Category: Challenges

Personal stories of Challenges one has taken on to achieve their goals and dreams

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Overcoming Over-analysis (O.O.).

My background is in science, specifically medicine. The nature of my profession is to analyze data to come up with the right diagnosis. If I mess up, a patient could be misdiagnosed and put at risk. My family background is full of scientifically trained people. My father is an Electrical engineer, who analyzes and designs electrical components to make sure they are functioning well. If he messes up, things will not work. My eldest brother is a Radiologist, who analyzes images for abnormalities. If he messes up, a patient can be placed in danger. My wife is a pharmacist, who analyzes medications to make sure a patient receives the right medicine and to make sure there are no serious drug interactions. If she messes up, serious complications could arise.

Analysis is important and critical, but over-analysis can be a dream killer. Because of my background, I have allowed over-analysis to suppress taking action on my goals and dreams. Obviously, this is not a great way to live life. For years, I had delayed taking action on numerous goals and dreams, because I was waiting for all the right data to come to me. I would constantly analyze and analyze some more. I just didn’t want to screw up. However, in the process of not wanted to mess up, I ended up doing nothing. I wasn’t losing, but I wasn’t winning either. It was like sitting in the stands watching a game that you KNOW you should be playing in. Yes, I could keep sitting in the stands and playing it safe. However, as a Young Defender, I knew I had to challenge myself and get into the game. I know I was risking failure, but the greater risk was to never try and live with regret. This blog post is a perfect example. I could have never written it or share it with others. I would be safe by not putting my thoughts out there. However, the greater risk is not putting yourself out there. Even if one person reads this post and takes action towards their goals and dreams, the risk was well worth it. We all have that power, we just have to stop over-analyzing and just take the chance.

ACTION: If there is a goal or a dream you have been over-analyzing for some time, decide today to take action on it. List the daily habits you need to do to make it a reality. Start practicing those habits today and every day until your goal becomes reality.

YD

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Another Challenge Down!

2020 has been a very eventful year to say the least. Despite the many obstacles the world was facing, I had a couple obstacles that I was working towards overcoming. First, I wanted to be more active as a blogger. Second, I had the goal of being a published author. Both goals meant I had to overcome the obstacle of letting go and opening up. It is scary to share your thoughts and feelings with the world. It can be pretty intimidating. Last week it became reality.

I published my first book of any kind on the Amazon kindle platform. It is an e-book and directed towards a wide audience. At first look, the e-book may seem to be directed only towards small children and parents. A perfect bedtime story you could say. In reality, the lesson it teaches is useful for both children and adults. It is a lesson I have preached in previous blog posts. Change Comes in the Challenge (CCC). In other words, we grow as individuals when we are faced with challenges. Some of the challenges are expected and some not so expected. Either way, we can learn and grow to great heights in the face of challenges.

If you have small children, it is a no brainer to go to the link below, purchase the book, and read it with your children. Even if you are an adult or older kid, this cool, little book can teach a powerful lesson. A lesson we all can live by in the real world.

Click the link below and I thank you for your support ahead of time.

YD

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Ashlyn & Nikhil, the Young Defenders & Young Bloggers

We are at a milestone in this blog. This will be the first time I shall have guest bloggers sharing their experiences. These guest happen to be my own two children. They will share their own Challenges and how they overcame them and what they learned.

Ashlyn’s (14 years old) post….

One of my biggest fears is public speaking or speaking on the phone. I have always been afraid that I’m going to mess up and people are going to make fun of me. That’s the biggest thing for me, and I know that it shouldn’t bother me, but it does. This is a challenge or fear that I have been facing basically my whole life. The challenge that I wanted share was very recent. It was calling a dental office on the phone; I was so nervous and didn’t want to do it because I was scared that I was going to say the wrong thing. Even though I was scared to do it, I ended up facing my fears and making the appointment. Honestly, it wasn’t that hard. I was making a big deal of nothing. All in all, I got my appointment, and everything was fine. Now I know what to expect next time I need to call someone. 

Nik’s (11 years old) post…

The challenge I faced this week is that I had to interview a stranger. I was very nervous to talk to him. The person I talked to was a local Agriculture Agent. He gets information from UGA (University of GA) and brings it the local people. He can also tell you what is  wrong with your plants. I had to ask a few questions for a school report. He showed a video and some new plants he is growing. A fact that he told me was that he has a tree that is 300 years old.  I overcame my fear of talking to strangers. After all speaking to strangers is not as bad as you might think. 

Great job kids on the Challenges you faced and the posts you wrote and shared. As parents, it is our duty to have our children face challenges and learn from them. When we allow this to happen their confidence in themselves will grow. As a result, the challenges they will continue to face in life will be more manageable.

YD

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JUST SAY NO

The above phrase became very popular during the 1980s as part of the anti-drug campaign. Former first lady, Nancy Reagan was a champion for the movement. The campaign was simple, but a powerful tool to keep our young folks away from drug use.

“No” is one of the most powerful words in the English language. We all know the meaning, but are afraid to use it to protect ourselves and our interests. Perhaps we do not believe in ourselves or do not respect ourselves enough to use it. I learned this past week the power that this simple two letter word can have. People can take advantage of others, when they sense weakness. A Young Defender does live to serve others, but it does not mean they should be taking advantage of. As a YD, if you are not comfortable doing something, just say “No.” Remember, a Young Defender loves themselves enough where they do not allow anyone or anything take advantage of them. It is ok to be selfish at times when your best interest and others are protected. The YD oath stresses the need to love oneself. Saying “NO” to others can be an example of Self-love at it’s best. Challenge yourself to say “NO” when you do not wish to do something you are not comfortable doing.

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Another Unexpected CHALLENGE…

The Young Defender formula: Taking on CHALLENGES in your LIFE = leads to POSITIVE CHANGE in your LIFE

For those who have been long time readers of my blog, you know I am a BIG proponent of Challenging yourself to make positive Change happen in your life. For example, you may Challenge your muscles via weight lifting and your body becomes stronger. You Challenge your mind with a new book and you learn a new way of thinking.

Sometimes the Challenges we face are unexpected. They just hit us from no where. It could be a health challenge, a financial challenge, or a work/business challenge. This past weekend someone I care deeply about faced her own BIG Challenge. She was never in true DANGER, but the situation was DANGEROUS enough in her own mind. This person is terrified of water. Out of no where she was faced with the Challenge of being in relatively deep water alone with the current pushing her far from her party. She did have a life preserver on, but that did not make a difference in her mind. She was scared and yelling. No one was close enough to help her. SHE HAD TO HELP HERSELF. She eventually was able to move to some rocks down stream and waited until her family arrived.

When we face CHALLENGES in our lives, there are times we should ask for help. Sometimes help is not always around, so we must take charge and help ourselves. It is ok to be afraid. However, never allow that fear to stop you from overcoming the CHALLENGES you are facing. I am proud of my friend.

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The Young Defender (YD) Oath…

This week’s post is short, simple, but POWERFUL. What does it mean to be a Young Defender? The oaths sums it up. Yes, there is an oath and here it is…

I (state your name) promise to take on the mission of being a Young Defender. I will CHALLENGE myself, LOVE myself, and live my life with HONOR in the WORDS I speak, the THOUGHTS I think, and the ACTIONS I take. I will HELP others to do the same for we are all GREAT Young Defenders!

I personally speak these words at least twice a day. I make the extra effort to speak the oath with my children every morning and every night when possible. I am a BIG believer the words you speak have a direct affect on your thoughts and actions. The oath above is a great way to begin your Young Defender’s journey. Speak it daily and with energy!

Remember Change Comes in the Challenge. Challenge yourself to speak the oath above with your family.

YD

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GOING OFF TRAIL…

Just yesterday, a group of us friends planned an early morning hike near the Chattahoochee river just outside of Atlanta, Ga. The weather was pleasant, the scenery was beautiful, and the trail was new to all of us. At the end of hike we all learned a VALUABLE lesson. Our initial plan of starting our hike fell through due to parking issues. With the help of a park ranger, we began our hike on the West Palisades trail about a 10 minute drive from our initial starting point. We had follow the trail along the river until we came to what appeared to be a dead end. Ignoring our map, we decided to go off trail up the mountain. That is when the Challenge and Adventure began.

There was twelve of us plus one dog in our group. We decided to hike up the face of the mountain rather than turn back. It was full of slips, falls, bug bites, and scrapes. We had no clue exactly where we were going just hoping we would get back to the main trail above. We had to rely on each other to get over some tight spots and slippery slopes. We were never in great peril, but it was a little unsettling. No one said it, but I am sure we all had a sense of relief and our egos got a nice boost when we accomplished such a Challenge.

Positive Change can come in a Challenge. Life is similar to our hiking experience. Sometimes we must go off trail to face Challenges that will help us grow. We may slip or get banged up along the way, but the rewards that await can be life changing.

A quick side note. My son fell a couple times on the climb up and leaped a few rocks on the river that seemed far for him. He never gave up and made it. As a result, his belief in himself grew that day. As a parent, I feel my main duty to my children is to Challenge them everyday.

Disclaimer: I am not advocating any crazy or dangerous hikes, stunts, or adventures in the physical sense. However, I do advocate challenging your mind and getting out of your comfort zone.

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The Challenge: Sell our Home…

A few months ago, I had one of those gut feelings. You know what I am talking about. An idea that suddenly flashes into your head. I WANTED TO SELL OUR HOUSE. The very first house we had ever bought. The house we had been living in for 12 years and in which our kids spent the majority of their lives. The house where we had just finished the basement and deck two short years ago. The house that provided so many memories (good and bad).

Despite all of that, I wanted to take advantage of the hot housing market. The income from the sale would help us with new investments and financial goals. In reality, there was much more to it. I felt we needed to upgrade where we lived, how we educated our children, and just plain get out of our comfort zone. If things are not working, you need to do something different. Do not settle on being average or comfortable. Challenge yourself to be extraordinary and get a little uncomfortable. In that discomfort, positive change will occur. I HAVE GREAT COMFORT KNOWING I HAVE MY WIFE AND KIDS AS MY TEAMMATES (THE FANTASTIC 4) Currently we are living in a 2 bedroom apartment, without any clear idea where we will be moving next. For a guy who is not know for being spontaneous, that can be scary. However, my goal of 2020 being the year I would take on new challenges has kept me focused beyond the uncertainty. We all should take on the uncertainty of life with excitement and love.

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You Gotta Believe…

I still remember the night of Febuary 4, 2018. I remember leaning over to my son and daughter whispering into each of their ears the words, “You gotta believe.” It was the final quarter of Superbowl LII. My beloved childhood team, the Philadelphia Eagles were in a tight game with the vaunted Tom Brady and New England Patriots. As so many opponents before them, the Patriots always seem to find a way to win the Championship. This time it was different. This particular fan and the team itself believed it would be different and it was.

Most of life, I was filled with fear and disbelief in my abilities and talents. One of my recent goals at work was to be a published author. I felt it would be a nice achievement in building my resume and build some professional creditability. After receiving the run around from one major journal, the break through came in the Spring of 2020. My dream came true. I was a published author. In fact, the national organization that represents my profession picked up the article and placed it on their website too. A nice bonus. You gotta believe. A Young Defender believes in themselves despite previous inaction, failure, or defeat. Put the work in and your dreams will come true.

As a Young Defender, start challenging yourself and start believing in yourself and in your dreams.

Check out my article below. It was published in a professional magazine targeting Eye Doctors. However, the content can be useful to all. BTW, it is not my best picture.

https://www.healio.com/news/optometry/20200604/the-key-to-a-happy-successful-practice-people-skills-not-pupil-skills

Being a Young Defender = Taking on Challenges