everything I loved and hated about myself, I came to some stark realizations that day. After a long time I threw the list into the ocean and felt completely liberated from my past.I swam in the ocean as the sun was setting without a single thought or worry about the past or future.
2.)If you take all you favorite and nostalgic songs with you on a trip and you will never find loneliness.Music is the great soundtrack to our lives.It will bring you back to the memory of a lover or a special time in life.The song Closing Time by Green Day, always brings me back to the fond memories of all the great friends I made in college that worked at the Shot Pool Pub in London, Ontario.Everyone who worked there was a very special and charismatic person.We had the time of our lives working together, sharing together, living together, and occasionally sleeping together.The road trips, birthday parties, and special events were a golden era in our lives.Music is a warm comforting blanket that will keep your soul alive with beautiful emotions at the most troubling times on the journey before you.
3.)Everyone has that one great book that is recommended to them over and over again.So think about it, find it, and take it with you on your trip, everything happens for a reason, and it often seems to me that the right book always comes to me at the right moment in life; when I needed it the most.If you pay attention, the right book will always find you and help you change the impossible.One of my all time favorite college football coaches, Lou Holtz, states that “Only two things will change your life 5 years from now: are the people you meet and the books you read.”
4.)Traveling is all about change: the only constant in our lives.The more you change on a trip the more beautiful the journey becomes.Traveling forces a change in everything around you and takes you away from your boring routines, narrow perspectives, disheartened attitudes, and fearful inhibitions.I felt so happy to be alive as I was returning home from a life changing trip in Greece. On the plane, I started a random conversation with a Lady sitting next to me at the back of the plane.We talked for a long time before she looked me in the eyes and said, “I can feel the happiness in you, you really must have made the most of your trip, and don’t ever forget this feeling when you get back.Don’t remember this moment; keep on living it.”Her voice cracked a little bit and I saw tears starting to form.She looked at me dead in the eyes and with a tremble in her voice said, “I went away because I needed some time alone, I have cancer, and I needed to figure out how I was going to tell me husband and kids that I’m dying.I couldn’t figure out what to say to them; but I figured out what to do about it.I’m going express all my love to them each and everyday with all my heart and soul.I am going to live in love for the rest of my days.”Starting that simple random conversation made me realize how fortunate I was at that moment, face to face with those tears of love and fear changed me a little, from that moment on I was also going to try to live in love for the rest of my days.To just Live in love…Pura Vida Forever…I originally published this post in my travel blog I Dream Now.If you love to travel check it out today!
My favorite book, The Alchemist, written by my favorite writer Paulo Coelho, is a beautiful Fable about following your dreams.I love this book with all my heart and I give it as a gift whenever possible.The gift I am sharing with you today is my favorite quotes from this inspiring and enlightening book.
“Every search begins with beginners luck and ends with the victor’s being severely tested.”
“The boy and his heart had become friends, and neither was capable now of betraying the other.”
“When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision. “
“Intuition is really a sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of life.”
“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
“Courage is the quality most essential to understanding the Language of the World. “
“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
“When you want something with all your heart, that’s when you are closest to the Soul of the World. It’s always a positive force.”
“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”
“When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”
“When you are in love, things make even more sense, he thought.”
“To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only obligation.”
“I don’t live in either my past or my future. I’m interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man. Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living now.”
“When you are loved, you can do anything in creation. When you are loved, there’s no need at all to understand what’s happening, because everything happens within you.”
“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second’s encounter with God and with eternity.”
Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.” You’ve got to find the treasure, so that everything you have learned along the way can make sense. “
“All you have to do is contemplate a simple grain of sand, and you will see in it all the marvels of creation. Listen to your heart. It knows all things, because it came from the Soul of the World, and it will one day return there.”
“In his pursuit of the dream, he was being constantly subjected to tests of his persistence and courage. So he could not be hasty, nor impatient. If he pushed forward impulsively, he would fail to see the signs and omens left by God along his path.”
“The alchemists spent years in their laboratories, observing the fire that purified the metals. They spent so much time close to the fire that gradually they gave up the vanities of the world. They discovered that the purification of the metals had led to a purification of themselves.”
“I learned that the world has a soul, and that whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of things. I learned that many alchemists realized their destinies, and wound up discovering the Soul of the World, the Philosopher’s Stone, and the Elixir of Life. But above all, I learned that these things are all so simple they could be written on the surface of an emerald.”
I am by no means a bible thumper; I could’ve made a career out of sinning.Yet, in all the bad things I have ever done, I never lost faith in something more pure and beautiful that guides the world to make it a better place.I have hit rock bottom more then once; the higher you go in life, the farther the pit we fall down in.At one of my lowest points in life, I had no where else to turn.I asked God for a sign, an omen, that better days would be coming.What happened next shook me to the core of my existence. I remember reading something about a man who would flip through the bible to a random passage, he would always find the guidance he needed at the most crucial times in his life.I thought to myself, it can’t hurt if I try it just this once.I was so low and depressed at this point, I would try anything. So here goes, I started my random flipping through the pages until they seemed to come to a stop for me.
My name is Jonathan, for some reason I always considered it to be a modern name.I had no idea of it having any bible references.So when the pages stopped at a passage with my name in it; I was in awe.Curiosity filled my being as I continued reading what seemed to be unbelievable at the time.I have always had a great interest in enlightened philosophy.I contribute that to being a seeker of all things good.So here is what I read at a time when I needed an omen in life and was desperate to find one anywhere.
Samuel I, chapter 14:“And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies.So none of the people tasted any food.And all they of the land came to a wood; and there was honey upon the ground.And when the people were come into the wood, behold the honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his mouth: for the people feared the oath.But Jonathan heard not when his farther charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of his rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his hand to his month; and his eyes were enlightened.And answered one of the people, and said.Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying Cursed be the man that eateth any food this day.And the people were faint.Then said Jonathan, My father hath trouble the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.” Samuel I, 14
This passage was so close to the truth in my heart: I have always tasted the sweet and dangerous honeys in life.Yet, for me it was the path that was necessary to bring me where in needed to go; because it was in my darkest hours that I found my true light; a light I know shall never leave me.My prayer was answered that day, and I shall never forget it for as long as I live.
I love The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, it will always remain my favorite book.The first time I read it, I couldn’t help but think a little part of me was the Shepherd boy Santiago seeking his destiny by listening to his heart and following his dreams.If my apartment caught fire and I could only take three things, they would be my Cat named Alchemy, my laptop, and my first edition signed copy of The Alchemist.
“At that moment, it seemed to him that time stood still, and the Soul of the World surged within him.When he looked intro her dark eyes, and saw that her lips were poised between a laugh and silence, he learned the most important part of the language that all the world spoke-the language that everyone on earth is capable of understanding in their heart.It was love. Something older then humanity, more ancient then the desert.Something that exerted the same force whenever two pairs of eyes met, as had theirs here at the well.She smiled, and that was certainly an omen-the omen he had been awaiting, without even knowing he was, for all his life.The omen he had sought to find with his sheep and in his books, in the crystals and in the silence of the desert.It was the pure language of the World.It required no explanation, just as the universe need none as it travels through endless time.What the boy felt at that moment was that he was in the presence of the only women in his life, and that, with no need for words, she recognized the same thing.He was more certain of it than anything in the world… …And when two such people encounter each other, and their eyes meet, the past and the future become unimportant.There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written by one hand only.It is the hand that evokes love, and creates a twin soul for every person in the world.Without such love, one’s dreams would have on meaning.Maktub, thought the boy.”P. 97 The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
“The boy didn’t know what a person’s ‘destiny’ was.‘It’s what you have always wanted to accomplish.Everyone, when they are young, knows what their destiny is.At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible.They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives.But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their destiny…It’s a force that appears to be negative, but actually shows you how to realize your destiny.It prepares your spirit and you will, because there is one great truth on this planet: whoever you are, or whatever it is that you do, when you really want something, it’s because that desire originated in the soul of the universe.It’s your mission on earth.‘Even when all you want to do is to travel? Or marry the daughter of a textile merchant?’‘Yes, or even search for treasure.The Soul of the World is nourished by people’s happiness.And also by unhappiness, envy, and jealousy.To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only real obligation.All things are one.And, when you want something, all the universe conspires to helping you to achieve it’.”The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
“There, he could exchange his book for a thicker one, fill his wine bottle, shave, and have a haircut; he had to prepare himself for his meeting with the girl, and he didn’t want to think about the possibility that some other shepherd, with a larger flock of sheep, had arrived there before him and asked for her hand.It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting, he thought, as he looked again at the position of the sun, and hurried his pace.He had suddenly remembered that, in Tarifa, there was an old woman who interpreted dreams.” P.11 The Alchemistby Paulo Coelho
“I’m alive”, he said to the boy, as they ate a bunch of dates one night, with no fires and no moon.“When I’m eating, that’s all I think about.If I’m on the march, I just concentrate on marching.If I have to fight, it will be just a good day to die as any other.“Because I don’t live in either my past or my future.I’m only interested in the present.If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man.You’ll see that there is life in the desert, that there are stars in the heavens, and that tribesmen fight because they are part of the human race.Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living right now.”P.89 The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
I originally published these passages in I Dream Now Travel Blog. If you enjoyed this post then subscribe to Enlightenyourday.com today.
An open heart:Let everything in without fear; an open heart will always lead to beauty.Open you heart to the people around you, the sun, the stars, and the wonderful experience of life in general.There is only one friend who can never betray you in life; your heart.It will lead you to your smiles, treasures, and true love.Take a moment each day and listen to the sound of its rhythmic beat and ask it what the best plan is for today.Limited or no expectations:Don’t limit yourself with expectations of the grandiose.The less you expect, the more you get.If you want to be pleasantly surprised time and time again, expect nothing, want nothing, and just be.Make a point not to plan everyday out, or like me don’t plan anything at all, just step outside and follow your heart to the next pleasant surprise in your life.It’s when we least expect it that our heart fills us with the white light that brightens the day. Virgin Eyes:All children are Zen Masters because everything is an eye opening experience.They’re seeing, tasting, feeling, and most important; loving the world for the first time.Try saying to a child with all the enthusiasm in your heart, “Wooowwwwwww Look at that Bridge”, their eyes will light up with wonder and inevitably have a complete Zen response like “AAAHH”, WOW, and so on.There is nothing mundane or boring in life for a child, everything possesses beauty: a Cat sitting peacefully in a window, a Bird singing in a tree, even a little Ant crawling along just trying to make it home alive.When or where we lose this wonder, I don’t know, but it seems to me when we travel a little sense of this child like wonder comes back to us.We want to gaze at Churches, buildings and monuments with delight.Yet, the same delight can always be found right in our own backyard on a cloudy day.Choose virgin eyes and see the world again for the first time.The present moment:There is no tomorrow and yesterday is never coming back!Ask yourself each morning, “What do I want to do today; what will make me happy now!”That is the beauty of the journey.When all the routines, expectations, and obligations fall to the wayside; all that is left is your desire; follow this desire in the present moment.Start the day off with that which will make you happy and leave the rest open to new experiences.There are infinite possibilities of happiness; no one can ever hope to obtain them all.If you can gain even a few specks of what will make you happy; then you have done a good job.A journal: A journal will bring you back to the thoughts and feeling in your mind.It will show you how your soul has grown and that you have become a different person.Rereading my journals is always fun because it shows me how my heart and mind has changed.This reminder is comforting; change is the only constant in the world.Embrace change and you will always continue to become a better person.I originally published this post in I Dream Now Travel Blog.
ON LOVE… “I was eighteen years of age when love opened my eyes with its magic rays and touched my spirit for the first time with its fiery fingers, and Selma Karamy was the first women who awakened my spirit with her beauty and led me into the garden of high affection, where days pass like dreams and nights like weddings.”OF THE FIRST LOOK…It is that moment that divides the intoxication of Life from the awakening.It is the first flame that lights up the inner domain of the heart.It is the first magic note plucked on the silver string of the heart.It is that brief moment that unfolds before the soul the chronicles of time, and reveals to the eyes the deeds of the night, and the works of conscience.It opens Eternity’s secrets of the future.It is the seed cast by Ishtar, goddess of Love, and sown by the eyes of the beloved in the field of Love, brought forth by affection, and reaped by the soul.The first glance from the eyes of the beloved is like the spirit that moved upon the face of the waters, giving birth to heaven and earth, when the Lord spoke and said, “Let there be.”OF THE FIRST KISS…“It is the first sip from the cup filled by the goddess of with the nectar of Life.It is the dividing line between Doubt that beguiles the spirit and saddens the heart, and Certitude that floods the inner self with joy. It is the beginning of the song of Life and the first act in the drama of the Ideal Man.It is the bond that unites the strangeness of the past with the brightness of the future; the link between the silence of the feelings and their song.It is a word uttered by four lips proclaiming the heart a throne, Love a King, and fidelity a crown.It is the gentle touch of the delicate fingers of the breeze on the lips of the rose-uttering a long sigh of relief and a sweet moan.It is the beginning of that magic vibration that carries the lovers from the world of weights and measures into the world of dreams and revelations.” Loneliness…“Life is an island in an ocean of loneliness, an island whose rocks are hopes, whose trees are dreams, whose flowers are solitude, and whose brooks are thirst.”Merit…“A man’s merit lies in his knowledge and in his deeds, not in his color, faith, or descent.For remember, my friend, the son of a shepherd who possesses knowledge is of greater worth to a nation that the heir to a throne, if he be ignorant.Knowledge is your true patent of nobility, no matter who your father or what your race may be.” Originally posted on I Dream Now Travel Blog
