Well, we just got back from the Hershey State Track meet in Pierre, SD. Though it was extremely hot and long, it was fun to watch the Brandon kids compete and do well. My daughter, Olivia, competed in the 400 M run and the 4X100 Meter relay. In each race, she was disappointed in the outcome. After she crossed the finish line in the 400 meter run, she told me she was sorry for not winning. I started thinking about what she said to me later in the day. I think she is a lot like many kids, who feel pressure to get first, or to get straight A's or whatever the case may be. Here's the deal, and this is what I told her: It doesn't matter what place you get. What matters is that you tried your best. So after I explained that to her, I asked her if she tried her best and she said she did. I gave her a hug and said, that's all that matters then. That is all that I ever expect out of my own kids and my students. Try your best, that's it. If you get a C in class, that is okay, as long as you tried your best. What's important is not getting first place. It's doing your best. If you get third or 4th or even last, it's okay as long as you tried your best. Now, it does get a little more deeper than this, though. "Trying your best" doesn't just mean trying hard on the day of the race, or the day of the test, or the day of a game. It means preparing. It means practicing, sacrificing, making a commitment. If you don't do any running to get prepared for a race, then you aren't exactly trying your hardest, even if you run hard at the event. Trying your best means doing whatever you can to reach your goals. Are you trying your best? Are you actually working toward goals? To achieve greatness, a great amount of work needs to be put in.
Being that it is summer and typically hot outside, I decided it was time for a hair cut. Plus, I want to look more like a Navy SEAL. Perhaps you should get a hair cut too? I think summer is the perfect time for a buzz cut, (well, maybe not for girls). With a buzz cut, there's no combing, there's no messy bed-head, and you use very little shampoo. I think its a sharp look, so think about getting one for yourself!
As many of you know, I pretty much shingle houses all summer. Occasionally, I get to do something fun like go swimming or have a bonfire (two of my favorite things in the summer). However, one other thing I like to do in the summer is compete in triathlons. This summer, I have 3 on the schedule, one in June, one in July and one in August. So, besides shingling, I have been doing some training for the DakotaMan triathlon coming up on June 16th at Lake Alvin by Harrisburgh. This one I will be competing in as a team with my brother and sister. My sister, Tresse, will be doing the swim and my brother, Joe, will be doing the bike. That leaves me doing the run. For the other two triathlons, I will compete in them individualy, which means I will do the swim, bike and run. The July triathlon is in Watertown and the August triathlon is in Canby. So, why am I telling you this? Well, it's simple. Though I do not win these races, it is a goal of mine to complete them and do post the best time I can possibly get. The key word is GOAL. You need to have some goals. You need to pick something that you like or are interested in and try to be the best. Not the best compared to other people, but the best you can be. I do not win triathlons (although I think we have a shot to win the team tri) but I try as hard as I can to do the best I can. Whatever else happens, it doesn't matter. As long as you set some goals and try as hard as you can towards them and do your best, that's all anyone can ask of you. No matter what. The thing that gets people is that they don't try as hard as they can. They don't do their best. They want to be successful but are unwilling to put in the time to make themselves better. They fail to put in the time to make themselves the best they can be. Trust me, the last thing I want to do when I get home from shingling for 10 hours is go running or biking. But I do because that is what it takes to do the best I can be. You don't have to do triathlons but be active. Set some physical goals and go after them like your hair is on fire.
(PS: Pictures and results will be coming in the future....)
Major milestone on Water for Sixth Grade: This is the 500th post in the history of this website. I was thinking, what should I post for this special blog post? Well, my mind kept coming back to something I hold in the highest esteem: The US Navy SEALs. This is the creed of the Navy SEALs. Thought we are not warriors like these men, I think it is worth our time to read their creed and perhaps try to apply their principles and virtues to our lives. Though we are not preparing to go off to war, we are preparing to be successful, productive citizens. Strive to reach the top of whatever you want to be. In the words of Abraham Lincoln: "Whatever you are, be a good one."
