Stay in Bounds

My dearest readers,

instead of making this end-of-the-year post a reflective one I’d rather want you to reflect on how you can stay focused and keep your drive alive. During holiday season most of us get a chance to finally wind down, wrap up the year, and make sure there is no unfinished business left before closure in twenty-fifteen. In most cases this is much appreciated and well deserved, but in times like these—if you want to keep things moving—you can get a quick and profitable edge by doing one thing: staying in bounds!

With the year ending and most people either reflecting or relaxing you could do something for the upcoming challenges in twenty-sixteen. Why not prepare a little for what is coming up? Why not move into a position where you can kick off your new year with a blazing firework while the rest is still sleeping? It doesn’t have to be a lot, but it could be enough to give you a quick but profitable edge. After all accomplishments in 2015 you do deserve some reflecting and relaxing, but in all of that do not keep your dreams out of sight, because they are not sleeping or relaxing.

For those of you whose year has not been as promising as expected, don’t be discouraged. Recall that in order to shine you first have to polish. Your year may have been a working year, you polishing the heart out of your life and yourself; but know that if you continue to polish your time to shine will come soon enough. Check local listings! And note that it is those working years that make the pleasant years happen.

For those of you who could deliver whatever the job required, make sure you stay on it, for great things are expected of you in the future. Everyone’s watching, and everybody’s waiting for you to make a move; therefore stay disciplined and disappoint neither your beholders nor yourself. Remember that it’s a great accomplishment to get to the top, but way harder to stay there. Delivering can be both a blessing and a burden, but in any particular way it is a resource of inspiration and a great challenge to keep it moving. Challenge accepted? Well, that’s your call!

...and with the year ending and the holidays coming up—as concluding words—I just want to say “Thank You!” for reading this year’s #MomentumToGo as well as all of your thoughts and comments throughout the year. It has been, as in all previous years, nothing but a pleasure to write for a constantly increasing audience; in that sense all I have left to say is the following: just stay in bounds… and keep the drive alive!

Expect 2016 to ask for your undivided attention, because the new year holds these truths to be sacred and undeniable: “People who lack the clarity, courage, or determination to follow their own dreams will often find ways to discourage yours. Love your truths and don’t EVER stop!” (Steve Maraboli)—stay in bounds, never stop dreaming, and go further! #M2G

Purpose

Dear readers,

with another year slowly approaching the end I find it necessary to share what had determined the biggest portion of my life in twenty-fifteen, mostly because I’m certain it will do just that for the little but not so little remainder: finding purpose. Especially when one period is coming to an end and we are to look for another path, a consecutive way, the next step—that's when we seek purpose in the sense of invigorating an old debate and exploring what our share in life is.

King Solomon once wrote that “[t]he purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out” (Proverbs 20:5). How shallow or deep is your ocean? Are you willing to put your wetsuit on and dive and dive further and draw out purpose, your purpose that is hiding deep in the trenches? How deep are you willing to dig in order to find it? It is common to approach this deep blue sea with caution, because it not only involves danger and risk, but the further we dive the more increases the pressure on ourselves; and pressure tends not to be a trait of happiness. However, Ralph Waldo Emerson writes that “[t]he purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” And I find that a powerful and provocative statement, because aren’t we all concerned with being happy in the end?

I think we cannot deny that we do pursue happiness, but is our life not so much more? Are we not handed a severe burden that is a blessing in disguise, a responsibility we not just have for ourselves but also for our fellows and loved ones? If that responsibility alone is purpose, don’t get it mistaken for an omniferous inquiry to change the world, for that is not a purpose, thank God, we all have; but we do have a responsibility for ourselves and for our personal periphery. We have a choice, a choice to master our lives and everything in our orbit. And that may be where (your) happiness resides—in your personal circle where you get your shot and can make a difference, where it matters that you live and your life has a purpose. And that purpose is our shared value, a responsibility we all have, as we are all destined to forge our luck.

Leave your comfort zone and dive! Do you have purpose and is your being serving one? If so, don’t hide it in the abyss of your heart but bring your purpose to the surface where it can function, where—to quickly borrow Steve Jobs’ rhetoric—it just works! Let it work and do the magic. Purpose! I'm not talking about Justin Bieber or Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle, but to and about you and you only. Remember that “[n]othing is more creative…nor destructive…than a brilliant mind with a purpose” (Dan Brown). Therefore, know your role and your capacities, your prowess in any sense, and your abilities in any predicament. We don’t necessarily have to put ourselves into the hands of another in order to find purpose, but we can unearth our minds, express our hearts, and unravel purpose once we’re willing to dig and dive.

But regardless of you digging or diving or doing none of that whatsoever: you matter! You have a purpose, and your life serves a purpose! Just do me (and yourself) a favor and make sure it doesn’t remain dusty but is worth it—your life a contribution to all and to our world spinning, because if you don’t live for something you’ll surely die for nothing; and knowing that…is all there is, one hell of an #Amen! Got #Purpose? Make that two and toast to your life...matter!

...on knowing!

My dearest readers,

now that I have arrived in Los Angeles after a hell of a journey and getting infinite glimpses into my past and future I want to further evaluate on the final quote of the previous post, and in particular shift from “seeing” to “knowing,” because are we not going through so much in life just to be able and willing to know? What do you know? Let me show you what I know…

“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do,” a quote at large attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, encourages us to not only know and be determined but also to put our knowledge into action. How good is wisdom, if we keep it to ourselves? How good is our persistent drive, if we don’t go out there and do something with it?

Sometimes, however, we don’t want to know, but in any way we shall bear in mind that it is always better to know than not to know. In order to do something in our lives we must know who we are and where we are in life, and we must face it, not just ourselves, but everything that comes with it. We must be aware, vigilant, awake, and we must be willing to accept our reality. Many of us tend to run from the truth, because it may be painful and bring forth gruesome discoveries, but let me remind you that the bitterest truth is better than the sweetest lie. You may be able to lie to others, but you shall not lie to yourself.

Be aware of who you are, know who you are, and deal with your concerns and fears, for then you will also discover your passions and strengths. And once you discover those you can take it from there and let this “knowing” about yourself be the can opener to and in your life.

When you know who you are and what your share in life is, is it not only a matter of time, a matter of you living it and how you’re willing to do so? Make it worth it, be eager to learn and know more with each day passing. “A man,” writes Yevgeny Zamyatin, “is like a novel: until the very last page you don’t know how it will end. Otherwise it wouldn’t be worth reading.” Keep up the tension on each page, and unfold a spiral of knowing and doing until you reach the final page. And what comes out is an autobiography that reads as a bestselling novel. Then you not only see, but know, you not only know, but apply; generally speaking: you live!

And let me ask you: What do you know about it? I guess enough to start living your life as though the next page could be the last. Why not make every day a spectacular sensation, a stunning, vertiginous ride that you enjoy just as much as others reading or hearing about it? But don’t live just because you want to write a story, write it because that is who you are. You know it. And in the midst of all of this you also know that you must be on your limit and stay there, because “[s]uccess comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming” (John Wooden). Live life, and be the best “you” that you can possibly be, then, and just then, you shall know that you’re doing something right, well, not something, but everything, well, not everything, really, but something fundamental and sufficient, as far as I know, that makes you capable and eligible to know how to live and shape and manage and eventually master your life.

See Forever

My dearest readers,

I am profoundly honored to write this post in New York City, birthplace of some of the most gifted figures in art and history. Most see me being here as a reward for my recent graduation, but the truth is: it is but an intersection, an interface between my past and my future, because one period of my life has ended, and another one is yet to come. Now I could rest on my laurels, or I can catch a breath and brace for whatever is coming up, and see it through. And if seeing is believing I might as well stay armed to see forever.

It had been twelve years since I first visited Ground Zero, the remains of once a symbol of power and strength. The construction pit bore witness to the very day that changed all our lives forever, a day anyone can recall as if it had been yesterday, the smoke and the dust, the flames and the tears. A famous skyline landmark was no more, had been erased, and eventually mingled with the concrete and steel that once held it together before it collapsed with the many lives lost in between. There was never going to be anything like it again, I heard people say back then, for the entire world had been shaken.

But now, twelve years later, I visited what once had been Ground Zero. Only a few cranes nearby reminded me of the gigantic construction site I had seen over a decade ago. What struck me were the pools to remind one of the severe pain suffered in the past, but what struck me slightly more was a bluish crystal spine that reached into the sky and vanished in the light overcast as though it wanted direct one toward the firmament. Needless to say that "[a]lmost nothing need be said when you have eyes" (Tarjei Vesaas).

The observatory program was titled See Forever. Standing in front of the tower looking up was one impression, but being on top and looking down another one, nearly surreal, not because of the view, but knowing that it had been built upon the many lives and sacrifices and was furthermore a profound statement that came out of suffering. Following the building progress throughout the past years, the design, and everything that came with it, it was nothing but overwhelming to see what man had built. And it had further been a profound statement that there never were any doubts that hope and greatness would prevail at last.

Nietzsche once wrote: "Glance into the world just as though time were gone: and everything crooked will become straight to you." We will always remember! A crooked passage in history took time to process, but eventually it became straight. And likewise our at times crooked past is to become straight. It depends on our belief and on our endurance to create greatness out of suffering. In that sense, seeing becomes believing, not in a conventional sense but with regards to foresight in our lives.

What do you see? Bear in mind that "[k]nowing it and seeing it are two different things" (Suzanne Collins). But if you tend to see things through with an eager eye, know that out of whatever suffering, your indefinite foundation, you will be able to erect a building so beautiful to leave people speechless. Therefore, do not rest on either laurels or pain that reposes in the past, but brace for the future, your future, and see it through, because then you will see forever!

The Extra Mile

My dearest readers,

now that I finished six wonderful college years—which were, throughout, riddled with some of my highest ups and my lowest downs in life—I want to share what carried me across a God-given path of opportunity. It had never been effort and keen wit alone, nor was it passion or excitement, no. It had foremost to do with the invincible will to endure, the one and only thing that made me go on, for better or for worse, through floods and hurricanes that can tear down a life in a heartbeat…but none of that matters as long as you always do your best.

Life is a challenge, and at any given moment you’re put to the test. It’s not for us to choose, but it’s for us, in a Baldwinian fashion, to accept this challenge. No path is easy; nothing and no one in this life can take that burden away from you. Crossroads after crossroads will put you on the spot, over and over again. And in all that struggle there is no one who can and will walk that way for you. That you must do (by) yourself…and in doing so you might as well insist upon it.

As much as that route can be a burden, equally as much it can be a sublime opportunity. The least of us are intrepid enough to stay en route throughout. There are just too many distractions, too many concerns that prevent us from constantly walking and moving forward. But in these little resistors lies the fuel you need in order to get to the top. Only a huge knockdown and unconditional, unshakable faith hold the torque, the power that can not only put you on the spot but power big enough to make you do marvelous, immaculate work.

Shayne Ward once said: “[I]t’s when people least expect you to do something that you often do your best.” Perhaps it is even when you least expect it, but it is not a mystery that these knockdowns can unlock potential you were not even going to learn about unless this life puts you on the spot. Therefore, whenever the sledgehammer of life sucker-punches you straight in the eye, don’t drop and fall to your face. How about you get your Taylor Swift on and shake it off, rise like the sun, and gas up your ambitions for more blindside hits to come?

You can drown in self-pity and distress, or you can take it like a champion and return, stronger, resolute, and reckless. And may we all be bound to the perimeters of life, we always have a choice, at every crossroad we face, to either do or don’t. What is your choice when there is no one on your side? What is your choice when circumstances push your back against the wall? What is your choice when another subject walks into your life and tells you you’re not good enough, you can’t do it, and it’s not worth it?

It’s not rocket science, it is life, a life you ought to live the way you want it, and if you picked up on that you might as well live it in a way where you can do your best at any given moment. You’re getting weary and old? Did you know you’re still at the top of your game? When the wrecking ball swings by again, send him or her my regards…and swing back, because no matter how deep life’s boot is in your guts, there is always a road reserved for you to walk on. Some call that the extra mile, a hidden trail that favors the bold. Why don’t you walk it? There is no one on it, no one but you on this stairway to heaven… #MomentumToGo

The Night Is Still Young

My dearest readers,

since it took me longer than usual to write this post—in fact I had readers asking for another one—what is more at hand than writing about it never being too late…for anything? Time and again and once more, in that sense, I got to see that life and writing are not so different after all, because eventually “[i]t’s never too late—in fiction or in life—to revise” (Nancy Thayer) and to refine and make things happen. Dust your drive and get it back in motion. Dawn will come in due time, that’s for sure for all of us, but until then the night is still young…and so are we!

Not only when we look at Dali's “The Persistence of Memory” we may grasp our spatial and temporal reality, but we may further realize how we grow (older) every day and our lives and responsibilities grow with us. What becomes crucial is the pace and whether we can keep up with the rise of our lives and the responsibilities that at times may hover above our heads. When that happens we find ourselves at the crossroads that separate the willing from the drowning, and the worst is ignoring. Our lives are fluid, our realities constantly in motion. Most people sit quietly and watch the world pass us by-y-y. Regrets may become a festering sore and “what ifs” the lethal force to haunt and devour you day by day.

But…it’s never too late to make a move, or is it? We all make mistakes, no doubt about it, and there are times we all wonder: “What if I had done this and that differently?” However, as much as we rack our brains, there is no way to make the past undone and bring lost time and opportunity back. What we can do is but accept it for what it is and turn forward, riding into our lives and enjoy the ride from now on, take it from there. Some may wonder if there is still time to revise and refine, and until you haven’t seen your dawn yet…there is still time. In hours of regret(s) you may sense that it’s night already, but with acceptance and confidence you may also recognize that it’s pretty early, early enough to get back on track and ride along, and carry along your dreams with you, because the night, after all, is still young.

There are many more crossroads to come until we see dawn, but once we are aware that a little pitch correction can resound our lives’ melodies all over again and that it’s never too late to get back in tune, can we not just then have the night of our lives? Is it not crucial that we live in the present, is not just that the gift for the gifted?

We know it’s night and all we have is the moment; and we own it and owe it, not only to our dreams, but to ourselves. And it is up to us whether we have that moment all night. “It’s never too late to go out and get that feeling back” (Loretta Swit)…and it’s never too late to get just that pinkprinted onto your heart, for the night…is still young…and so are you! And in one way or another, don’t we all live for the night? It may be late, but never too late to get that feel good back, and get it going…all night long!

...on holding on!

My dearest readers,

now that my ship came safely into port I finally get to reach out to you all again, with a new-found passion, new vision, and an overdose of determination. I must say that hanging in there was often the urge to succeed, but even more so the need not to drown in doubts and second thoughts, which can even gird the most ambitious and best of us all. And in times like these is nothing more important than staying true to oneself, and even more so: holding on.

When we walk up our steep hill of life we realize that our first steps may come naturally to us and are quite easy. There is no doubt about the very first step being the hardest, but there is no denial about the ones following being easy or, let’s say, easier—and light-footed we float in an instant. But the more we engage, the more incline we face. First we stride along like champions, then there will be times when we tend to break our stride like quitters; not because we lack the will to go on, but because we lose our pace gradually, and simply for that reason. Our hike becomes a hassle, and hassle becomes hell before you realize you’re in it. You can sense that you’re burning, but you refuse to believe it. Why would you burn, you’re excellent, you got this.

Time and again this experience can set us back and knock us down to a point we hoped never to see again and revisit; but here we are, up sh*t creek, without a paddle, and often without vision. And the worst part about it? It is you, the one who should know better, the one who had this situation before and swore an oath to never feel this void ever again. It is you who ran aground between Scylla and Charybdis until doubts, panic, and hurry came. Your constitution, your mind, your everything is shaken to the very foundations of a once so steadfast heart. A storm is underway; and there is but one way out of it: hold on!

The storm will pass, for the sun also rises. “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Jesus asked his disciples once in the midst of a storm. Where is your faith? How about you dodge the furious squalls and bring your deeds and dreams before you once more and again—like looking up a rock ledge and seeing a rope descending that will help you to climb up. You see that rope? Hold on, and look up the hill, because that’s where you’re headed.

Stay in motion, but also stay on your path, your personal slope up the hill, because “you can’t get away from yourself by moving from one place to another” (Earnest Hemingway). But you can be true to yourself and stay in your lane, no matter what stormy weather may hinder you. Hold on, and hold fast to your dreams (cf. Langston Hughes), because it was that to built the spiritual foundation for the momentum to go. And even if you’re moving along with a slower pace than it once were, hold on, and hold fast—remember that “[i]t is [always] easier to go down a hill than up, but the view is best from the top” (Arnold Bennett); and I reckon there is no better spot to see the sun rise again.

When I Come Home

My dearest readers,

in the midst of wrapping up six years of education I had immanently realized what all is at stake and how difficult in a moment as such it can be to keep one’s focus on finishing accordingly when hitting the home stretch. Thinking back to the early beginnings, the course of all of it, the wild enduring ride all the way up to being steps away from closure is yet a thrill beyond words. All in the past brought me here, to the present day, where the outcome is all in my hands and will determine the hit or miss, proving whether all of it was worth it, and bring dead certainty, inevitably, when I come home!

Guy Pearce once said that “[t]he thrill of coming home has never changed,” because coming home means closure. It is not just the return from a long (life) journey, but proof of progress one personally made when floating through time—closure in the sense of finishing one’s work. And the outcome is able to express who you once were and who you became, a dark oak trunk, seared timbers, or a resolute desk. “It’s not how you start that’s important, but how you finish” (Jim George), because that only can render your rise or fall, or in the worst case your vapidity, when you cling to the words of B. B. King and the thrill is gone.

It is ever so significant that we keep this thrill alive, that we continue to push ourselves onto the home stretch, even when all hell may break lose and we drown in a maelstrom of expectations, pressure, frustration, disappointment, or all of the above. On the home stretch there is no one who can keep us from drowning, no one but ourselves. Our loved ones can pitch their inspiration, but the last long yards we have to walk inevitably. That’s why we need to keep our focus on managing these final steps, keep our cool, and keep our commitment on cruise control. “Finish the work, otherwise an unfinished work will finish you” (Amit Kalantri)—and all those who have been down that road will assure you that this is not a pleasant feeling.

Let ‘coming home’ be a blaze of glory that can kindle a fire you may have considered faded long ago. If you walk your last steps bear in mind where you once started and where you are today, yet let neither of it keep you from knowing which way you’re headed. “No one has a problem with the first mile of a journey. Even an infant could do fine for a while. But it isn’t the start that matters. It’s the finish line” (Julien Smith)—and, in that sense, it is all up to you whether you get to celebrate or be assured that you have wasted your time…the time will come, inexorably, and soon we all know, namely then, when we once more and ultimately come home.

...on breaking even!

My dearest readers,

after recently returning from the east of Turkey and learning, how different and, thus, relative worlds within ours can be, I was quite stunned and feel the need to comprehend, how in the midst of our rising rush there could all of a sudden elsewhere be a lack of urgency and, seemingly, the dearth of our “higher, faster, further.” But there had been something that appeared to be of the same value, a universal currency we all treasure as a most valuable asset: time.

“Time is money!” tells you every proper businessman, when you engage him a minute longer than necessary. I have further heard many speak of “buying themselves some time” and even caught myself quite often doing that. But if time is so valuable, why do so many people tend to waste it? Benjamin Franklin once said that “[l]ost time is never found again,” and it appears that many are no longer aware that tempus fugit and are squandering their time like contemporary prodigal sons. Shouldn’t we all be provident and considerate with our time?

After writing so much about owning the moment, a future of gold, and how the present determines our future, it was just about time to actually write about time, so none of it be wasted. Time is a token that well spent brings wealth, but wasted is buried deep in the quicksand of our rising rush—and lost forever. Time is like an investment, which well placed pays dividends, but poorly spent makes one eligible for bankruptcy. We can see time, therefore, as our universal currency, seed capital we’re all given, but capital to depreciate in value with every tick and tock until our time runs out and we break even. We will, at some point, all break even; but, until then, make sure you handle your time like money, don’t make it rain, but spend it wisely.

When you spend your time—whether wisely or perhaps not optimally—note that not all time spent is time lost. “[T]ime you enjoy wasting is not wasted time” (Marthe Troly-Curtin), which is something to bear in mind, because then the time you consider wasted bears a surplus value that makes it anything but wasted. We tend to get upset, whenever things are not working out right and we think our time is wasted, but often there is a surplus value hiding in it that we get to see only in the future. At times, there may be years or even decades between time spent and realizing the surplus value in it, but neither has the trained eye trouble seeing it, nor has the provident and considerate soul the urge to ‘waste’ time in the first place. We are given the time, our currency, to spend it wisely, and we are all given enough time to do great.

Sol Bloom once stated: “Being broke didn't disturb me in the least. I had started with nothing, and if I now found myself with nothing, I was at least even. Actually, I was much better than even: I had had a wonderful time.” And is not that what we all shall seek? Is not time of true value? What greater gift is there for our loved ones than time, our time, your time, time you’re willing to spend for them? Think about it, as I leave those questions out there for you to answer. Tick, it’s time, tock, it’s time to go out there, into the world and do great, treasure our time and spend it wisely, so once we break even we can all proudly say that we’ve had indeed what we all deserve: a wonderful time.

E Pluribus Unum

My dearest readers,

since the last post stressed the individual commitment and yearning for success and—as pointed out by annotating and challenging readers—nearly eradicated the collective road and role of success, I want to make up for this void and write about unity, where a squad of conscientious, strong-willed people can complement one another and create an invincible band of brothers, where many become one!

A strong bond is driven by courage, selflessness, and sacrifice, where it is less the individual who accomplishes a mission, but even more so the collective. It is of no concern to stand out in excellence, but it is of concern that the collective reaches the goal, all together. Sir Edmung Hillary once stated that “[t]here is something about building up a comradeship—that I still believe is the greatest of all feats—and sharing in the dangers with your company of peers. It’s the intense effort, the giving of everything you’ve got. It’s really a very pleasant sensation”—the everything you’ve got, for the success of the bond. Success is no longer experienced by you alone, but as a reward for all, as a shared experience that you all worked for. You gave your everything, and so did the rest, for you all to eventually cross the finish line.

Your strong bond calls for compliance and comradeship. There is no space for self-interest, no room for what “I” want. There’s only a “we,” and the “we” becomes the one; and committing yourself to a collective is indeed a pleasant sensation, because your weaknesses are effaced. There is a brother or sister next to you who makes up for your weaknesses, and likewise you make up for his or her weaknesses. You may not have eyes on the back of your head; but you know sure as hell there are others that watch and got your back and back you up. No longer is it you alone “who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat” (Theodore Roosevelt)—but you can bet your life on your brothers doing exactly just that. You’re a synergy, a collective of ‘good’ individuals, merging to become ‘great.’

Then the battlefield of life becomes your playground, not just for you alone, but for your brothers who are out there with you, where it is not you in particular who’s singled out for greatness but your band of brothers, a collective stronger than hell that pulls on the same string. Many become one, and suddenly you're surrounded by the few and the proud that march with you, go the extra step with you, and the extra mile for each other, confident, convinced, and determined with the steady belief to do what is best for the well-being of all. Whatever challenge there is that you feel incapable of accepting alone, know that there are peers you can count on, just as they count on you; and—as I must stress again and again—what way is then too far, what mountain too high? Take a moment, (re-)think of the mountain peak, and “[a]ccept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory” (George S. Patton Jr.)—march right into it, have many become one, for then you all get to reach for the stars and feel the exhilaration of victory, e pluribus unum, boom!

Like Mike

My dearest readers,

the game is on, and regardless of how and when your year has (effectively) started, let me remind you that it’s never too late to get your hands on it and play. As I intend to reserve the February post(s) for something ‘special’ I want to fall in line with this one and play this game right; because the one who inspired it played his game right, he just played, had fun, and enjoyed it, and most significantly, he stayed true to it.

Imagine an arena full of chanting and cheering, hysterically screaming fans waiting for you to come out and give it your all. You’re in the locker room, knuckle-cracking, breathing deep, keeping your focus and slowing everything down to own this moment and make the world stop just for you in that very second. You want to truly understand what Horace meant by “carpe diem,” rather want you to seize and freeze that moment, because it is your day; and in a given minute you want to go out there, into the bullring to deliver the lucky punch. Hell yeah, that is what you want.

Now imagine the same scenario, but fast-forward to where you do understand what Horace meant, because you went out there and delivered the lucky punch. Then this ain’t what you want any longer, hell no. It is what you earned, deserve, and accomplished, because you went out there to play and played, and were true to the game and the game had been true to you. The people in the bullring who were and are cheering for you still came to see you perform: show them their chants are worth it, and play, have fun, and enjoy it!

But when you walk out into the arena—some call that life—be aware that you’re not the only player out there and not the only one people are cheering for. Note that there is an unlimited number of players out there that all pursue the same thing, the glorious win. Note that these other players may have a profound aversion toward you, because it may be you who gets to hold up the trophy, and not them. Note that these obstinate self-centered players will do anything to keep you from being fortunate; and note that they will stir up the crowd to laugh at you, discourage you, and when you start shaking bring you down; but with the game on the line, in all that mayhem, you can do the unexpected and rise again. You can be the one to play true and walk out there and affront ill will and enmity and bid a full load of defiance to the ones that play foul and approve shortcuts for foul play and personal gain. Rise to your feet and affront these deceivers. Be like Mike, know that “[i]f you try to shortcut the game, then the game will shortcut you”; and that is for others, for the ones that are long gone when you get to hold up the trophy and present all the respect you earned by playing true.

Be good and true to the game you play, for then it will be good and true to you. Then, and just then, you will be able to own the moment, the second, the minute, the quarter, the half, and the whole game. And when you own the game you own this life, and the other bulls in the ring will keep trying and trying to knock you down, but they will fail, over and over. They may think ‘trying’ will make you succeed eventually, and Mike said that even repeatedly ‘failing’ will make you succeed in the end—both of which is true, but both also requires a true game being played. Respect the game. Play it true, because then it will be fun and you get to carpe diem all you want…and as these reddish sneakers as my witness: no matter what your game is, bring it on, your A-game…and play it, play it true…be like Mike, be 23…and win! #BeLikeMike

Mid-Action

My dearest readers,

it is a new year, 2015, and it is about time and right to have things flowing and going again. A year ago I labeled the new year “a new adventure,” one that is within; but this year, this time I want to focus even more on the fact that the adventure is already going and flowing and does not need you to get it all started. It’s on and you’re in it, because your ‘new’ adventure is like a good story—and a good story always starts in mid-action.

The stage is all set, spotlight’s on you, and everyone is waiting for you to perform. All the time and nerves and effort you spent were in the past—necessary steps to make you climb up the center stage and rise and shine when all eyes are on you and the good story begins, with you, the protagonist, in mid-action. Your year does not begin with genesis and then goes on with Rousseau’s Discourse on Inequality, no. Your year begins in mid-action with you being the protagonist who is ready to roll, all set to claim his or her spot and in the grand finale get what he or she was striving for. And that makes a good story your good story.

But in no good story everything goes right all the time. There are obstacles over obstacles to overcome, temptations and habits to resist, fights to be fought, and evil forces to withstand and defy…and your ‘antagonist’ may come in all forms and shapes. However, it is your obligation, your responsibility to prove and show, who the true hero of your story is. You’re in it already, in medias res, in mid-action ready to get and take what you dreamed of; and in your story I don’t think you want to give any antagonist the time of day to get in your way. That does not mean there won’t be any obstacles, yet does it mean that you shall be aware of what lies in your way, be confident about overcoming just that, and further know who has the leading role in this adventure that is not so new anymore.

2015 is your adventure, your good story, blank pages and spaces waiting for you to start writing. In mid-action you already are, your heart and determination got you there. And your tenacity handed you a fountain pen with a golden and ornamented hand-crafted nib just waiting for your ink of dreams to hit the pages and start writing with every breath you take. What will be your story? Will it be a comedy, or a tragedy? Will it be cathartic in the end? Well, that is for you to decide, because what will be written is all in your hands, for you are the hero, the protagonist, and the writer—and you get to take action and write your good story.

But in all the writing and taking action and fighting the antagonist(s) and getting things going be aware that your story did not begin in twenty fifteen and will likely not end in December. This year started in mid-action and in mid-action it will depart. “Don’t wait for the calendar to figure out when [you] should live life” (Gene Simmons). It’s always time to live a life and write a good story, so the day will come for your grand finale when you will defeat the antagonist and be victorious and live happily ever after.