Category: Opportunities

2020 shouldn’t be written off.

Published on by erikcpanzer

2020 may be a year that we are all glad to see the end of, but that should not mean we disregard all that we learned from it.

Yes many devastating things happened, but when faced with adversity, we are given a great opportunity to learn and grow.

2020 was a year where it may have felt like so much was out of our control; lock downs, lay offs, mask wearing. The list goes on.  

Although many things were out of our control, there was still so much that was in our control.

Mindset, how you view the world around you

Thoughts, what you think about

Attitude, how you interact with the world around you

Habits, what your consistent behaviors are 

These are all things that we can control, no matter what is going on around us. A healthier balance of control with these can lead to improved well being.

Start with You. Intentionally focus on these areas to improve your life, and over time with a continued intention for improvement, you’ll progress towards fulfillment.

Become fully responsible for yourself!

2020 taught us that life is fragile, it’s a gift, and it can change in an instant.

Give time to yourself. Connect with friends. Learn new things. Explore new places. Read more books. Do what makes you fulfilled. Live it up!

Go make the most out of 2021 for yourself.

Do Better, Be Better

Published on by erikcpanzer3 Comments

In light of Nike’s commercial, Better | Mamba Forever | Nike, it got me thinking about this idea of being better.

What is ‘being better’? What does it consist of? What is the outcome? 

I believe that individual potential is endless. With enough deliberate and intentional development, matched with patience and perseverance, you can become your best at anything. But what is important for you to know is your purpose behind being better.

You don’t know how good you can be, because you’re not there yet, but can you pursue that? Of course you can!
It’s all easy and great to say you’re doing better or being better, but is you being better associated to something you are building towards achieving or are you just saying it because it sounds good? Find that purpose for being better. 

Are we being who we say we want to be and are we doing what we say we want to do? – George Mumford

Having a purpose allows you to build habits to act and behave intentionally towards it every day, and through this you will continue to grow towards maximising your potential, your better version of yourself.

For me, being better is this pursuit of excellence and a thirst for growth. It is this desire every single day to make improvements in various aspects of my life.
I am on a journey every single day to become the best version of myself that I can be. The best brother, son, friend I can be. The best athlete, performance coach, and life mentor I can be. The best person I can be!

With this purpose giving me direction for growth, I then act and behave deliberately towards this purpose in ways that will allow me to make improvements in these areas each and every day.
Every day I take as an opportunity to grow. 
Every training I take as an opportunity to improve my skills.
Every conversation I take as an opportunity to learn something.
Every thought I take as an opportunity to build compassion.

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” – Maya Angelou

Every day you are in competition with one person and one person only, and that is yourself and who you were yesterday. The more you can truly understand this and apply this to your actions, the more growth you will see towards a better version of yourself.

So I ask you this, why are you being better, and what is you being better leading you to?

What A Time To Be Alive

Published on by erikcpanzer1 Comment

If there is one thing that we can all learn from these unprecedented times, it is that you can find out what is really important to you — what you need, day to day, for your happiness. 

During these current times, so many external things have become so quickly irrelevant. This is a great opportunity to reset yourself and allow yourself to simplify and clarify your life. It is a great time for self-reflection for whatever stage in life you are at. 

Don’t like your job? 

Is your job so good that you wake up each day with an energy, a thirst for the work you do? 

If not, figure out what you feel like will give you that energy and look for those opportunities and apply for those roles. Take that jump. 

Don’t like a certain relationship? 

Does your relationship give you life and excitement, a sense of adventure, and a lot of love? 

If not, talk about what’s missing, address the issues, or just step away. Don’t let it drag you down away from happiness. 

Don’t like what you’re studying? 

Are you studying something you care about? Do you get excited to learn about this topic each day? 

If not, change majors or programs. Find what you are really passionate about and study it, engross yourself in it. Let that give you a reason for waking up each day. 

Don’t like where you are living? 

Is your environment, your home, your surroundings giving you the ability to be free, creative and thrive? Or, Is it holding you back from living a life that you truly enjoy? 

If not, find somewhere that fosters creativity and freedom to allow you to thrive and give you purpose each day.  

Don’t like who you have become? 

Are you not happy with who you are, what you are doing or where you are going? Do you feel like you’ve become someone you don’t want to be? 

Isolate yourself with your thoughts, your visions. Brainstorm your purpose, find some meaning in your life, discover your passions, discover your reason for being and let that guide you to who you wish to be.  

Yes, I understand that for each of these points there are challenges and unknowns, especially financially. To make such decisions in these times can be uncomfortable, but being uncomfortable during chaos is where the most growth occurs. 

It is a time to step away from fear, and begin to move towards happiness.

The greatest thing you can do in isolation is disconnect and take some time with YOU; sit with yourself, your thoughts, your visions, your dreams. Step away from all other influences and find out about yourself on a new level. Discover your passions, your purpose, and begin on your adjusted journey, whether you decide to take a new path is up to you. 

When we come through the other side of this, you will know yourself better, your path will be clearer, your life will be simpler, and living a life of happiness should be easier. 

What having all this time has done for some is to spend more time with their kids, their families, more than they usually would. 

For others, it has given them time to reconnect with old friends, near or far. 

And most importantly, for many, it has allowed them to get creative, work on personal projects, chase their passions and do things they really enjoy. These are things that often get put to the side, as work takes priority, when they really should be front and center of what we do. 

These are three things that can make us feel more alive, more fulfilled. They make us feel happy. 

Take as much or as little from this blog, but no matter how much you take from it, I hope that your life will become richer because of it. 

Peace and love

I understand this is a challenging time. If you need someone to talk to, please reach out to me. Whether it is to help you discover your purpose, learn how to be comfortable being alone with yourself, or just to chat about life, I am always willing to talk, discuss and assist.

Believe

Published on by erikcpanzer

Belief

It’s a strong power, and without it, your grounds for achieving will be very weak.

By definition, “Belief is the state of mind in which a person thinks something to be the case with or without there being empirical evidence to prove that something is the case with factual certainty. Another way of defining belief sees it as a mental representation of an attitude positively oriented towards the likelihood of something being true.”

This state of mind, this mental capacity has allowed us as a human species to achieve extraordinary things: Using science to create medicine to save millions of people, People walking on the Moon, Developing technology that has changed the world.

Put it this way, if it weren’t for belief, we wouldn’t have people who have or can change the world. That’s pretty significant.

If you don’t believe in yourself, what’s the point? Whether it’s sports, work, relationships, if you don’t believe in them, then nothing strong enough will be pushing for success. Success just doesn’t happen on its own, it takes hard work, perseverance, but most importantly, it takes belief.

So, where do you start? Firstly you need something that you’re aiming for. This will give you a target, something to strive for, something to believe in. With this target in mind, you must then believe strongly in yourself that you can achieve that.

In this process of achieving success, it is human instinct to want others to believe in you, for others to approve of your target, however, others are irrelevant. They don’t matter. If they want to support you, great, however, it is your individual control, it is your individual power to believe, that will lead you to achieving, not anyone else’s. If you want to achieve something extraordinary, the first thing you have to do is believe in yourself.

To believe is to have confidence. To be confident is to have certainty. To be certain is to know beyond doubt. You must know beyond doubt that you are committed, committed to achieve what you have set out to achieve.

Those trailblazers, those world beaters, those life changers, those ordinary people that have achieved extraordinary things all had one thing in common, they understood the power of belief and look where it took them.
These people were willing to fail, to be knocked down, time and time again, because they knew the strength they had through their power of belief and they believed in their ability to get back up and go again, and again, until they succeeded.

No matter what you believe, big or small, is your belief strong enough to keep you going, no matter the setback?

Time for Reflection

Published on by erikcpanzer

2017 has been an incredible year for me.

I have been very blessed to have stayed fit and healthy throughout the past 12 months as I continue to pursue football. This journey in 2017 took me to more countries, more places, than I could have imagined. The experiences I have had, the places I have visited and explored, have been incredible. The people I have met and the stories I have heard have been amazing. And the growth and development as a young man that has occurred in my life has been unmatched by any other prior experience.

2017 certainly hasn’t been easy as I have faced many challenges, making tough decisions like leaving a club, or investing in a rigorous training program, or being dropped to the bench. But I see all these challenges as lessons learned and an opportunity for growth. Although learned in football, these challenges are relative to the real world and these lessons learned give me life skills. They are lessons that I can grow from and utilize in the future when similar situations occur, whether in my own work place or whether I’m working with a client who is also in a similar situation. When times are tough, it makes me tougher and that will show true one day, near or far.

Some of the highlights were:

With all these experiences over the last 12 months, I am very excited to head into the new year with fire in my belly and a continued drive for success and adventure. Life is certainly unpredictable, and it definitely is not fair, so I look forward to embracing every opportunity that I get to develop myself and my wellbeing. The excitement of the unknown is nerving but thrilling. Knowing that there are so many more great experiences to be had, many more lessons to be learned, and best of all, more people to meet and be inspired by or even inspire them.
It is the people in my life that allow me to continue my purposeful journey. I am very thankful for the love and support from all those who assisted in my journey this year. Most importantly, I am grateful to be closer to home this holiday period and spend some precious quality time with my family.
I look forward to continuing to chase my dream in the new year!

The Fortunate Life

Published on by erikcpanzer1 Comment

To be here, writing this, and for you to be here, reading this, we are all blessed with life. Some people experience life in a different way, others live a less fortunate life than most, and so each day it is important to reflect on the fortunate life that you live. Having food in your cupboards, clothes in your drawer, water in your taps, a roof over your head; having either of these things leaves you in the higher percentage of fortunate people around the world. It is important to not take advantage of this. Make the most of the opportunity you have been given, to wake up every day and truly experience life. Justify why you were given the chance to live the life you have been blessed with. Don’t waste it, when there are so many people around the world who wish they were in your shoes, and had your opportunities.

I was given a gentle reminder earlier last week about the life that I am lucky to live. I was involved in the presentation of medals at the National Summer Games – Special Olympics NZ. Before anyone jumps to conclusions, I am not taking anything away from these incredible athletes, their abilities, their appreciation for life and their ability to live life without inhibitions. What these athletes reminded me was that life is lived everyday by other people in different capacities. These humans also have a chance to play a sport they love, interact with their friends, and experience the feelings of jubilation and despair. All of these are just experienced in a different capacity.

Maybe what these humans experience is considered the fortunate life? I’m not here to make comparisons, I am just here to spread a message.
My message is for everyone in this world to be more appreciative of your abilities, opportunities, and experiences you have or are offered, because not everyone in this world is offered similar. No matter your situation, no matter your frustrations, I believe that it is important to sometimes take a step back from a frustrating situation to reflect and remember how fortunate you really are. Take a lesson from these athletes and live life without inhibitions. Don’t do things for the recognition of others, do things for yourself, and live life to the fullest capacity that you have been blessed with.

When I look at the bigger picture, my ability to play football has given me so much. It has given me the chance to travel the world, it has given me the chance to inspire others, it has given me the chance to meet so many people from different cultures. I wake up each day reflecting on how lucky I am to have a new chance, and a new opportunity to make the most of the day I have been gifted. I am physically capable of playing a sport I love, intellectually capable to converse with others, and consciously capable to know that today is a gift, and I am fortunate to live it.

Life Is Full Of Learning And Growing

Published on by erikcpanzer

Learning never ends in life, or at least I don’t believe it does. Learning is a crucial element to life, to continue to adapt to this ever changing society we live in. Each and every individual has the ability to learn, about themselves, about their environments, about this world, it is whether or not the individual is open and willing to learning. As previously mentioned in my ‘The 12 Lessons Learned While Chasing My Dreams’ article written 6 months ago, one of the most important lessons I shared was the importance of learning. Learning in every situation, every experience, whether it is good or bad is so important to ensure you grow from it and use it in the future.

I shared the importance of learning with 550 High School students last Monday during my speech as the guest speaker at Garin College‘s Colors Awards ceremony. It was the focal point of what I wanted these high school students to take away, that success or failure isn’t the key, it is the learning in the process and experience that is. For students, I believe that their learning should not be restricted between the walls of a classroom, nor should it be restricted to the walls of their home. Most of the greatest education I have learned has been outside of these walls, interacting with new people, learning about new cultures, and most importantly, getting outside of my comfort zone to learn more about myself. I encourage all of the students to get out and explore the world and learn about themselves, and I encourage you all that read this to do the same. Learn to become a better version of yourself!

My journey has been one of many ups and downs, and this was something that I wrote down awhile ago, and I feel it is appropriate to my life over the last few years:

“Succeeding isn’t just about achieving, it’s about learning, and when it comes down to what I have learned, I have succeeded” – Erik Panzer

And on the football pitch this week, my teammates and I continued to learn. Learning and understanding how our style of play is to counter the oppositions, however we learned a harsh lesson in our game, and that was that of the desire and will to win. Although we had a game plan which we had learned, we only partially executed it, but the greatest let down was our desire to win. It is a lesson that we need to learn as we continue to strive for the levels of performance that we expect from ourselves. Back to training this week to grow from it and put things right this coming week.

Embrace New Environments

Published on by erikcpanzer

As opportunities come, most of them come with a change in environment. Now going from a place where you have been settled and comfortable to a brand new place can be a daunting task for anyone, anywhere. Often times, opportunities take you to a new place with no one you know, or where nothing seems familiar, but the unknown side of an opportunity is what should add to the excitement of it. Embrace the unknown, knowing that this new environment will soon become friendly and familiar to whatever you may be doing. Adapt to change with patience and trust, and then make the environment your own.

Luckily for me, my transition to a new environment was made much easier by the lads on the team and also the lads at The Rex, our house in Miramar. Along with a great staff and professional organization, I have been welcomed into Wellington with open arms and made to feel appreciated. This welcome has allowed me to solely focus on the task at hand and not worry about any external factors that can often inhibit peoples ability to fully immerse themselves in a new environment

What a feeling it is to be back in New Zealand though. There is just something about the freshness of the air, the song of the birds, and the blue of the ocean that just cannot be beaten anywhere in the world. In the days that I have been here, I have experienced the various weather patterns Wellington has to offer, its wild wind, but also its stunning summer weather. Lets hope there is more warm summer days than blustery wet days in the coming months.

As the week came to an end, a long awaited reunion 1o months later with my Mother happened. We had a great weekend exploring Wellington, the Waterfront, Oriental Bay, Mt Victoria, some of the great restaurants, and of course she got to watch me play football again. It was our first official game of the 2017/18 ISPS Handa Premiership, and was also the ASB Charity Cup match. Our preparation all week was very tactical and the lads embraced it all, showing that on the park on Sunday with a great 3-1 win over Auckland City. We thoroughly enjoyed taking down Auckland, who have been the most dominant team in Oceania in the last 10 years.

Credit: Photosport NZ

 

When Opportunity Presents Itself

Published on by erikcpanzer

I wasn’t born to stay home.

Both my parents left their respective countries of birth while in their 20’s. As their son, they raised me purposefully with wings, to fly away. I was encouraged to go explore this world, experience different countries and cultures, and to take opportunities when they are presented to me. Through my travels and experiences, I have gained so much. Most importantly, I have gained a greater perspective of life and through this, I have developed my character into one that is relative to this perspective. I have developed a great appreciation for life, the abilities that I have, the opportunities I receive and the people in my life. This has allowed me to embrace life’s moments and all that it has gifted me, especially because many people do not have the same basic abilities as me or are not offered opportunities similar to me. Life is a gift, so I encourage you to make the most of it, every single day.

I believe I made the most of the last couple weeks in Sweden, and I am very glad I did, as they were my last days I would spend in the beautiful Värmland County, Sweden. My visa expired and I had to make a decision. I made a decision for what I believe to be the best for my well-being, and also my future as a footballer. I received an offer to return to New Zealand and play for Team Wellington FC in New Zealand’s National League, and I took it. The past 18 months since I graduated from Quinnipiac University have been an adventure to say the least. There were many great experiences had during this time, along with many great challenges and learning experiences. I developed many abilities in this period of growth and development. I met many great people who challenged me to be better every day. And I truly believe that wherever I went, and whoever I met, I left a positive impact on them or their environment. I aim to make the world a better place, and I made a point to show my desire to do so during these adventures.

I believe the time was right to return to New Zealand to further progress as a person and football player. The opportunity presented was an attractive one for so many aspects of my life, one that I believe will progress me as a person and a football player. I have bought into a culture of professionalism and excellence along with a set team identity and it will give me a greater purpose in my football, something that has often lacked at the previous teams I was with. I am very excited for the opportunities that lay ahead, along with reconnecting with many old friends and influencers, and getting to further explore the beautiful country that New Zealand is.