Here goes.

“Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What’s a sundial in the shade?” – Ben Franklin

This is a pretty simple quote but its simplicity resonates with me.

I have found that as a human race we are often afraid to use our talents to the best of our ability.  We get caught up in the mediocrity and daily rituals of the world and we forget that we were given certain talents and abilities in order to impact others.  Or, what happens more often than not, fear overtakes us.  Thoughts of failure, disappointment, and struggles fill our minds and block out any positive thinking that might have come over us.  At this point, we just don’t bother to use our talents because we rationalize that wasted talents are better than failed talents.  Wrong.

Failure is a fact of life and it is through failure that we experience growth and development.  Failure improves our talents and never destroys them.  Negative thinking and the fear of failure destroys talents.

It is my hope that I will begin to use my talents more often as the year progresses.  I am trying to avoid the fear of failure and fully utilize my abilities to change my world.  I am currently engaged in helping Folk Media, LLC with blogging and community outreach.  I am a people person and a writer so I feel that my talents are used well in my role.  I will also begin to use my passion for video and video editing more throughout the year as I volunteer at my church.  I am starting small but the possibilities are endless.

What are some talents that you have not been using?  What feelings of failure are you harboring that are weighing you down?  I challenge you to spend some time reflecting on those questions and, if you feel comfortable, share with us.

But, then I got to thinking, “Why not just make a list of things you’d like to do sometime in your life?” So, I did it.  Well, kind of.  The best part about it is that I’m already able to check one thing off of my list.

If you’re expecting a firm list of items that I’d like to accomplish within my life, you’re going to be somewhat disappointed.  Right now, I only have a few “things to do” in my mind, not on paper and as I mentioned before, one of those items can be crossed off – giving blood.

My church recently hosted a blood drive and at first I was reluctant to give because of fear.  Not of needles, but of just the process overall.  I didn’t know how much they would take or if I would be the only one giving.  It turns out, all my questions were answered and I was in good company for the whole process.  It made me feel great looking down at the bandage on my arm and knowing that I will save a life one day.

The other items on my “Big Picture Things To Do” list will come over time – getting promoted to a management position, getting married and having a family, and meeting the President of the United States.  I’m in no rush to complete these activities because I know that they will come in their own time and if they are part of my life course.

I challenge you to create a “Big Picture Things To Do” list and work toward accomplishing all of the items on the list.  There is nothing like the feeling of accomplishment and a sense of completion.  Why not dream big?

The same thing can happen in life.  We go through life and we sometimes feel like we are trapped in section 208, away from the world, alone, and desolate.  The world seems to be passing us by while we are  standing still.

But, it doesn’t have to stay that way.  There are plenty of things that you can do to get back down to the front of the concert and back into the interaction of life.  Maybe you need to release some stress in your life (job or other obligation), renew a friendship that was lost, or connect with other people.  Join a club, team, or church group.  Living life in community is a great feeling.

Today’s Challenge: What do you need to do today to get out of section 208 or make sure that you don’t wind up there?  What steps are you going to take to ensure that you interact with life and not let the world pass you by?

If you have moved from the nosebleed section to the front row in life, how did you do it?  What advice do you have for others?  Share with us in the comments!

Eric:  “Good morning, sir.  How are you today?”
Bank Man:  “Well, I’m actually not too good.  None of the ATMs are working that I go to.  It makes me want to switch banks.”
E:  “I totally understand that.  If that happened to me, I would want to put my money in a bank that had working equipment.  Hopefully this ATM is different.”
BM:  “I hope so, too.  You know, you’re a first class kinda guy.  You just turned my day around.”
E:  “I enjoyed talking to you, too and I am glad I turned things around for you.  Have a good day!”
BM:  “You too.”

As I continued into the bank, I couldn’t help but smile.  Just by listening to this man, I played a part in turning his day around.  Believe it or not, empathy can truly turn a conversation around. You don’t need to get results or do anything, just listen and empathize.

This conversation made me start thinking:  What if we all empathized with the bigger picture in mind? Would our daily interactions lead to better moods?  Would we become servants and not selfish?

Random Encounter Challenge: Try empathizing and listening to someone today that you encounter, whether it’s a stranger or the person in the cube across from you at work.  See  if it increases the value of your interaction and your relationship with that person.

Did you take the challenge?  If so, how did it work out?  Have you empathized in the past?   What results did you see?  Tell us below in the comments!

“Ally (Jarkiewicz) was diagnosed with Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) at 6 months of age. HLH is a blood disorder that affects 1.2 in 1,000,000 children. On 3/3/09 Ally began chemotherapy. She began her 8-day conditioning (chemo & other drugs) on 6/10 and had a bone marrow transplant on 6/18.  Please pray for engraftment & a quick recovery for her.” – Ally’s CaringBridge website

Although I do not know them personally, The Jarkiewicz family is a family who is strong and who has a group of supportive and selfless people in their lives.  Ally’s parents, Dan and Beth, have dedicated their lives at this point to the survival of their daughter and have had the help of many people to get them through.  Whether it is delivering food, making a scrapbook, or covering work shifts, the Jarkiewicz family has an extraordinary circle of friends and others who are touched by their story.  Well, now anyone interested in helping them out can help in a tangible way.

On August 13, the Nottingham Square Chick-Fil-A (White Marsh, MD) is hosting a Spirit Night for the family.  Basically, you can print out this flyer or just remember their last name and order some food from Chick-Fil-A.  A portion of your proceeds will go toward the Jarkiewicz family.  Have plans that night?  Don’t worry because you can use the flyer or drop their name at anytime during the day – from open to close.

As I mentioned, the Jarkiewicz family has a pretty powerful network of individuals who are on their side.  The event has caught so much attention on Facebook that nearly 250 people have confirmed that they will be stopping by Chick-Fil-A that day to support and donate.  If you’d like to confirm that you’ll be stopping by to show support that day, simply select “Attending” at the event’s Facebook page (but you don’t have to confirm on Facebook in order to stop by).  Also, if you’d like to make a separate donation, contact Stacey here.

Come out to support this awesome cause!

Love the Locals – A Resounding Success:  The “Love the Locals” series was a great three part series that was a success.  I had to cut the series short due to some changes to my schedule but the series will be returning next month with four new local businesses to support.  If you have any suggestions for businesses, feel free to email me or leave a comment on this post.

Your Input:  Believe it or not, your input has played a key role in the development of this site.  Whether you have approached me personally or via Facebook or email, any input you have given has really helped me out.  That being said, I’m going to continue on with the “Ask the Readers” posts on this site and on Facebook because your feedback has helped me out a lot.  So, carry on with the feedback!

All Time High:  I’m proud to announce that this website is seeing it’s greatest growth right now according to two stat programs that I use to keep track of the site’s progress.  I’ll be doing some additional research to capture additional data but wanted to let everyone know of the steady progress and growth the site has seen recently.  Thanks for all of your support!

1.  Saving Isn’t A Bad Thing.

Before dating my girlfriend, I was horrible with money.  Yeah, I had a few investments but nothing serious and my savings account was a joke.  However, when I came into contact with her high values concerning money, my empty pockets began to overflow with money.  I learned how to manage my money and realized that saving money isn’t a bad thing.  Simply because I have it, doesn’t mean I need to spend it.  In the past three years, my savings account has become a comfortable emergency fund, I have begun saving for retirement, and I am more aware about the whereabouts of my money.

2.  Laziness Is For The Birds

In the years before I met my girlfriend, I was not the most productive person on the face of the Earth (not saying that I am now but…).  I had no desire to do anything – I wouldn’t work very hard, I wouldn’t get done my school work, and I would hardly help around the house.  If you looked up lazy in the dictionary, you’d find me.  It was getting to the point to where I was promising people something and never, ever delivering.  However, my relationship with my girlfriend began to change things.  I saw her high level of respect for her job (although she didn’t like it all the time), she displayed a desire to learn, and she kept promises.  I knew I needed that and I adopted those values as my own.  Now, three years later, I can proudly say that I give 100% each day I am working, I have changed jobs and promoted, and I have a 3.85 GPA while pursuing an online degree.

3.  The World?  I Don’t Need No Stinkin’ World!

This is one of the hardest things I used to struggled with – approval from “the world.”  Now that I look back on it, I don’t even really know what I considered “the world.”  Sure, everyone wants to be accepted by their friends and family but I knew that no matter what I did, those people would accept me.  Once I started dating my girlfriend, I ditched that thinking and realized I needed to become Eric, not everyone else.  I dropped the fashion trends, I stopped watching all of the shows and movies everyone else was watching, and broke the mold of routine and lived for once.  I didn’t have to be like everyone else.  I needed to be me.  Now, I have started a blog with consistent readers (thank you, guys), began to volunteer at my church more, and climb the corporate ladder.  Those things may not appear to be daring or bold, but they are for me compared to who I once was.

So, there you have it.  Three years; three truths.  I have learned a lot more and continue to learn as we progress through our relationship and progress as people.  As those lessons come, I will continue to share them.  Here’s to three years of reflection and here’s to many, many more.

What can you reflect on?  How have you grown as a person in the last 2 or 3 years?  Let us know in the comments!

I believe that the condition of the Unite States, especially the economy, played a negative role in the acceptance and publicity of the Super Bowl this year.  Most people, especially die hard football fans, will not admit that this year was different than others but there were a few obvious signs pointing to a lack of momentum and interest in football’s biggest event.

1.  Pre-Super Bowl Hype – The hype and energy that is normally associated with the two weeks leading up the Super Bowl really didn’t exist this year.  Instead, the Super Bowl hype was replaced with stories of the failing economy, the actions taken by newly elected President Obama, and the analysis of where America “goes from here.”  Unless you are an avid watcher of a sports show or channel, you probably didn’t encounter too much talk about the Super Bowl.  Simply put, there were more important things to discuss.

2.  Commercials – Frankly, the commercials during the Super Bowl this year were weak.  Even the eTrade baby commercials were a little on the dull side.  I also tie this to America’s unsure stage and unstable economy.  Think about it – Super Bowl commercials are the mother load.  Yes, companies are gaining a ton of exposure but are also paying an arm and a leg for a few seconds of air time.  When companies are shelling out the the big money solely for a spot during the commercial lineup, they may not have the resources to pay quality writers, brainstormers, and actors.  The company that may have made out the best was Miller.  Their commercial was only one second long and it is probably garnering the most attention because it was out of the ordinary.  During tough times, companies need to think outside of the box and most companies came up short during the Super Bowl this year.

3.  Glit and Glamour Post Game – Attempting not to pass any judgements because of the victors of Super Bowl XLIII but I didn’t think that the post game show was as flashy as it normally would be.  Yes, the same elements existed (confetti, merchandise, interviews, etc.) but for some reason, it just didn’t feel like it normally does during the presentation ceremony.  The NFL did cut over 100 jobs during the regular season in order to feel less of an impact from a spiraling economy so the toned down Super Bowl post-game may have been another contributing factor to cut costs.  For whatever reason, the post game and presentation ceremony wasn’t like it has been in the past.

I believe that the 2010 Super Bowl will be a critical event for the NFL.  The next “Big Game” could make or break how America and the rest of the world view football.  There will always be your devoted football fans who will watch the game no matter what but as far as neutral viewers are concerned, the NFL could be in trouble with losing viewers.  Super Bowl XLIII may not have been the greatest game with the best commercials but hopefully the NFL notices the problems and where they occurred to make next year even better.

Here’s the deal. There is nothing more talked about and focussed upon today than gas prices. I kinda covered this in my last post, but I’m going to hit on a different point during this post. I think it’s so funny to hear people talking about how high gas prices are and then to see those same people speed past me on the highway, going about 80mph. Gee, I wonder why you need to fill your tank every four days. I’m not sure about anyone else, but if I were to feel negatively about something and make it a point to complain about it, I wouldn’t go and contradict myself and my own argument minutes later. If I really cared that gas prices were so high, I’d modify my driving habits to try and get more miles per gallon. One of the most hilarious things for me to see while driving is when a huge truck speeds past everyone and is going about 90 down the highway. Honestly, how can you afford that? It just baffles me…and really makes me laugh. You sit in front of my one moment and complain that you need a new vehicle and gas prices are so high, but then you get on the freeway and burn more gas in one round trip than I burn in 4 days. I don’t see how it’s possible but it happens every single day.