No Half-Steppin’

I think for anybody, the hardest thing to do sometimes is to take the first step.

That first step automatically means that you've gone past the deciding phase and are now taking action.

So I honour all those who continue to take first steps, despite their personal fears and doubts. For all those who have taken a million steps toward that initial goal and still have more to go. For all those who sometimes take steps back, but in the end keep moving forward. For all those who have left behind something, but continue to strain ahead.

Your actions inspire me, a thousand times more then when we were talking about it.

gumption

Consider this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

2 Corinthians 9:6

I heard this reading at mass the other day, and it got me thinking about the immediate future. I've been more than seriously considering pushing through with a vision that has been in my mind for the past 2 years. A lot of circumstances have changed since then (as in... I'm now a husband and a father), but still this vision has been even clearer and even more specific since it was conceived.

The vision is bascially a small business. I don't want to give away too many details, but let me tell you... it has the potential to be more than a business, but a community that empowers, connects and engages people. Because in the end, a true vision completely involves people as opposed to a business which is really just concerned about the bottom line.

Now that I'm a family man, and a hopeful entrepeneur, it makes a lot of things uncertain. As a true man who wants to provide for a family, a new business venture can be unstable financially. But if I don't follow this vision, I might be living the in-between job longer than intended...and never showing my kids that dad had enough gumption to believe and achieve.

Basically, if I never take the chance, I'll never reap the blessings. If I never take the risk, I could never fully tell my children "To follow their passion, and their hearts" simply because I never lived those words.

So please say a quick prayer for me, that in the end, I'll make the right decision at the right time. In fact say a prayer for anyone seriously and sincerely on the quest for living an abundant and passionate life.

Life isn't always cut and dry, but our actions should be.

confessions of a hypercubist

In the spirit of honesty and transparency, I'm going to dig a little deeper and just show myself a bit more as a participant in these crazy hoopla that is the hypercube. As an experienced confidante and leader, the best way to get people to open up and share a bit of themselves is to be the first to open up. So here's a bit of myself on this entry.

This may seem very esoteric and geared for only those participating in this hypercube foofara, so I apologize for that. And for the hypercubists, I guess as you read along, if you can relate, send me a tweet or leave a comment.

• upon seeing awesome flash canvases, like SeanSiddals, Luv3, and ekysmon (and many more) made me feel a lot inadequate. definitely having some flash envy.
• does anyone else find Greg Szcebel's commercial jingle super catchy? (although we have different views on squares and cubes)
• Cool! I'm not the only person in this contest who loves their kid(s)! Families Rock!
• voting for fellow hypercubists has been a great way to support each other. but because this is a competition there were times when I was hesitant in voting for those in the top 50 with full knowledge that votes are only 20% of the final decision. mmmmhmmm... add the word contest and my competitive instincts come out.
• faced with mini moral dilemmas like that above were resolved when I took comfort in the Golden Rule. Whatever you call it... "Good Karma," "Do Unto Others..." it feels good to do the right thing.
• 'Enthusiasm? What does that mean exactly?'
• brush teeth for bed? or work on canvas? CANVAS!
• Damn... this man is crazy! He would definitely be that dude standing on the table at Grandma's Tea Party.
• @tswizz's outgoing craziness is the female equivalent of Cube Man.
• hypercubists really are that supportive and friendly.
• is this cubist... Amy Winehouse's Cousin? or Andy Samberg from SNL? (i'm not teasing! it's just a small observation)

With only 4 days left to vote and this contest coming to a close, It will be a bittersweet conclusion. The intensity of being creative throughout these 30 days has been an awesome challenge for me personally. But on the flipside, it's been very exhausting, especially with limited sleep due to our 4 month old baby, and traveling to 3 different cities over the past 3 weeks for work.

Whatever happens after this, I'll be glad that it'll be a much more relaxed atmosphere for the hypercubists, where time spent on tweaking our canvases could then be invested into getting to know one another more. And on a very personal and selfish note, I can spend more time with my wife and daughter, who have really been my support and motivation throughout this.

To the hypercubists... we're in the homestretch ladies and gentlemen. Let's go out with a huge bang and show Canada (and the world) what we're made of! Hooraaa!

MVP

It's easy for me to see how spirituality and/or religion can really miff people. Or how it conjures up bad feelings and such. It kind of makes me sad that people feel the rules or discipline of faith (whatever it may be) hinder them from truly experiencing life. To me... it's all about perception and perspective.

To me... after much searching, praying and seeking I've come to embrace these so called "rules." I truly believe they've provided for me a peace of mind and an endless joy to my everyday life. Don't get me wrong I go through the same range of emotions and challenges just like the next guy... but it's these disciplines that I feel keep me centred.

Imagine this, you're playing a game of basketball. (it's NBA playoffs right now, how appropriate) And all that's running through your mind is trying to stay inbounds, being super careful not to foul anyone, all the while focusing on the referee to make those missed calls. Your mind would definitely not be on playing (or winning) the game, but more-so on trying to not get into any foul trouble and making sure that whistle doesn't get blown because of you.

For me... that's no way to play ball or no way to practice your faith. A good hunk of living our own faith life is knowing the rules but not being ruled by them.We should take the time to know them... but more-so why they're even there in the first place. What's the wisdom behind them, and what are these rules warning us about? What are they trying to protect, so that we can experience and enjoy life the way it was meant?

In the end I know the rules of basketball are there to enhance the overall feel and excitement of the game. It's what makes the game unique, challenging and worth playing. And when it's played with discipline, focus, hard work, and an overall spirit of "i love this game" then it's becomes more than a game, it becomes a part of who we are.

So we have a choice when it comes to faith. Be Ruled by the Rules or Be Free to enjoy your life the way it was meant...

ABUNDANTLY.

Now go on! Be the Lebron James of your life!

3 simple words

when good things go bad,  it's easy to forget that they were good at first.

hope helps us remember it. faith reminds us that it's possible. and (true) love keeps pushing us forward.

faith. hope. love.

three simple words that can be applied to any complicated situation.