Monday, April 4, 2011

Finishing Strong

Hey Guys,

Something my dad has always told me and has beaten into my head, time after time, after time, after time. I think he has told me anytime I have ever come to the end of something in my life. Whether it be sports, school or anything that had a dead line. Every year I am getting a little bit better at finishing stronger then I started. But there is a lot of truth in the mentality. Something I have noticed in my life and what I have noticed in the people around me is that we and I tend to phase our near the end and not FULLY end what was agreed upon. Something that will come up a lot in our lives is long and some what meaningless tasks. Or at least they will feel meaningless. As I am rounding out the semester I am starting to get these feelings like my classes are useless. When the end starts to come it when you usually start to loose all motivation as though there is nothing really to push on towards. The thing we forget is that there is always something worth finishing strong for. It could be as shallow as getting good grades or as I just read as tough as trying to stay alive through cancer. 

When I started this blog I was thinking on a small scale talking about finishing strong in school  and what that means. But I am starting to believe there is a lot more truth in finishing strong then to just finishing strong in school. My dad always tells me it this way, you have started strong, you have done well so far, now end even better. He always tells me this in December and in April when school starts to end. I am starting to wonder will he tell me the same thing when I start working? When a eventually get my own family? What will the age-old advice be then? Hopefully it will be the same thing just maybe not the ending part. But rather this, you have had a good start but now is the time to keep going, and then end strong. 

Way to often in my life I have either not started well, not done the work during the time but especially not ended well. I have been learning a lot about speeches lately and it has gotten me to think about this type of analogy. Life is like a speech it first begins with this great idea. Whether that be a focus, a goal or an objective we all start with an idea on where we want to grow. Like life and like a speech the next main part is developing that idea, it is not letting that idea die in the middle. Often in a speech and in life the idea loses its support in the middle whether something happens or a distraction arise we stop support that idea. Like in life we go through it and usually something happens along the way that will stop us from achieving our original goal. Lastly and the toughest thing in life and a speech is how do you end it. I am not going to pretend like I know what I am talking about for a conclusion. The only thing I know is what a man called Forest Gibs told me which was 'it is what you pass on'. 

I do not know if that makes any sense at all, or if that analogy helps in anyway. But here is the summary, as things are winding down, do not forget to finish strong. A whole lot of time can be lost my simply losing focus right near the end. The same goes for life, even though if seems like there are meaningless tasks right now thing about your original goal and how they help you get there. Above all never forget to continue to develop that goal/idea your whole life to become who you want to be.

Goodbye for now,
Christian Sawka

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Money

Hey Guys,

Something that has been on my brain alot has been MONEY. Now I know for a lot of people reading this that is probably no surprise that money would be on my mind because it is starting to come to that time. That time where summer jobs are coming up, where we have to look at our bank account and go OH CRAP and start thinking about a future. I have had this fixation with trying to figure out how to get rich. It is not even to get rich so I can buy stuff, or so that I can have that new item. It is rich so I can feel comfortable. But is this now where it starts? I have heard and read so many times people talk about money and every time it is the same thing with deal with money and comfort. JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE and I will feel better and more comfortable. JUST and extra ten, twenty, hundred, thousand, million?  What I need to understand that I am struggling with right now is being comfortable with what I have and living within those parameters. I sometimes live beyond my means, try to be that person who always has money. It is a fun life style to always feel like the rich guy in the crowd that can afford anything. Maybe that is where my fixation is coming in.

I enjoy buying things and it is not computers, or TV, or cars or anything like that but I love to buy food, go out for a meal, take some friends out and do that sort of stuff. I am a long term dreamer, I dream and focus on the future instead of looking at today. But there is one thing I do not dream to live in this HUGE home, or the FASTEST car or the most 'toys' as my parents all them. I dream of helping people, or creating a place to help people. I am not perfect though and I would be lying if I did no dream of having a few nice things but ultimately it sucks being broke. Now I mean I am broke, I cost more then I make, I spend more then I have. I still rely on my parents for support and that is tough. Hence I am broke. 

My thoughts have been scattered in this blog but I will leave with this. Money is what makes this world run. Everything we know for the most part can be broken down for simple power and money and wanting more of them. Money can be a great thing for change and can also corrupt like non-other. Something my dad always tells me is this "hard work" all things in life is hard work which I am starting to find. Same thing with money, sure you can slack off and get by but to get those dreams or your goals it is going to be hard work. I am twenty and I am slowly learning what hard work even means!

Goodbye for now,
Christian Sawka

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Friday, April 1, 2011

Making a Difference

Hey Guys,

Something that has been on my mind lately has been making a difference in peoples lives and also changing this world in which I live in. I wrote in my goals for 2011 (can see them in the pages above) that I wanted to change one persons life. I am a dreamer. I always like to envision myself making an impact in people's lives. But one can always dream but it is making a change day to day not only in other people's lives but in your life. I am critical of myself and feel like I am not doing enough to be a support and help to the people around me. I like to believe that everyone in some way wants to help other people and help them grow in their life too. So I have been thinking to myself now that all my major papers are done and everything else is finishing up. I have been thinking am I doing enough to positively impact the people close to me, the people around me and the people I have yet to meet?

First the people closest to us is the hardest thing because you always seem to forget about them, or maybe that is just me. The people I generally over look the most is my parents and my sister because they have always been there. I often over look how I am actually treating them and the impact I am having on them. It is a weird concept to think about but have you ever thought what impact am I having on my parents? My mom has been talking to me more and more recently and I am realizing I worry about my actions to everyone else except my parents. Difficult thing for me to wrap my head around.

Second is the people around me, this includes no only my friends but also the people I run into on a regular occurrence. What impact am I having on them? Am I someone who is uplifting and a positive impact or am I taking away from them? Ha it is not even Sunday and I am being reflective. I know for a fact that I have not been the greatest this entire semester and there is no excuse for that. I am trying more and more each day to not make excuses for my actions and taking responsibility (reference http://crsawka.blogspot.com/2011/01/prove-vs-bends.html). I am my own worse enemy in alot of ways that I push myself to know end to always try and do more. But one should always look back and examine what impact are they having on the people around them? 

Lastly, the people am I going to meet. Am I have enough impact to be and influence on people I do not know yet? Something that I have been talking a lot about lately has been living your life above reproach which basically means living a life beyond judgement. And I guess that is my question for you, are you living your life above reproach? I am trying but like most things it takes time and I am working on it as much as I can.

I do not know if I am doing enough, but I am going to continue to try to make a impact everyday. Starting with the people closest and then moving on from there.

Goodbye for now,
Christian Sawka

By the way would love it if you followed on Blogspot, liked on Facebook, share this and above all comment I would love to hear what you guys think.