I'm a hockey kid at heart, skilled enough to play but not talented enough to keep up with the guys that skate fast and play hard. I play drop in hockey, help referee when needed, and coach my six year old nephews Mites team. I am fine with this and feel blessed actually to be able to play when I can and enjoy the sport from many other different levels since I knew early on it would not carry me into a solid stable future playing the game for a living. My passion is writing and I am perfectly content in attending college in the field of Mass Media, learning the skills I need to earn a degree in Journalism so that someday I can publish my journey here on earth.
I had the great opportunity to be 'adopted' by a group of college kids in Boston who taught me about the game. I used to skate board and roller blade around their campus when I first moved to Boston and one day one of the guys asked me if I ever played hockey. They took me into their arena and lit a fire in me that will burn forever. I follow most of the guys that have moved on to the next step in living their dream playing hockey beyond college. I will forever be thankful to the college boys that gave a small city boy from Iowa the opportunity to see the passion they held for the sport they loved. Even though it was not the path I would choose to take, it taught me more about who I am and what I am capable of doing then any other single experience I had the first year I was in Boston.
If you are an athlete you understand how quickly your friendship circle grows with those that share the same interest as you do. If you play hockey, you will understand how loyal those friends become, even through the miles that separate you and the months between the times you see each other. The connections you make keep rolling forward as your friends friends become your friends and as your friends share stories of fight and courage in the guys they know. You have so many roads opened up to you and all you have to do is put heart and time into their stories to see how remarkably successful kids can be. Today I was introduced to a website by a friend who proved me wrong that their are more successful stories even behind the successful stories.
"Prove People Wrong (PPW) is a organization founded by four guys, one mission; To spread the Prove People Wrong philosophy, and help people overcome adversity through dedication and hard work."
These guys have hit on a mission that will inspire everyone who visits their site to be more positive in overcoming the challenges they face on a daily basis. It is not just about hockey, it is about life. In previous blogs I have written, I have talked about how others sit in wait just to watch others fail. How easy it is to walk away from our dreams and stop challenging ourselves when others around us discourage us and push us down. And we let them. But we shouldn't.
We often settle for less because that path is easier then pushing for success. We do not give all we have to give because of what others think of us or they do not support us. We use the most insane excuses for why we give up. PPW lets us know it is OK to succeed. That it is OK to go beyond our own expectations as well as the expectations others have for us and reach for what others tell us is unreachable.
The most powerful bit of information I got off the PPW website is the statement that states: "they believe that to help others succeed is the greatest accomplishment a person can achieve." In a world where so many people try to keep us down, and are willing to help us fail, and take pleasure in our fall, it is refreshing to see four guys reach out in such an aggressive manner to share their stories and the stories of others to encourage us to succeed in whatever path we choose.
Cam Brown, Charlie Ackerman, Kyle Nickerson, and Jack Brewer are four names you should remember. They are already an example of success and an inspiration for others to succeed. Sharing their stories and their lives with others in an effort to Prove People Wrong takes courage, dedication, and hard work. Four guys who could of walked away from an idea that began when one of them came up with the notion that he would overcome his own adversity and remain positive, even when others tried to discourage him. They took it and they ran with it and they felt so good about what they were doing they shared it with those willing to listen. Four Guys, One Mission, A World of Difference.
If you haven't already visited their web site, you are already behind in spreading the word that no matter how hard you try to discourage others, people will prove you wrong and success will over power you.
http://www.provepeoplewrong.com/about
The greatest pleasure in life is doing
I had the great opportunity to be 'adopted' by a group of college kids in Boston who taught me about the game. I used to skate board and roller blade around their campus when I first moved to Boston and one day one of the guys asked me if I ever played hockey. They took me into their arena and lit a fire in me that will burn forever. I follow most of the guys that have moved on to the next step in living their dream playing hockey beyond college. I will forever be thankful to the college boys that gave a small city boy from Iowa the opportunity to see the passion they held for the sport they loved. Even though it was not the path I would choose to take, it taught me more about who I am and what I am capable of doing then any other single experience I had the first year I was in Boston.
If you are an athlete you understand how quickly your friendship circle grows with those that share the same interest as you do. If you play hockey, you will understand how loyal those friends become, even through the miles that separate you and the months between the times you see each other. The connections you make keep rolling forward as your friends friends become your friends and as your friends share stories of fight and courage in the guys they know. You have so many roads opened up to you and all you have to do is put heart and time into their stories to see how remarkably successful kids can be. Today I was introduced to a website by a friend who proved me wrong that their are more successful stories even behind the successful stories.
"Prove People Wrong (PPW) is a organization founded by four guys, one mission; To spread the Prove People Wrong philosophy, and help people overcome adversity through dedication and hard work."
These guys have hit on a mission that will inspire everyone who visits their site to be more positive in overcoming the challenges they face on a daily basis. It is not just about hockey, it is about life. In previous blogs I have written, I have talked about how others sit in wait just to watch others fail. How easy it is to walk away from our dreams and stop challenging ourselves when others around us discourage us and push us down. And we let them. But we shouldn't.
We often settle for less because that path is easier then pushing for success. We do not give all we have to give because of what others think of us or they do not support us. We use the most insane excuses for why we give up. PPW lets us know it is OK to succeed. That it is OK to go beyond our own expectations as well as the expectations others have for us and reach for what others tell us is unreachable.
The most powerful bit of information I got off the PPW website is the statement that states: "they believe that to help others succeed is the greatest accomplishment a person can achieve." In a world where so many people try to keep us down, and are willing to help us fail, and take pleasure in our fall, it is refreshing to see four guys reach out in such an aggressive manner to share their stories and the stories of others to encourage us to succeed in whatever path we choose.
Cam Brown, Charlie Ackerman, Kyle Nickerson, and Jack Brewer are four names you should remember. They are already an example of success and an inspiration for others to succeed. Sharing their stories and their lives with others in an effort to Prove People Wrong takes courage, dedication, and hard work. Four guys who could of walked away from an idea that began when one of them came up with the notion that he would overcome his own adversity and remain positive, even when others tried to discourage him. They took it and they ran with it and they felt so good about what they were doing they shared it with those willing to listen. Four Guys, One Mission, A World of Difference.
If you haven't already visited their web site, you are already behind in spreading the word that no matter how hard you try to discourage others, people will prove you wrong and success will over power you.
http://www.provepeoplewrong.com/about
The greatest pleasure in life is doing
what people say you cannot do.
In
your lifetime there will be those who may never believe in you. What
hurts the most is these same people are the people who you may desire to
be proud of you, those of who you look up to and who you seek approval
from. Sometimes the people who don't believe in you will be people you
don't even know, just looking for someone to criticize. Whatever the
case may be, it is important to note that not everyone will agree with
the things that you are doing.
People will exercise their opinions and try to discourage you from doing the things that you know that you are capable of in your heart and mind. Just as this quote says, receive pleasure in doing the things that people say you cannot do. Prove those that doubt you wrong, use a strong resolve and a massive amount of determination to not only achieve, but to conquer your goals, and the realization of your dreams. - J.Johnson
People will exercise their opinions and try to discourage you from doing the things that you know that you are capable of in your heart and mind. Just as this quote says, receive pleasure in doing the things that people say you cannot do. Prove those that doubt you wrong, use a strong resolve and a massive amount of determination to not only achieve, but to conquer your goals, and the realization of your dreams. - J.Johnson
