What Does "Success" Even Mean?

Today as I was waiting for the Eagles game to start,  (lets not talk about the RESULTS from that game), I was watching an interview with an old Eagles quarter back..Donovan McNabb...

NO THIS IS NOT A FOOTBALL WRITING...

At one point McNabb stated that he was not successful because of how great he played, but rather because of the all of the people he was able to help MAKE GREAT!

This blog today is going to be short and simple...

How do you define success?......Would you classify yourself as being successful?

I don't have the answer for success right now.....but I am certain of one thing.

No matter where I am in my life, I am the person I am now thanks to other people.

So as I move forward with my life, I want to believe that being successful is not always about being number one in everything you do, but RATHER HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN WE HELP BECOME GREAT TOO.

My point to this blog...no journey is completed by ourselves.

I will ask you this..HOW DO YOU WANTED TO BE LOOKED AT AS SUCCESSFUL?...HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED BY OTHERS......?

Let that sink in.

Have a good night all.

My Theory On The Key To Happiness

So if you opened this link, you might have EXPECTED  me to rant on about what I BELIEVE is the KEY to Happiness.

I'm just going to be honest when I say this, I have absouletely no clue what the key to happiness is and no one ever will!

WANT TO KNOW WHY?

When it comes down to it, only you know what can or will make you happy. You are the author of your own autobiography!

Maybe you don't know what makes you happy?
Maybe you are looking for happiness?
Maybe you want something to happen that will make you smile?

ALL OF THAT IS OKAY

Go for a bike ride
Go up to talk to someone new
Call an old friend
Try something you never have before
Ask a girl or guy out to dinner that you would love to get to know more

The possibilities are endless....

JUST REMEMBER...its up to you to find that happiness no matter who or what it may be.

If it makes you smile or makes you more energezied when you start your day in the morning..that is probably your signal of happiness!

-Grant

Three Words To Try Living By

I was recommended by someone randomly the other day about why I haven't wrote any blogs lately. I believe this past Spring semester was busy with trying to figure out everything that I just didn't have lots of time to sit down and write.

Today's blog is going to be semi short:

THREE WORDS WE SHOULD TRY TO LIVE BY.

Recently, there has been many tragedies in the world. My thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims, families, and friends, and here are some of them: The victims of

1.) The bombings in Boston
2.) The tornado in Oklahoma 
3.) The huge fire in Texas

and more.

I HOPE no one takes offense to this, but WHY does it have to take TRAGEDY that we hear in the news for everyone to be more thankful for their lives, family, loved ones, and friends.

I will be honest, I am just as guilty in taking some aspects of my life for granted at times. So do you still want to know what THREE WORDS WE SHOULD TRY LIVING BY?

If you're reading this you awoke this morning and are still breathing. I am a firm believer that everyone has some purpose in life, even if we can't see it right now. It is hard reading the news througout the week to see SO MANY innocent people lose their lives for no reason.

My MESSAGE TODAY?

So many people have lost family, friends, and loved ones in our life time. Maybe we could be more humble, and remember that ONE BAD DAY DOES NOT MEAN WE HAVE A BAD LIFE.

My message today is SIMPLE:

NEVER

GIVE 

UP


JUST NEVER GIVE UP!

Dream how you want to dream, believe in what you want to believe in, just never let someone or something stop you from doing what you want to have or accomplish someday.

Have a great night everyone

Are You Who You Want To Be?

This past Friday night I stayed  at Shippensburg while everyone went home because I was just really tired and figured I would wait until Saturday morning to drive home...

I remember that night around  midnight there was probably no one in my building except me...

I took that opportunity to relax a little and catch up on some small tasks that I needed to complete

Before long I put the volume on the music in my room to the max just so I could jam out with no one else around. As I was getting back from the rest room I noticed a song by SWITCHFOOT was playing...

The title of this song was titled " THIS IS YOUR LIFE". If you are familiar with this song one of the main lyrics in the song is " THIS IS YOUR LIFE...ARE YOU WHO YOU WANT TO BE"

My blog today is simple and to the point because these lyrics made me really think about my life currently. I am a senior in college, and quite frankly have been given the opportunity to have some of the best times of my life..with more hopefully even coming in the future.

 Are you doing what makes you happy?


Life has its ups and downs, but people want to see you happy and achieve your dreams. Someone out there believes in you, even if you can't see it.

I will ask you: ARE YOU WHO YOU WANT TO BE?

MAYBE you haven't been. Maybe you have been down lately. Maybe you feel like life has handed you the wrong hand lately. Maybe you just need a sign of HOPE.

It is never too late to do what makes you HAPPY. At times it takes your own self to go out there and just do what you want to do.



BE YOU
SPREAD HAPPINESS
TALK TO SOMEONE YOU HAVEN'T TALKED TO IN A LONG TIME

THIS IS YOUR LIFE....LIVE IT HOW YOU WANT TO LIVE IT :)

A Day That Changed My Outlook On Life: My Story on Disabilities

So for a while I have been wanting to write about a even that happened in my life, that truly has changed the way I view my life and everyone in it. HERE I GO...

For the past TWO YEARS I have been involved in a club on Shippensburg University's campus that is named PIE. The name PIE actually stands for "People Involved Equally"

Long story short, once a week when I am able to I go to work with older individuals between the age of 24-35 in a room on campus. Now these individuals have learning disabilities or possibly other disabilites that I personally do not know of.

When I work with them we hangout, play games, help them learn new skills, anything that they would like to learn. As I started being an active member of this club 2 years ago, I didn't realize how much this place would impact my life.

The guy that I have worked with the most in the past 2 years is a guy by the name of DAN. Since I met him we had come a long way in terms of our friendship. When I first met him he was really shy, and had a hard time opening up.

I remember last year I missed a couple get togethers because of school work, and people would tell me how much DAN would say how he wished I was there.

This is where my story gets real...

Two years ago in the spring before we were to leave for the spring we have a party. I remember that day like it happened YESTERDAY. The one guy got up in front of the room, and said something a lone the lines of this....

"YOU KNOW WHY I LOVE PIE...BECAUSE YOU ALL MAKE ME FEEL LIKE AN EQUAL"

At that moment TEARS started to roll down my face. I have never been so touched by someone else's words.

I do NOT like the word DISABILITY. I learned from that day forward that sometimes someone just needs a FRIEND. Imagine if you walked around everyday to class with a LABEL? 

Imagine if people always gave you a bad name
Imagine if everyone wanted to pity you
Imagine if people put LIMITS on you
Imagine if you couldn't go after your dreams

Just IMAGINE if everyday you woke up just wanting to be like EVERYONE ELSE?

The day this man stood up in front of the room and said " YOU ALL MAKE ME FEEL LIKE AN EQUAL" gave me the chills and still does to this day.

My point in all of this?

Lets change the way we feel about our friends/family/relationships..and lets be thankful for how lucky we have it.

I DON'T LIKE THE WORD DISABILITY..it is just a label. Having someone believe in you is a blessing, and having someone that you can truly call a friend to some people can mean the WORLD.

Tomorrow is Monday and starts a new week. If you see a friend, say hello and ask how their doing. You never know how much one smile or hello can change someones day.


DISABILITIES is just another word, don't let words DEFINE WHO YOU ARE.

Have a great week everyone.

Why you should give it your all?

This weekend I was sitting in my room, and I came across this quote on Twitter. Here it is:

"You find that you have peace of mind when you know that it is a 100% effort that you gave, win or lose"-Gordie Howe

You may be asking, what is my so called philosophical significance of this quote?

If you know me personally, you might see me as a person that always attempts to give my all in everything. Whether it be referenced to my education, being there for someone, sports, a significant other, you name it!

The last couple weeks I have started to question myself why I tend to put so much ENERGY and EMOTION into so many different aspects of my life?

Has there ever been a time in your life where you feel like you've tried so MUCH with some aspect of your life only to feel let DOWN? I mean sure, everyone has probably felt that way one way or another.

So often I feel like we become so disappointed in ourselves when the OUTCOME of our situation doesn't turn out with our expectations.

I understand that nothing in our lives are going to be PERFECT or stable.

BUT the point to this entire blog is, "HOW MUCH WORK ARE YOU WILLING TO PUT INTO YOUR LIFE?"

There is absolute no way of predicting the future, or your high and low moments.

I can honestly say I have no idea how  my life, my family's life, and even my friends lives will turn out, BUT

 I'm going to give my all into what ever is important to me in my life.

My point?

Read this quote, and I hope you do the same.

I understand we all just want to be happy, we all want to be successful, and one thing I think we all should try to remember is that it is okay to TAKE A STEP BACKWARDS. SOMETIMES.

Do what your passionate about, give it your all into your friendships, family, and relationships. I promise you that if we were to give more energy into what makes us happy, the world would be a different place.

One day at a time everyone, one day at a time. Have a great week everyone!

Why Actions Speak Louder Than Words

You have heard the expression many times before, "Actions speak louder than words"

Why is that?

Is it because people "talk too much" or is it because we don't say enough? You can interpret it any way you want.

Is it because how we act defines how we feel?  Or is because we have a hard time expressing how we TRULY FEEL?

Questions upon questions..why so many questions?

Maybe it is because we so often have to question how we feel or how others feel about us. It would be simple if we lived in a world where people could just openly express how they truly feel about a person or anything important.

It pains me to see people hurting, because there is always someone out there that could use a helping hand. I understand there is only so much one can do, but its better than nothing.

Speak how you feel

Help someone else if they need  a hand

Its okay if your feeling bad about something

Its okay to question yourself sometimes

No one likes being hurt, but its worse when nothing is ever said

My point?

We hear of tragedies everyday in the news, and it isn't until then that we start to think how thankful we really are.

We don't know what tomorrow will be like, or even a week down the road.

Losing someone is never an easy process, it takes time

Lets focus on today, say what should be said, so that someday our MEMORIES will fill our thoughts of all the good times and not the rough ones.

My Reflection on New Years

Imagine if there was no such thing as "years". So no 2013, 2012, 2011..etc. Basically, everyone would say, "well two January ago.."

It got me thinking, what is the meaning behind New Years and why it is so highly celebrated around the world. People get crazy hyped for the exact moment of the NEW YEAR.

In a nut shell, each year has its ups and downs.

Throughout the past year you may have had...
Happiness and Sorrow.
Love and Pain
The times of your life and your worst of days
A new friend or the loss of one

For example, as I reflect on 2012 I would say it has been a roller coaster of ups and downs.

For anyone that may not know my father passed away in 2012 at the age of 56.

I have had the privilege to work with hundreds of young adults at my job in college and have had a positive effect on their lives.

Even in 2012 I met a young lady that is currently my girlfriend of 10 months!


A NEW YEAR is not about forgetting about the past BUT remembering it and having the strength to MOVE FORWARD.

It is a new year, and for some people a new beginning!


The fact of the matter, focusing on this new year and not the past or future is the most important.

The NEW YEARS is a time to MOVE FORWARD and not take for granted the people and things in your life that you cherish SO MUCH.

Let the NEW YRS be a time of happiness, and a time to know that through the good and bad days that you're going to be OKAY!

I know this year "ONE" of my new yr resolutions is to take the word, "I CAN'T" completely out of my vocabulary.


While you continue on with your new year, never forget the people in your past that have touched you in your life. No matter how far they are away from you or if their in Heaven remember that one way or another they are looking over you.

You want to know why your able to move forward?
You want to know why you can be happy?
You want to know why you have the chance to keep fighting for what you believe in?
You want to know why anything you want to do is possible?

BECAUSE YOU CAN!