Streaks & Slumps

The Sports Metaphor:

In sports, when a player or team is experiencing consecutive good fortune or they’re displaying consistent skill, they are said to be going on a streak. Since it’s baseball season, and my Kansas City Royals are decent right now, I’ll use a baseball example–Hitting Streaks & Scoreless innings pitched come to mind.  It seems like there’s this sudden breakthrough.  Whether it’s the first hit or the first scoreless inning, streaks have a definite beginning…and a definite end.  It’s clear to you and everyone around you when you are no longer “streaking”. Just like in the movie Old School, there was a declaration, and a definite beginning point, when Frank the Tank exclaimed, “We’re going streaking!” and everyone also knew exactly when Frank stopped streaking. The opposite of a streak is a slump. The beginning and ending points of slumps are typically just as easy to point out.

Life Application:

The past 3 years of my life, I’ve been on a streak. Passion, purpose, direction, enjoyment, learning, & relationship-building were all things on which I thrived. Things were falling in line every step of the way. The sky was the limit.
…Until I found out that my pride was more limiting than the sky. With that limitation came missed opportunity, dissatisfaction, sense of entitlement, and ultimately loss of direction. Instead of focusing my efforts towards those things on which I was thriving, I was withdrawing, closing off, spending time just wondering how & why it seemed to be falling apart. If you know me well, you could probably see it, which made me even more frustrated.

For a little while, it was a challenge, but I thought I had it figured out. Then I got arrested, and that set me back quite a bit. At the time, I was applying to work for the company for whom I now work, but had to withdrawal my efforts until the legal stuff cleared, which took a few months since apparently no one is in any sort of real hurry inside our court system.

At no point during my slump did I ever think, “I’ll never be any good”. I knew that wasn’t true. I knew I had purpose in life. I was created with purpose. I just felt like I was on the cusp of starting my adult life, but couldn’t quite make it over the hump. It was the annoying part of the roller coaster, where you’re being ratcheted up to the top of the first big hill with a series of incredibly loud *clanks*, and then it’s like I got stuck up there. I could see where the fun would happen–where the ride would really begin. (speaking of roller coasters, my roller coaster is nothing compared to the roller coaster my best friend Mallorie is on right now. If you like strength and resilience in the face of adversity, check out that link. If you don’t like that stuff, check it out anyways, or else you’re dead inside)

Thankfully, I have an incredible network of family and friends. They helped keep me from letting my slump get to me too much–being very patient as I trudged through it. I’ve had a ton of fun during these last 8 months that I wouldn’t have had if not for them. If they’re reading this, I want them to know I appreciate it, and I intend to repay the favor with my continued friendship and dedication to them. If you’re a “gifts” person, and would rather I repay you with something of material value, then let me know, and we’ll talk about it, at least. If you’re “physical touch”, then we can hug it out next time I see you, I guess.

Currently

As a batter, I got a hit–not a home run, but I definitely crushed one over the head of the third baseman (I’m a lefty who hits to the opposite field almost every time…to catch them off guard of course). As a pitcher, I stopped getting gashed for runs in the later innings, and got out of a bases-loaded jam for my first scoreless inning in 3 starts. As a non-baseball player, I got a job. Basically that was what I’d been waiting for. The burden of unemployment was one of the heaviest I’ve carried, but it’s thankfully been lifted off. God got my roller coaster un-stuck.

Finances are getting back on track since I naturally love to budget…so long as I have an actual income.

I’m enrolling in classes to finish up my MBA.

I’m finding that old enjoyment out of serving in ministry.

Heck, I’m finding enjoyment out of small-talk with strangers again.

The happiness is back.

The commitment level is back.

I’m out of my slump.

art appreciation: Progression of Musical Taste

My taste in music has evolved & changed as much as my maturity level–so I’m saying it has it’s ups and downs. Here’s a glimpse of the artists that shaped the musical landscape of my life.  This is an outline–an overview. To gain a comprehensive list, I might let you look at my iTunes library.

Since I grew up in Oklahoma City, and my dad’s radio in the shop in our back yard never left the country dial, I’m fairly rooted in country music. I can always go back to it–so that’s where I start this progression.

Country – Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Bryan White

Pop – Backstreet, N’Sync, Britney, Will Smith

R&B – Brandy, Monica, Tyrese

Rap – Tupac, DMX, Eminem

Punk Rock – Blink 182

Rock – Creed, Story of the Year, Taking Back Sunday

Art Appreciation: Dance

I’m a big fan of dancing. I’m not any good at it, but I’m at least a fan of it. While I appreciate the dedication and the discipline that goes into ballet or waltzes and foxtrots, they don’t quite capture my attention the way hip-hop does. I can, and have watched hours and hours of America’s Best Dance Crew (ABDC). I can’t get enough. I absolutely love it, and only partially because of Mario Lopez’s dimples. The control those people have over their bodies, and the way they move together with the music is in–wait for it–credible.

This is the part where I make a guilty pleasure confession, but considering

Intro to Art

If you appreciate dancing, architecture, writing, photography, music, or other forms of “art“, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy one or all of my next few posts.

I’m creating a series showcasing different kinds of art, my favorite artists, and why I love them.

Art is:

the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.

I love most art, and I started to ask myself, “Why?”. When I was a child, I drew on things

I…think I’m heading in the right direction

Recently I’ve had to do a lot of soul-searching [I can hear the sarcastic comments of my friends saying, "Let me know when you find one!"].  I’ve been getting overwhelmed with the notion that I have a big question to answer soon (probably should’ve answered it a while ago, in fact)–What career path do I want to follow?–and whatever decision I make could either be a big step in the right direction, or a big step in the wrong direction.

Example: If I take a step in the direction of ship-building, and I find out 3 years down the road that I don’t really- and haven’t ever really enjoyed building ships, then it’s time to pick a new career. To me, that means I wasted those 3 years. They could’ve been spent

a new leaf

It’s the beginning of a new year.  That usually means working out more, but I got a jump on that a few weeks early in an attempt to fake-out the whole resolution process.  So far it’s working.  I’m not necessarily working out more so much as I’m just working out still.

Recently, I got to thinkin’, and by random chance (which is often how my mind works) I started analyzing the whole “resolution” concept.  I found out it’s as simple as this:

Looking Forward

Now that I’ve thoroughly analyzed my past year, I thought I’d look forward to my new year.  In semi-chronological order, these are just a few things I’m looking forward to in this next year of my life.