Coming soon!

I have been debating about what this blog will look like moving forward and I plan to revamp it into a video blog of sorts. I recently launched a new YouTube Channel that is linked on my new homepage at www.GregTroxell.com. On the channel will be a few different shows. I am currently developing one focused on leadership and then there will be another focused on ministry issues. The plan right now is to post the videos here as well. I may still write a few blogs here and there but most of them will be video.

Let me know how you like the new concept once it is in effect. Right now the only show I have up is My Road to WrestleMania which is really geared at readers of my Sports and Entertainment blog. Feel free to check it out at www.GregTroxell.com.

Also on my new homepage you can connect with me through Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Check it out when you get a chance.

Good vs Evil; What Does It Really Mean – part two

Here is part two of us looking at good vs evil.

Last time we talked about the definitions of good and evil and I challenged you to write down some things that were good and some things that were bad.

I had several things on my list as did many of my readers. It was cool seeing some of the lists in my email. But it was also cool to see the wide variety of what people see as good and bad.

On my list I had the New York Yankees. Here is the thing though, I am not a Yankees fan….not even a little. I am a Braves fan and really don’t even like the Yankees. So why you may ask are they on my good list? Well I know that the Yankees are good for baseball. Heck they are good for sports. They represent a true winner’s spirit. They do what it takes and second best is not good enough for them. So I place them in my good list.

You may wonder what does that have to do with anything and here it is…good and evil are really left up to the individual.

Let’s take it back to the Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve took a bite of the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. After they took the bite they determined what they thought was good and what they thought was evil. See God had just made everything that was good but then Adam and Eve chose to place things into categories. Thus humans determine good and evil.

Many people look at the exact same thing and one group says it is good and another group says it is evil. Look at Hitler. Many of us say he was evil but he had an entire army of people that thought he was good so to them he WAS good. So if those people thought he was good…was he?

The only definition that I can come up with is anything done outside of God’s word is evil.

However If God can take anything that was done for evil and use it for good so does that now make the evil good? Interesting thought huh?

Unfortunately we determine what is evil based on our own agenda. Republicans say Democrats are evil. Democrats think Republicans are evil. Unions hate management. Management hates unions. The Yankees and Red Sox think the other is just bad. It comes down to who believes like we do.

The solution is to immerse yourself in God’s Word and follow what He says. To often we want to follow man but we need to turn our attention to God. Live our lives according to Him and our definition of evil changes. We can then take the actions of this world and turn them into glory for God.

I Am a Hypocrite

Yes I am a hypocrite and you probably are as well.

At my son’s school they have a program called AR (accelerated reading) where the kids read books, log onto the computer, and take a test. As they pass these tests they get AR points. It is a cool system. There is a huge list of books that are eligible which makes it even better. For every test my son completes he gets two G-Dollars at home, G-Dollars are our incentive program. So we strongly encourage (make him) read books on a regular basis so he can achieve high levels on his AR ranking.

We all know reading is good but here is my issue and where I become a hypocrite. While I am ‘strongly encouraging’ him to read guess what I am doing? Yep watching tv or surfing the net. Not a good example. See I want my son to do something but the example I am setting ain’t all that great.

This got me thinking about other things we make our kids do that we stop doing as adults. Your know things like…
* read books
* study
* play outside
* not watch too much tv
* go to church
* be nice to others
* be respectful to others
* don’t get smart with their parents

Yeah I dont like the list either cause I am GUILTY as charged.

When was the last time you read a book? Did you do it where your kids could see you? I am starting to make an effort to read at the same time I ask Greg 2.0 and Ashley to read. Trying to set an example.

Study / homework may sound like something we no longer need to do but I beg to differ. We should always educate ourselves. Think about it we say to our kids to study and do well in school for a better future but then we don’t continue to educate ourselves for a better future. It doesn’t matter your age you can still learn and improve your future. I am not saying you have to go to school but you can read certain things, attend seminars, watch webinars, read blogs, etc.

Play outside is another one. When was the last time you went outside and and played? Yeah been a while for me too. It could beg a walk, a run (I ain’t running), tossing the football, shoot baskets, etc. We know it is good to get fresh air which is why we want our kids outside, which is why the NFL has a program called Play 60. Yet we as adults have determined that we can sit inside…why?

I know so many people that send their kids to church because they think it is right but they keep their butts at home. If your think it is good for them then it is good for you too. Yeah it may be hard to do at first but give it a chance cause it may not only enhance their lives but turn yours around as well.

Being respectful to others when we aren’t. Hey husbands when was the last time you got smart with your wife or spoke to her in a way that you know was wrong? Wouldn’t you totally flip out if you son talked to his mom that way? Yeah I have been seriously guilty there too.

This blog is a hard one to read cause I AM SO GUILTY of these things.

I am trying now to set a better example for my kids. I am not asking them to do anything I wouldn’t do. When I ask them to read, I read. When I say no more tv, I turn it off of me as well. When Greg 2.0 is doing homework I sit there and work on things too or try to help him study. When I get upset about how he talks to his mom I look at me and think about how I have spoken to her.

Yes I am a hypocrite but I am getting better. I am trying. The key is to be aware and pay attention to the examples we set. Too often their short comings are really our short comings.

What is Your Reality?

Last week many of us were returning to work after several days off for Christmas and New Years. Several of my friends updated their Facebook statuses about going back to work by referring to it as “back to reality”.

I saw these posts as a negative on the reality that stood in front of them. The reality they were speaking of were their jobs, careers, and school. It got me thinking about the fact that we create our own reality.

Yes we do. We create it by the choices we make. We are all at places in our lives due to those choices. Yeah it sucks sometimes but it is still the truth.

Think about it. The job you have, who accepted that job?

The friends you have, you made them your friends?

The marriage you have, who made it the way that it is?

The place you live, who moved there?

The attitude you have each day, who is responsible?

The weight you are at, who ate all those pies, cakes, and pizza?

Yeah that mirror is hard sometimes. The reflection is the hardest thing to accept.

Ultimately we choose our actions and more importantly we choose our reactions. We can choose each day what kind of attitude we will have. Our attitudes start to shape our everyday. As we shape that day we will influence others around us. That will lead to some stepping away from you and others will gravitate to you. Your surroundings will adjust.

You reality will start to shift.

If you don’t like your reality then I challenge you to adjust it.

If you don’t like your job change it. Now I know that may not be easy and may take time but it took time to get to where you are now at your job anyway. You can start taking steps today to improve your job situation. You can read books, go back to school, listen to educational or motivational recordings, read blogs, etc. You can look on Monster or Career Builder and apply for jobs. You have to first take steps to adjust your reality.

If you don’t like you friends, change them too. While this maybe hard it actually starts with you. You must first start to choose to change your attitude. Figure out what you want to be. Do you want to be a positive person? If so start choosing positive thoughts. Look at the positive side of things instead of talking about people. As you do this people will leave your life automatically while others come into your life. All of a sudden your circle of friends has changed.

If you have a relationship that is, shall we say challenged, then concentrate on your reactions to things. Don’t focus on your friend, family member, or spouse instead focus on you. Study how you react to things and then calmly discuss these situations with the other party. You will be shocked at what happens. Now this is really hard….I struggle with it all the time but the results are so much more positive then when I would blow up before.

I think you get the drift here. Your reality is what YOU make of it. It ain’t easy. It takes time. It takes effort. It takes risk. However the payoff is ridiculously high.

Go for it. Take it one day at a time. Choose how you react to things. Choose the positive path. Choose to make your reality everything you want it to be.

If you don’t like where you are today….change it.

Talent vs Desire

Recently I listened to several quotes from Will Smith (yes the Fresh Prince) about why he feels he is succesful.  The things that jumped out at me was the part where he plainly said he was never the best rapper but he would work he butt off until things were right. Then he stated he is not the best actor out there and doesn’t have the talent of many others but he would ”out work their asses any day of the week”.  So clearly here is one of the greatest entertainers of our time saying he ain’t the greatest by nature but has worked hard to get where he is.

There are many other example,es of people working crazy hard to get where they want to be while others rely on their talents alone.  Look at recent comments by Jerry Rice the former NFL wide receiver, who was known as one of the hardest working players of all time. He said Randy Moss was one of the most talented players to ever play the game but he did not have the desire nor the work effort to be the greatest.  Wow!

So is desire greater than talent? I say yes. Clearly!

Throughout my over 20 years in leadership I have seen many people have the talent to do whatever they decide too.  I have seen future team leads, managers, leaders, directors, vice presidents, and chairpersons that never achieved crap.  They stayed put for years all due to a lack of desire. 

I have personally tapped people as the ‘next big thing’ only to see them fizzle out. It is sad and frustrating to witness people with so much potential just waste it.  I have seen too many people just waste opportunity.  Instead of listening, they know the answers.  Instead of paying attention to the job at hand they sit around and socialize. Instead of reading books as suggested, they watch tv.  As time goes by they just fade away into the landscape of the office to never fulfill their abilities.

On the flip side I have seen people that test horribly, start out very slowly, and have no natural talent become great.  I have seen people take every piece of advice and apply it. Read every book they can and figure out how they can use the new learnings. I love seeing people ask questions about what they are learning or observing. I have seen these people bust it at the office and outside the office to succeed. It is a great feeling to see others to make it, to overachieve, to go beyond their natural talents.

I ask you this…
* Do you have talents that are being wasted?
* Are you living to your full potential?
* Are you reading books to enhance yourself or are you watching Jersey Shore?
* Are you asking questions or are you downing those that do?
* Do you know who John Maxwell, Zig Ziglar, Jim Collins, Anthony Robbins and Seth Godin are or are you more familiar with the Kardashians?
* Are you more interested in Beyonce’s baby or are you more interested in you and your family?

Desire will always outweigh talent. Talent can only get you so far. Sure you can be successful on talent alone but those that have desire will be successful for the long term. Deion Sandefs nice admitted the first few years of his career he could get by on talent alone but knew that he needed to outwork others to continue to be better and to be the best.

I challenge you to out work, out hustle, out desire everyone else. Can you do it? Yes you can but it is 100% up to YOU!!!

If you had your own reality show, What would it be about?

I thought this was an intriguing question, If you had your own reality show,What would it be about?

With all of the shows that have been created from the Real World to America’s Next Top Model. From American Idol to The Bachelor. what about Joe Millionaire or Flava of Love. how about Undercover Boss? What show would you be on or would you create one of your own?

I remember several years ago, before Nick and Jessica, I told people if they wanted ton see drama and comedy they should followed me during my first year of marriage. Yeah it would have had some serious ratings

But now what would I want to do? I would like WWE’s Tough Enough but I am too old for that one. So which one to choose?

I am thinking one that would be called The Troxell Project. It would simply follow me around throughout each day of my life. It could watch me as I grow as a parent. As I grow in my husbandry duties. In my role at work. Then my role at church and the journey that I am on as I go through the church planting process.

How many people do you know would willingly go to a musical on a Friday night then The Nuclear Cowboyz on Saturday? I am a complex dude.

Maybe I should be the subject of a reality show but then again I saw what “Hogan Knows Best” did to Hulk Hogan and his family. So I think I am good just being Greg at home, church, work, and wherever I may be.

So what show would you be on?

If You Could Have Lunch with One Person…Part Two

So here is part two of my post ‘If You Could Have Lunch with Anyone in the World, Who Would It Be?’

Yesterday I told you that the first time I was asked that question my answer was Bill Cosby.

My answer these days would be different however I would still love to have lunch with Mr. Cosby. However today I am in a different stage of life.

This is actually a very hard question when you sit down. To think about it. I mean of course my family ranks up there but for the purpose of this question I am taking them out of the equation. I am also removing Jesus from the possible answers.

So that leaves a different pool of people. In my kist I would have Hulk Hogan, Vince McMahon, Eric Bischoff, Tyra Banks, Donald Trump, Perry Noble, Andy Stanley, TD Jakes, Joel Osteen, Sean Hannity, Neal Boortz, Barrack Obama, Oprah, Rick Warren, Travis Pastrana, Hank Williams Jr., and John Force.

With all of them listed who would I want to sit with and have lunch? I think I would go with John C. Maxwell. I would love to talk to him about leadership and his journey through the years. I would like to talk to him about pastoring a church while influencing the secular world through his books and speaking. Plus I would like to just hang out and absorb the vast knowledge this man has about life in general.

So that is my choice, John C Maxwell. Who would you choose?

If You Could Have Lunch with One Person, Who Would it Be?

If you could have lunch with anyone in the world, who would it be?

I was asked that question several years ago as an icebreaker to a new job.

My answer at the time was Bill Cosby. I mean he is funny, entertaining, and not afraid to speak his mind. I just thought spending time with someone so successful would be fun while at the sometime he seems like a genuine dude. My answer today would probably be different but I will think about it an answer that tomorrow in part two of this post.

Today I wanted to share with you some of the answers I have heard over the years to this question. The most common answer has been family related. Many people say their kids. Some people say their parents or grandparents, especially if they are deceased. I have heard brother, sister, wife, and husband.

I have heard Oprah, the President, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille, Michael Jackson, Elvis, Justin Timberlake, and many others.

The most interesting answer I heard was David Justice. The reason? The person wanted to find out what was wrong with Halle Berry. Personally in would have gone with lunch with Halle but to each his own.

So with that said if you could have lunch with anyone in the world who would you choose and why? Give it some thought and share it in the comments or via email.

Check back tomorrow to see who I would choose.

Messy

Love is messy. Sometimes we have to get dirty to show our love. Sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do. Sometimes we allow things to happen we don’t want to happen to show our love.

Recently while out shopping for a gift my daughter got sick. Now when I say got sick I don’t mean she was in the stroller and spit up. I am talking full on projectile vomit on me. The first one was a test to see how I would react. I reacted by holding her close to me and telling her it was ok. My next statement was to tell her to get it all out. She took that advice and allowed it to flow all over herself and me. It was fine. We left the store went to the bathroom to get cleaned up. While in the bathroom we cleaned up the best we could then went home.

As I reflect back on this I smile. Why? Because I reacted how I should react, with love for my daughter no matter what people were saying or seeing. See as we went to the bathroom we had to walk through the mall all vomit covered. I didn’t care what people were thinking as I could see their faces, all I cared about was my little daughter and comforting her.

As we walk through life we love people, things, places, etc. Sometimes we have to allow it to get messy. When it gets messy is when that love is truly tested. Too often we worry about what others think or say even though they have ZERO bearing on the relationship. Now don’t get it twisted to think it is fun to be messy but once it is cleaned up that love becomes stronger.

Next time your love is tested clean it up and watch that love become stronger than ever because sometimes love is just plain ole messy.

Reflections 2010

As I start to write this final blog of 2010 there is only about an hour and a half left in the year. I though I would share a few reflections of the year that was Twenty Ten.

This has been a year that I will look back upon as one where God has challenged me beyond anything I ever expected. Early in the year He placed on me the desire to start an outreach ministry geared toward the action games community which I did in the form of Project X. We had one event and while planning the other events God spoke into my heart to start a church. Yeah a church! You know one with preaching and all. So I put in motion the steps of planting Vision Church which will launch in 2011.

During the year I had the opportunity to attend the inaugural 4-Wide NHRA Nationals with not only my son but also my dad. Really cool.

I reconnected with some old friends through Facebook while making new friends at the same time.

I went through my second year in a row without going to a UGA football game after going about 20 years of attending at least one.

I smacked a deer with my car.

I became more and more proud of my wife as she continues to step out of her comfort zone in many areas of her life.

Witnessed the magic of Disney through my two year old’s eyes. She has never liked characters of any kind until this year when she became best friends with them.

Watched my son become more of an individual while at the same time grow as a big brother.

Realized that watching your son ride an ATV can make you a nervous wreck if you let it.

Enjoyed watching my God- Daughter walk across the stage as she graduated from high school, very proud of her.

Had a blast hang in with my niece at Universal Studios.

Became encouraged by seeing my father in law’s renewed energy and dedication to family.

Can’t say enough about how AWESOME my parents are, love u mom and dad!

Learned a lot about myself as a parent and I have a long way to go to become what I can be.

Experienced the worst weather we have ever had at Disney, freezing temps most of the week!

Did I mention how proud I have been of my wife this year? She has really taken on some cool things and I can’t wait to see what 2011 has in store for her.

That is enough for now but I just wanna say that 2010 was great but it wasn’t without it’s challenges. While it wasn’t all roses I had a choice to either make the best of what was given or sit around and complain.

You have that choice too! Now with 2011 upon us shortly it is up to youth make it fantabulously awesome. No one else can do it for you. If you choose to make it great and to be happy others can just make it better. So choose happiness, choose greatness, choose to be awesome, choose to be fantabulous, and choose to follow God this year. I promise if you do these things 2011 will be the greatest year of your life.