Wisdom.

It's a little scary I've been asked to impart some wisdom to you all from this year. Since I don't consider myself to be an overly wise person myself (yet), I will impart on your the wisdom of the wisest man I know - my Dad. I turn to him for advice on literally everything (except boys - because his motto is 'forget boys'). He knows something about everything it seems (note: don't direct him to this entry - I don't want him getting all cocky about it).

Anyway, one of the life-altering nuggets of wisdom he gave me was right after I'd graduated college. Literally, I'd finished my last final and I was leaving at 4am the next morning to head to Florida to start my adult life, alone. He sat me down for one of our heart-to-hearts about life and he told me this... he said, 'Bekes, when I get an amazingly talented player like Marvin (Harrison) or Reggie (Wayne) I ask them the same question I'm going to ask you - what do you want your career, your life to look like? Then after the answer I ask them what sacrifices they're making to attain or acheive that life'.

When you're 22, think you know it all, and tired from a week of finals it's hard to be overly inspired by anything. But 2 and a half years later I find that I go back to these questions regularly. What do I want my life to look like? What do I want my career to look like? My relationship with the Lord? My relationships with my family members and friends? Then I sit down and work out a plan to get there. If I want to be in shape, I have to make a plan to workout (and stick with it) and give my body the food it needs to thrive, right? If I want 2011 to be the closest I've been with my family members, well that probably means I need to call them more often, listen more than I speak, make time to visit them and be part of their lives, value what's important to them.

I hope that I will continue to grow in wisdom and in character throughout 2011, but I leave you with this...my Dad has worked with some of the most talented athletes in the United States and has found that everyone needs a plan, everyone needs goals, and everyone has to make sacrifices to get where they want to be. We are no exception. I hope that this wisdom takes you far.

Love,
B