Category: Patience

Defining Success

Published on by erikcpanzer1 Comment

“The accomplishment of an aim or purpose” – Oxford languages

Success is a concept where everyone has the opportunity to define it differently. The beauty of the human race is that no one person is the same and therefore it is most likely that everyone’s definition of success is different.

Due to a lack of knowledge, people make assumptions, they create opinions, and these opinions are only based on their thoughts, their experiences, and when all they have in their head is certain voices, their perspective is very skewed with no empathetic understanding to others journey.

It is important to remember this as you travel on your journey, that no one elses definition of success is the same as yours. For some, it may be internal, for others, it may be external. The most important thing is to know within yourself what success is in your life.

So, What is success for you?

The only person that can answer that question for you, is you. No one else should determine what you consider to be successful. Success can only truly be defined in relation to what you have personally set out to achieve. And to understand what you have set out to achieve, it is critical to know your purpose.

In a results driven world, where numbers, scores, and status are so often used as the measurement for success, without purpose, these are all you really have to assess your achievement. When you have a higher purpose, what is seen on the surface to the public eye becomes irrelevant to the journey you are on.

Here’s a little story:

I once took a class at University where in my final exam I got a score of 38/100. After initial disappointment, I realized something, that my definition of success was not about the score that I had gotten, it was actually about all that I had learned. In that class, I started with a knowledge base of near zero, whereas most my classmates started with a knowledge base of over 50, so it is only understandable that when the professor came to mark our final exam, my knowledge was considerably lower than everyone elses. So I wrote an email and said this, “if you are going to grade me on what I have achieved, I have failed, but if you are going to grade me on what I have learned, then I have passed”. The professor never responded to that email….but I passed the class.

As I’ve continued to grow in this life, this has been a poignant moment to reflect upon and show me that my definition of success is about what I learn and the journey that I am on, rather than the results I achieve.

Success is the person I am becoming through the journey that I am on.

I have discovered my purpose and I follow that everyday. It reflects in my actions, in my decisions, and therefore it allows me to measure my own success and no one else.

I encourage you, whatever industry you are in, whatever path you are on, to clearly define your purpose for your life, your reason for being, to enable you to accurately measure success in your life. Don’t let society define it for you.

Find your purpose and you’ll find your way

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?

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, a Concept of Measurement

Published on by erikcpanzer

Time. What really is it? I’m not too sure myself, but from what I understand, time is just a concept of measurement, measuring what, I’m not exactly quite sure either. It’s a funny concept, using numbers to give each period from sun up till sun down or for better word, a day, an outline of the amount of ‘time’ we have. This aspect of it is at least consistent. But what these numbers really do is they set barriers each day for us to live by, which we all suitably abide by. Today’s society is so deeply regimented into living life by these numerical barriers and guidelines that what if those numbers weren’t there each day for us to live by? What if we had no barriers, what if we had no structure, what if we had no time?

But for the purpose of these thoughts, lets just continue within these barriers of time…you think you have time, and maybe by the measurement of numbers, you may. But whatever that is, it is not to be taken for granted. Life isn’t something you wait around until 5pm each day for. Life isn’t something you wait until tomorrow or the weekend for. In today’s society, life is unpredictable. Seeing school aged kids who probably thought they had a whole life ahead of them get taken too soon, or friends that never got to live out their true potential due to devastating diseases and events, you can’t even question how much more time they wish they had. If that doesn’t make an impact, if that doesn’t make you realize how fortunate you are for each and every day you live, I’m not quite sure what will.

Time, whatever it is, won’t wait around for you to get your dream job. It won’t give you enough money to travel the world. And it certainly wont always put you in the best environment for your health. You have to make those things happen for yourself. You have to take control of your life, take control of the time you have and use it to your advantage.

“You can’t change your circumstances until you believe you control them. And you can’t control your circumstances until you decide to take responsibility for them.” – Mark Manson

Don’t settle for an environment that the time you invest is not valued or progressing you towards where you want to go. Continue searching for the environment that gives you direction in purpose, and if you cant find it, create it. Flow your energy to that space, and create your own environment that leads you in the direction you wish to go.

The crazy thing is, time puts a number on things, and that number is this guideline we look forward to for something different to happen. But you cannot control the future, all you have is the present moment, and you can only ever be in that moment. The present moment is what matters. That is all that you have control of. You can’t fast forward, you can’t rewind.

“Life is available only in the present moment” – Thich Nhat Hanh

Don’t look back don’t look forward, just be still and enjoy life, moment by moment. Make the most of the current time you have and if you are fortunate to keep receiving more time, then cherish that!

My final thought is thanks to a close friend of mine who once shared this with me, “time is a funny thing – the less you have, the more you want it. And the more you have, the easier it becomes to let it go to waste.” Time has it’s own way. Don’t let your time go to waste. Don’t be controlled by these numbers. Go out and utilize your time in the best ways you see for yourself. Make the most of the time you are offered, enjoy those moments and live boldly.

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.

See Life Through Different Lenses

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Each and every individual in this world views life from their perspective, from their personal lens. Your family, friends, colleagues, teammates, classmates, they all view the world in a different way to you. Individual perspectives and opinions create diversity and without this diversity, our world would be one sided and boring. No this isn’t about conflict, this is about each individual having something to believe in, something to live for through what they see. This is about people taking a step back before making judgement and looking at someones situation from a different lens to your own; perspective taking. It’s about putting yourself in someone else’s shoes for a second and allowing them to be them, and believe in what they believe.

This isn’t easy. It is often difficult and frustrating as differing opinions can create conflict or difference, but with a little empathy, we all have the ability to step back and just respect what others see and let them embrace their perspective. With this empathetic understanding of others opinions, we will still have our diverse world with individual perspectives, however embracing this difference instead of creating conflict will lead to a more peaceful world.

Personally, I would say I am a strong minded person, and I have my opinions about things in this world. But I know that others are also strong minded and they also have opinions about things that may be very different to mine. We all need to realize that this is what makes life unique and interesting, that we can all believe different things, but still get along. We don’t have to agree on something, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have to get along. Embrace others for who they are, and what they believe in, even if it is different to yours. Your friendships and relationships with people will be forever richer because of it.

The Practice of Patience

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Patience really is a virtue. It certainly is a tough skill to learn and apply in life, especially in a society where everyone is expecting instant results or returns. We live in a world that is so fast paced and technological that we all expect things almost instantaneously after going in search for them. Not often do we see individuals working hard, and every day continuing to persevere along a path for something they really want, instead often taking the easy way towards something comfortable and familiar.
Being patient comes with many challenges, it can mean working for a lot of time for something you want, it can be waiting for something that may even never come.
Patience can also be a savior for so many people, in relationships, in decision making, in social experiences. It is a trait that isn’t often practiced or seen in many individuals today, but it can be what sets you apart. It teaches a good lesson, and even if the outcome or result of what you have shown patience for isn’t the one you wished, the learning and development of the skill of patience is so very important throughout life.

“Patience is not just about waiting for something… it’s about how you wait, or your attitude while waiting.” ~ Joyce Meyer

As Meyer says, it is about how you act and react in every situation along your path while you patiently wait for something. This is defining as your actions can either assist in your journey, or they can elongate your journey. The decision is up to you, how will you  act in patience? Patience starts from an everyday attitude towards life, and can slowly become part of your character. Patience starts today, so how will you show it?

This weekend, my team showed patience. After going down 1-0, we were patient in our play, knowing that we were the better team with more quality and firepower. Our patience paid off, ultimately coming back to win 5-2. This is a small example of patience, but for a team playing a season of approximately 25 games, learning and applying patience in this situation allows us to understand the importance of it across the season, throughout the challenges we face and successes we achieve.

I have patiently waited for nearly two years to see my father again, and I was reunited with him this weekend as he came up to watch my game. Although we FaceTime each week, nothing beats seeing loved ones in person and enjoying their character and being in close proximity! It was a special weekend and I was very fortunate to spend time with him, especially after the journey and experiences I have had in the last two years!