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By Darren Becket - Pepperdine University - Class of 2011 & Collegiate Baseball Player
Why do we play sports as kids? Do we play them because we know that one day we will be making millions of dollars playing our favorite sport, or do we simply want to be more popular at school so that we are seen as being strong willed and athletic? What ever happened to just having fun?
Growing up around sports that filled my time schedule to the brim I know what it's like to feel pressure from parents, coaches, and peers to perform at a higher level than deemed possible. That's not to say that at certain times I didn’t need that extra push to perform well, but a constant nagging to be the best, and perform like the best, had a particular strain on my livelihood over the years. Playing baseball started to become work at this point. I was constantly having to sacrifice the life I wanted for a game that wasn’t offering me what it used to. To be blunt, I enjoyed baseball because to me it was amazingly fun! Three hours on a collegiate baseball field would pass by as if it were ten minutes. I would come home after a long day of playing multiple games feeling excited. And, up until the day that I felt playing sports became work, I never didn’t want to be on a baseball field. It was my home, my sanctuary. Nothing could phase me out there because I was in control.
I tell my story to others, including myself from time to time, as a reminder to have fun and enjoy whatever sport or activity you are involved in. Playing a sport was never about where it can get you in the future, or what kind of business deal could come out of it. It is, and always will be, a game that you enjoy so much that you would give up anything for. As kids and teens we are still exploring who we are and what we enjoy doing on a day to day basis. So consider this blog a CALL TO ACTION. Find a sport that you enjoy playing and that you find really fun. Most of all, be patient when finding a sport that you enjoy. It’s not about how good you are in a sport that determines if you really enjoy it, but by the way you feel when playing that particular sport.
Having fun is a huge part of growing up and finding out who you are. Playing a sport that brings out this quality in you can brighten your life, including the peers around you. So enjoy a day at the ballpark, or round up some friends for a friendly five on five soccer game. Having fun never felt so good!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
LEADERSHIP INSIGHT FROM A TEEN
I was speaking at the National Association of Student Councils (NASC) Conference in Nevada this weekend and one of the high school students in the audience had a great insight about leadership.
As a student leader he realized the importance of being energized as he walks the halls at school. That if he is stressed out and in a hurry this will be noticed by the students he leads. He could miss out on the opportunity to connect with others through eye contact and greetings.
Influential leaders have good connections (however small) with their followers. And stress can impact those connections because it can sap one's energy and ability to be "on".
If you are a student leader and want to explore ways to reduce the stressors of being a leader I encourage you to connect with a LIFE REVOLUTION Coach!
Clark Souers
President
LIFE REVOLUTION
As a student leader he realized the importance of being energized as he walks the halls at school. That if he is stressed out and in a hurry this will be noticed by the students he leads. He could miss out on the opportunity to connect with others through eye contact and greetings.
Influential leaders have good connections (however small) with their followers. And stress can impact those connections because it can sap one's energy and ability to be "on".
If you are a student leader and want to explore ways to reduce the stressors of being a leader I encourage you to connect with a LIFE REVOLUTION Coach!
Clark Souers
President
LIFE REVOLUTION
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Interview with David Cristini - Famous Teen Tweeter
Clark Souers, President of LIFE REVOLUTION®, recently had the pleasure of interviewing David Cristini, author of #everygirlisbeautifulandspecial on Twitter. This high school student has over 55,000 followers!! He also has over 10,000 views on YouTube at egibitow. David is on a quest to help every girl realize that they are beautiful and special.
To learn more about this amazing young man and how he is helping increase the self esteem of numerous teenage girls, read on!
CLARK: What inspired you to begin sending Tweets that would help girls feel better about themselves?
DAVID: I first started trying to help girls feel better about themselves and realize that they are beautiful by creating a group on Myspace and Facebook called every girl is beautiful in their own way. After a couple months I decided to make a youtube video trying to help girls realize that they are beautiful and special. I had a twitter for a while and I was not using it that much but then I realized that i could spread the word about what I'm trying to do and help more girls. So I started a hashtag called #egibitow (every girl is beautiful in their own way). I put it at the end of all of my tweets and tried to make it a trending topic. Then one day I got Jordin Sparks to tweet it and it became a trending topic. That meant the world to me because I knew that I was helping girls and inspiring them. After that other celebrities started posting it too. I decided to change my hashtag to #everygirlisbeautifulandspecial after a while so more girls and other people can understand what I meant. This is what I put at the end of all of my tweets. I just really care about girls and they deserve to feel good about themselves.
CLARK: It’s so refreshing to find a teenage boy who genuinely cares about girls and how they feel about themselves. Can you pinpoint a specific event or series of events in your life that caused you to be passionate about helping the world see that every girl is beautiful?
DAVID: I do not think I can pinpoint a certain event. I just saw and realized that girls don't feel beautiful. So I decided to help them feel better about themselves. Since I have started helping girls I think that my passion to help the world see that every girl is beautiful has grown. I want to be able to help girls out with other things besides their self-esteem. In the future I would like to help girls that are struggling with family, friendship, relationship, and addiction issues. I am also trying to do that right now by giving them advice on things that they are going through. God has a plan for me and I know that he will lead me in the right direction.
CLARK: The girls who receive your advice must be grateful. How have you seen this advice impact them?
DAVID: I think that by posting my youtube video and tweeting #everygirlisbeautifulandspecial I have impacted girls that I did not even know about. I give advice to girls on my twitter and I hope that I impact or inspire every girl that follows me or sees my video. By giving advice to girls it gives them hope that there are actually good guys out there that will care about them and treat them with respect. It also helps them feel better about themselves and it impacts them by helping them remember that someone thinks that they are beautiful and special. I received an email from a girl saying that she never tweets me but she reads all of my tweets and that what I am doing is amazing. I did not even know her but I still impacted her. I know that God has put me in this position for a reason and that you can impact people all around the world without even knowing they exist.
CLARK: You have sent more than 65,000 tweets! How in the world do you find time to send so may tweets and keep your grades up?
DAVID: I try to reply to my fans as much as I can but most of my 65,000 tweets are from the summer. I had more time to send tweets. Since school started I usually try to reply to my fans once a week and I try to post a tweet everyday. I think it is important for me to talk to my fans because it helps my relationship with them to grow. It also gives me the opportunity to help them realize that they are beautiful or help them with any other things they are going through.
CLARK: I’m impressed with how you keep a good boundary with your tweets – we at LIFE REVOLUTION® believe that setting boundaries is a great way to avoid stress. Thanks for sharing David! Many adults are concerned about how social media is negatively impacting teens. But you have demonstrated how someone with a big heart can harness the internet to positively impact others in big and amazing ways. Keep up the great work!
To learn more about this amazing young man and how he is helping increase the self esteem of numerous teenage girls, read on!
CLARK: What inspired you to begin sending Tweets that would help girls feel better about themselves?
DAVID: I first started trying to help girls feel better about themselves and realize that they are beautiful by creating a group on Myspace and Facebook called every girl is beautiful in their own way. After a couple months I decided to make a youtube video trying to help girls realize that they are beautiful and special. I had a twitter for a while and I was not using it that much but then I realized that i could spread the word about what I'm trying to do and help more girls. So I started a hashtag called #egibitow (every girl is beautiful in their own way). I put it at the end of all of my tweets and tried to make it a trending topic. Then one day I got Jordin Sparks to tweet it and it became a trending topic. That meant the world to me because I knew that I was helping girls and inspiring them. After that other celebrities started posting it too. I decided to change my hashtag to #everygirlisbeautifulandspecial after a while so more girls and other people can understand what I meant. This is what I put at the end of all of my tweets. I just really care about girls and they deserve to feel good about themselves.
CLARK: It’s so refreshing to find a teenage boy who genuinely cares about girls and how they feel about themselves. Can you pinpoint a specific event or series of events in your life that caused you to be passionate about helping the world see that every girl is beautiful?
DAVID: I do not think I can pinpoint a certain event. I just saw and realized that girls don't feel beautiful. So I decided to help them feel better about themselves. Since I have started helping girls I think that my passion to help the world see that every girl is beautiful has grown. I want to be able to help girls out with other things besides their self-esteem. In the future I would like to help girls that are struggling with family, friendship, relationship, and addiction issues. I am also trying to do that right now by giving them advice on things that they are going through. God has a plan for me and I know that he will lead me in the right direction.
CLARK: The girls who receive your advice must be grateful. How have you seen this advice impact them?
DAVID: I think that by posting my youtube video and tweeting #everygirlisbeautifulandspecial I have impacted girls that I did not even know about. I give advice to girls on my twitter and I hope that I impact or inspire every girl that follows me or sees my video. By giving advice to girls it gives them hope that there are actually good guys out there that will care about them and treat them with respect. It also helps them feel better about themselves and it impacts them by helping them remember that someone thinks that they are beautiful and special. I received an email from a girl saying that she never tweets me but she reads all of my tweets and that what I am doing is amazing. I did not even know her but I still impacted her. I know that God has put me in this position for a reason and that you can impact people all around the world without even knowing they exist.
CLARK: You have sent more than 65,000 tweets! How in the world do you find time to send so may tweets and keep your grades up?
DAVID: I try to reply to my fans as much as I can but most of my 65,000 tweets are from the summer. I had more time to send tweets. Since school started I usually try to reply to my fans once a week and I try to post a tweet everyday. I think it is important for me to talk to my fans because it helps my relationship with them to grow. It also gives me the opportunity to help them realize that they are beautiful or help them with any other things they are going through.
CLARK: I’m impressed with how you keep a good boundary with your tweets – we at LIFE REVOLUTION® believe that setting boundaries is a great way to avoid stress. Thanks for sharing David! Many adults are concerned about how social media is negatively impacting teens. But you have demonstrated how someone with a big heart can harness the internet to positively impact others in big and amazing ways. Keep up the great work!
Monday, September 20, 2010
A MORE ORGANIZED, PRIORITIZED & BALANCED LIFE - By Levonti Ohanisian (reflecting on his Senior Year at Lycee International de Los Angeles)
I heard about Life Revolution through my college counselor. Getting into college is no easy task and I was feeling the intensity of the process. It was gradually becoming more difficult to balance life coherently and appropriately: college applications, high school at its peak, extracurricular activities and social life.
I was a bit hesitant about the "life coaching" idea at first but thought it was worth a try - sure enough, several sessions with an experienced life coach gave me new tools, habits and strategies. All of which enabled my life to become more organized, prioritized and balanced. I gained confidence and grew awareness of my actions and surroundings.
Most teenagers don't have anyone they can speak to with any apparent consequence. They will most likely always act appropriate around a parent and perhaps can't tell certain things to friends due to social implications. For me, my life coach was the one person that I could really talk to. I noticed that this new found freedom in speech allowed me to express some feelings and thoughts that I had never thought of before. I was beginning to know the 'real' me. Once I knew specific things about myself, it allowed me to either enhance or fix them. Our sessions were the center of gravity of my week. During discussions I would realize which direction I was leaning and was able to maintain balance that way.
All of my experiences with Life Revolution have been exceptionally professional and I am pleased to be able to recommend its services. It’s one of the most rewarding investments you’ll ever make!
I was a bit hesitant about the "life coaching" idea at first but thought it was worth a try - sure enough, several sessions with an experienced life coach gave me new tools, habits and strategies. All of which enabled my life to become more organized, prioritized and balanced. I gained confidence and grew awareness of my actions and surroundings.
Most teenagers don't have anyone they can speak to with any apparent consequence. They will most likely always act appropriate around a parent and perhaps can't tell certain things to friends due to social implications. For me, my life coach was the one person that I could really talk to. I noticed that this new found freedom in speech allowed me to express some feelings and thoughts that I had never thought of before. I was beginning to know the 'real' me. Once I knew specific things about myself, it allowed me to either enhance or fix them. Our sessions were the center of gravity of my week. During discussions I would realize which direction I was leaning and was able to maintain balance that way.
All of my experiences with Life Revolution have been exceptionally professional and I am pleased to be able to recommend its services. It’s one of the most rewarding investments you’ll ever make!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
MY TIME - By Darren Becket (Pepperdine Student)
When LIFE REVOLUTION came to Pepperdine University in the Spring of 2010 I was ecstatic to hear from a professional in the field of life coaching. They did a workshop in my class and we got to experience first hand what a life coach had to offer us, as well as tips to help relieve stress from parts of my life. Part of becoming a life coach means that you need to be coached as well as applying your skills in the field, because understanding what strategies work and those that do not is important when working with clients. After talking with the founder of LIFE REVOLUTION, Clark Souers, I wanted to feel what it was like being a client. At the time I didn’t expect to learn much about myself through a one on one session. I figured that this was a chance for me to learn about a career path that I was interested in.
Needless to say, when Clark and I met for our session I was blown away by what Clark had to say. Just by listening to me talk about the last year of my life Clark was successfully able to give me advice not only about achieving short term goals but making those short term goals long term habits. We called it my “beach mentality.”
After I stopped playing baseball at Pepperdine I found myself picking up every known hobby and business opportunity I could get my hands on, just to fill the free time I now had. I was making commitments to things that I didn’t have time for, and rushing to figure out a viable career path for myself. What I didn’t realize was that I was burning myself out.
After listening to me talk, Clark asked me to think of a moment when time didn’t seem apparent. You know, one of those days where time passes but you had no idea where it went. The first thing that came to mind was beach days with my family. Growing up two miles from the beach we would grab dinner to go, and walk down to the beach. Between digging massive holes in the sand and throwing the Frisbee with my dad time seemed to just fly by, and I could have cared less. That moment was my time.
What I found was that in my rush to find my dream career before I had graduated I had forgotten to enjoy the time in the present. And now, when I feel stressed out from pushing myself to hard, I remember back to those days when time passed freely without me realizing. I call it the “beach mentality.” To help remind myself of this I have a picture of a beach on my computer screen, and I try to spend more time at the beach between classes, because my time is worth every penny.
Needless to say, when Clark and I met for our session I was blown away by what Clark had to say. Just by listening to me talk about the last year of my life Clark was successfully able to give me advice not only about achieving short term goals but making those short term goals long term habits. We called it my “beach mentality.”
After I stopped playing baseball at Pepperdine I found myself picking up every known hobby and business opportunity I could get my hands on, just to fill the free time I now had. I was making commitments to things that I didn’t have time for, and rushing to figure out a viable career path for myself. What I didn’t realize was that I was burning myself out.
After listening to me talk, Clark asked me to think of a moment when time didn’t seem apparent. You know, one of those days where time passes but you had no idea where it went. The first thing that came to mind was beach days with my family. Growing up two miles from the beach we would grab dinner to go, and walk down to the beach. Between digging massive holes in the sand and throwing the Frisbee with my dad time seemed to just fly by, and I could have cared less. That moment was my time.
What I found was that in my rush to find my dream career before I had graduated I had forgotten to enjoy the time in the present. And now, when I feel stressed out from pushing myself to hard, I remember back to those days when time passed freely without me realizing. I call it the “beach mentality.” To help remind myself of this I have a picture of a beach on my computer screen, and I try to spend more time at the beach between classes, because my time is worth every penny.
Friday, May 7, 2010
THE ON-TIME SYNDROME
I believe that a lot of people in today’s modern world suffer from “The On-Time Syndrome” which creates unnecessary stress in their life. This is not a scientific term – so save the Google search. It’s my own little phrase and I think people can develop the syndrome at a young age. Individuals who get overly anxious about always being on time might have the On-Time Syndrome. Concerned that you, a friend or family member might have it? Read on….
As Americans we live in a culture that values being “On Time”. And the consequences of not being on time can be huge.
If you’re a student, there is this annoying bell that broadcasts to the whole school that you are late to class. And schools have these systems to show you that being late is not a good thing – demerits, detentions, strikes (or maybe your school has another snazzy name for their discipline system).
And the consequences don’t end as we enter adulthood. There are whole sections of Employee Handbooks dedicated to “Attendance Policies”. If an employee is continually late it could “result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment”.
But maybe you move up the corporate ladder and don’t have to worry about these policies because you are in charge. So being late is no problem because you’re the Big Boss? Right…Wrong! Try showing up late to a meeting with a potential client who is going to invest big dollars in your company…..the client will probably move on to another company that values their time.
And the importance of being on time does not end in the school and business world. Think about how many flowers are sold in the world every day to guys who need to apologize to their girlfriend or wife for being late….
Now think about how you FEEL when you are running late and worrying about the consequences. Your pulse quickens, your mind races, you start to sweat, the muscles in your neck tense. This is STRESS. And frequent or prolonged stress has tons of negative consequences (http://tinyurl.com/62llj6).
If you get overly anxious about always being on time, I’m sorry to inform you of this… but you might have the On-Time Syndrome!
So how do you overcome this syndrome and enjoy less stress?
• If you are running late and there is nothing you can do about it, take a deep breath and ask yourself if you or the others involved will remember your tardiness 6 months or a year from now. Once you realize that the long-term effects are not huge, you can chill and not get so stress out. If the long-term effects are huge, know that you have the ability to get through the consequences and your life will be ok.
• Have confidence in your abilities to win over the annoyed individual(s) who are waiting for you with your charm and people skills.
• Don’t be an optimist when estimating how much travel time you will need or how much you can fit in. Take a look at your schedule each day and decide which events you can’t be late to – and then leave plenty of time to get to those events. Then take a mental note of the events where people won’t even notice if you are late (you can leave less of a buffer for these events).
• If you’re conscientious about always being on time and it is stressing you out, be late once and while if it will not hinder your success or relationships. If you have the reputation of always being on time, maybe you need to lower both your expectations and the expectations of others. You can actually change your Rep and be more like some of your Type B friends (who everyone loves even if they are late once and a while).
We live in a competitive world where there is not enough time in the day to get everything done that we need to (let alone what we want to) – which can result in us running late. But as stated above we also live in a country where being on time is important in our school, social and business environments. And some of us are more inclined to be conscientious about being on time than others. These 3 factors create a collision course for the On-Time Syndrome and the stress is not worth it. So I encourage you to find a balance between being punctual and not stressing out by following the advice above.
If you are a teenager or college student and want to avoid ever coming down with the On-Time Syndrome, I encourage you to connect with a LIFE REVOLUTION Coach. He or she can assist you with developing some time management strategies that can help you naturally be on time, more of the time.
Clark Souers
LIFE REVOLUTION | President
www.LifeRevolution.com
Copyright © 2010 LIFE REVOLUTION - All Rights Reserved
As Americans we live in a culture that values being “On Time”. And the consequences of not being on time can be huge.
If you’re a student, there is this annoying bell that broadcasts to the whole school that you are late to class. And schools have these systems to show you that being late is not a good thing – demerits, detentions, strikes (or maybe your school has another snazzy name for their discipline system).
And the consequences don’t end as we enter adulthood. There are whole sections of Employee Handbooks dedicated to “Attendance Policies”. If an employee is continually late it could “result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment”.
But maybe you move up the corporate ladder and don’t have to worry about these policies because you are in charge. So being late is no problem because you’re the Big Boss? Right…Wrong! Try showing up late to a meeting with a potential client who is going to invest big dollars in your company…..the client will probably move on to another company that values their time.
And the importance of being on time does not end in the school and business world. Think about how many flowers are sold in the world every day to guys who need to apologize to their girlfriend or wife for being late….
Now think about how you FEEL when you are running late and worrying about the consequences. Your pulse quickens, your mind races, you start to sweat, the muscles in your neck tense. This is STRESS. And frequent or prolonged stress has tons of negative consequences (http://tinyurl.com/62llj6).
If you get overly anxious about always being on time, I’m sorry to inform you of this… but you might have the On-Time Syndrome!
So how do you overcome this syndrome and enjoy less stress?
• If you are running late and there is nothing you can do about it, take a deep breath and ask yourself if you or the others involved will remember your tardiness 6 months or a year from now. Once you realize that the long-term effects are not huge, you can chill and not get so stress out. If the long-term effects are huge, know that you have the ability to get through the consequences and your life will be ok.
• Have confidence in your abilities to win over the annoyed individual(s) who are waiting for you with your charm and people skills.
• Don’t be an optimist when estimating how much travel time you will need or how much you can fit in. Take a look at your schedule each day and decide which events you can’t be late to – and then leave plenty of time to get to those events. Then take a mental note of the events where people won’t even notice if you are late (you can leave less of a buffer for these events).
• If you’re conscientious about always being on time and it is stressing you out, be late once and while if it will not hinder your success or relationships. If you have the reputation of always being on time, maybe you need to lower both your expectations and the expectations of others. You can actually change your Rep and be more like some of your Type B friends (who everyone loves even if they are late once and a while).
We live in a competitive world where there is not enough time in the day to get everything done that we need to (let alone what we want to) – which can result in us running late. But as stated above we also live in a country where being on time is important in our school, social and business environments. And some of us are more inclined to be conscientious about being on time than others. These 3 factors create a collision course for the On-Time Syndrome and the stress is not worth it. So I encourage you to find a balance between being punctual and not stressing out by following the advice above.
If you are a teenager or college student and want to avoid ever coming down with the On-Time Syndrome, I encourage you to connect with a LIFE REVOLUTION Coach. He or she can assist you with developing some time management strategies that can help you naturally be on time, more of the time.
Clark Souers
LIFE REVOLUTION | President
www.LifeRevolution.com
Copyright © 2010 LIFE REVOLUTION - All Rights Reserved
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
TEENS: Experts at Hiding Stuff
One of the main jobs of a parent during the Holidays is hiding the presents! And parents become experts at this over the years as their children become more and more intent on discovering the loot.
I've come to realize that teens are also very good at hiding things - and throughout the whole year. Remember back to your teen years - what experiences and feelings did you hide from your parents and friends? This is why I am so glad that my organization does life coaching with young people. Teens often open up to their Life Coach and the two of them can explore these experiences and feelings. Dealing with these in a healthy way can help a young person learn from the situation, improve their confidence/self image and move forward.
Clark Souers
LIFE REVOLUTION | President
www.LifeRevolution.com
Copyright © 2009 LIFE REVOLUTION - All Rights Reserved
I've come to realize that teens are also very good at hiding things - and throughout the whole year. Remember back to your teen years - what experiences and feelings did you hide from your parents and friends? This is why I am so glad that my organization does life coaching with young people. Teens often open up to their Life Coach and the two of them can explore these experiences and feelings. Dealing with these in a healthy way can help a young person learn from the situation, improve their confidence/self image and move forward.
Clark Souers
LIFE REVOLUTION | President
www.LifeRevolution.com
Copyright © 2009 LIFE REVOLUTION - All Rights Reserved
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