Aiming at Nothing

Gun’s Quote-of-the-Week:

“When you aim at nothing, you will always hit your target.”
-Curtis Martin

I had the pleasure of talking with some awesome teenagers this weekend about their "Goliaths."

You know about David and Goliath, right? Big tough man, little dinky kid. Little dinky kid defeats big tough man with slingshot?

Make no mistake... David was a little afraid of Goliath. In fact, if people would have worn pants back in those days, he probably would have wet them.

Unlike the other Israelites, though, David, volunteered to attack Goliath. You see, the people were so afraid of Goliath that they cowered away from him. Instead of standing up against their enemy, the Israelites would have rather ducked their heads to avoid the severe beating that they just KNEW they would get if they tried to defend their homeland. Instead of fighting off the intruders, the Israelites simply put up with their oppression.

These teens discussed with me some of their Goliaths. They have some struggles that they are dealing with right now that seem like there is nothing that can be done to fix them. Some are dealing with broken families, some are dealing with stress, some are dealing with relationship and purity issues, some are dealing with grades.

I smiled when I heard some of these issues. I recalled when I was in high school and many of the above listed items were on my list of "Things I will never be able to fix."

...but the simple fact of the matter is that if you never try, they will always be issues. As the quote suggests, if you never try to fix the problems that affect you today, they will never be fixed. It doesn't mean your troubles and concerns will go away overnight, but it does mean that you have to start today if you want to fix them.

All of us have something in our lives that we are dealing with that seems impossible to fix. Addictions. Illness. Broken relationships. The challenge is to be like David... to be the guy that will stand up and proudly declare "NO MORE!" and then do something about it. The hardest step is the first one, my friends.

So my challenge to you is to make that first step. Risk falling on your face. Risk the potential embarrassment. Risk the humility. You may fail several times, but if you never start, you will never win.

…and that’s why it’s a Gun’s Quote!

Victory!

Gun’s Quote-of-the-Week:

“Don't quit when you're tired; quit when you've won.”
-LLIC 2003

We've all heard some iteration of the above quote ever since we were children. Some remark made by our dads, our grandpas, or (usually) some other masculine figure. Not that moms don't push us to victory despite our fatigue, it's just that I typically hear the above quote around sporting events, and that's typically a dad thing.

I just got back from New York, New York. I met up with several other or my friends and professors from my HVAC class only a short year ago. We all landed on Manhattan island to do one thing: Accept our award.

You see, Jeremy Saddison, Ryan Larson, Chad Gydeson, and I were on the same senior design team in school. Our team submitted our design to an organization known as ASHRAE (American Society for Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers) where it was judged against other designs from other universities from around the world. We had to design a heating/cooling/ventilatio​n system for a biopharmaceutical research facility on Manhattan island.

On Manhattan island this weekend, my team was crowned #1.

We talked a little bit about what got us there. The 2, 3, and yes, sometimes even 4 or 5 AM nights where we worked and designed and drew and then started all over again because we didn't like it. We talked about the times when we were stressing pretty bad. We talked about the times when our teachers were earning our disdain. In the end, though, when we were all tired, stressed out, and ready to kill each other, we took the extra step to do what we all knew needed to be done. We didn't quit when we were tired.

We quit when we won. :)

…and that’s why it’s a Gun’s Quote!

Compliment and Encouragement

Gun’s Quote-of-the-Week:

“Remember that everyone appreciates a sincere compliment and words of encouragement.” (Paraphrased)
-LLIC 2005

So I had a flight to Dallas today and I made two boo boos...

1. I forgot to lookup this week's quote so that I could post it exactly. (hence the paraphrase)
2. I forgot to get tip cash.

What's tip cash? I'm not sure if that's its official name, but to me, tip cash is what I carry in my pocket when I travel so that I can slip a dollar to the bus driver who carries me from the parking lot to my car, and vice versa, and who also helps me with my bags.

So, I had to apologize to my drivers this time around because I couldn't give them tip money. It made me recall a story when I got this really awesome lady who was my bus driver at KCI. (KC's Airport) This gal helped with my bags, and then told us stories about the city on our way from the terminal to the parking lot. Very friendly, very welcoming, and just one of those people who you instantly knew had a warm heart.

I managed to forget my tip money that particular week, too.

So, at the end of our journey, I told the lady I sincerely appreciated her stories and warm, friendly attitude, and said that I was sorry for not being able to give her a dollar for helping with my bag.

She told me that it didn't matter. She said my words of appreciation and thanks meant more to her than a tip. Aawwwwww... :)

Simple story, but it should ring home. "Please" and "Thank You" go a very long way. Politeness, in our word today, is a lost art, so it is only more valuable when the few who use it do.

Find a compliment to give somebody this week, and make sure you give it, even if they already know you appreciate them. It will make their day. It will make yours, too.

...Oh and by the way, it'll be worth more than a dollar.

…and that’s why it’s a Gun’s Quote!

Five Traits

Gun’s Quote-of-the-Week:

“Remember: There are five undeniable traits that each and every person you meet holds:
1. They're afraid of something.
2. They love something.
3. They've lost something.
4. They're dreaming of something.
5. They've been hurt by something.”
-Unknown

The Iowa Caucus is behind us, New Hampshire is right around the corner. Whether you like it or not, it is official: We are in an election year. God help us all.

Don't stop reading. I'm not using Gun's Quotes as a forum to preach my political views, so you can all relax. Rather, I am noting something that tends to happen every single time this four-year cycle rolls around, and something that I want to call your attention to because you are guilty of it, too. It is called: Cynicism.

Simply put, cynicism is the general distrust of somebody else's integrity or motives. It's the belief that everyone does whatever they do for some ulterior motive. Everyone is out to get you.

I am constantly appalled by what candidates have to say when somebody puts a microphone in front of them. Democrats accuse corporations of gouging the poor of what little money they have, and accuse the rich of stealing from whomever they can. Republicans accuse the government of acting like "Big Brother," and overtaxing its citizens only to waste money on some $10,000 toilet seat, or other ludicrous thing. Democrats attack Democrats and Republicans attack Republicans while vying for the enamored "Primary" votes that are so critical early on in everyone's respective campaigns.

It's no wonder everyone thinks the country is so screwed up: If we spend even 5 minutes listening to this garbage you might start believe that the people we walk next to daily want to blind-side us, too.

Does everyone here think that everyone here wants to somehow hurt, rob, or otherwise screw everyone here?

The next time you think that somebody, like your boss, your family, your pastor, your worst enemy, your Representative or Senator, and yes, even your President, lives solely to make your life miserable, think about the fact that that person has the five traits. Think about the fact that you do, too.

Everyone here is a human being. We have fears. We have love. We have sorrow. We have dreams. We have pain. These things are universal, human traits. Just what exactly is it that makes you think that everyone else around you doesn't have them? What makes you think that someone you see on TV, or even a stranger, is some cold-hearted, merciless traitor waiting to take you down? Is that what you are? Do you live to live off others? So why do you think other people do?

Cynicism is dividing this nation and pitting neighbor against neighbor. It turns would-be friends into strangers, or worse, enemies. It causes fear, anxiety, sometimes even hatred and anger. Worst of all, it simply keeps people from being happy.

If you don't want to intentionally hurt someone, then I hope after reading this week's quote that you at least consider the fact that the people you meet in the future don't want to, either. Give the people you meet tomorrow a chance. Maybe you'll even make a friend.

…and that’s why it’s a Gun’s Quote!