Why I Come To Cabo

Of course, you can question my claim that I escape the often gray skies and chilly days of Ohio to help fraternity men become better men on the beach in the wonderful sun of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Furthermore, you may wonder what, if anything, a college student may have to gain from a week in such an obvious spring break town. In 2005 when I traveled to Cabo for the first time, I wondered the same thing.

My answer came around 10pm last night as I stood with six undergraduates at our hotel. As we were talking, an alumnus walked by and said hello. For the next forty five minutes, the men talked to him and asked him questions about how he'd gotten through college, the work he does and how his business impacts the economy. He told us about his hobbies and a little bit about his life. As he walked away, the guys looked at me and smiled. One of them said to me, "It's so cool that he just took time to talk to us."

The American Leadership Academy in Cabo San Lucas is an opportunity for our members to learn and challenge themselves. They have a chance to interact with people that they may otherwise never get to talk to. All of this can take place during sessions each day or while sitting on the beach, by the pool or at dinner.

So while I may travel back to Athens, Ohio this Sunday a little darker and a bit more refreshed, that's not necessarily the reason I go to Cabo. It's just an outstanding benefit of a much greater experience.

A Role Model???

I watched as people gathered around the television to see Tiger Woods make his apologies and say whatever words he was going to say. As the clock on tv counted down (yes, they had a countdown clock) to his big public appearance, I walked away. Most likely, I will never know exactly what he said in full because I have no desire to see it. He doesn't need to apologize to me. I admire Tiger Woods for what he has done for the game of golf and the obstacles that he has overcome in the process. My opinion of him has changed very little since December.

I am not disregarding what he did. Having an affair is wrong. Just like me, Tiger Woods has some shortcomings, or as I like to refer to them, character flaws. Tiger Woods is human just like me, you and the person that you will talk to immediately after you are done reading this. He is not a product of the factory of perfect human beings (this is apparently a new human factory that people think exists). The argument that I've heard from so many people is this... "He allowed himself to become a role model for the game of golf and therefore he has taken on certain responsibilities...and he let people down." I listened to a woman say "I used to tell my son that Tiger Woods was who he should strive to be like, but after this, I have lost all respect for him."

Maybe the difference between me and all of the disappointed people out there is that I've never seen Tiger Woods as anything more than an amazing golfer, just like I never saw Michael Jordan as anything more than an amazing basketball player or Steve Jobs as anything more than an amazing businessman. Why, you may ask? While I would love to be able to golf like Tiger, play basketball like MJ, or run a company like Steve, I don't know Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan or Steve Jobs and they don't know me. I've seen them on television during carefully planned and scheduled programming that promote what they are good at, but that's it. So here are my issues.

First and foremost, does anyone else find it to be a problem that a mother was so disappointed that as a result of her advice, Tiger Woods let her son down? She couldn't believe that Tiger Woods LET HER SON DOWN. Apparently we now live in a society where we pawn the responsibility of setting a good example off on those who are famous because they can also swing a golf club or act in a movie. Who were my role models? My mom, dad and grandmother. Why? Because they taught me how to live. They taught me to be the man I am today. Michael Jordan showed me how sweet a dunk could be. The craziest part is that I know my parents and my grandmother have made mistakes in their lives, some probably much greater than others. Nevertheless, just like when Michael Jordan had a bad game, I know who they really are and what they are capable of. I don't condemn my parents because they did something wrong. Michael Jordan's worst game didn't make him a bad player. When he missed a shot at the buzzer, I didn't turn my back on him. Even when he made a bad pass that everyone knew he shouldn't have made, I didn't consider him a failure in the game of basketball. He made a lot of mistakes playing the game that he was good at. A lot of people make mistakes doing what they're good at.

So what's my point? Before we start criticizing people on television for letting people down, lets take a moment to look in the mirror. Are we being the best role models that we can be for those we love and care about? Are we setting the best examples? Remember that just because there are no cameras there to watch your every move and no news reporters there to record every decision that you make, you may be a role model for someone too.

"To the world you may one person. To one person you may be the world."

Post Dated New Years Resolution

On December 31, I made a decision not to make a new years resolution. Every year that I do, I hold myself to my resolution for maybe a month before it somehow falls through the cracks. I would get frustrated with myself because I couldn't understand why I was never successful at what I set out to accomplish. Then this year, I adopted a new direction. I must set this up with a totally hypothetical story that is totally made up and has come strictly from my imagination.   Think about this....it's new years eve and you're excited because in a matter of hours, you're going to celebrate a new year..with a glass of cheap champagne in hand and your favorite people all around you (or whoever else didn't have plans if you waited till the last minute to figure out what you were gonna do). if you're lucky, you might even get to ring in the new year with a big kiss from that guy or gal that you've been creepin on and you honestly realize that if a kiss is gonna happen, it's going to happen now. So the alcohol is flowing and you're getting excited because Dick Clark is rockin on television in the background while Ryan Seacrest takes over his show. You're friends are talking about all the crazy things that have happened to them over the past year; drunken nights, poor stock investments, new jobs that have since become old jobs,etc. You become overwhelmed with joy as you realize that a new beginning is upon you. You can finally swear off all of your bad habits, promise to save every penny that you can, and be nice to the lady that sits next to you in the office, even though deep down, you know you will always hate her.  And at this unbelievable moment, the most optimal moment in your lifetime, you realize that it is 11:57pm and it is time for you to commit to your new years resolution. With a slight tingle in your toes, a numbing sensation in your lips and a blurry view of what looks like Ryan Seacrest doing the Single Ladies dance...as the apple begins to descend upon all of people in time square, you declare your new years resolution.....

I decided to avoid that moment this year. Lets be real. It's probably not the best time to be making a year long decision. It is likely that your friends don't feel like you should even be making any decisions for the night by the look on your face. 

So it is today, almost one month after that spectacular day that I failed to declare a new years resolution.  Why did I wait so long. My marketing experience taught me to always try something out before you put it out there for everyone to see. We'll call it a dry run. For the past 24 days, I have been doing just that. Testing out possible resolutions deciding which one was best for me. Therefore, from now on, I will be post dating my new years resolution. How long after January 1 will it take me next year? Who knows. I will simply wait to see what comes up. That's part of the fun and benefit. So what did I decide on? I have made the decision to try to make me as important to myself as everyone else is to me. This includes taking care of myself physically and emotionally. This commitment consists of but is not limited to; regular exercise, keeping up on school work, leaving work on time, keeping in touch with my friends and doing things for myself. 

So, if you've read this far, you may be disappointed because maybe my new years resolution wasn't what you expected it to be. Maybe a little lame? Too boring? Too broad? Normally I would be concerned...but I am proud to say that I will not stop supporting the resolution that you just found out about. This blog is still ABOUT ME. Happy new years.

With Each Passing Day, We Learn Something New

The day never comes when you know everything there is that you need to know.  We live each day making decisions that we've never made before in our lives. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. "Sometimes you even surprise yourself", and that's not necessarily a good thing.  No matter what decision you make, you continue to learn more and more with each passing day.

With each decision that is made, you run the risk of making mistakes or faulting in your judgement, sometimes with greater consequence than others. Regardless of the decision or its repercussions, the experience will, without a doubt, last a lifetime. You may not lose an eye or money, but after you get hit in the face with a basketball, you tend to be a lot more cautious when you're around flying basketballs.

I think it would be wrong of me to say that every decision that I have made that has resulted in negative consequence was a mistake. As a matter of fact, I know of some very disastrous decisions that I've made that were RIGHT.

I've spent my entire life with people telling me to take a risk, to go out on a limb and be free. They tell me not to worry about things so much. They all say "you'll feel better that way" or "it will make you happier' or "it's the only way you can enjoy life." While my life displays short glimpses of such a mentality, I am not really sure that's who I am. It may work for them, but.... I will be the first to admit that being who I am definitely has its shortcomings. When we gain something in our life, we often have to make a sacrifice...something that I am not sure I'm willing to make to be the adventurous person people envision me as.

That's what I have for today.