On Monday morning I arrived at Amsterdam Schipol Airport way too early for my flight back to the USA (I missed a flight back to the States last year, and since that experience, I have become incredibly diligent about giving myself ample time before flight departure).
So with an hour to spare before the check-in counter opened, I decided to post up at the Schipol Starbucks with a coffee. (Where else could be better to reacquaint myself with America??)
So for those of your who don't know me, here's a fun fact - A good cup of joe is one of the prime motivating forces in my life. Coffee taps into my soul, and powers my mind to understand the world's most perplexing mystery's(ok, I'm exaggerating, only a little though).
So, as I sat over my coffee, I started to reflect on the past three weeks of my life which included a 13 day tour through Argentina and a 10 day excursion to Holland. Yes, the travel was a bit intense, but also incredibly eye-opening.
In my reflection, some enlightening ideas dawned upon me. The most profound of which falls under the headline, "Why I Love America."
Fast-food chains, open land, and general American massive-ness, aside, what I value most about America is that good ole American spirit.
This is what I recorded in my notes.
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Why I love America
America celebrates the courage of the individual who pursues his own greatness. We don't respect the coward who sits behind his shield of comfort; instead we love the man who goes in search of his own destiny; the man who is told he cannot, and he ought not, but despite the discouragement, he follows the voice of his heart and seeks his vision.
We admire the rebellious of spirit, who proclaim that they are inspired by the vision and the pursuit of greatness.
America celebrates those who pursue their dreams - those who journey with boldness and courage as failure stares them in the face. We celebrate those who smile back at the failure with a rowdy grin, and say, you will not prevent me from making my attempt. America respects and values the man who in earnest tries. And often times, it is in this attempt, where the full essence of a man is realized.
For True Greatness lives in the Pursuit of Greatness.
So here it is: I love America because man is free, his spirit for greatness is untamed. Because man is not confined to a box by life; instead he is encouraged to break the binding of the box and use the material to sail the open sea, until he lands upon his destiny.
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So the question is, how does my reasons for loving America relate to USA Field Hockey?
Its simple. There are no guarantees for success in the upcoming Qualifier. Our reality is simple, we have to win it, we have to beat talented opponents.
But, I (and I can speak for my teammates as well) don't just want to qualify for the World Cup, we want to pursue greatness.
I don't want to be the person who is held back and discouraged by the reality of what is; nor do I want to be the person who pretends that reality is not what it is; instead I want to be the person who sees reality as it is, envisioning what it could be come, and strives to make that vision real.
We sit around #10 in the World right now. What number is Greatness?
So with an hour to spare before the check-in counter opened, I decided to post up at the Schipol Starbucks with a coffee. (Where else could be better to reacquaint myself with America??)
So for those of your who don't know me, here's a fun fact - A good cup of joe is one of the prime motivating forces in my life. Coffee taps into my soul, and powers my mind to understand the world's most perplexing mystery's(ok, I'm exaggerating, only a little though).
So, as I sat over my coffee, I started to reflect on the past three weeks of my life which included a 13 day tour through Argentina and a 10 day excursion to Holland. Yes, the travel was a bit intense, but also incredibly eye-opening.
In my reflection, some enlightening ideas dawned upon me. The most profound of which falls under the headline, "Why I Love America."
Fast-food chains, open land, and general American massive-ness, aside, what I value most about America is that good ole American spirit.
This is what I recorded in my notes.
*****************************************
Why I love America
America celebrates the courage of the individual who pursues his own greatness. We don't respect the coward who sits behind his shield of comfort; instead we love the man who goes in search of his own destiny; the man who is told he cannot, and he ought not, but despite the discouragement, he follows the voice of his heart and seeks his vision.
We admire the rebellious of spirit, who proclaim that they are inspired by the vision and the pursuit of greatness.
America celebrates those who pursue their dreams - those who journey with boldness and courage as failure stares them in the face. We celebrate those who smile back at the failure with a rowdy grin, and say, you will not prevent me from making my attempt. America respects and values the man who in earnest tries. And often times, it is in this attempt, where the full essence of a man is realized.
For True Greatness lives in the Pursuit of Greatness.
So here it is: I love America because man is free, his spirit for greatness is untamed. Because man is not confined to a box by life; instead he is encouraged to break the binding of the box and use the material to sail the open sea, until he lands upon his destiny.
********************************
So the question is, how does my reasons for loving America relate to USA Field Hockey?
Its simple. There are no guarantees for success in the upcoming Qualifier. Our reality is simple, we have to win it, we have to beat talented opponents.
But, I (and I can speak for my teammates as well) don't just want to qualify for the World Cup, we want to pursue greatness.
I don't want to be the person who is held back and discouraged by the reality of what is; nor do I want to be the person who pretends that reality is not what it is; instead I want to be the person who sees reality as it is, envisioning what it could be come, and strives to make that vision real.
We sit around #10 in the World right now. What number is Greatness?
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