Didn't Expect a Part Two to be Honest

Being from Southern California, I grew up and still am a Los Angeles Lakers fan. I also love Magic Johnson. How can you like the Lakers and not like Magic? I know. You can't. That is a man who knows how to maintain poise and control in all situations. What I learned this week: it really does pay to maintain and enrich your connections. Do you know what I'm talking about Phil?

Phil Jackson won five titles coaching the Lakers. Magic won five titles playing for the Lakers. Phil Jackson and Jeanie Buss were together for 16 years. No one really knows how long Magic and Jeanie were planning this change. Point being, connections are changing the way business is conducted. Companies like LinkedIn allow and enable connections to be made as well as maintained. I had a chance to ask Scott O'Neil a few questions in October of 2016. Scott O'Neil serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Devils and the Philadelphia 76ers. One simple but effective tip he gave me was "each connection you have will have three other connections". Just think, instead of one connection, you may actually gain four connections. I know simple right? 

Here's my point: Magic Johnson loves the Lakers and the Lakers love him. Is Magic Johnson ready to be in charge of the Lakers? To be honest, I don't know. People say that he doesn't have any front office experience. True. But he has a basketball mind that few others do. This is one reason that he wants to involve Kobe Bryant, another basketball genius. Basketball isn't just an industry, it's people working extensively with one another. 

Should Magic be in charge of the Lakers? Absolutely. Other than a relationship dilemma, Phil Jackson seems more qualified since running the Knicks. But even though Phil has run the Knicks for a while, he's produced more drama than results. I would rather take the opportunity of Magic over the experience of Phil. The more you put into a connection, the more you get out of it. Networking is not the same as having connections.

Sorry, Phil, no More Triangle...

One of the most iconic names is now one of the most ridiculed. Yep, that's right Phil Jackson, I'm talking about you! To be clear, being from San Clemente, California, I grew up a Lakers fan and will die a Lakers fan. But who Phil is now is not the Phil who won 10 NBA Championships with two different teams. He had Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Shaq, making him the best coach of all-time. Now he has Carmelo and Porzingis, and can't win back to back games. Although, I'm still questioning how the Knicks beat the Spurs...My point this week: we have to keep going. What we were describes us; it doesn't define us. 

I know I need to change. I said so in my post last week. But change is not the same as improvement. It's not wrong to be comfortable in our own skin. But it is wrong to not improve. Phil won 10 titles, but now he can't run a should-be a playoff team. After all, look at Lane Kiffin. From the Oakland Raiders to the FAU Owls, he couldn't ride his past forever. Not to mention his past kind of sucks. Being a USC fan, he showed his colors versus ASU a few years ago. His bubble screens define him, but that doesn't mean he needs to abandon it because it's too predictable now. He and Phil have something in common: you can ride the same system, but you have to adapt it for different circumstances. You can succeed with the same strategy, but you must adapt to local circumstances.

Now adapt this to our lives. There is nothing wrong with who we want to become or how we want to change. Certain things about us will never change, and if they're good practices, they shouldn't change. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't strive to change. I've been lucky the past few weeks. I always saw change as passive, but now I realize that it is anything but. Remember how people say music and movies influence you? Yeah, I never bought into that. I like explicit music and I'm fine with rated R movies, to an extent. You change depending on the environment you put yourself in. Seeing what I've seen with my life and with Phil, I fully believe it! Don't be afraid to maintain who you are, but one size doesn't fit all. Carmelo does not play the Triangle offense. 

You are who you are Becoming, and that can be Scary!

For the past few months, I have learned more about myself than I ever really expected. It started with little things, pointing out differences between myself and other kids at BYU. Here is why I mention this: In my seminary classes, I was the only kid my age who went to a private school. That being said, my friends aren't members of the Church; they swear, drink, and do other things than members wouldn't do. I love my friends and wouldn't change it for anything, and I wanted to be like them. I wanted to be the "black sheep" among the Mormon kids. Since my freshman year in 2009, I've been swearing more than I should. I'm okay watching rated R movies; I do research before every movie on IMDB, looking at the Parents Guide. If it's too much, I don't see the movie. But here's what became a reality for me this past week: I am changing because I want to change. I want to be better. I want to be like those kids who I annexed myself from.

While on my mission in Colorado Springs, Elder Shayne M. Bowen  came for a mission tour my first year. He was very funny and witty, but he said something that has never left me. "When you know who you are, then you will act accordingly." It is simple but powerful. And while I notice that my preferences are changing, I've tied it back to one moment: I want to become better for a girl. It sounds stupid, and it is, because we're not dating, well, not yet. We haven't friend zoned each other in the slightest, but we're becoming good friends and getting to know each other really well. We know that it's easier to transition from really good friends to a serious relationship. She wants to have what she calls "the college experience", going on dates with different guys, and she wants me to do the same with different girls. With our busy lives, we both know that we aren't in the position to commit to each other, again, at least, yet. But although she is the reason it all started, I now want to be better for myself. I'm not fighting it like I used to. I catch myself changing my music to clean versions, or while listening to my music, I don't want, need, or desire, to swear with the songs. In fact, it  kind of hurts my ears. This is one reason why I decided to see the new Lego Batman Movie instead of John Wick. 

Now, it's clear what is in the future. I am hopeful that I will have a relationship with said girl, and do believe it is a very real possibility. But regardless of the future, I want to change, and I need to change. Specifically, I want to change for said girl, but I want to change for anyone I come in contact with. I have had very spiritual experiences about my future, and I know what can happen. One thing that has been stressed to me is that the Lord's time is not my time. Believe me, I wish His time was my time. For the promised blessings I anticipate in the future, I know I need to embrace change. 

My Lense Isn't the Only One

I would love to hear other ideas on what to write about! If you'd like, use the comment section for any ideas.

Mean Tweets-Unethical or Hysterical?

Thinking about what I learned this week, I was stumped. Then I saw a video from Jimmy Kimmel Live. It was a video that I had seen numerous times, but I had a thought regarding something other than comedy. People are mean. I can't watch nightly news because of how depressing it is. It's no surprise that "Mean Tweets" still exists because of the entertainment factor. What I never considered before was the athlete reading a mean comment about themselves. Why do the athletes agree to fuel these segments? Growing up, my dad always quoted Investor Business Daily saying, "How you think is everything"  This truth applies now more so than ever.

How do we approach people we respect? How do we approach people we don't respect? Most people have a favorite athlete or celebrity. Though a controversial athlete, my favorite basketball player has always been Kobe Bryant. I still wonder why Kobe would read a mean comment about himself? I also wonder why LeBron James or Michael Jordan have not appeared on "Mean Tweets"? Celebrities are role models, whether they like it or not. Are we more inclined to protect our egos or defend our character? Depends on the person. Do we laugh at these segments because the comments are funny? In all honesty, yes. But the real humor comes from the reader's reaction. 

Personally, I am all for athletes showing the world they are humans. I love athletes that know who they are and what they stand for. Some get offended, some don't. In "Swallowed Up in the Will of the Father", Neal A. Maxwell talks about three groups of people: pessimists, optimists, and innovators. Innovators are those who see the good and bad in each situation, and determine their choices because of that viewpoint. Not only will they make smart decisions, but they are what they think. They are practical, yet they have vision. I do not commend all of these athletes for their responses, but some I absolutely do!   

Selling History to Rick Harrison

We've all heard "Money makes the world go round"; but do we actually believe it? I love the TV show, Pawn Stars, which if you've seen it, the objects brought in are amazing! Recently, I've seen a 1957 Brooklyn Dodgers signed by Sandy Koufax and other all-time great baseball players. I saw a Russian medal valued close to $40,000 recently bought for $6000 dollars. So, my common thread is this: What determines the amount of money paid for something? Pawn Stars is a perfect example; history is still worth the price. 

At first, I had a certain view on the practice of selling the past. Why should we sell our past for a few dollars? Attached are two videos. The first video shows the old introduction to the show, followed by the current introduction. I think it is interesting to hear the words in both videos. What changed in terms of priority? The second video shows a daughter selling her father's World War II memorabilia. Part of me believes that selling family treasures like that is pretty telling of how much we care about our nation's past. But why does this matter? How many children, or adults for that matter, would know about antiques if historical objects weren't sold? Kids would read about historic events in a textbook, but would they be remembered? Rather than selling the past, the practice of antique dealing shows just how much we care about the past. We talk about moving forward, but the way I see it, we still want to remain in the past. We give thousands upon thousands of dollars for some items. Why? Because it is the story of us. Those events are the reason that we are here today! 

My great-grandfather was in Skunk Works for Lockheed Martin from World War II through the Cold War. He was business partners with the top engineer, Kelly Johnson. Together, they designed some of the greatest airplanes ever made, including the SR-71 Blackbird, P-38 Lightning, and U-2 Bomber. Unlike anyone else in the world, my family has pictures and sketches signed to my grandfather from Kelly Johnson. Being who he was, Johnson's signature on original blueprints or plans is worth serious money. But, there is absolutely no way that I would sell that history for anything! My great-grandfather would be rolling in his grave! Just because I won't sell the pictures doesn't mean that I won't talk about them. The reason people pay so much money isn't because of time passing, but rather, what it means to them. Believe me, if I could sell a 300 year old piece of wood for thousands of dollars, I would do it in a heartbeat! History still lives because it matters to each person, regardless of age, background, economic status, etc.. Not only do we need to remember history; we need to embrace it. The best way to move forward is to remember the past. History repeats itself now more than ever. 

Hall of Fame or Hall of Shame?

So I have a question for you: Are innovation and cheating the same? Both provide a more efficient process, and both produce a positive result. Well, in theory. Each day should be different. That's the joy of life. But, today was different than the normal different. Today, baseball players were elected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. Those who had a vote believe they chose the best players. But, come to think of it, what if the "best" cheated? What about two players who snuck their way into Cooperstown this year? They say they were pioneers of innovation in baseball; they just cheated. Run that experiment yourself. I dare you! Cheat on a test, get caught, then tell President Worthen you were just "innovating". Then, please maintain your innocence. Is honesty really the best policy? The world doesn't run on honesty anymore; it runs on "innovation". I find it interesting that when honesty is caught on camera, the world is stunned.

Hence the title of the blog, I am all for innovation. I also believe in honesty and traditional values. Now it seems that it's a paradox! Super computers called iPhones are at our fingertips. There is more computing power in a smartphone than there was in the first space shuttle. Scary, huh? On the contrast, high school athletes are being suspended for steroid use. Are we innovating, or are we "cheating the system"? I guess it really depends on the way you want the world to go. Progress is perspective. Millennials claim to embrace the future. Why not embrace "the now"? Why "innovate" when we can actually innovate? It's not an insult to be a Millennial. Admit it or not, if you are in that age group, you are a Millennial. I hate to break it to you. The Hall of Shame is just one example of Eddie Guerrero's quote, "If you're not cheating, you're not trying".

What can we do? I am one person. Someone else reading this is only one person. The sad reality is that even though there are many Millennials, we are all one person. What we can do is innovate for our benefit, not cheat ourselves. We are a new generation! So, why don't we leave the cheating and steroids in the past generation? Why don't we end the "Steroid Era"?