The Expected Journey from Non-Ordinary to A Cut Above

When you choose to do something extraordinary, why is it such a surprise when the extraordinary thing ends up harder than you think? And when it ends up harder, why is the natural reaction to turn around to return to the ordinary. No matter how ordinary the ordinary seemed before, when attempting to do the extraordinary, it seems comfortable and peaceful.

I have a non ordinary life. I have chosen to do things that ordinary people would find amazing. It isn't because I am not ordinary. In fact, most of the time I feel very ordinary. I feel as if everyone can do better than what I can without even trying. But non ordinary isn't enough.

Ordinary, non ordinary or extraordinary are to my mind three different things. Ordinary describes something mundane, usual, normality to a point of bordom. Non ordinary is exactly that. It isn't yet extraordinary, but it isn't ordinary. It is sitting on the fence, wanting to be doing something different, but not able to find that thing to set onself apart. It is a half hearted attempt to be extraordinary.

But extraordinary. This is a cut above. This is more than unusual, it is something that makes people wonder.

A Soldier: This is one who lives a life a cut above the rest, and as such naturally demands the respect of those around. A civilian life is not for this. In their training, their job, their task, their goals, they demand more of themselves than any ordinary person. Whether it is in their sense of duty, their personal desire for power, their sacrifice for the greater good, they are in search of something that sets them above the rest.

An Athlete: An athlete lives a non-ordinary life. To take an athlete from a non ordinary life to an extraordinary life, sacrifice, drive and passion are needed. They take a sacrifice that to some would seem ridiculous, but to them it is a way of life. Hardship, hunger, pain, discomfort, all these aspects of their daily life result in an extraordinary result. For this, it is all worth it to even have a chance of the glory that being the best brings. As such, they are respected as extraordinary.

As someone on the search for the extraordinary, I must take hardship, pain, discomfort and the unusual as part of what it is. When hardship takes me by surprise in the pursuit of non-ordinary, I must set myself apart and not give up the path I have chosen. Only in this I can change from ordinary to non-ordinary, and then from that to extraordinary.

The thing that sets apart the extraordinary isn't luck. It isn't comfort. It isn't being in the right place at the right time. It is the determination not to give up when it becomes harder than you thought. It is to accept the pain, the discomfort and to realise all these things pale in comparison to what the result, what the glory and the prize is.

Fight to be extraordinary.

Happiness vs Hopefulness

So my thought is this. People say that for true happiness to be had, you must be content with where you are right now. But then a contrasting thought is that hope for a better tomorrow comes from a place of discontent with where either you or the world around you is at.
Beginning this post, I actually have no set outcomes of this thought. I am gettting some thoughts into words and seeing where it goes.

So happiness. We need to be happy. We must be happy at least some of the time. The human state demands this. If we aren't happy, depression and frustration sets in, and literally makes the body sick. Unhappiness is not a good constant state to be in. And there is an aspect to happiness in realizing that where you are right now is a good place. Counting your blessings even if there's some crap going on around you. It's realizing that there are good things in everything.

Hoping for a better future can be frustrating at times. This can happen especially if the future you are hoping for seems out of reach. Humankind finds this to be true every year at the beginning of the year in the form of the New Years Resolution. But on the other hand, nothing will get better without hoping for better. Every great thing that has happened is because of a frustration with a current reality. There have been some great changes in the world from this.

I begin to think, however, that these aren't so much contrasting ideas as they are a balance that should take place. Instead of solely bonding to one of these ideals, a need to have both begins to surface. Keeping entirely to one of these could cripple you in your thinking, and either you will never be happy, or you won't realize that you need change in your life.

In conclusion I bring an ancient proverb to mind. "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life."

Let this bless you as it may. Stay excellent.

I like this just a bit. Call me crazy...

"You think fairy tales are only for girls? Here's a hint - ask yourself who wrote them. I assure you, it wasn't just the women. It's the great male fantasy - all it takes is one dance to know that she's the one. All it takes is the sound of her song from the tower, or a look at her sleeping face. And right away you know - this is the girl in your head, sleeping or dancing or singing in front of you. Yes, girls want their princes, but boys want their princesses just as much. And they don't want a very long courtship. They want to know immediately."

- David Levithan and Rachel Cohn. 

Remember the Good Life

If you find time in your busy schedule, or holiday, or at whatever point in your life you decide to do it, have a watch of this video. Let it remind you of the important things, let it get inside you and make you feel good. It's worth the 8 minute watch. Oh and the music is pretty awesome too. Have fun!!

Simply some words

So much going on inside my head. So much sadness, confusion, sympathy, wanting to care, but hurting to care at the same time. Why do things sometimes have to be so hard? It’s like all the good times have saved up the bad times and chucked them as hard as they can in one giant mud slinging assassination attempt. At times like these words coming out of my head make one feel better. I apologise for it coming out so convoluted, but this time it’s more about getting feelings onto webpage than actually making sense.

I find it sad when life so young gets cut short. You should have lived so much longer, and happier, and made more memories with those people that love you. Because I tell you right now, they loved you more than you dreamed. This sadness has spread so much, and affected so many people. I don’t blame you, infact I’m sad that you aren’t here. It would be so much simpler if you were.

I find it sad when people think that no one cares to the point where they think they’re all alone. Not just to the tragic point where some outcomes have been taken, but even those who live life alone. There are people who want to help you. It’s a thing put inside of us to help you. And it’s not just us. There’s a God who created you to do something amazing. He wouldn’t have made you the way you are unless He loved you the way you are. If only you could have read this before.

Many joys, many successes will come, many good memories and laughter will end up happening, but right now I feel ok being sad. It’s not a bad thing. Let it out, don’t bottle it up. Bottled up stuff always ends up fermenting and going bad. Or making other things go bad.

In times like these, I know one thing. Beyond any feel good thing, and by the way, I believe feelings are good. They are essential. If you don’t have feelings you’re in a bad bad place. But beyond simply feel good, one thing comforts and creates hope like no other. The Lord is my light and salvation. Whom shall I fear? No one. The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? Absolutely no one at all. Though the worst things in life sling themselves my way in an ambush of apocalyptic proportions, I know one thing remains. God is love. He is love. That is all.

GO YOU MIGHTY (team name here)

With the awesome rugby tournament happening at the moment, I have started to wonder. Why is it that we get so passionate about sport? Why are there huge celebrations when our team succeeds, and sometimes riots when they fail? What is it that connects so well with our inner person that happens when we get involved in a simple game? Well as this blog is called "My Thoughts as Words," I will put those thoughts down for you to read.

I personally do buy hugely into sports, especially rugby. Some sports don't seem to make sense to me, some seem completely stupid. But with each major sport in the world, there are fans that sometimes reach the point of fanaticism with their team. I love my local rugby team, and my national rugby team, the mighty ABs (WHOOOOOOH!!) I get excited when they do well, when they win, I'm ecstatic; when they lose, sometimes I have to work hard to make it so i don't get majorly depressed.

I think the reason we are so involved in sports as part of our culture is that we want something greater than ourselves to align ourselves with. We have emotions, and we want to connect those emotions with something that makes us feel. When we get fully involved in supporting a sports team, we have similar emotions to those on the field or in the arena. We love being champions, and they give us a chance to be champions alongside them. When they lose and we see it effect them emotionally, we feel those emotions too. When we see a decision go against them unfairly, we ourselves feel slighted. When they win a huge struggle, and we see all their hard work pay off, we want to dance and cry and celebrate with them.

We all feel like we need a champion, and we need have something great along with ourselves. This is why I love sports. GO YOU MIGHTY ALL BLACKS! GO YOU GOOD THING!

The Paradox

I believe there are different kinds of friends. Different types, different levels if you will. I'm not saying any particular level is bad or anything, but just your level of comfort and trust. I want to say a few words on the closest level of friendship I know.

This is the type of friend who happens to show up when you need them. When you need to have that chat, or have a hug at just the right moment, or randomly says something positive that's connected to the thing you've been thinking/stressing about just moments before.

This type of friend is the type that is closer than a brother. Somehow they're spiritually or emotionally connected enough to instinctively be the right thing at the right time for you. In my experience this crosses genders, musical interest, cultural background, life background, inexplicable, but just is. They don't even know what you need, but it just happens.

I love this type of friend. This is the type of friend that at the end of the conversation, you feel all talked out, all emptied out, but yet strangely full. You feel completed somehow in a way that you perhaps haven't in a long time. So here's to friends.

There's a wise proverb that I love. It says this: "One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin; but there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother."

When all is said and done, when cliches are at an end, when death or his friends visit your door, when you need a moment to laugh or cry, one thing remains. Love. So, here is to a friend. When you're done talking to them, you feel empty of all the bad, and filled up with the good. To the ultimate paradox.