Just thinking.

I was put on this earth to make a change in the people around me, my community, my friends, my family, and the people I am in contact with.  I wake up every morning ready to take on the world, I try to put my fears behind me and move forward.  Smiles are a regular thing in my life, not because i'm lucky, but because I choose to be that way.

Today is Tuesday, I have many project to accomplish, lots of work to do.  I get to see a special someone tonight that brings even more smiles to my face. 

Life is good.

New beginnings

Well today is Monday.

I just got home from an amazing week in Utah.  Refreshed, motivated, and ready to rock.  I had wonderful company as well I might add.   We went to the Olympic Park, went shopping, saw movies at Sundance, snowboarded, made snow angels, went sledding, made snowmen, had snowball fights, drank lots of wine, sat by the fire, and danced.

I reflected on my past, missed a couple old friends, one still here and one gone forever.  I decided to stare the future in the face with a positive outlook.  The past is behind me and the future had better watch out.

Again, today is Monday.   I woke up next to Myah which I missed so much, the birds were singing, and the sun is out.  Breakfast is done, coffee is down, and its time to hit the road. 

My birthday is in 2 weeks also, so be ready to rock.

Tally ho! Shaka! Love and -------------> .   to those of you that know.

Matthew

life is good

Park City Utah, Snow on the ground, going boarding tomorrow, fire in the place and cocktail in hand.

Life is good,

Thats all

Time of your life

Well I'm sitting in Park City Utah right now attending the Sundance Film Festival for the first time.  We've been non stop since we got here, still trying to get with the 1 hour time change.  Surprisingly that's been hard, i can't imagine what would happen if i went to NYC or somewhere on the east coast. lol.

Drinking a beer in the living room over looking beautiful Park City, watching the snow boarders run down the slopes, watching cars drive down Main St, and listening to Black Eyed Peas, Time of your life came on.  I finally have gotten a second to reflect on whats going on in mine.

I have never been to Utah in my life, let alone Sundace.  I feel pretty blessed to be here.  In my previous job I never had any time to do things like this because I always had another event to do.  Seems like they were never ending.  At the time I thought I was having the time of my life, but I have realized while out here that I'm about to embark on the time of my life.

As many people know I have recently gotten my hands in retail and I've really loved it.  I have my store One Tribe, and I'm out here networking and passing out business cards.  You never know what God has in store for you.  Maybe some doors will open out here.

While going on a little road trip I really feel like I have scene a little more of the US now.  The architecture is different here, the people are different here, and there is so much to learn. 

I'm in great company which makes things nice.

Today we have gone down Main St, went to the Sundance info center to look into getting tickets for some of the movies, I'm supposed to wake up to snow in the AM, and right now we are off to a gifting suite hopefully to get some free stuff. 

"Life is a highway and I wanna ride it."

Surroundings

Well i'm sitting in my bed right now actually decided to check facebook before I went to bed and I came across something that I found quite sad to be honest.  Not only did I find it sad but I also found it somewhat insulting. 

I noticed that one of my friends well someone I once thought was had written something on facebook.  It read:

Why the hell does everyone feel the need to write a motivational speech out of "footprints' or "the secret" every damn day on here. Why don't you just go live it. Tell me about your experience. But these damn borrowed speeches are not only sounding completely unintelligent (because they were written by someone previously). But the majority of the people don't live by these lifestyles they preach in the first place.

Well it kinda struck a nerve really and I felt like writing something on the comment and explaining why but then there were 40 people on there that had commented that obviously share the same views, so rather that get in any debate I figured I'd share on my blog.

Well I don't think people feel the need to write motivational speeches on facebook, rather they like the surround themselves with positivity.  I don't run into people very often that are strong believers in the secret, that don't surround themselves with positivity.  Moreover those same people like the promote how they live, and what they believe in to other people.

Often you run past quotes from books, movie, bibles, the secret that just stand out in your mind.  And you being a sharing positive person you hope that the same quote might stand out in someone else's mind and/or life.  I personally have become a huge follower of Mike Dooley.  He sends me quotes everyday along with I think 2 or 3 million other people.  His quotes have seriously changed my life, and I a lot of times like the share those with others.  Is that wrong? Does that make one sound "unintelligent"  especially when the quote is put in quotation marks showing others that it is not your work rather than someone else's. 

I don't think so. 

How many Christians, Jews, Mormons, etc are there in the world?  How many holy books is there in the world?  Well I don't know the exact answer to that question but I do know a lot.  Every time you see someone holding a sign that says John 3:16 does that make them unintelligent because they have stolen the words that Jesus already spoke? 

Why did this facebook message strike a nerve you might ask?  Well by the same person that posted it I noticed also added this somewhere around comment 30:

"Its not about knocking on one door... until the dang thing finally opens. It's about knocking on all of them." - Knock on some doors today. (absolutely brilliant people)

Well that is what I happened to quote from Mike Dooley that day, I also added the part to knock on some doors.  I tend to be as positive as possible throughout my life and surround myself with other people that are.  Now I know we all have our problems.  Some people get sick, some people loose their jobs, others loose family members.  My life is no different.  I've gotten divorced, lost my best friend to drugs, changed careers, and several other things have happened to me that has made the road bumpy at times.  I have chosen a life that I believe will be successful and in order to do that I must knock on many doors.  Working in the ER, doing nightlife events, selling animal hats, going to Sundance film festival, then the superbowl, then Vail all for work all in the next 6 weeks, I would consider knocking on some doors.  And I know damn fucking well, i'm gunna knock someone of them down one day.

I was pretty shocked that while trying to spread positive messages and good vibes to people all over, that there are still people out there that wanna knock you down.  Insult you, making statements like "absolutely brilliant people"

I find it extremely sad actually, because until those people look at them selves in the mirror and surround themselves with "unintelligent people" trying to bring each other up.  They will continue to be ultra educated negative souls wondering what happened with their life.

The title of my blog was surroundings and I encourage everyone to keep surrounding yourself with quotes you hear, things you learn, and sights you see.  And the positive people that you surround yourself with will be sitting on the beach in paradise with you one day, while the others are sitting at the coffee shop wondering what happened.

Attitude changes = success.  http://www.tut.com/ 

"Thoughts become things" "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." "nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm"

Those belong to Mike Dooley, Jesus, and Ralph Waldo Emerson, probably should repeat them, you might sound unintelligent.

Matthew Alvin

Sundance

I'm so excited!  I'm going to the Sundance Film Festival. I have never been to this and never been to Utah.  My life has taken so many twists and turns and i'm ready to embark on new adventures, new stories, new friends and new relationships.

Two years ago I felt so hammered down here in the "OC." I have made phone calls trying to network before I even get out to Utah and doors have already opened.

I will be in great company making snow angels and dreaming about the future.  Moments and experiences like these make me believe in God.  Everything happens for a reason.

Whatever tomorrow brings.  I have a feeling tomorrow is bringing me snow angels and laughs.

Tally ho

Matt

I told you so

So I am sitting at the camp again today about to end my journey of retail and get into all kinds of other projects.  I realized that I haven't written in my blog for a little while and definitely not in 2011.  So I'd like to first and foremost say a very happy new year to all that read this and I hope that 2011 brings you health wealth and happiness.

I also just finished my 3 month clinical rotation in the emergency room at Riverside Community Hospital.  I started 100s of IV's, 100s of EKGs, saw many of open body surgeries (as oppose to closed body surgeries which doesn't make much since does it), saw a lot of people live and a lot of people die.  But there is one thing that I saw the most of and that was sick people!  And that is what made me think to write in my blog again.

Its not a shock to me that most of the people that I ran into in the ER were from the looks of things, unhealthy (being very over weight), dirty clothes, and just stereotypical less fortunate than others.  But that leads me to my question do you think there's a relation?  After spending 3 months there I think there is a relation,  with the way you look and your health.  I saw it first hand.  No I'm not prejudice or saying that some people are better than other but just telling you what I saw first hand.

As the paramedics would being their runs into the ER, I would say to myself, "oh shocker, another over weight dirty, smelly, person in the ambulance."  Not that I treated them with any less compassion because I didn't.  If I treated anyone different than others then I wouldn't be getting into the field that I'm in.  Although its hard to treat a rapist, drug addict, wife beater, etc with the same level of care as grandma.  But I try.

Anyways, I wonder if these unhealthy looking people spent a little more time each day on themselves would they be unhealthy.  Now of course accidents happen, car accidents, motorcycles, etc and I saw those people also.  but for the most part I saw sick unhealthy people.  And not really anything else.

Diabetics, heart problems, lung cancer, esophageal varices, throat cancer, you name it and I've seen it.  But what if that person stopped smoking?  Would they have gotten lung cancer?  Well their chances would sure be better.  Also what a shocker that man with lung cancer also had dirty clothes on.  Doing quick math in my head, 1 pack of cigs a day = $150 a month = $1800 per year.  $1800 a year that he/she could have bought nicer clothes with, then maybe even got a better job because first impressions are everything, then might not be in the hospital with lung cancer.  See how this works??  Shocking isn't it.

That diabetic (type 2 not type 1) that spends 1000's of dollars getting as big as some of them are.  You think its cheap to weight over 300 lbs?  Crap I just spend $5 on a bag of chips and a sandwich.  Imagine that times a bunch.  If that person just spent a little time on him or herself, would he/she have diabetes? Would he or she have a better job because again in this beautiful country we live in your image means a lot.  And again would I be seeing him or her in the hospital that day?

As I ask myself these questions I began to see a trend.  For the most part I would have to believe that your health and appearance directly has something to do with how you take care of yourself and your image.

I also noticed a trend that the 300 lbs diabetic patient, and the lung cancer patient all had similar things in common, they've all had something that caused them to be where they are.  And instead of taking responsibility for them selves they most made excuses as to how they got where they were.  I guess it takes a strong person to take charge of your life.  Although I think that's bullshit and its NEVER too late.  Until of course your telling me your story and you're about to die.  Then its too late.

Soooo I want to encourage everyone that reads this today to try and do something for yourself.  Take charge of your life.  Maybe stop smoking if you do, maybe stop drinking so much if you do, maybe stop eating so much if you do.  And take a step in the right direction.

Because trust me, good things will follow you.  Stop smoking, get those nicer clothes, work on your resume, get that better job, and hell save a shit ton of money in medical bills that you NO MATTER WHAT will be paying for one day.  Go hit the gym and work on loosing that weight you always wanted to.  Spend $30 a month at 24 hr fitness, and save thousands of dollars in medical bills on day. 

Take charge, feel good about yourself, get healthy, and all good things will follow.  Happiness, wealth and maybe just maybe all the things you've dreamed of will come true.  Or keep doing what you're doing and I'll be seeing you in the back on my  ambulance one day, i won't tell you but I definitely will be thinking "I told you so."

This was not intended for anyone nor am I thinking about anyone in my life while I write this but if you feel like i'm talking to you.  Run with it, get motivated.

Much love

Matt