Be An Animal

Salutations, all.

So everyone who knows me knows how much I love Alabama football (if you’re not a football fan, stick with me...I’m going somewhere...I promise). I only require maybe 5 things for survival, one of those being Alabama football. One of the main reasons that I love the team is because of the way that they play defense. They manage to play both aggressively and disciplined at the same time. This mix creates a defense that statistically ranks among the best in the nation year after year.

Now, to my bigger point: even non-football/Alabama fans can take something away from the Tide. They play animalistic, which is how we should operate in our daily lives. Being an animal is a good thing here. We have to have that same mix of aggression and discipline.

We have to be aggressive, as not much in life is handed to us; we have to go after the things we want in life. I often hear that anything worth having in life is worth working for, and I couldn’t agree more.

We also have to be disciplined. This is where preparation is key. We have to plan out what it is that we want and focus on it. We have to know that success will most likely take time. There will be others who succeed before we do, and that’s a good thing. We should use the success of others as motivation to be even more focused on our goals and what we want to achieve. Discipline is a key ingredient of success.

Maintaining the right balance of aggression and discipline is paramount, however. It’s admittedly more art than science. If we’re overly aggressive, our method lacks a sound foundation; we’re acting without a proper strategy. If we’re overly disciplined, we’re not taking any risks in life...we’re not being “stupid” (see my previous post). We have the find the perfect mix that works the best for our individual needs.

Not sold on this strategy yet? Well, for all my God-fearing folks, it’s in the Bible. One of my favorite verses is Proverbs 28:1: “The wicked flee when no man pursueth; but the righteous are as bold as a lion”.

My main point here is that we have to be animalistic to achieve the goals that we have set for ourselves in our respective lives. It is up to us to go and get whatever it is that we desire. Being an animal is a good thing…I promise.

Oh, and I’ve included a video of the world’s best football team for any who are interested in watching greatness. Animalistic nature at its finest (the Soulja Boy song is a bonus…you’re welcome).

Cheers to you all,

JIP

Mid-week Inspiration: Be Stupid

Happy Wednesday, all.  A couple of years ago in Europe, I remember picking up a copy of a print ad booklet by the clothing company Diesel, and the cover of the ad said simply, "Be Stupid".  Intrigued, I flipped through the ad and let's just say that the book made its way back stateside with me.

In either case, the main premise of the ad is that people who do stupid things are game changers, while the so-called "smart" people ultimately look back on life with more regrets. One of my favorite quotes is, "To be stupid is to be brave.  When you risk something, that's stupid.  It's not smart to take risks.  It's stupid".

Unfortunately, I'm not able (or willing, sorry) to scan the entire print ad, but I was able to find a youtube video which basically covers all of the main points in the ad.  I hope you all enjoy it (despite the terrible music...you might want to mute that).

Let's all be a little more stupid in life.

Cheers,

JIP