Have you ever experienced deja vu? Not in the physical sense, but rather a mental state of being?
Right now, I am in a familiar place. It is that place where I want to write a blog post, but paralyzed by the desire to write with perfection.
I've been here before and I know it. In fact, I have even written about it in the following four posts. From blog topics to the joy of writing, I have addressed many things. Unfortunately, I have a short memory.
I recall one facilitator at the University of Phoenix who advised me to write everything down. More specifically, she was referring to journaling as a resource for the writing process, but her message is also applicable to life outside the dissertation. Having a place to observe, record, and explore ideas is priceless.
Therefore, like my college professor, I encourage you to write it all down. Take those lessons, ideas, and capture them for future use. If not for you, then for your kids, friends, and relatives. Share your knowledge so that others won't have to repeat the same mistakes. Provide commentary on why you chose one option over another and explain the outcome. In the end, you will be glad that you did.
My friend, Richard Gittens of Rich Gittens and Associates, sends an occasional e-mail that makes me think, laugh, or cry. While reading his latest installment on fatherhood, I found myself laughing at how well he captures the essence of my own thoughts. By the end, I realized that we father's are not alone in our efforts. I hope you enjoy!
Congratulations!
You've survived another year of fatherhood.
For some of us I’m sure that the journey was somewhat less complicated than for others of us. I say less complicated because, in my experience, it really doesn't get less worrisome. Less complicated maybe … but not less worrisome. I'm thinking of when they grow up and go away either to school or to (hopefully) start their own lives. (They all grow up (?) but they don’t always go away. And sometimes they go away and then they come back … and sometimes not alone. In my experience the worries don't ever go away. They just kind of layer themselves on top of one another.
Yesterday, I was extremely excited about getting outside and timing my 40-yard dash. It has been years since I've had to sprint anywhere and unsure if I still had it. At 35 years of age and 258 lbs, I never expected to run the magical 4.4 express. However, I knew my legs wouldn't let me down.
By mid-morning, I had the whole event planned. I would leave work, hit the gym, and stop by the local high school football field for a few timed runs. Unfortunately, what I didn't know was that both Clayton and Smithfield-Selma High Schools were hosting their graduation ceremonies on the field. This meant I had to find another spot.
With the sun setting on the horizon, I had little time to solve this problem. So, I pulled out my handy measuring tape and hit the closest park. We measured 120 feet, which is 40-yards, and then I began to stretch.
The rest of the story is captured in the video below. Enjoy!
Today, Kevin Levrone rolled out the second test for our NFL Combine Transformation. The focus is on developing an athletic build or, written another way, to become a "moving athlete." For me, I just thought it would be fun to step outside of my comfort zone and participate in front of the camera.
In the video below, I complete six broad jumps with my longest distance being 8 feet 2 inches. I am surprised that was able to get that far, but confident I'll only get better as this summer progresses.
If you would like to join the challenge, I encourage you to get out there and do it, too. It's not too late, as we've only just begun, and we are going to have a blast transforming our lives. So, pull out those measuring tapes and start jumping.
On today's episode of "Room 3026 Live" we have Darin Tyler and Tim Arthur taking sides and comparing the HTC Evo vs. the iPhone 4. By the end of the show, we hope to give you enough information to make an educated decision on which phone to buy.
In response to Kevin Levrone's latest blog post, I finally decided to pull out my Kodak Zi8 video camera and start recording. After five grueling body transformations, Kevin is starting a sixth. Entitled, "NFL Combine Transformation," Kevin begins with a series of seven tests (Bench press 225lb for reps, 40-yard dash, vertical jump, broad jump, 20 yard shuttle, 3 cone drill and 60-yard shuttle). At the end of the summer, and after countless hours in the gym, we will retest ourselves and check for growth.
I'm pretty amped about participating and invite you to join me on this journey. Together, I know we can make a difference this summer and really push our bodies to the limit. So, wherever you are, put on your gym clothes, pull out those video cameras, and let's get moving.
The other night, while at Bronto, I attended a workshop on e-mail marketing. I arrived near the end of the presentation, but heard enough to spark a few questions. The first question was to understand the purpose of an e-mail newsletter when used in conjunction with a blog. To me, they both seem to convey messages to readers, but should they say the same thing or something different?
The second question I never asked because I didn't get much direction from the first. To the best of my recollection, the presenter basically said to ask you, the readers, what you want from the newsletter. Do you prefer an e-mailed version of the blog? A personalized letter? A summary of all the blogs for the week? Or is there something else?
Last night, I attended my second Triangle Tweetup at Bronto Software. Located in the Tobacco District of Durham, North Carolina, a number of us got together to socialize and learn more about what's happening in the area.
One of the most anticipated moments of the evening was hearing Anil Chawla talk about TweetyMail.If you're not yet using TweetyMail to interact with Twitter friends, I would strongly recommend it.
