Woulda, Coulda or Shoulda

"I wish I got married sooner; I wish I had waited to get married. I wish I studied harder in school and went on to college; I wish I'd skipped the college-scene and began earlier in the work force making money while gaining experience. I wish I had spent more time with my family; I wish I had a better family. I wish had a lot more friends; I wish I had only a few committed friends I could rely on..." Of course, this song and dance could go on forever. And it still wouldn't change this reality:

"Sadly, regrets are simply a part of life!"

Even if you don't fully believe it, that doesn't stop it from happening. That doesn't stop you from putting your foot in your mouth, at times, or wanting to redo something better if given a second chance. Understand, we reside in a fallen and depraved world, with sinful people. Actually, you're one of them! I have heard people say, "I don't have any regrets," only months afterward, regretting that very statement. Your life isn't as perfect as you would like for us to believe it is. God knows that and, honestly, so do you. So let's stop kidding ourselves!

There are many things in life God gave you a chance to get right. And to this day, some are still left undone. The first thing we can do is...

"Be Real!"

Next, we can open ourselves up to becoming better. And if that means we need to make restitution, then make restitution. If we need to forgive, then let's forgive. If we need to apologize, then get at it. What are you waiting for? If we need to walk in Godly wisdom, then immediately start walking. If we need to relinquish our self-inflicted fears, then let them go and loosen your grasp.

Lastly, we must get away from the woulda, coulda or shoulda routine. One of the best ways to do that is to stop living in the past. You remember the past, learn from the past; but, you shouldn't be living there. You need to stop allowing your past to stifle your present and taint your future. The video above and poem below should build some motivation in you taking those pertinent steps out of a life of regret.

Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda  BY Shel Silverstein

All the Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas


Layin' in the sun,


Talkin' 'bout the things


They woulda coulda shoulda done...


But those Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas


All ran away and hid


From one little Did.

Jeremy Who?

By now, anyone with a computer, smart phone, televison, radio, newspaper or sports pulse should know about point guard Jeremy Lin. Tonight, he received a rude awakening. He had a dismal basketball performance against the Miami Heat, my hometown team. He went 1 for 11 shooting and had 8 points in the game, only just 2 points the entire first half. 

Some may ask, "What happened?" Simply put, LINSANITY was shut down! A defense-savvy team like the Heat wasn't having it, not on their home court. His pattern down the court was missed shot, blocked shot and turn over, for 4 action-packed quarters.

Now, to be fair, Jeremy Lin is a pretty decent basketball player. I would even go as far to say, "He's pretty good!" But let's not over-do-it. To date, his competition, outside of 3 games, (LA, Dallas & Miami) wasn't that stellar. These upcoming games will test him like never before, with much harder competition.

But this blog post is NOT about Jeremy Lin the basketball player; it's about Jeremy the person. During his recent rise to fame, Jeremy has stunned the media world with his character:

"Genuine Godly humilty was something highlighted instead of selfish pride."

Jeremy has no problem seriously honoring Jesus Christ, even at the apex of his fame. Many have even discouraged him from being so fanatical with his faith in God, but he still keeps on lifting up the name of Jesus, anyway. And this stout boldness is shown even in an area like New York City; a place that doesn't necessarily pride itself on evangelical Christianity.

If you were paying the slightest attention to the National Football League (NFL) recently, heading into the playoffs, you would have said, "It seems like I've seen this story before, haven't I?" Yes, this looks extremely similar to the Tim Tebow saga in Denver. Another athlete who surprised the sports world with his uncanny ability in clutch time, on a pro-level. It's also no surprise that Jeremy's favorite athlete is Tim Tebow, not even a former basketball legend like Jordan, Bird or Magic.

Jeremy is so impressed with Tim's passion for his sport, but he's overwhelmingly taken in by Tim's unashamed passion for Jesus. As a Christian, even if you're not a Broncos or Knicks fan; you should consider championing these 2 athletes because you're a Jesus fan. All they're doing is constantly shining selflessly, being a strong testimony to the sports world and the culture at large.  

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16) NIV

Bed of Roses

Ask yourself this question, "What really is life or truly living?"

A many of minds have wrestled with that entire notion. They want to garner the most out of this mundane existence on our planet. They want to reach their fullest potential. The skies' the limit and anything is possible. They grab life by the horns...No, this is not a Longhorn Steakhouse plug, but it is something that's extremely relevant within this world.

So, ask yourself this, "What do I want to get most out of life?" Or, "How do I want my life to count?" Or, "What possibilities do I want my life to give to me?"

You might say to the first question, "whatever I can foster---and a whole lot of it!" These aspirations are all well and good and can bring about an awe-inspiring life. But, just because one has good intentions it doesn't necessarily guarantee you a life that's a 'bed of roses.'

Oh no, I'm about to say that 'W' word...."WORK"...Yes, an awe-inspiring life requires much work. Work on your life...Work on yourself...Work with your relationships to others...Work throughout the day...and so on and so on. Life takes work---and HARD work at that! So, what! This still shouldn't be a deterrent in aggressively going after a desirable and wonderful type of life. You can be better than before. You can be different than your peers. You can open up doors and opportunities for others. You can be Godly! Basically, just know...'Yes, You Can'. President Barack Obama wasn't the first to coin that phrase and I bet you he won't be the last. Let's stop going throughout our lives with a mentality that everything should be easy and changing for the better requires little to no work. It all requires something...we just have to be willing to commit to giving that little extra something.