Be Marketable

Being marketable means that you add qualities to your life that will help benefit it. First, you have to realize that you are valuable and you cannot sell yourself short. Also, you should not settle your worth, meaning that you should add value to your life in order to be more marketable. In order to add more value to your life, you have to step out of your comfort zone and try new things. Take these steps and you will see more doors open up and opportunities come your way!

Do Not Sell Yourself Short

In order to accomplish the goals you set, you must have this one value to start, and that value is CONFIDENCE. Having confidence in who you are, will show that you are reliable. It shows you are not afraid to fail and have a desire to succeed (improve/get better). Confidence and boasting (or being cocky) have a very fine line between them. Boasting about your accomplishments will not attract people in athletics, work, relationships, etc. Boasting can also mean that you are lying or making yourself to be more than you are. When you boast, it may work for the moment, but once someone sees that you do not live up to what you make yourself to be, then you will lose more than you gain in all aspects of your life. Realize that you have some value to your name. For your team, for your company, for your relationship...you have to be benefited and you have to be beneficial. For example, in a relationship, you have to be in one that will benefit your life, but also having to be beneficial to your significant other. So when you are deciding on taking a job or joining a team, think about how they can benefit you and how you can benefit them. If you do not think you will get benefits from a person, do not get into a relationship with them or get out of the one you are in now. If you are not benefiting the company you work for, your job may not last too long. If you are on a team and not benefiting them, expect to be cut. If you are not benefiting your significant other, expect that relationship to have an expiration date. Do not sell yourself short!

Add Value

Sometimes adding value to your life, means subtracting some things. You have to limit distractions on your way to be more marketable. I know that drinking late Saturday night made it hard to get to church and listen to the sermon. I sat in church one day and thought, "Drinking is not fun...not fun enough for me to miss out on something that is going to add value to my life." I started to focus on doing the right things and I started to see more opportunities open up for me. I got called in to a pastor's office last year and he told me that I was going to be a guest speaker for his ministry. I got a call to be an assistant coach because the head coach heard from others about my reputation. I realized that people are watching me...that was made clear to me through other things such as being at different places in the city and people coming up to me saying that I have inspired them. People on social media will tell me that my posts on social media have helped inspired them. So my point is to keep clean...keep your social media clean, your behavior clean, and keep your attitude clean. Doing the right things will add value to your life. Values show up in different ways, it can be getting a job, a friend, a spot on a team, etc. Quality will surround you if you give quality yourself. It is hard to stop someone who does the right things and own up to their mistakes. Add value!

Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone

Winners get out of their comfort zone, losers stay in their comfort zone. You will not win that promotion, win that championship, or win that person's heart by staying in your comfort zone. Adding value to your life means that you will have to do things that you are not comfortable with. Some people are afraid to talk in front of people, but those same people gain a desire to share their knowledge with others. In order to speak your mind, you are going to have to break your fear of speaking. If you get angry easily, you are going to have to learn how to be patient when you work for other people. Adding value is like adding muscle to your body. When you lift weights, after the workout your muscles you worked out will get sore and it will hurt. You will feel uncomfortable, but if you continue to work out, your muscles will get less and less sore. That is what adding value to your life is about, it is going to hurt at first and be uncomfortable, but get through that and it will be worth it. The more you step out of your comfort zone, the more comfortable you become!

Final Thoughts

You can always improve in some aspect of your life...seek improvement, that way more doors can open up for you. We all have faults, if you believe that you have no faults, that is your fault (I hope you get that). But you must believe in your heart that you can overcome any obstacles, even if you have to work hard and be uncomfortable. Do not let people label you, do not let people make excuses for you and more importantly, do not make excuses for yourself. Everyone has the ability to be great, but we all have to fight through or unique disadvantages. I am telling you, life is more fulfilling when you get better and overcome obstacles. You will be able to do more things and be marketable. All in all, go all out! Do not die with any regrets or think you could have done more. Think right now, "what more can I do?" Do not limit yourself, doors will open and doors will close on their own. You will never have to do more than you can handle. If too much is on your plate, prioritize and go back to the concept of benefits to help you figure out what means more to you. On your death bed, you want to be able to say, "I gave it all I had"!

Thank you for reading! Feedback and comments are encouraged!

Sincerely,

Chris E Perez

Twitter/Periscope: @C_P_2
Instagram/Snapchat: @cperez02
email: cperez0116@yahoo.com

Experience Teaches

I believe that experience is our best teacher. Whether it is our own or somebody elses, we learn from what we do and what other people do. One way to learn is from when we lose or fail at something. Another way to learn is from winning or accomplishing a goal we set. We have to understand that we will experience bad times and we have to realize that those bad times help us appreciate it when we have good times. Everyone on this earth has made mistakes, but learning from them is what separates the average from the great. People are going to treat you poorly and greatly, you have to use your personal experience to help treat people around you in a respectful manner. When something goes good, reflect back on why it went well so you can continue to do that for future success.

Learn From Losing (Failing)

“I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” Michael Jordan famously stated this. He is considered a winner, even though he has missed, lost, and failed many times. He has 6 NBA Championship rings and a NCAA Title. The reason why he was able to succeed, is because he took the time to figure out why he lost. He did not accept being a loser. In sports, you will lose games and you will have to accept defeat. But you cannot accept giving up or having the attitude, "Well at least we tried." Losing has been a great teacher for me. I do not like losing at all. Since I was 8 years old, I watched basketball, mainly Laker games. When they lost, I would cry after their loses. My 5th grade basketball team went 21-1, we lost in the championship game, and that was the first time I ever cried after my own defeat. People were telling me that I should be proud of being apart of a 21-1 team, but because we lost the last game of the season, it made me upset. I worked harder because of that experience of losing, because when I suffer defeat, it hurts my heart. I remember losing that game like it was yesterday, I work hard so I do not have to suffer that bad feeling again. I will suffer defeat again, but I will learn from that defeat so that I can win more than I lose. I know a lot of athletes that love being the star player more than being on a winning team. UNC Men's Basketball Coach Roy Williams stated that, he will never recruit a player that scores 30 points a game on a losing team. You have to be really selfish and inefficient if you score that many points and lose, especially in high school basketball. Do not accept being a loser and do not be content with losing. In any area in life, if you are losing, find a way to win, even if it seems hard.

Learn From Winning (Succeeding)

Having a winning mindset is what separates the average from the great. To where people that want to win will do what it takes to win, even if it seems impossible or hard. If someone beats you or someone gets a job over you because they are more qualified, you have to push yourself to win out those situations. When people get a taste of winning, they want more. They get a satisfaction that only winning or accomplishing something can give them. I have 4 championship rings, and I want to keep adding to that collection. The joy and the sense of conquering obstacles to get those championships, is the greatest feeling and the best thing I have experienced. When you are apart of a winning culture, you gain a desire to win. For coaches, give your program a winning mindset. You might not be the best team with the most talent, but do not let that bring down your expectations. Do not believe that your team is not championship material. Give them that sense of belief that they can win championships. Crazy things happen in the world of sports, upsets happen everywhere and championships are won by teams that were not expected to. In all sports, there are preseason rankings, and at the end of the season, those rankings change dramatically. It is all about having a winning mindset, once you get a taste of winning, you will start to learn how to win and develop a desire to win.

Experiencing Bad Things Will Help You Appreciate The Good Things

We all will experience bad times, some things we cannot control will happen to us that hurts us. The best thing to do is to learn from those bad times, because when good times come along, you will appreciate them and hold on to them. As the old saying goes, you do not realize what you have until it is gone. Realize that God will put you in situations that will grow you and train you when you receive a blessing of His. Some of you may have experienced bad relationships, and then God gives you a good relationship, but you mess it up. This happens because we can get bitter and assume that things will always go bad. Really mediate on what God is doing in your life. He can either be training you during a rough time so you can be grateful for when something better comes along. Or He can be giving you a blessing and wanting you to appreciate what He has done for you. If it were up to me, I would win every game I have played in and I would want everyone to treat me with respect. Because I lost, I appreciate being apart of wins. Because people treated me poorly, I appreciate the people that treat me with respect. Do not waste a good thing, always be thinking about what God is doing in your life. As you learn through experience, you will be able to tell what is good and bad. Do not be fooled twice, if something bad happened to you and you put yourself in the same position to be set up for that same failure, bad things will happen again. If you get something good, hold on to it and realize that you do not want to go down the wrong path. 

Learn From Your Own & Others Mistakes

We all should realize that no one is perfect, so we are made to experience mistakes so we do not make the same mistake again. Another great advantage we have is to learn from other people's experiences. There are people around us that make mistakes and we can observe and learn how to not make the same mistake they did. There are great people on this earth that share their experiences with others. Embrace those times and appreciate those people. They are trying to teach you something that they did not know at your age. I am glad that we are all imperfect, because it gives us a chance to create friendships based on those imperfections. Always take time to learn from your mistakes and learn from others.

Treat People Better Not Worse

Treating people badly because you believe you have been treated badly, does not help you at all. It creates a never ending dissatisfaction. You will get so caught up in the way people treat you, that you will not see a person that treats you with respect. Eventually, you will think everyone treats you badly. They can come off as the nicest person in the world, but if they say one thing that triggers your mind to something bad that happened to you, you immediately cut off that friendship or relationship. It is better to treat people the way you want to be treated. Even to the people that have treated you badly, you still are better off in treating that person the way you want to be. I get more of a motivation to treat people with respect, because it is a bad feeling to be treated poorly. Instead of dwelling on a thought or a person of treating me poorly, I rather put my time and effort into treating people the way I want to be treated. It is more healthy for your mind. It also boosts your respect level. People are respected for treating others with kindness, even though they have been wronged. If you treat others well, they will want to treat you well. They will gain a sense of gratitude towards you. If they don't, then they will not feel comfortable around you and they will not be apart of your life. The right people will be in your life because the right people are the ones that can truly help you succeed. Do not hold onto grudges, you will never know who you need in order to succeed. Create and keep good connections with people, for they may be able to help you in a positive way.

See What Works

When we accomplish something, we have to reflect on how we accomplished it. We have to look back and see what we did that got us there. When you get a good grade on a test, reflect back on how you prepared for that test and what test taking strategies work for you. This will help you continue to succeed on other tests. Just because you got a good grade on one test, does not mean you will get a good grade on the next one based on your past works. You have to continue to work hard in order to keep accomplishing good grades. When you win a game or a championship, reflect on what you did and what worked. You do not get a championship for last year's championship. You do not win games based on if you are ranked higher than the other team. If you are ranked higher, realize why, and go prove that you are the better team. In order to be credible as person who teaches from experience, you have to realize what works and what doesn't.

Thank you all for reading! Have a great rest of the week!

Sincerely,

Chris E Perez

Twitter/Periscope: @C_P_2
IG/Snapchat: cperez02
Email: cperez0116@yahoo.com 

The Next Level

In whatever position we are in, whether it be in school, in work, or in athletics; getting to the next level in those areas consists of a strong mindset and a good work ethic. One of the ways we get to the next level is to work towards it at ALL times. We cannot get comfortable with where we are at, we end up miserable if we stay in the same spot. Believe you are capable of doing more than you are doing now, as long as your living, God will give you the ability to do more. Lastly, you have to work harder than what you are being paid, you have to give value in order to gain value.

Work Towards A Promotion/The Next Level

Working towards the next level is a great way to get ahead of everyone else around you. In high school, I did not go to practice or lift weights or run miles because I wanted to be a high school basketball player. I was already a high school athlete, I wanted to be a college athlete so I trained like a college athlete. I did extra work that was needed in order for me to play basketball at the next level. A lot of us have a mindset of, "If I had THAT job, or HIS life, or HER car, etc. I will be better and work harder." It does not work that way, why? Because if you asked for a better job and it was just given to you, you would find another excuse to not work hard. There is a drive and passion in all of us, that comes out when we work hard for something. If you worked hard for the job you have, you have more of a motivation to keep that job. You do not want to quit, if you quit you throw your hard work away. If you are given a job, you believe that you can quit and no harm will be done. This is why God made us more than conquerors, He gives us the things we want when we work hard for them, so we feel a blessing rewarded, rather than something we can take for granted. If you work towards the next level, you are working harder than the rest, and therefore you will gain more than the rest. I had teammates in high school that did not gain the opportunity to be a college athlete, but because I trained like a college athlete as a high school athlete, I got what I wanted because I worked for it. In the working world, work like you are the boss! And maybe one day you will become one!

Do Not Get Comfortable

Some of us, especially in the working world, get comfortable of where we are at. There are people that have been in the same job and same place for years. Two different type of people are formed through staying in one place. One is someone who really loves their job, and two is someone who keeps complaining on never getting anywhere. If you really love your job and love where you at, that is okay, as long as you are growing and becoming the best person you can be. If you keep complaining that you have been stuck in the same job for years, it is because you are not willing to grow and work at the next level. We cannot expect to get promoted if we are doing minimal work. The ones that climb to the top, are the ones that do the maximum work. Really think about the position you are in and ask yourself, "What is the next level for me?" For high school athletes, the next level can be college athletics. For high school students, the next level can be getting into college, then getting a degree, then getting a job, and then growing in your career. The main reason why we should never be comfortable and never settle, is because we always have another level we can reach, we always can do more!

Believe You Can Do More!

We can get into a mindset that, achieving greatness is just not for me. I am just meant to make it through life based on doing minimal work. We believe that we are not called to inspire people around us...I want to encourage EVERYONE, that no one is too young, old, or small to make a big difference in people's lives. God did not make me bigger than everybody else, but He did give me a big heart, He did give me a drive and passion to pursue greatness. He has given that to ALL of us, but it is our job to believe it. You do not have to pray to God to give you the ability to do more, He already gave you that ability, you just need to believe and have faith that you can do more. Pray to Him and ask what He wants you to do. Sure enough, He will answer your prayers and reveal what He has called you to do. God is willing to move you to the next level, the question is are you willing?

Work Harder Than Your Paycheck

As kids, we have a love or passion for something. We do something, not to get paid, but because it is fun to us. When a paycheck is involved, we lose love and passion for that certain something. You could have had a dream as a kid to be something, and since you did not get to be that something, you lose your drive. That is when you feel like you are working instead of living. On the other hand, people will fulfill their dreams, but once a paycheck is added to it, they lose the drive and passion and start focusing on the money. We cannot focus on money if we want bigger paychecks. We cannot say we are working if we want to pursue happiness. We have to say we are living a great life. We have to love what we do and love the people around us. Sometimes, we are going to have to work outside of our paycheck in order to get to the next level. You hear the phrases all the time, "I do not get paid to do that." "They do not pay me enough to do that." That mindset is going to keep you at the job you are at for many years. Or how about this one, "Well I am not getting paid to do this so why should I work hard?" The things you do that are outside your paycheck, that is your value. The price tag for your work ethic gets higher and higher when you do things that no one else thinks to do. Go the extra mile, take the extra time and effort to be the best person you can possibly be. Soon enough, the next level will be knocking at your door, the higher paycheck will come your way, and you will see how success and greatness works. In order to succeed and to be great, you have to think at a level that very few dare to think at.

Thank you for reading! Please share this post and offer any feedback! God bless!

Sincerely,

Chris E Perez

Twitter/Periscope: @C_P_2

IG/Snapchat: @cperez02

email: cperez0116@yahoo.com

Earn Your Spot

Earn Your Spot

To earn your spot, means that you have to work hard to get that spot, and you have to continue to work hard to keep it. People sometimes gain a sense of entitlement in thinking they will not lose their spot or that they deserve to be in their spot no matter what. We also have to understand and respect others when they accomplish something and gain a spot that we want. During our lifetime, we cannot settle for mediocre if we want to earn a new spot or keep our spot. We have to keep going!

Sense of Entitlement

To have a sense of entitlement, means you are believing that you can do whatever you want and have whatever you want. This mindset does not work in any aspect of your life. There are things in life that are handed to us, and those things are called privileges. Privileges are things that can be taken away. For instance, you can qualify to get your driver's license, but if you think you can do whatever you want on the road because you have a license, the law can step in and take that privilege away. If you make a team, you cannot have a mindset of not working as hard as you did to get that spot on the team, you have to keep earning it. I see this in the dating world, that a guy will do anything to get a certain girl to be their girlfriend, and once they get that girl, they gain a sense of entitlement and self declare that, "she is mine." But that girl can easily break up with him, probably because of that attitude. It is okay to believe that a significant other is yours, but you have to constantly prove why they should be yours and prove why they are happy with you. Do not get power hungry, because nothing worth having will be handed to you, you have to take what is yours and earn it!

Respect Others For What They've Earned

People around you will get things that you want, and you can get jealous or you can complain that you deserve what they have, maybe even more than them. Realize that we all have an unique story to be told. God is the author to all of our lives and He does not write the same book twice. Some of us have to be more patient than others and some of us have a disadvantage while others have a head start towards success. But like I have mentioned, no matter how much or how little you have, you are going to have to continue to make an effort to earn your spot. Money can be taken away from the richest adult, the poorest kid can be desperate enough and motivated enough to make money to provide for his/her family that they gain success! So when you see people around you accomplishing things and gaining success, you admire what they have done and you get inspired by their work. You do not get jealous and complain that you should be where they are at. You cannot want to be somewhere or someone if you are not willing to work hard for it or work as hard as them. People have different goals and are on different paces. I have friends making millions of dollars right now that are my age and I am barely making enough money to make rent. But I know my pace is slower and takes more patience. I do see millions of dollars down my road, but I am going to have to work hard and earn it the way God wants me to earn it.

Keep Earning Your Spot

Keep earning your spot! I think this a very important mindset to have because a lot of us can get complacent or comfortable in the position we are in. In reality, being comfortable will cause your life harm, why? Because people are working hard to get where you are at. If you are around people that are expanding their comfort zone and growing towards success, and you are not keeping up and trying to stay comfortable, that will get uncomfortable for you. J.J. Watt, Houston Texans Defensive Lineman and captain, signed a huge contract a few years ago that made him one of the highest paid athletes in NFL history. The morning after, he went to the practice facility at around 4 a.m. to get a workout in. He was asked why he did this, his response was, "I have to start earning that money." A lot of athletes think that once they sign that big contract, they have enough money to take it easy and not work as hard as they used to. But being comfortable hurts them, when you are sitting comfortably at home for too long, you start to get a desire to want to do something. Being comfortable is boring, you do not earn a job position by getting it, you start earning it when you prove you belong through your works. You may get a job based on what you have done in the past, but earning your job is what you are doing now and what you will do in the future. God gives us Heaven for our eternal life but we are not entitled to it, we have to follow Gods ways and earn our spot in Heaven. Getting a job or making a team or getting into a college will get you in the door, but it will not keep you there. Earn that job, earn that spot on your team, earn that high level education. Your works in the past, your work ethic in the past, your grades in the past; mean nothing once you start that new chapter in your life. It is all about earning your spot now so you can get closer to success. And success cannot be measured, success is giving your all and enduring to the end. Never stop doing what you are called to do.

Thank you for reading! Please contact me for ideas, thoughts, requests, and prayers!

Sincerely,

Chris E Perez

Twitter/Periscope: @C_P_2
Instagram/Snapchat: @cperez02
email: cperez0116@yahoo.com

The Art of Discipline

I strongly believe that there are three stages of discipline. All three stages are needed in order to succeed and they must go in order. The first stage of discipline is ACCEPTING DISCIPLINE, the second stage of discipline is DEVELOPING SELF-DISCIPLINE, and the third stage is TEACHING DISCIPLINE. You cannot teach discipline if you have not developed self-discipline, and you cannot develop self-discipline if you have not accepted discipline. Also, you need to have all three aspects of discipline throughout your life. You do not just stop accepting discipline or stop disciplining yourself. In fact, what makes you a credible teacher of discipline, is showing by example on how to accept it and discipline yourself. In this lifetime, we will never stop learning and we have to humble ourselves. No one is too big or no one should be too proud to accept discipline.

Accepting discipline can root from how we are as students and how we are as athletes. We have all grown up with teachers and coaches.

How we are in the classroom strongly determines how well we accept discipline. There are a lot of students that are rebellious and want to go against what the teacher asks them to do. Or they are lazy and want to find the easy way out, so they just want to pass and graduate with the minimum GPA. Those students usually have a hard time in the real world when they have to find a job. Because the more disciplined you are, the more marketable you are as a worker. People want to hire employees that accept discipline and develop self-discipline. Because then they do not have to worry about 'babysitting" them, meaning that they do have to be monitored constantly. People want to hire someone who is going to represent their company in the best way possible, no matter what position. So even though you may believe your GPA does not matter when it comes to finding a job, but if you are able to do what the teacher asks you to do and you are able to discipline yourself to get good grades, you will have the tools to be a great worker. Be teachable!

When I played basketball, since 4th grade, I had coaches that taught discipline. We always had to be on time or else we would go through a correction process that led to running or suspension of games. Off the court, we had to be good students and good people in our community. So as children, we are very impressionable and we feel lost. Children seek role models such as their parents, teachers, and coaches. As a 4th grader, I knew that I did not know as much about basketball as my coach. I had that mindset throughout my whole playing career. I accepted the coach's discipline because they were my role models. I wanted to be a great basketball player, I wanted to play in front of big crowds. I would go in my backyard or I would go to the gym and put myself in a game-winning situation at the Staples Center in the NBA Finals. I never lost sight of that, in order for me to be able to play in front of big crowds, I had to learn how to play the game and I had to do whatever it took to get there. So as a basketball player, I never went to a team to be the star player, I wanted to be on the team that wins a lot of games. It was more satisfying for me to be apart of wins, then it was for me to be scoring 30 points a game for a losing team. In order for me to be on winning teams, I had to have a winning attitude, and a winning attitude consists of accepting discipline. I did what it took, I played my role, I was patient, and I took advantage of my opportunities. A common attitude that my coaches had about me, from 4th grade to college, is that they did not have to worry about me, meaning that they knew I was going to do the right things and I was going to work hard every single day. Of course I had to go through a learning curve. I did not know what was right or wrong in 4th grade, I had to learn the team rules and sometimes it was learning them by experience. If I got yelled at or got in trouble, I did not take it the wrong way. I accepted that I did something wrong and that I would have to go through a correction process. When I got into 9th grade, I had a new coach and was apart of a new team, so it took my 9th grade year to understand what was right and wrong and go through another correctional process. Same thing went for my freshman year in college. I accepted the fact that I was going to make mistakes and that I was going to have to go through a correctional process that will motivate me to not make those mistakes again. Be coachable!

Self-discipline is strongly needed when you no longer have teachers or coaches in your life that are making you do schoolwork or making you go to practice. You develop your self-discipline as a student or an athlete, by doing more than what the teachers and coaches ask of you. Doing the bare minimum work in the classroom or in your sport, will cost you in the long run. Like I have mentioned before, you aim for an A grade, you might fall short to a B or a C. If you aim for a C, you might fall short to a D or an F. Same applies with athletics, do not let some tell you, "You will be a good division II player" and make that your ceiling. I know I would have been a good division II player but I did not settle for that. If I settled for people telling me I would be a good DII player, I may not have even played college basketball, because my work ethic would have not been as strong as it is. I pushed myself to my limits, to where I barely got onto a division I team as a walk-on, and I was very close to being cut. I was one mistake away, I did not have that much room for error, not as much as the scholarship players. But my self-discipline got me four years on a Top 25 DI basketball team. I did not do the bare minimum, I did not just accept that I was on the team, I wanted to benefit the team in the best way possible. In my position, that was tough because I did not do much on the court. When I was on the court, I played hard. Every practice, even though I was not playing, I gave my all because I wanted to help the team get better. In the classroom, not only did I want to succeed there, I wanted to help my teammates succeed in the classroom so they can be eligible to play. Self-discipline is doing more than what the teachers and coaches ask. Once you no longer have those coaches and teachers making you do schoolwork or making you go to practice, you cannot get lazy. There are so many former athletes that get out of shape because they did not develop self-discipline. I have been removed as a basketball player for over a year, and I still train and exercise constantly. Coaches do not teach you discipline so you can throw it away once you are done with them, they teach you discipline so you can use it to be successful. If you are able to accept discipline and use it for greater success, then you can teach discipline to others to help them be successful.

The best way to teach discipline, I believe, is through your actions and leading by example. As a leader, you have to follow your own rules. If a pastor preaches on tithing (giving 10% of your income to the church), he has to tithe as well to be a respectable leader. If you are a coach that wants punctuality from your players, you have to be on time as well. Teaching discipline is holding yourself and others accountable. I personally like working out with other people because they can hold me accountable if I am not doing my best. It is easy to get lazy or not work hard when you have no one around to hold you accountable. Do not worry about people that do not like you for teaching them discipline or holding them accountable. If you constantly accept discipline and have self-discipline, you are a credible discipline teacher. A lot of people do not like discipline, I have seen that in the classroom, in sports, and in church. If it is hard work, some students will find an excuse to not do the work and complain. If a coach is too hard on a player or always picks on them, that player will give an excuse that the coach does not like me. When in reality, the coach that gets on you and picks on you actually cares enough for you to get better. If I had a coach that did not get on me for making mistakes and not going hard, I would shy away from that coach. Because that coach is either too lazy or too scared to correct me. In church, if a pastor preaches on something from The Bible, that person may disregard what God says and shy away from the church. Preachers cannot please everybody, they have to teach discipline based on biblical principles. If a preacher goes away from God's Word and teaches a different belief system, then that preacher is no longer teaching discipline, not the way God wants them to teach it. Not everyone is going to accept discipline. As an educator of discipline, you may not be liked, but you will be respected. Too many people live their lives based on getting people to like them. If you live that way, you will not have a belief system to stand on. You have to believe in the right things, you have to believe in discipline, in order to teach it. You cannot teach something you do not believe in. People can tell if teachers, coaches, and pastors are believing in what they teach. If you believe in your program, if you believe that God's Word is the truth and the way to live; you will be respected as an educator, even by the people that do not like you.

Never lose sight of discipline, we all need it and we all need to teach it. I am not bitter at anyone but I do not respect people that do not discipline themselves and that do not hold me accountable. We should want to be around people that do not encourage us to do the wrong things. People around us should not let us slip up. Parents have to discipline their children, they may not like you or say they hate you, but they will love you for giving them the tools to succeed. My parents taught me discipline and I did not always like my parents. I said mean things to them and thought mean things, but if they did not have the courage to teach me discipline, I would be lost in the wrong things. Do not live your life to be liked by the wrong people, live your life to respected by the right people.

I know school is starting so I want to spend this month talking about things to get us off to a good start! Thank you for reading! Comment or message me anything such as questions or requested topics to write about!

Sincerely,

Christopher E Perez

Facebook: Chris E Perez
Twitter/Periscope: @C_P_2
Instagram/Snapchat: @cperez02
email: cperez0116@yahoo.com

Pursuit To Perfection

This article is not to declare that we as humans will ever reach perfection. The pursuit to perfection consists of knowing you will never be perfect, but you can strive to get close to perfection. This concept has stuck with me since high school. My high school coach Josh Giles, was the man that taught me about this. He is all about perfection, he wants his players to be perfect in the classroom, he wants to structure his practices, he wants to discipline his players, he wants his players to dress appropriately, and he wants his players to be great leaders of the community. There is no way we can accomplish perfection, but striving to accomplish that will make us into great and successful people.

As a basketball player, I grew up with playing for very prestigious coaches. From 4th grade, I played for Coach Ken Caldwell. He taught us the game like we were high school players. When I got to high school, it was an easy transition for me because Coach Caldwell prepared me very well. In high school I played for Coach Josh Giles, who has won CIF Coach of the Year and HSGameTime Coach of the Year multiple times. He made my transition into college basketball easier for me because he ran college level practices. It gave me the chance to be able to experience being apart of a Coach Steve Alford UNM Lobos team, something that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

I tell you this because for all three programs, I received a compliment from them that means the world to me. Coach Caldwell, Coach Giles, and Coach Alford; all said that I represent their program in the best way possible. Coach Caldwell has told me that I was one of his favorite players he has ever coached. When I go back to visit my high school in Corona, California; the coaches let the players know who I am, because I was one of the players that set an example and standard for what Centennial Husky basketball is about. The MaxPreps rankings had Corona Centennial listed in Top 10 in the nation to finish the season this year. For me to be apart of that program gives me the most pride. When I was finishing up my senior season, people of the UNM Lobos program, from coaches to fans, told me I did a good job of representing a Lobo. And I rarely played, I just practiced and played a few minutes.

Wherever you go, pursue perfection in all aspects of your life. The place you work or the school you are at, that is who you represent. Take pride in being the best possible person you can be, no matter what role you play. I played a very small role at UNM, I never started a game in high school, but the positions I was given, was for me to represent the program as a whole. It was never about me, it was about the team. Having that attitude has led me to experience great things and gain great opportunities.

There are some people that have accomplished a lot, so they get under the impression that they do not have anything to work for. I see it in athletics a lot, there are athletes that settle for being the best player on their team, they may even settle for being the best player in the state, or just one of the best players in the state. They have a good game, and they think they do not need much practice. Or athletes do not think they have to work as hard because they are ahead of their competition. In anything, there is no settling, regardless of how good you are. You can be the best player in the world, but if that stops you from working hard, then someone else will come in and take that title. There are players right now, working extremely hard, and they are not one of the best. There are some of the best athletes in the country that are not working hard because they are settling for what they have. You even see it in the NBA, some players just want to say they made it to the league. Those players do not last long, the players that last long pursue perfection. They pursue being the best player in the league or the best player they can become.

The evil to being great is being good, if you think you are good enough, you will not strive for greatness. If you are the best employee at your work, continue to get better so you can get promoted. If you are the best student at your school, do not stop working hard. It is painful to pursue perfection, it is painful to live a life of regret; the difference is that the pain from pursuing perfection has rewards and blessings. Regret leaves you in a state of pain. Whether you have accomplished a lot or have failed many times, it is never too late or early to pursue perfection. You may think you have messed up too much, you may see the people around you and feel overwhelmed in the sense that you cannot pursue perfection. It all roots to patience, if you have patience, you will understand that you will not get better overnight, you will not succeed right away, you are going to have to work hard and stay on that pursuit. Once you prove that you are willing to pursue perfection and stay faithful on that pursuit, the rewards will come and the blessings will come. The pain and hard work comes first, so you have to fight through all the negativity and doubters in order to succeed.

In a race, if you are running behind, you cannot tell yourself you will not win before the race is even finished. Even if you do not feel like you can win, try as hard as you can to get close to winning. If you are leading a race, know that there are people behind you that want to catch you and win, so do not slow down, keep pushing so there is a less chance someone will catch you. It is not about where you start, it is how you finish. You can start off good or you can start off bad, but in both positions, you still have to finish strong and attempt to win. Never count yourself out, never tell yourself you cannot be bigger than who you are. You can accomplish so much, because I just look back to last year, and I have seen that I have accomplished a lot since then. I could have stopped trying to accomplish new things. I have 4 championship rings and I am have the most wins for a walk-on in UNM history. But in no way did I ever think I am done from accomplishing new things. No matter how old I get, I am always going to want to accomplish something new. It is hard to stop someone that is so driven to be the best person they can be. Apart of that drive is willing to learn new ways to pursue greatness, never think because you have done something a certain way, is going to continue to work. As we get older, there will be new ways to do things and new opportunities to accomplish. Do not be in the lead and finish weak, do not be behind and give up. Endure until the end, do not limit yourself, pursue perfection and let's see how close you get to it!

Thank you for reading! Any questions, feedback, and prayer requests are encouraged!

Sincerely,

Christopher Edward Perez

Twitter: @C_P_2
Instagram: @cperez02
Facebook: Chris E Perez
email: cperez0116@yahoo.com

The Bigger Picture

A lot of us want temporary happiness or instant success. We want to win the lottery, live off that income, and never have to work another day in our lives. More so, some of us believe that if we have more, we will be better off. This article will express and interpret why working hard when we have little, will give us a lot.

I think of temporary happiness as things that give us selfish gratifications. When people smoke, they do not care for the people, they do not care if they get sick from second hand smoking. Nonetheless, they do not care about harming themselves, they just want that temporary good feeling. When people drink to get drunk, they do not realize that other people have to help them. They have to make sure they do not do anything they will regret (fighting, sex, driving home, etc.). Getting drunk is something that people want to do for themselves, and the reasons can be celebrating or trying to avoid their problems. When people argue or fight, they want to win the argument or fight, not necessarily to make the other person feel good. Sometimes people argue and fight with people to attempt to show that they have authority over you. People may even want to hurt you to make themselves feel good. There are other examples of being selfish, and I believe being selfishness hurts you as well as it hurts others. We have to see the bigger picture, we cannot be so narrow minded in selfishness, that we forget to see how our decisions are effecting other people around us.

Instant success is something I am guilty of thinking of, I think about having millions of dollars and thinking of the ideas I would do with my money. So I think that if I could somehow get a lot of money now, I would know what to do with it. In reality, people are becoming broke after winning the lottery and athletes are declaring bankruptcy after making millions. Why? Because when we have little, we realize that we do not need as much and are happy with what we have. When we have a lot, all of a sudden we are under the impression that we need more because we have more. You must work hard for your success because once you become successful, you will realize that you do not need as much and can give to others

You will see other people struggling and you will use your money to help others. That is how the circle of life should work. Whether you have grown up in a poor family or a rich family, you should not feel bitter or feel bad towards other people. If you grew up with a little and you are able to gain a lot, do not be selfish and tell yourself that since you worked hard for every penny, that it is all yours. Instead realize what struggles and mistakes you made, and share that with others. Give people that were once in your position, the chance to pursue greatness.

God gives us a testimony to share, and He enriches us so we can help those in need. (You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:11). God gives us EVERYTHING, whether you start with a little or a lot. If you start with a lot, wear your blessings well. People may think you have it easier then those who are poor, but in reality you miss out on some struggles that poor people go through. Struggling makes you stronger, both sides of the coin have to overcome their situations. I have heard stories from poor people that did not have a lot and those stories humble me and I gain more appreciation for my life. I have heard stories from rich people and I have seen what they do. There are people that use their money for the better of others and not necessarily for themselves, because they want to see joy in other people's faces, and there is no dollar sign on that, it is priceless...I have seen poor people give up and say this life is too hard...I have seen rich people use their money for selfish reasons...We are all given a situation, it is your decision in whether you want to use it for the glory of God or for the glory of yourself.

Do not believe that if you have more, you will be better off. The reason why you do not get a promotion, is because you are not giving your best effort in the position you are in. You may think, "But if I get a promotion I will give better effort." Me for example, I do not necessarily want to be an assistant coach. I want to be a head coach at the highest level. And I believe I can be a good head coach right now. But I have to be the best assistant coach I can possibly be. I cannot pout as an assistant and think that will get me promoted to a head coach. When I am ready, I will move up the ladder. The keys to moving up the ladder is to have faith in the little things and taking your job seriously. You may make fun of someone for taking their job seriously, but the ones that do take it seriously, will get paid more and move up the success ladder quicker than you. When you paint the bigger picture, you have to make sure every little detail is in place. The little things you paint, create the big picture. You could have an ugly past, but once you learn from the mistakes you have made, your future will look good.

I want to leave you with a rhetorical question that I want you to ask yourselves...What gives me the right to be selfish?

God gave all of us life, we should not glorify ourselves. Jesus SAVED all of our lives, we should live for Him. We all are grateful to our mothers for giving birth to us and we all are grateful to people that save our lives. So we need to see the bigger picture and realize that God gave us this life and Jesus saved us. He continues to save us and protect us, and I realize that now that I am saved, He has been saving me even when I did not have a relationship with Him...We all want to inherit the kingdom of God and spend eternity in Heaven, we can only do that if we have a relationship with Christ. Jesus has saved us, but it is our calling to live for Him.

We have to be obedient to Him, if we SAY we believe in Christ but do not follow His ways, that does not mean we have a relationship with Him. If I am a coach, and I tell my team to run a play, and they don't, that means my team does not believe in me. If someone asks my players, "Who is your coach?" They will say it is me, but that still does not mean they believe in me. If you do not do what Jesus asks you to do, then you do not believe in Him, you are just using Him. You are just declaring that He saved your life and you do not owe Him anything. The mindset of, "Thank you Jesus for saving my life, but I am going to do my own thing now, see you in Heaven." does not work. Jesus did not save your life so you can turn away from Him, He said that whoever believes in Him, will never die. (...everyone who believes may have eternal life in Him. John 3:15). Saying you believe is not enough, being obedient is believing in Jesus. Anyone can raise their hand and declare Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but it is what you do after that, and after declaring He is Lord, you must develop a relationship with Him that will set you free and break you away from the bondage and uncertainty of sin.

Thank you for reading! Feedback and personal stories are encouraged! Please share with anyone you believe needs to read this!

Sincerely,
Christopher Edward Perez

Twitter: C_P_2
Instagram: cperez02
Facebook: Chris E Perez
email: cperez0116@yahoo.com
Snapchat: cperez02

Ability vs. Willing

According to Webster's Dictionary definitions, ability means to have the physical, mental, or legal power to perform. Willing is defined as, prompt to act or respond; done borne, or accepted by choice or without reluctance; the power of choosing.

In order to do something and to be successful, you must be able to have both of these concepts. I could be willing to build a house, but I am not able to do that since I do not know how to, I would have to learn how to build a house in order to be able to do it. I could have the ability to learn something new, but if I am not willing to learn, then I would not be able to get smarter.

As human beings, we are all given abilities, but we are given the choice of having the willingness to use those abilities for the good of ourselves and others. Here are some examples of abilities we all have.

The ability to be strong and getting stronger. A lot of us deal with pain, in fact all of us do, physically and mentally. I have said myself that I do not get hurt, and I realize that I was lying to myself. What I was really saying is that I am not going to let any pain or hurt ruin my life. I am not going to let things that happened to me in past, get in the way of my present and future. I will learn from pain, but I will never let it consume me. I know pain will come again in my life. A few weeks ago I hurt my ankle, last year I lost a childhood friend my age to a car accident...the physical and mental pain will come, but it can not stay with you. It takes a person about 24 hours to grieve when they lose a loved one, after that it is pain they are holding on to. Senior Pastor Steve Smothermon, Sr. from Legacy Church said this last night during the sermon, "If it is so painful, then why do you carry it with you?" We have the ability to let go. This comes from the ability to get stronger. My attitude is to have a willingness to be strong because I know I have the ability to be strong and it will make me more successful and inspiring.

The ability to be thankful. There are people that really make an effort to think on the bright side, and the best way to do that is to be grateful and thankful. Even saying the statement, "I have nothing to be thankful for." You can be thankful that you have the ability to talk, the ability to think that thought, and the ability to be standing there alive. There is always a bright side and positive perspective. God tells us over and over again to be thankful. If you pray to God without being thankful, then He will not respond to your prayers because you did not do what He asks of us, to simply give thanks to Him and to others. I believe that having the ability to be thankful but not willing to give thanks, is being grateful. There are things I am grateful for, but being grateful is telling yourself that you appreciate what you have. Being thankful is reaching out to someone and telling them that you appreciate what they do for you. We all have grateful thoughts, but we must be willing to speak our gratefulness into thankfulness if we want the true and greater blessings from God.

The ability to be happy. Last night I had dinner with some friends from church, and within flow of the conversations, we talked about special needs people. We mentioned that they are so happy, and I brought up the time when I volunteered at the Special Olympics in my home city of Corona, CA. By far it has been my favorite event to volunteer at, mainly because of the positive energy and happiness from the participants. Then I thought to myself, why do people that have disabilities, are more happy than the people without disabilities? Some people may never reach a level of higher learning because of a disability. Some people may not be able to perform physically at a high level because of a disability. But when you use your ability to smile, you give yourself power, no matter what your advantages or disadvantages are. Be happy, not because you can, but because it will bring you joy and to others. No matter what you are going through, being happy is what we are called to be so we can help make others feel better. I know we have pain that makes it hard to be happy. God wants you to still be happy and thankful for something(s) that He has given you. When you do that, then God will heal your pain. If you really think about it God tells you to be happy, thankful, and strong through difficult times; so you can forget about the pain and bring joy to others. Seeing someone else happy helps your pain. Being thankful helps your pain. Being strong DESTROYS pain! Focus on those three concepts during painful times,  because that is your best medicine.

The ability to love others. Love cannot be measured, we have a limitless amount of love in our hearts. There are 7 billion people in the world and you have the ability to love all of them. And God gave us the fundamentals of human abilities in Corinthians 13:13 - "And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." Our best ability is to love but a lot of us have a lot of hate towards others, or we do not like certain people, and we get in arguments that have no substance other than hate. There are people in your life that you are not going to get along with. I know people that have a hard time getting along with me but it is not out of hate, it is because we all have unique lifestyles and different goals that we aspire towards. Especially the born again saved Christians, when we are saved, most of us forget about love. Because when we start getting right with God, we start seeing all the evil and wrongdoing around us more clearly. So we then get angry at them or tell them off, with no love whatsoever. For the people that are right with God, remember there was a time when you were not right with God. And for me personally, it was not like I did not believe in God, I just did not know how to serve Him and be obedient. So I did not have the ability to serve Him, but I did have the desire to serve Him and the ability to learn. So friends invited me to church, I read The Bible, I became associated with a church that has taught me the right way to serve Him and continues to teach me. Why did God give me this desire and ability to seek Him? Because He LOVES me, and He loves EVERYONE in this world, even if they deny Him. He loves all people so much, that He sent His only begotten Son to suffer dying on the cross to pay the price of our sins. Jesus Christ died for us, out of love, and He put that love in our hearts so everyone can have a relationship with God. But we cannot lead people to Christ if we do not humble ourselves and put our egos aside. People that do wrong need to get right with God through love. Are you willing to not have anger, jealousy, or hate towards people? Have love, it is the best thing you can do!

We also have the ability and willingness to do bad things and wrong others. However there is a price YOU have to pay if you choose to do the wrong things, and that price is eternal life in hell. By living righteously and choosing to do the right things, well that price has already been paid in full by Jesus dying on the cross for ALL of us! When you accept Jesus as your Lord, when you live in obedience, and you endure to the end, you will have eternal life in Heaven! (Matthew 24;13 - "But the one who endures to the end will be saved.") And there is no in between. You may say you believe in God, but if you do not follow His ways then that means your actions do not show you believe in Him. Saying you believe in Him means nothing if you do not show Him that you believe in Him. So if do some good things, or only do some of what He asks, you do not go to Heaven, you do not go to a lower level of Heaven. It is either Heaven or hell. Psalms 39:5 - "You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure." This psalm of David, he is saying that this life on earth is short compared to our eternal life. A handbreadth is basically the palm of your hand. It is a symbolism as how long your life is here on earth. So ask yourself, is this temporary life, that is very short in comparison to my eternal life, worth living wrong? Do I want to spend FOREVER in hell or FOREVER in Heaven? Some may even think that since doing wrong fells so good to them, they do not mind going to hell...It is not worth it, be willing to live a righteous life and you will experience the greatest thing you can ever have, which is eternal life in Heaven. Do wrong, and you will experience the greatest punishment and torment in hell forever. Who are you willing to serve? Satan, of lies and no promises other than an eternal life in hell? Or Jesus, who died for you and promised eternal life in Heaven? Your choice!

Thank you for reading! I hope this inspires you to live righteously and I encourage you to share this reading, because you never know who it can help!

God Bless!

Christopher Edward Perez
Twitter: @C_P_2
Instagram: @cperez02
Facebook: Chris E Perez
email: cperez0116@yahoo.com

Hobby Into Hustle (Inspired by Eric Thomas)

For people that do not know, Eric Thomas is a motivational speaker and author that has traveled around the world to give powerful messages with energy and enthusiasm. He is from Detroit, Michigan. His inspiring story starts from being a high school dropout, to recently earning a PhD in Education Administration at Michigan State University. He premiered season 10 of Thank God It's Monday! (TGIM) two weeks ago on YouTube. I encourage you to connect with him on social media, I will provide his information at the bottom of this article.

Eric's first TGIM episode of season 10, is titled "Hobby Hustle". This episode talks about separating what your hobby is (doing something for fun and pleasure) and what your hustle is (doing something to help you become successful).

When you treat something like a hobby, you do not care if good or bad things happen. Meaning that if you play or coach a sport "just for fun", winning and losing games does not mean anything to you. That is not fair for your teammates or players that want to win and want to use their athletic ability to be successful. As a teammate, you are striving to be successful as a player and a member of your team. You want others around you to follow your example by seeing you work hard, so they can be inspired to work hard.

How can sports help me become successful in a career path that does not involve being an athlete? Well I will personally tell you that the game of basketball, the teammates I had, and most importantly the coaches I had; are paving my path towards success. There are things on the court or on the field that athletics can teach you, that the classrooms cannot. And it is vice versa, so you need to fully be a student and fully be an athlete to truly become successful.

One of the most important things I have learned is about punctuality. My coaches and my teachers, would discipline me if I was ever late to class, practice, games, meetings, etc. Being punctual falls into being respectful and trustworthy. When someone wants to meet you at a certain time, from your friend to your boss, you need to show that you respect them enough that you care and that you can be depended on.

Here is what 2-time AP National Coach of the Year, 4-time National Champion, Alabama Football Head Coach Nick Saban has to say about being on time: "Something as simple as being on time is important because it shows that you care, it shows that it's important to you. It shows that we can trust you. It's important to pay attention to detail. Know what your role is and be responsible and accountable to do it, because if you can't prove that everyday how can the other guys in the huddle trust you? They may not say it, but how can they trust you?"

Athletes, students, musicians, artists, dancers, workers, whoever you are; being on time is important, it is the first step into turning your hobby into your hustle. I am not saying that you should stop doing things just for fun and pleasure, it is healthy to have those things. Just know the difference, do not mix your hobby with someone else's hustle. If you play sports just for fun, do not get in the way of the athlete that is using his/her sport to become successful. If you are apart of a team, you are automatically apart of a hustle. You all have the goal of winning games and championships, if you do not care about winning, then quit the team you are on and play your sport on your free time.

Being successful consists of caring for others. You have to support others on their hustle, even if it is different from yours. I can help a musician strive for greatness because I can tell them the things I learned through being an athlete. A dancer can help me be successful because they can tell me their stories and experiences that are helping them become successful. There is no secret formula or scientific way to understand this concept, there are principles that EVERY person needs to follow.

You cannot shy away from being punctual, being disciplined, being unselfish, and working hard; it will all catch up to you. You may say that people get lucky, such as people being born into rich families so they do not have to work as hard. Let me tell you that money runs out and there are certain things money cannot buy. Apostle Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:10 - "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." Money cannot buy you the ability to work hard, that is within you. If you are born into a poor family, you have no other option but to work hard and not be discouraged.

Everybody wants to be successful and everybody has the tools for success. Everyone has a different set, but everyone has a fair set. Help each other understand what it is like to be in need and what it is like to have plenty; so we can humble ourselves and be motivated. Apostle Paul went through being a prisoner in Rome, to where he had nearly nothing, nearing the point of death. After prison, he set out on his second journey to bring the gospel to the Gentile world, he started a church in the city of Philippi. The Philippians became Paul's friends and supporters for the rest of his life. The retired Roman soldiers who lived in this city, heard about him being imprisoned in Rome, so they set out to collect money to assist him. So Paul writes a letter to the Philippians and says this in Philippians 4:12-13 - "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

I know there are times or situations that you are in and you are saying, "This is just not fair." Do not believe in that because that thought will rob you from being successful. Do not be bitter of something or of someone that happen in your past or wronged you, because that will rob you from success as well. Instead you need to find motivation.

Self-motivation is the best type of motivation you have. Because it is from within you and you have the power to motivate yourself to become bigger than what you are now. If someone says you cannot do something, be motivated to prove them wrong. If your family is not living comfortably, be motivated to become successful so you can help your family get out of that bad situation. If you just love winning, be motivated to do whatever it takes to win. Once you find a strong motivation, then it is time to surround yourself with people that are strongly motivated too. You do not have to have the same motivation as the person next to you, you do not have to be on the same career path as the person next to you; you just have to surround yourself with people that have the drive and the passion to be successful in whatever they do.

I am not saying that you need to go out and do the wrong things, meaning that you are not to seek revenge, wish evil upon people, or get angry/bitter at people. In Romans 12:19-21, Paul writes - "Do not take revenge my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord. On the contrary: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." It pleases God when we help those that have wronged us. God's command is to love your neighbor as yourself, and that includes your enemies. You will experience an even greater feeling when, not only do you prove to the people that said you couldn't do it wrong, but when you help them and care for them, as they need help and inspiration from you. People may not be grateful for what you have done for them, but know that God is always watching, and he stores more and more blessings into your personal account.

So all in all, strive to be successful and be influential along the way. Gain a drive and passion towards accomplishing your goals. From any situation, you can do it, you can do what God has placed in your heart to do. You can use the talents God has given you to have success and help others. Do not get caught up in doing the wrong things, instead take your faith and blessings to a higher level than ever before. To every enemy and to every friend around you, help them succeed, show them the way, and show them that the right way, is the only way.

Thank you ALL for reading, please contact me for any feedback or questions you may have. Follow Eric Thomas, as he has helped me greatly in my strive for greatness, on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube!

Eric Thomas
YouTube: etthehiphoppreacher
Instagram: @etthehiphoppreacher
Twitter: @Ericthomasbtc

Christopher Perez
Twitter: @C_P_2
Instagram: @cperez02
Facebook: Chris E Perez
email: cperez0116@yahoo.com

Embrace Your Foundation

So everything we do, are bricks of our personal foundation. A foundation can only be built if many bricks are added, and some of us want to go back in time and remove the bad bricks, but we cannot remove those bricks because the foundation will be ruined. There are things that I have done in the past that I regret, there are many mistakes I have made but I cannot remove those "bricks" out of my life. I don't want to, because my foundation is being built by God, it always has been. But now that I know that God is building my foundation, I am going to do my part in making it stronger and indestructible!

I am sure everyone is familiar with, "The Three Little Pigs" story. Two pigs build their houses of straw and sticks and the other builds his house out of bricks. Some of us grow up in a brick house, a strong foundation that is built on the power of God. Some of us grow up in a straw or stick house, a weak foundation of the lost and of the world. The world wants to tempt you with the easy way, to build your house out of sticks and straw, to have something quick and cheap, but once you build that, the world says you are on your own. If someone ruins your foundation, oh well. But what God offers is a house of bricks, a strong foundation that is hard to bring down. Of course you will still be tempted to let bad things come into the house of bricks, but if you let that temptation in, it can ruin you. Build your life like a house of bricks, it will take longer and a lot of hard work, but along with that journey, you are protected by God and given the reward of eternal life in Heaven!

Jesus says and teaches in Matthew 7:24-27 - "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

Some of you may believe that this life is not fair. "People have more blessings than me." "How can I serve and believe in God when other people around me don't?" "Temptation feels so good." "God has taken a lot away from me, why should I serve Him?"

God has made EVERY single human on this earth, everyone is God's creation. But not everyone is God's child, we become God's child when we are saved, born again, and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We all have a fair opportunity to seek Him and become God's child. I know that when I see a homeless man or woman on the streets, I pray to God that they find a way to Him, because with God, they can get out of that situation. No matter how poor or how messed up your life is, you can find Him because He WANTS you to seek Him.

You should not be so ashamed of your past to where you say, "Oh God I have messed up so much, there is no way I can change and expect you to save me from the bondage of the world's ways." You cannot change your past, whatever you do, good or bad, is a part of your foundation. It is up to you if you want to make those bricks, straws, or sticks. You make your good and bad past experiences bricks, by letting God build them up. If you are saved, everything you have done in the past, has led you to Jesus. So you should not want to alter your past in any way. If the world and the devil build your foundation, as easy as it was to build it, it can easily be destroyed.

We are all given a fair chance to be born again, and we are all given different experiences because God wants us to humble ourselves and be inspired by what other people go through. If you look at someone and say, "Wow they are successful." Accept that as a blessing in your life, and seek to learn from that person and be motivated to succeed. If you see someone and say, "Wow they have it bad." Accept that as a blessing in your life, and humble yourself and find a way to help them.

So do not worry or think about what you have done in the past. Do not let those thoughts keep you up at night, instead feed your mind on ideas or thoughts on how to serve God and sew into His Kingdom. The worries and fears will go away, because when you care to serve Him, He blesses your life with answered prayers. You go searching for a friend, you may not find one. But if you go searching for God, He will provide you with many friends!

We must work hard everyday and never be complacent. If we dwell on our past disappointments and accomplishments, we will not see what we need to do next. The harder we work to live a righteous life, the more powerful we become. Fully obey The Word and you will have a perfect God fully protecting and working in you, the ultimate foundation.

Thank you for reading! Any feedback and suggestions are encouraged! Any questions or prayer requests are welcomed as well!

Sincerely,
Christopher Edward Perez
cperez0116@yahoo.com
Twitter: @C_P_2
Instagram: @cperez02
Facebook: Chris E Perez

What's In It For You?

There are a lot of things in this world that we can love or pretend to love. Different people, different things...we could love movies, music, or anything that we set our heart on. Loving people and loving things are okay, it is when we start WORSHIPPING imperfect people and materials that we need to ask ourselves, what's in it for me?

I hear and see people talking a lot about their favorite celebrities. They speak on how great they are, they have posters in their room of these people, and they go to great lengths to let people know that they are "perfect". No one in this world will ever be perfect. No matter how much money someone has or how talented they are, they are not perfect. You can say that there are a lot of celebrities that do a lot of good things and I agree. I admire ANY person for doing the right things and doing good for others, it inspires me. But God tells us that no amount of good deeds can ever be good enough for Him. We are born sinners, so in order to have a relationship with a perfect God, He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, who is all man and all God, to pay the price for the sins of imperfect people. So there is no need to "worship" imperfect people.

Instead of speaking so much on celebrities, speak more on how great God is. Instead of posters of imperfect people, fill your room or house with decorations that represent your beliefs and pride for God. Instead of spending money on clothes and materials that represent your favorite people, spend money on helping others and clothes that will show your beliefs. I am not saying that you need to totally disregard your favorite people, but God should be first in EVERYONE's life. Not money, not your siblings, not your parents, not people. If you put God first, then He will bless you in your finances and the people you love. If you pray to Him, He will know your heart. If you worship Him, you will be blessed more than you will worshipping people. The people you worship and the people you love, more than God...is your god. There is only ONE God that is perfect, everyone else is imperfect. So why would you worship imperfect people that cannot give you what a perfect God can?

There are a lot of people I respect and admire. There are people I read about or I read on what they have to say. There is music I listen to because I like how the lyrics speak to me. There are clothes that I have that represent people and music groups that inspire my life greatly...BUT I realize that those people I respect and admire, follow biblical principles and have Jesus Christ at the center of their lives. I will never worship ANY person, God is the only one that deserves worship. I will love people based on God's love (Mentioned in the article, "What Is Love?"). People will speak to me that will make me love them because of how they are speaking about how great God is, what He does, and what He calls us to do. So what's in it for you to worship people?

I also hear and see people writing on social media or posting pictures that do not necessarily benefit themselves or other people. I see people using Twitter as a way to rant about something or someone. You may realize that you are talking to yourself when you do that...or you could be desperately seeking for attention and wanting people to sympathize for you. You do not need to do that, I believe Twitter should be used to bring awareness and inspire people through short phrases and links. Do not use it as a running diary.

Let me assure you that bringing your problems to God, will benefit and bless your life more than any other way. Unless people speak to you through God's Word and His teachings, those people that try to help you, do not have their intentions based on what is best for you. Instead of bringing your problems to social media, bring them to God, bring them to a strong man of God, bring them to a strong woman of God; and you will not necessarily hear what you want, but you will hear what you NEED.

Do not shy away from people because they are telling you the truth. Telling the truth is not judging anyone, it is bringing you the Good News, it is telling you how to serve God so He can bless your life and break you away from any bondage you may have. I know that when I talk to God, when I open my mouth and speak to Him, He has me speak in a very powerful way. Because as I am speaking to Him, I realize that He is perfect and His ways are perfect. He has given me a Bible that has ALL the answers. So when I talk to Him, I realize that my ways are ridiculous, I realize that my problems are not all that bad. Why? Because I know God is working in me, it is the greatest feeling to be reassured that God is working in my favor. Even during hard times, He is growing me and making me stronger. I realize that He is blessing me, and sometimes I have a hard time finding out how, but I just have total faith that He is.

When I look back on my life so far, I can see how God blessed me when I could not see it at the moment. As I learn more about God's Word and being taught The Word in church, the easier it is for me to understand how God works. I think some of us shy away from God's ways because we do not see it working in our favor...but as you gain more knowledge of the truth, you will gain more of an understanding of how He works. It is not that sinners cannot understand God's Word, it is that they choose not to understand it. It could be too hard to follow His ways, but God created ALL of us to be able to understand His Word. With His offering of free will to us, we choose whether we want to understand it or not. A relationship with God is important, do not let the world's ways, that constantly changes, influence you to lose your privilege in having a relationship with Him. What is considered good today may not be considered good tomorrow, but God's Word never changes, so we can know how to serve Him and how to get to Heaven. If the world is so messed up, what's in it for you to follow the world's ways?

Now everyone that knows me knows I do not see benefits for taking self-portraits (i.e. selfies). I have heard many ways that people try to explain to me that they are beneficial, but I still do not see why. One reason why people take self-portraits, is to see how many "likes" they can get. And I see an addiction coming because people get so consumed on getting more and more likes. They will add picture filters, they will reveal more of their body, they will do whatever it takes, to take a good picture of themselves.

Personally, I have heard this, "Wow that girl looks way better on Instagram than she does in person." I believe that is a big turn off for people, because the person does not appear the way that they seem. So you can be lying about your physical image

People also do it for the comments, "You're so beautiful!" "You're so perfect!" Now when I see a beautiful person, I will tell them because that should not go unnoticed. But beauty is more than a picture or a physical image, beauty is revealed when a person does good things and lives righteously. It says in 1 Timothy 2:9-10 - "And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do." Women do not need to attract men on how they reveal themselves, but be attractive on how God reveals them. The most attractive quality for me personally is a positive relationship with God, someone who serves Him and helps others. The physical beauty will take care of itself, if God sees you working to serve Him, He will bless you with great physical qualities that will attract people. If you serve God, and you look good, than what will stop you from God revealing the perfect spouse for you?

The one comment that bothers me is, "You're so perfect!" Because like I mentioned, none of us are perfect, so why would we tell people lies on Instagram when they post a self-portrait? I know I can be reading too much into that. But some people can take that comment, and really believe they are perfect. When people believe they are perfect, they tend to trust their own ways. People have told me that comment too, not because of a self-portrait, but because of my positive attitude and willing to help others. I realize that when people tell me that, they are telling me a lie. When people tell you this comment, it could definitely be an exaggeration. So I think of perfection like this, being perfect means that you realize you are imperfect, and are willing to be perfected. No one will ever be perfect, God did not create us that way, because He wants us to constantly seek Him and have a relationship with Him. Our purpose on this earth is to get as close to perfection as we can, knowing we will never fully reach it. So if you post self-portraits or comment/like self-portraits, what's in it for you to show lies and tell lies?

All I am saying really, is to focus on having a strong relationship with God, put Him first in your life, and He will take care of the rest. Some of us struggle to find a purpose for why we are here, well let God work in your life and He will show you why.

With a relationship with God, I am not saying that you need to go preach The Word or write about it or to know every scripture in The Bible. If you haven't had a relationship with God, start slow. If you have had a relationship with God, continue to find ways to serve Him. Starting off slow can mean reading a verse a day, watching church on TV, then going to church, asking a friend to go with you, etc. Believe me, I took small steps, very small steps, on my path. I have only been going to church for 5 years, and after 5 years, I can finally say that I am ALL IN with God to where I am going to serve Him and put Him first in my life. A journey of a thousand steps starts with one. Do not get overwhelmed with people that know worship songs and verses, they are just on a higher spiritual level than you are. But that does not mean you cannot catch those people. I knew NOTHING when I first stepped into a church, surrounded by people that knew a lot about The Word of God. Instead of shying away and being intimidated, I took on the challenge of being a better Christian so I would not feel lost.

There are people in this world that are lost, not in understanding God's Word. If you are lost, you are not alone. If you are lost, you can be found. Do not follow the world's ways, you will be even more lost. Follow God's ways, and He will reveal your best qualities, and show that you do matter, and that you have a beneficial purpose on this earth!

Thank you all for reading, any feedback, good or bad, is appreciated. Please contact me in any way if you have questions!

Sincerely,

Christopher Edward Perez
Email: cperez0116@yahoo.com
Twitter: @C_P_2
Instagram: cperez02
Facebook: Chris E Perez