Freedom

Freedom is an often misunderstood word in our society today. Most people will tweet about America being the home of freedom, without even truly remembering why we can say that. We had so many men and women who gave so much for this quick slogan to be used today. King George III the tryant had strangled the colonies with his taxes and refused to give the colonies up. At the time the British empire was thriving with colonizing across the entire globe, and was not going to start a precedent by giving up one of his colonies with the most potential. The colonials fought back to beat the British, and they did it on their own land.

This quick history talk was to show that there was a price and a reason that we are indeed the most “free” country in the world. But there is another freedom that was even of bigger importance than America gaining its independance.

This freedom was when Jesus, the son of God, defeated death by coming back to life after 3 days. That gave everyone the chance to have freedom from an eternity spent in Hell by believing that he is God. You then also have the blessing to live this brief life on earth with a heavenly freedom only found in Jesus.

The freedom to live in a country because of what the colonials did was amazing and we can cherish that while we live this life here. But the freedom in Jesus is one that we can cherish here and for all of enternity.

Leaders are Readers

As I am cruising at 30,000 feet in the air heading to the SEC offices in Birmingham for the weekend, it gives me some good time to disconnect from the world below. I don’t have to deal with my phone and so it gives me an easier way to read my new book in silence. I thought I would hop on a quickly tell you what I have been thinking through this flight as I started this new book called, “Chasing the Lion”. I love reading, and a big reason why is put best by Dr. Jay Strack when he says, “Leaders are Readers”.

I have not always been an avid reader and really have lacked the desire to read any books when I was younger. One thing I learned through my undergraduate degree was how valuable expanding your knowledge and mind was. As Athletes, we train our body day in and day out while pushing the limit on how much our bodies can actually take. Not many people educate athletes on what to do when your body ages past the point of competition or when sports does not work out as a profession long enough.

Thankfully I have figured out there is a point where you transition from using your body as a means for a living to then using what you bring to the table from a mental standpoint. As simple as this sounds for a lot of people reading this, it is a foreign concept to guys who grew up always relying on their bodies to get them to success.

So with this knowledge I have fallen in love with learning the past few years in school and especially outside of it. That is where reading comes back into play because it is one of the best ways to learn. If you want to excel in life as a leader outside of the field then you need to fall in love with the art of learning and reading. I encourage anyone who wants to be a good reader but can’t seem to get it together to try a few easy steps.

Find a good book, as simple as this sounds, it is actually quite difficult. Everyone has their different taste but reach out to people you know who are good leaders or are successful in your eyes for their opinion on a book.
Find an area in your life that you can escape too in order to read. My place is a coffee shop because I can sit comfortably without getting distracted.
Have a notepad, it helps a lot to remember what you are reading if you write downs thoughts and quotes from your reading. It also helps you focus on what you are reading instead of reading just to read.
Turn your phone over and on silent. Your phone is the biggest enemy to your reading and learning. All the social media posts and texts will still be there after you are done.