“You get out of life what you put into it.” If you’re like me you have probably heard that many times throughout growing up. It’s one of those standard axioms that people share as a way of living life well. I have had the concept of self sacrifice on my mind for sometime now, thinking about what is realistic to expect in return for serving someone, or some cause. I think that to say when you serve you expect nothing in return is an unrealistic statement because ultimately, you are hoping that you see at least something in return. Whether it’s the contentment of a child, the relief of a friend in need, or the fulfillment of your own heart, you’re still ultimately hoping for some return on your investment, and honestly I find nothing wrong with that. If you are passionate enough to serve something, then it’s reasonable that you’ll have expectations of the effects of your work. No one wants to serve a cause that they figure to play no role in changing. We serve because there’s a need, and we step in in hopes of meeting it. What would happen if your passion for serving crossed with your time and your finances? Self is a powerful investment when focused on others, but it’s only multiplied when including finances and time. What’s the limit to what can be done then? Wouldn’t it be cool to find out? One kid, asked this same question to himself, and changed the lives of thousands in Africa. Austin Gutwein is an average teenager. He likes sports, he likes video games, but when he invests himself into his passion (AIDS Orphans in Africa), he becomes anything but average. Austin’s invested time and effort has grown to be more than he or any other might have imagined. With a little creativity, and his ability to see a need and then step in and serve, has produced a return on investment that has changed lives and continues to change more with each basket he shoots.
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To find out more about Austin and his work, visit: www.hoopsofhope.org or pick up a copy of his new book, “Take Your Best Shot”
I have been experiencing the woes of the digital transition the last couple weeks, which I’m sure several of you have heard me complain about already. All these free channels in “glorious” high definition quality that Obama and the Government gang are supposedly enabling me to have are really not so glorious. In fact they’re frustrating the crap out of me! Until June 12th my experiences were mild, being able to get nearly every channel and seemed to be fairly static free in doing so. Post June 12th is a different story entirely. My search for NBC and FOX has become more like the opening week of a fantasy baseball league and trying to trade what you don’t really need for your favorites with a geek who lives at home with his grandma still. “I’ll trade you A’rod and Dan Haren for Sabbathia and Ryan Howard.” In my case however instead of bartering with fellow fantasy sports nerd enthusiasts, I feel like I’m bartering with the FCC.
ME- “I’ll give you az3, and all of CBS for FOX, and all PBS programming. “
FCC- “Deal.”
ME- “And I’ll give you ALL the church channels and Spanish programming for NBC.”
FCC- “No way bro! Spanish programming may be fun to watch as an English speaker only, but those church channels are lame! I’ll trade you FOX, and all of PBS for NBC, that’s my final offer!”
ME- “(reluctant sigh) Fine…. you are a thief my friend, a thief! You know this right?”
FCC- “(Laughing devilishly) Yes.”
On a similar but separate note, I had a friend share with me a very cool page for anyone who’s a baseball or just general sports enthusiast. The other week a friend of mine, Jeremy Jernigan, shared a post about a guy who had made a visual bible that graphed connections between the stories and accounts through out it. Well this site does similar only within what some would call the “biblical world of baseball”. I thought I would share it for anyone who’s interested as well as my favorite graphic. Enjoy!
Oh really?
I started my morning by spending a half hour in the hot tub, drinking great coffee, and listening to classical music on my iPod. I can’t imagine many other ways to start the day off better than that. It also made me realize I (we) never do enough to relax our mental state and stress levels. I have been trying over the last year or so to do more for my health, which has been both effective and rejuvenating to body and spirit, however I fear I have neglected the mind portion of the three pillars of health. If I want to find the best out of life than I should likely have the mind to find it, not just the body.
Not everyone can start their mornings off like this, I know life allows different circumstances to fall upon us all. But I firmly believe there are moments within each day we could have the choice to consciously choose to relax, to slow down and take a few deep breathes. Not everyone needs classical music to soothe them (as a side note, I have discovered the Dracula soundtrack by Phillip Glass to be an incredible work) , not all of us prefer hot tubs as a way of “cooling” down so to speak. But I do believe all of us have something that does work. Something that our mind, body, and spirit prefers over any other. What is yours? Are you doing it, are you taking a chance to enjoy your small moments? If not, when can you start?
There are a plethora of things to be thankful to Apple for. Awesome computers, great personal mp3 players, and of course quite possibly the most innovative piece of technology of the century… the iPhone. However one thing that I personally am thankful for is Apple’s taste in obscurity (music-wise). I have yet to find a company that can consistently produce so many advertising campaigns and promos that are in essence, ahead of the industry. I believe in the music industry and it’s ability to let the talent rise to the top.
I feel that the best performers of today are actually found in the top 100. But the amazing thing Apple has done is to find those performers before the industry does. How they do it is beyond me! Perhaps they sample every single song before allowing it to be distributed on iTunes (what a job that would be). Or possibly they have someone on the inside of the industry that’s sliding early release eps to them before they are actually released early. Either way, however they do it, they do it very well!
A more recent example is The Asteroids Galaxy Tour, which naturally has an ep released for purchase on iTunes. They have a fantastic blend of funky retro pop going on that’s simply infectious, which is undoubtedly why Apple chose it. Check them out if you get a chance. I purchased the EP and its great for that afternoon lull in the day. As for Apple, I hope they continue to be as fortunate in advertising as they have been in Electronics. How one company can manage to be among the best in the world at so many things is painful to think of, but it definitely offers hope for any of us just looking to be better at something!
“Asteroids Galaxy Tour featured in new iPod touch ad”
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6WX7XGcRhk]
“Asteroids Galaxy Tours music video is a rebirth of 80′s pop”
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