Zach's Story: The Sweet Life

Every year, around the holiday season, everyone plans and sets goals for themselves to be a better version of themselves. To spend the next year growing and honing in on different goals/achievements. Often times trying to create new habits or living styles. Ultimately a great deal of these resolutions fail, because the discipline is not there, or maybe someone shot too far out. Making an unrealistic goal for themselves. If you never have exercised in your life do not say that your goal is to workout 7 days a week. That is unrealistic. Rather, I say take these changes one step at a time. Make them measurable. Give yourself check in points. 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, etc. Everyone wants to grow and evolve. However, everyone likes to keep things familiar or make excuses why they can't achieve their goals as an attempt to rationalize. With all of this in mind I have really been thinking on what this last year presented me with and who I want to become in 2018

Proceed as if Success is Inevitable, and as if failure is a surprise. This is a very exciting time in my life. Currently I am finding myself in a state of exploration. My aspirations and expectations for myself remain high, now I just need to figure out exactly what trail I am destined to blaze. I do firmly believe that there is a pre-destined path for us all, however, I do not thing that all people reach their destination in the end. Some people fall short, take one too many left turns, get turned around and fail to find their way again, and so on. Some are oblivious and never catch a glimpse of their path. There is a path for us out there, things we are meant to achieve, hardships to conquer and so on. I have been firm on this in life and I am constantly looking for different things to help diversify my life, building me in a versatile man. Right now I can feel that I am ready to start flapping my wings. I am about ready to commit myself to a grind. One of those grinds that famous

This book became one of my favorites within the first 50 pages. It is incredibly well written, raw, and thought provoking. You will never have such a love-hate with her family, the way she was raised, and with her situation. Everything in this story plays on extremes! You are going to be frustrated beyond belief with so much of the on-goings but the Walls family always brings you back with a sliver of hope. This book is an emotional rollercoaster as you find that your roots are your roots. There are take aways from every upbringing and things to be learned in even the most unconventional of life styles. The fact that these kids made something of themselves is a perseverance story in itself. Feelings from intense anger to awe and inspiration will sweep through you every 5 pages. The book is fast paced and is one of the hardest to put down. I give this book 5 stars and I advise that everyone read it. Gives a great deal of perspective to your life and sheds some light on making the best o

I asked my nutritionist friend to enlighten us common folk in the ways of eating properly. He said it comes down to 5 main points of focus. 1. No added sugars 2. Drink water!! 3. 80/20 healthy food to craving food ratio 4. Eat proteins first when starting a meal 5. Eat slowly so you are not cramming in food when you should be full He also said that avocados, nuts, and olive oil are game changers.

As alot of you know, I have been working on some monthly goals. The focus is to force me into trying out new experiences, creating new hobbies, and fostering the Man-of-my-Word (accountability) mindset. November Goals: 1. Take a trip this month- Went to my cabin and North Dakota 2. Visit an apple orchard- snowfall came in Novemeber sadly.  3. Hold a baby ( Melissa Glahn ,  Shaina Leinen ,  Craig Larson )- held Andrew's nephew Lane. 4. Run 3 times a week for the 5k- Ran about 2 times a week in preparation.  5. Run a 5k under 24 minutes.... Good goal?- Stepped on a nail.  6. CHURCH 4 times and go out ZERO! (swap from last month)- Church 3 times, went out twice. 7. Read a book- Read the Outsiders and Fault in Our Stars. 8. Start an investment portfolio!- Created a portfolio through the Betterment app. 9. Cook a new meal a week- I frequently cook now!  December Goals: 1. Visit a Vegan food place (J. Selby) to support my vegan friends. 2. Visit an art museum 3. Cook Mea

I was thinking and weighing all of the things that I have done... good and bad, pondering if I am leaving a positive imprint on the earth/my lifetime. In my life I have carried out countless volunteer experiences ranging Special Olympics to work in the children's wing at church. In college I created a Car Wash that sported scandalously  dressed boys raising money for the local food shelf. Through teaching I carried out two years of Cancer Coin donations for the Cancer Fund at the Children's Hospital. In terms of lives impacted I like to think that I have positive interactions with my students and their families, that I have left unforgettable happy memories behind. I feel as though my friends know that they are cared for and that I would do anything for them. I want them to know that I am always in their corner and that I am their biggest fan. In truth, I think about them all so regularly and it brings me great happiness. Every now and then I try to reach out to a friend or

Day Trips- MN Northfield- this city is the cutest place for a scenic downtown experience. Window shopping, lots of cafes, and events going on in town. This is one of my favorite places to visit in Minnesota. It is a great escape place and a date day for adventurous couples. Taylor's Falls- the drive is so beautiful. Especially in fall, but the location itself is perfect. There is a great ice cream stop and scenic cliffs to climb around on. Again, great date location. You can look off the bluffs and get a great view of the river below. There are trails all around it, boat tours, and Interstate State Park all in town. There is even a bar that has pepper jack cheese curds! Camping Trips: The U.P. (Michigan)- Glacier National Park Yellowstone National Park Must Visits: Red Rock Amphitheater (Colorado)-

I have experienced a great deal in life and I have been captivated by a great many things. Over the years I am finding that I often seek out the little things in life to take note of and observe. The stars at night, a sunrise/sunset, the trees along a winding road, etc. These little things fill me with joy, they are a release for me. A way to clear my head of all of my worries and endless thoughts. To compliment these little things and the everyday beauty of life, there are certain events/trips/excursions that have truly captivated me in life and vividly stand out in my mind. I have seen things ranging from Crater Lake in Oregon to Niagara Falls in New York. Climbed up the Porcupine Mountains in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and beached myself in Punta Cana. I have seen the Calgary Stampede in Canada and I have stood in four states at once. Admired our founding fathers faces' at Rushmore and got up close and personal with old faithful. Navigated my way through  buffalo herds in

The U.P. -Porqupine Mountains -Munsing -Marquette -Taquemenon falls -Mackinac Island -Pictured Rocks Colorado - Denver Zoo -Pike's Peak -Garden of the Gods -Red Rocks Ampitheater -Rocky Mountain National Park -Breckenridge Ski Resort Mexico -Cancun -Paya Del Carmen Punta Cana -Resort life

I have been listening to a lot of goalcast podcasts/viewing their videos and I am getting increasingly motivated. It is a great tool for those looking for a pick me up at work, before a workout, etc. You need to find what is motivating to you and what area of life you would like to be motivated in. What is your end goal that you are working towards? I am continuing to find motivation to power through the more difficult tasks and day-to-day tasks. Goalcast take aways: Mindset- your mind is the most powerful tool that you have, and if you utilize it properly it will power you and uplift you. Positivity is contagious and it will boost you. Find your own way- No one else can or should chose your path for you. You need to do what you must to reach the destination that you have set in your mind. Discipline- rituals, daily grind, mental toughness. Discipline of the mind, spirit, and body will create lasting success. Discipline insures that you stay on track and you accomplish what

It is a work in progress but here is my bucket list so far in life! Skydive Build Something with my Hands Gat a Book Published Live out of State Live out of Country Invent/Be an Entrapenour Hot Air Balloon Ride See the Northern Lights Learn how to Speak a Different Language Travel to Every Continent See the 7 Wonders of the World Own a Truck Have a Hobby Garden Purchase Land Create a Successful Blog Real Cliff Jumping Bungee Jumping Go to the Calgary Stampeede Visit Rio for El Carnival Go see the kick off for the Iditarod in Alaska Surfing Own a Cow named Toby Have a Study with in my House

I was thinking about some of the peculiar things that I do and I decided that I would share some of the things that most people do not know about me. Here are some fun facts, enjoy! My taste buds are not all that great as I have terrible air ways, allergies, and I have broken my nose 3times. So breathing out of my nose is non-existent. This makes me a mouth breather and heavy snorer at night! I also get overpowered by certain tastes as they come in stronger than all others..... I cannot stand Fish or Mint, I also dislike cinnamon (but there are exceptions in small doses). I find Sour Cream to be incredibly revolting. When I was first exposed to it was used as a food adhesive to hold tacos together and that appalled me! It was used as a food paste.... so gross. SO now I refuse to eat it. I also thought that the cockroach infested restaurant in the beginning of the movie was Taco Bell (in reality it was a Italian restaurant) so now I have spent an entire life time only eating ther

Every time I go to visit my brother in South Dakota (he attends South Dakota School of Mines) I find that it is always one of the best weekends of my year! This year we ended up going to Mount Rushmore, having deep life talks, talks on ethical debates (I LOVED HEARING EVERYONE'S point of view), hiking up South Dakota "mountains", brewerys, wineries, touring Cody's school, testing out hole in the wall places, tattoos......., and going out on the town. Rapid City is a huge city and I love the feel of the Dakotas. The drive, although it is flat, is beautiful. I listened to TWO different podcast series with Cody's girlfriend on the trek over and back. Anyways... here are some pictures of the trip.

Presently I am focusing on different aspects of my life. I am getting older and in getting older I am finding that I have a strong desire to travel and experience NEW things. This summer I packed up everything and moved out to Michigan with a buddy of mine. In September I visited North and South Carolina for a friend's boot camp graduation. In October alone, I took a trip to South Dakota, Chicago (to see a play), I will be trekking over to Michigan for a weekend, and I went to two different concerts. In January I will be spending 6-weeks in Texas, as well as, 2-weeks in Kansas City for work and come march I will be heading to Amsterdam! Another faucet of my life that I am exploring is my creative side. I am working towards consistently blogging, setting aside time dubbed "creativity time" to think up business ideas/apps (etc.), I read frequently, I cook a couple times a week, and I am looking to get into the arts through painting classes. Nutrition and fitness are takin

Here are some things that I have been dabbling in lately and I am finding that they are well worth it, and that I would like to share my thoughts. These are some of the things that have taken up large portions of my time lately. Serial: This is a podcast that depicts a murder trial that has seen much controversy. We follow a journalist as she thoroughly investigates every lead, testimony, shred of evidence, and timeline of this murder. The podcast takes you on a handful of twists and turns as the case has so many discrepancies. You will be along for the entire investigative process and be able to use your best judgment. Point of views and thoughts will change every episode. Try to figure out the case!!!! Unleash the inner detective in you. S Town: This is a podcast series that is very unique. We follow an investigative journalist as he plummets into the heart of small town Alabama. He is supposedly looking into a murder cover up, but finds that there is indeed no murder. The st

Be tenacious in your life pursuits! Find out what you are passionate about and go for it. I have been listening to a number of podcasts and in hearing the lives that some of these men/women are living is blowing me away. All of these people set out to accomplish all of their hopes and dreams every day. They are actively moving forward every day. Maximum productivity. They are training, researching, preparing, experiencing, doing. (Do some side research on the Laval Story and look into the philosophy of Making Your Bed). These stories are making me wonder if anyone would be blown away in hearing my story. If a similar reaction could be deriven from my life experiences. I have done some incredible things but I have not even scraped the surface, when viewed through, the success that these individuals have accumulated. I know that I am young, but I feel as though my time is now.... in fact, my time was yesterday. I need to get a move on. Laval St. Germain is a man that has climbed near

Lately I have been rereading a number of the books we were asked to read in junior high/high school. Books that I skimmed and absent-mindedly read growing up. I remember my teachers preaching the importance of the lessons taught through these books. The messages embedded in the text. Looking back I couldn't pick them out.... So I decided to go back and take a deeper look into these classics. So here are some of the books that I have been reading lately and my BRIEF takes on them. The Notebook THis book was incredible. AS I begin to further my reading experience and journey, I have started to look into different genres. This being my first romance novel may have changed the game. The book, along with the movie, are incredibly powerful. However, the book far surpasses the movie. We are given insight into every thought about this iconic relationship. This book has so much power because it captures everything that true love can be and everything that it can over come. My mind was r

Fun memories and just fun to look back at the things that I have done this year. Check out your year and see if you have been doing the things you want to do and have been with the people you want to surround yourself with. 

In this day and age it seems that everyone is always moving at 100miles a minute. Over-active minds and bodies never wanting to settle down. It seems as if everyone wants to conquer the world every day but no one knows specifically how to do it. Instant gratification is dominant in our mindsets. I fit right in with this mindset. It is hard for me to see myself sitting still with the "same-old" every day. As I talk about frequently there are so many things that I want to do, places I want to see, and job experiences I want to take in. Whatever happened to taking on a trade and working in that field loyally for a lifetime. The world is changing. Everyone wants to absorb as much as possible but the first steps into making this a reality is always hard. People don't want to feel as thought their time is being wasted, but they waste their time waiting on finding the perfect calling. Dreamers have to be careful. Waiting on the right thing and being idle are different things e

This is a concept that my boss had presented to a group of us during training. I found it very insightful and I thought that I would share it with you all. What the exercise asks for is for you to think of 10 values that you hold dear and would pass onto your children. For example, my ten values go as follows (no specific order): Character/Integrity- morally strong, great human being Faith- strong belief system to guide Family/Relationships- cherrish and put energies into those closest to you, LOVE Determination/Drive- always strive to be great, work hard to get there Willpower- let no obstacle get in the way of your aspirations Open-mindedness- be open to new opportunities, diversity, broad scope/views, TRAVELING to find answers.  Innovative Spirit- be creative, think outside the box, versatile  Positivity- radiate positive energy, be an optimist, too much time is wasted being cynical  Intelligence- life-long learning to become a versatile human being, knowledge is power

I thought about this for awhile the other day and it seemed worthwhile to share. In life there are lessons to be learned at every turn. I wonder what take aways and advice I would give to my younger self, to my children, or to anyone that would listen. At the dinner table with my mother and friend I asked them what life advise they would give a live audience if they were put in an auditorium and given a microphone. In thinking on the matter myself I thought of a couple of life points. Even though I am 24 I feel as though I have had a variety of experiences and I have matured quite a bit over the years so I have some worth-while advice. First, take everything that you view as a curve ball or a set back as a learning experience. Life slows down for no one and the punches do not get any softer with age. Respond. You can take a day or so to pout about certain events in life but then you need to get back up. You need to react. Take on struggles as learning experiences, take them on as way

Happiness Happiness cannot be based on success success isn't a constant whereas you should always drive for happiness to be a constant grade your life by means of happiness tie your happiness to a loved one, a special place, faith, in service, everyone has something to go to the pursuit of happiness should drive your life The Path How do we know where we are supposed to be going? Look at where you have been, the mistakes, the growth, the opportuniteies, and judge where you would like to be going how do we know if we are going in the right direction? head off in a direction and once you get somewhere look back and ask yourself if you are where you should be going what happens if we get lost along the way? you have to get lost before you can be found what can we do to check ourselves along the journey? life isnt a sprint, it is a marathonand it is important to give yourself check points and landmarks where will our paths take us? exactly where we are supposed to

I have been fortunate enough in my childhood to have lived a life of adventure. My mother would take my family on a "grand adventure" every summer. Now these trips have ignited a fire inside me, a desire to see as many sights as possible. I want to be captivated by nature. So I am trying to become more worldly. I have seen some incredible things thus far in life. Crater Lake, Oregon Calgary Stampede, Canada Upper Peninsula, Michigan Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Grand Canyon, Arizona Punta Cana Mexico Redwoods, California and so on. The most incredible single destinations I have been thus far would have to be Niagara Falls, Crater Lake, the Red Rocks Amphitheater, the Grand Canyon, and this a secluded lake in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Coolest trips in term of exposure would be trips to Glacier National Park, anywhere in Colorado, the U.P., and Yellowstone. In my future travels I want to get away from my usual tropical get aways, and start to tr

Draft 1 I am from where I have been From back then to now I am from "Good Morning Sunshines" to "Now I lay-me's" From Christmas Eves sleeping out by the tree I am from giant sleepovers and Mom's waffles in the morning From street hockey and backyard football I am from the bumps and the bruises along the way From bonfires and grand adventures I am from game nights and pictionary rivalries From peaking during the adult portions of Braveheart I am from playing cowboy and making stick weapons From long bike rides and saturday cartoons I am from the trail I am blazing From the wrong turns and side streets along the way I am from the ups and downs, the ins and outs, the highs and lows From years of schooling, learning, and growing I am from hours and hours of training and practice From friday night lights to saturday game days I am from the grind, relentless determination From a love of working with children and service I am from a teaching

I used to crawl but now I run I used to want to be a dinosaur but now I know better I used to sing in my school concerts but now I sing in the comfort of my shower I used to play outside all day long but now I have places to be I used to have the wildest imagination but now the real world has my mind I used to want to grow up but now I just want to be a kid again

I dream of left and right I dream of forward and backwards I dream of more and less I dream of here and there I dream of whose-its and whats-its I dream of the dream... but that distracts me from the now One cannot have tomorrow without today It is important not to waste away

If I were in charge of the world things would be quite different. Everone would have a fancy nickname Mandatory creativity time would take place daily Windownless buildings would not exist Round abouts would be a thing of the past Everyone would wear cowboy boots In greeting the taller person would twirl the shorter If someone were to put someone down they would have to compliment them three times first The wilderness would remain the wilderness There would be squadrons devoted to exterminating mysquitos Christian Bale would still be batman and friends would put on another season Dessert would be eaten before dinner Thanksgiving feasts would take place twice a year Guys would wear short shorts too If I were in charge things would ger interesting because I am just gfetting started

I frequently talk about everyone's path and their trajectory in life, and I am now finding myself looking into my path in life now more than ever. I was settled, I was comfortable, I was locked in as a teacher solidified in the community. Living on my own, paying bills, budgeting, getting a new car, etc. I was living a "grown up" life. After my job was cut I have found myself looking into an entirely new path. Now I am not saying that my old path has discontinued as I am hoping to eventually find my way back to it, but I am saying that this period in my life is going to be dubbed as the exploration portion of my life. It is this weird sense of placelessness, and in this state I often think back on all the facebook posts I had read previously about stages of lives. Everyone is at their own pace and no pace is better or worse, it just takes some people longer to wander into their position in life. This was a frustrating concept to me at first because I had everything so fig

This summer as many of you know, I set out to live in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I cannot express how monumental this summer was for me. For quite some time I have been stating how badly I wanted to live a life of adventure, how I wanted to take on new opportunities, how I wanted to test myself living out of state... well I did it! This was a baby step as it was only for 3 months and I ended up coming home for a couple weddings and volleyball tournaments, but I took that dreaded first step! I truly feel that this was a gateway for me. My experiences here will propel me forward in my life of adventure. I survived!!!!! I met new people, I made new memories, I absorbed a foreign land, and I lived life. Coming into the summer I made a Michigan Bucket List and the list goes as follows: Outdoor movie. Save 500 dollars a month.   Completed. Go to a concert/open mic night.  Completed. Karaoke.  Get people to come visit me in Michigan.  Completed. 5k Summer volleyball league. Get library c