Focus On Fulfilling Your Goals in 2015
By Cheval John
2014 is coming to a close.
By the time of this writing, 2015 has already commenced in Australia, Japan and other parts of Asia.
People always make New Year’s Resolutions leading up to the New Year only to break them about two or three weeks later.
What they do is make those resolutions based out of shame according to brand strategist, Michelle Van Otten.
So how do you keep your “New Year’s Resolutions” if you keep on breaking them?
Michelle shared that an alternative to a New Year’s resolutions is creating a vision board.
(Warning: It get’s a little explicit between 34-38 minute)
You might wonder what is a vision board?
A vision board allows you to map out your goals for the New Year and to be specific on how to achieve those goals.
Vision boards also allows you to be held accountable to anyone who have seen it because it forces you to actually fulfill those goals.
I had the opportunity to create a vision board before this year when I discovered this concept from a few people who have vision board parties.
I even wrote out my declaration for this year here
I will say that I did not fulfill all of my goals for this year.
Does that make me a failure?
Not really.
The reason is because I had made a whole lot of progress this year and even fulfilled life long dreams that were not part of the goals like:
-Wrote two books in 2014
-Called two collegiate softball games at my alma mater, Sam Houston State
-Witness the SHSU Bowling Team win the school’s first ever NCAA Division I National Championship
-Connected with amazing people on social media, especially Twitter (fulfilled that goal for the New Year)
-Discovered Twitter Chats and learning about the new trends of Social Media
-Heard Chris Guillebeau speak at a book signing event for his new book, “The Happiness of Pursuit.”
-Celebrated my 100th episode of “What’s The Word?”
-Interviewed Susan Campbell Cross, author of “The FabYouList”
-Interviewed Donny Most, formerly of “Happy Days.”
So even if you do not meet all of your goals, it still does not hurt to put together a vision board.
As Mrs Cross said and I am paraphrasing, “Though you do not fulfill your goals at a certain point does not mean that you fail. As long as you fulfill those goals, then you accomplish a lot.”
Now that you have seen an alternative to a “New Year’s Resolution,” my hope is that everyone will fulfill their goals and make this world a better place.
And to keep up with this tradition of vision boards, here is my vision for what I want to accomplish in 2015.
Wishing everyone a fantastic New Year.
What are your goals for the New Year? You can leave your comments below.
Photo courtesy of www.personalbrandingblog.com
Why Being An Underdog Is Great
By Cheval John
Being an underdog can be at times frustrating because many people do not believe that you will succeed.
We see it almost every time in sporting events, especially in championship games where a team is heavily favored to win while many write off the other.
Of course, being an underdog happens in real life outside of sports as well.
Like when people label someone as not having a chance to succeed in life if they drop out of school and not obtain a college degree.
The truth of the matter is if you are an underdog, you are in a prime position to prove the doubters wrong.
Here are two examples of those who overcame the odds to be successful:
THE 2014 SAM HOUSTON STATE FOOTBALL TEAM
The Bearkat football team had a huge turnover in personnel leading up to this year’s season.
Most of the players who were apart of the most victorious team in program history had graduated.
The architect of the team who led the squad to two consecutive Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) National Championship appearances, Willie Fritz, accepted the job at Georgia Southern.
With a new head coach in K.C. Keeler and a majority of the squad being new including 17 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) transfers, the Kats were selected to finish third in the Southland Conference (SLC).
It seemed as if the predictions were going to come true as the Bearkats had a 1-3 start, including a loss to the eventual Division II National Champion, Colorado State-Pueblo, which ended a 22-game home winning streak at Bowers Stadium.
Even I gave up on the team for this season.
However, the Bearkats kept a positive mindset, believed in each other and won seven out of the final eight games in the regular season to clinch a share of the SLC title and the automatic bid to the FCS playoffs.
Sam Houston kept their momentum going with three consecutive victories over three-top 10 ranked teams before falling to three-time FCS National Champion, North Dakota State at the FargoDome in Fargo, North Dakota during the semifinals.
The Bearkats are more optimistic about their chances at making it back to the playoffs and even winning a national championship.
DARRIN BENTLEY
Darrin Bentley is someone everyone should pay attention to in 2015.
I had the opportunity to interview him on my show, “What’s The Word?” earlier this month.
Mr. Bentley is the founder and host of Big Wig Nation, a weekly show that showcases highly successful people in different industries.
The podcast has been on the air for five months.
But it already has close to 100,000 downloads.
What is really amazing about Mr. Bentley is that he is very transparent and authentic.
He shared in his bio of the podcast’s website that he is a high school dropout.
Now if a person don’t graduate high school and move on to college, they have a slim chance at having a successful career according to a report by The Atlantic.
However, Mr. Bentley overcame the odds and worked his way up from the mailroom to a 6-figure salary on Wall Street and now as an entrepreneur.
So if you feel that everything is not going your way or feel like no one believes in you, celebrate.
Because once you achieve success, the ones who doubted you before, will all of a sudden applaud you for overcoming the odds to be successful.
Have you ever felt like an underdog? You can share your comments below.
Video courtesy of The Bearkat Sports Network
Photo Courtesy of www.fm-base.co.uk
SHSU Defeats Prairie View 61-44
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Jabari Peters went 5-of-7 from the field to score 12 points to lead Sam Houston to a 61-44 non-conference men’s basketball victory over Prairie View A&M Saturday afternoon.
After the Panthers scored the first basket, Sam Houston never trailed, building a 23-point lead in the second half.
Jayrn Johnson and Karim York each scored 10 points to lead Prairie View. The Panthers dropped to 1-10 for the year. Sam Houston, undefeated at home this year in five games, is 7-4 for the season.
The Bearkats out-boarded Prairie View 42-26 with DeMarcus Gatlin, Michael Holyfield and Aurimas Majauskas each pulling down seven rebounds.
The Panthers kept things close during the first nine minutes of the game. Sam Houston led by only two, 14-12, with 10:58 left in the half.
A layup by Aurimas Majauskas started a 14-1 Bearkat run. A jumper by Majauskas put Sam Houston up 28-13 with 3:38 left. The Kats went into the locker run with a 17-point lead, 34-17.
Sam Houston State now breaks for the Christmas holidays. Next action for the Kats is Monday, December 29, when the SHSU men play host to Howard Payne in a 6:30 p.m. contest at Johnson Coliseum.
The Bearkats open Southland Conference action Saturday, January 3, with a home matchup with Incarnate Word.
SHSU’s Victory Over Villanova Sets Up Rematch With North Dakota State
Courtesy: Paul Ridings, Jr., SHSU Sports Information
Villanova, Penn. – Quarterback Jared Johnson passed for 303 yards and three touchdowns and the Bearkat defense held off a late Wildcat charge as No. 19 Sam Houston defeated No. 5 Villanova 34-31 to advance to the FCS semifinals.
The Kats will face their old nemesis No. 2 North Dakota State next week at the Fargo Dome. Sam Houston has defeated three top 10 FCS foes to reach the semifinals.
Johnson completed 22 of 27 passes including TD throws of two and 66 yards to LaDarius Brown and a four-yard score to Gerald Thomas.
With Walter Payton award candidate John Robertson sidelined by a concussion, backup quarterback Chris Polony took over to accounted for 288 yards in the aid and 87 yards on the ground.
“This a great game between two good football teams,” SHSU head coach K. C. Keeler said. “We’re excited to be in the final four. My hats off to Villanova and (head coach) Andy Talley. They found out right before the game their best player and team leader wasn’t going to play. But they fought hard and their backup quarterback did a great job.”
The Wildcats looked on the verge of at least forcing overtime with a first down at the Sam Houston 26 with less than a minute to play. But a quarterback sack by Mouf Adebo, an incomplete pass and a delay of game penalty had kicker Chris Gough attempting a field goal from 51 yards out. The attempt was wide and the Kats head to the FCS semifinals for the third time in four years.
“Jared Johnson did a great job for us today as he’s been fighting the flu the past two days,” Keeler said. “We had him wearing a mask and staying in his own room and got him out of the infirmary when we left Thursday morning.”
Brown caught six passes for Sam Houston for 174 yards. Yedidiah Louis led the Kats with seven receptions for 64 yards.
Keshawn Hill led a Bearkat rushing game that accounted for 151 yards on 46 attempts. Hill carried 20 times for 75 yards. Johnson added 32 yards on 12 carries and Jalen Overstreet rushed nine times for 30 yards including the game winning one-yard TD with 4:03 to play.
Linebacker Tristan Eche led the Kat defense with 11 tackles (10 solos). P. J. Hall accounted for nine stops including two for losses to run his season total TFLs to 29.
Three-time defending national champion North Dakota State and Sam Houston met in the FCS national championship game in both 2011 and 2012.
Johnson and Brown started the show for Sam Houston early as the pair teamed up for a two-yard touchdown pass just 3:39 into the game. A blocked punt by Josh Lyons set up the five-play, 17-yard drive. Cory Hamlett recovered the punt block for Sam Houston.
Villanova struck back immediately. A 54-yard touchdown pass from Chris Polony to Poppy Livers completed a six-play, 90-yard scoring drive with 9:31 to play in the first quarter.
After Sam Houston’s first punt was downed on the Wildcat one-yard-line, Villanova drove 99 yards in 13 plays as Polony faked a handoff on fourth-and-two at the SHSU 36 then dashed around left end untouched into the end zone. Villanova took a 13-7 lead with 23 seconds left in the opening period.
Johnson opened the second quarter by leading the Bearkats on a 12-play, 80-yard scoring drive. The sophomore quarterback hit Gerald Thomas for a four-yard score with 9:54 left in the period. The drive started with a 51-yard pass from Johnson to Brown to put the Kats on the Villanova 29-yard line.
With 29 seconds left before halftime, Luc Swimberghe kicked a 32-yard field goal to complete a 10-play, 54-yard drive. A 30-yard scramble by Johnson to the VU 39-yard-line was the drive’s big play3w.
The Kats’ 17-13 margin was brief as Villanova drove 36 yards in four plays after the kickoff to set up a career-long 46-yard field goal by Chris Gough as the first half ended with SHSU up 17-16.
Johnson and Brown hooked up again to start the second half, this time for a 66-yard scoring pass to put SHSU up 24-16 only 18 seconds into the period.
Kevin Monangai broke loose for a 58-yard scoring run and Polony found Kevin Gulyas in the back of the end zone for a successful two-point conversion to tie the game 24-24 with 9:36 remaining in third.
Swimberghe broke the tie five minutes into the fourth period with a 30-yard field goal as SHSU went up 27-24 after an eight-play, 39-yard drive. The score was set up by a short Wildcats punt.
Polony answered by leading Villanova on a nine-play 67-yard scoring drive. The quarterback gained the final yard himself on a roll-out to the right as the Wildcats took a 31-27 lead with 7:15 to play.
The Kats responded with a 10-play 75-yard drive to surge back in front 34-31 after an one-yard Overstreet touchdown with 4:03 to play. Yedidiah Louis’s 18-yard reception to the Wildcats 17 was a key play for SHSU.
Adversity Shows Your True Character
By Cheval John
Photo courtesy of Associated Press
Florida State was one of the most interesting teams of the year.
The Seminoles, who previously won the BCS National Championship, was looking to claim a second consecutive title this year.
They were down 6 times, but found a way to win those close ball games that could have derailed their chances at participating in the first ever “College Football Playoff.”
After winning 29 straight games that included a national championship, the Seminoles got obliterated by Oregon 59-20 in the semifinals that was held at the Rose Bowl in Pasedena, California.
Though Florida State missed out on a chance to play for the national championship against Ohio State, who won their semifinal matchup against No.1 Alabama 42-35 in the All-State Sugar Bowl, they showed their true character in their loss.
After the game, 70% of the Florida State players went straight for the locker room and did not even congratulate the Ducks on their win.
Only a few stayed out to congratulate the Ducks that included quarterback Jameis Winston, who had his off the field issues, wide receiver Rashad Greene and head coach Jimbo Fisher.
That lack of sportmanship was a shock to Kirk Herbstreit, who was the analyst for the matchup on ESPN.
“That’s disappointing that 70 percent of the Florida State team is in the locker room,” Herbstreit said after Oregon’s 59-20 win on Thursday. “It’s easy to go across when you win a game to shake hands. You lose a game after 29 games and you can’t come over and shake a hand of an Oregon player and tell him, ‘Congratulations?'”
Though I have a disdain for the Seminoles because I am a Florida Gator fan, the lack of sportmanship was further confirmation on why I don’t like Florida State.
They showed me that they are a classless team and really need to take a long look at themselves to understand that they are representing their school, alumni and fan base.
Adversity showed Florida State’s true character as being sore losers and I suspect that not many people want to be associated with sore losers.
Share this: