The Importance of FAMILY

Family is definitely an important part of any individuals life, no matter if they consider their family to be their biological/immediate family, extended family, or friends. The essence of family is having the feeling of a "bond." Just like a child has a strong bond with his/her parents from birth, one can build a close bond with friends and companions as well. Family is by far one of the most important aspects that I hold dear to my heart and this includes my immediate family, extended family and close friends.

I am very close with my immediate family and enjoy every waking moment spending memorable times with them. Although I currently live far away from them, I know that they will always be there for me. The bond that I share with them is unbreakable and nothing can tare us apart. Although I miss seeing them on a daily basis, I know that they are a simple skype or phone call away.

Living here in Arizona, I have built a family of friends that I cherish dearly. It is definitely not easy for any freshman to move to an unfamiliar place for college, not knowing anyone upon arrival. With the amazing friends that I have gained and the bond of brotherhood in my fraternity that I have experienced, I have definitely built a new family that has helped me through my struggles through college without having my immediate family by my side at all times. These close friends and relationships that I have built will be my extended family for the rest of my life.

The reason why I decided to write about family today is because of the experience that I just recently encountered. I posted a listing on craigslist regarding a rather large dining room table that I was selling as I am moving out of my current residence and no longer need it. The woman that called me has been searching for a large dinning room table and she did not care about the condition, she just wanted a large dinning room table for her family. When meeting this happy couple, I asked her about their current dining situation in which she replied that they currently don't have a table as they couldn't find one that would fit their family of seven. With this, I knew that all she wanted was to have her family be able to sit down, have meals together and talk about their day. I could see that she valued her family and the time that they are able to spend with each other. Her husband also said that this was very important to her. With this, I knew that family was everything to her, even if it meant just having a simple dining room table where they can all come together as one. Upon departure, I wished them happy memories with the table that I no longer needed and that I was excited that something that I no longer needed will be put to good use by someone else.

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No matter who you consider to be your family, hold them close and never let them go. No matter the ups and downs that you may face with your family, just always remember that they will always be there for you through thick and thin. Although at times negative moments will be encountered, just remember all the positives and memorable moments.

"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one." - Jane Howard

My Life, My Story,

- Brice

No need for the gym to get a GREAT WORKOUT

Like myself and many other people, finding the motivation and time to go to the gym for the daily workout isn't an easy task. I myself find the gym to be very boring, not worth my time or effort. Many people go to the gym to scalp their perfect bodies and to build self esteem, but there are definitely other ways that could boost this goal. The lack of time, motivation and sincere enjoyment diminish the wanting to go to the ordinary gym. Though the avid gym lovers may think differently on this scenario, I sincerely think that you can actually get a great workout by doing something that you truly enjoy doing.

I, myself truly enjoy playing volleyball and am quite good at it too. While playing 4 hours of volleyball tonight, I found that I am not only working every muscle in my body, but having an immense amount of fun doing it. Volleyball to me is a very intense and competitive sport in which the player needs to exercise every muscle in their body to achieve greatness in the sport. The compassion, drive and absolute enjoyment of this sport is key in excelling greatly in any match. Volleyball is something that I truly enjoy doing, so why not make it the absolute workout, substituting the countless hours in a gym in which I greatly dislike.

There are definitely other great workout options out there that would allow you to get in shape and build the perfect body in which you desire. Tonight, while having a drink with a friend, she told me about her experience with Bikram Yoga, in which she truly enjoys. Bikram Yoga is an intense workout in which yoga is performed in a very hot atmosphere with temperatures reaching over a 100 degrees. She says that she prefers participating in this and burning more calories in an hour than she would at the traditional gym. Plus, it's definitely a a relaxing and enjoyable alternative.

I am definitely a person that hates going to the gym and running on a treadmill, but I found the alternative in getting an awesome workout and having a lot of fun at the same time, and that is playing a few games of volleyball every other day.

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If you completely hate the thought of going to the gym to get the workout that you want in order to achieve your desired exercise, find an alternative. Find a physical activity that you truly enjoy participating in that would allow you to work all the muscles in your body. Anything that keeps you active such as sports, yoga, or even the simple hike will definitely allow you to keep in shape and avoid attending the boring gym settings. FIND SOMETHING PHYSICAL THAT YOU ENJOY DOING AND DO IT!

"An hour of basketball feels like 15 minutes. An hour on a treadmill feels like a weekend in traffic school." - David Walters

My Life, My Story

- Brice

One Red Paper Clip

The Other day I stumbled upon a 20/20 news story titled "One Red Paper Clip" That I found to be very interesting, but yet VERY INSPIRING

Exactly how much do you think this one little red paper clip is worth? To many people, including myself, I would say NOTHING, but I was proven wrong after watching this inspiring report of one man's dream of owning his own home without paying anything for it and it all started with one red paper clip. Click here to watch the report.

It's amazing how something so worthless in the eyes of many can be worth a lot in the eyes of some. It's pretty cool how Kyle was able to come up with such an awesome idea and put his life on hold to follow his intuition and dream.

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Don't let anyone tell you that you are not capable of accomplishing something that you believe in. Something that others see worthless, you see worth. Follow your heart and what you believe in, these moments will be the biggest accomplishments of your life. DREAM BIG AND DO YOUR BEST TO ACHIEVE IT.

"Life is a journey...only YOU hold the map." - Unkown

My Life, My Story

- Brice