Spoke my mind and didn’t stutter one time.
Ali say, “Even the greatest gotta suffer some time.”
So I huff and puff rhymes, lyrics so sick wit’ it.
Set the standard in (Tampa) on how to get, get, get it.

-Clifford Harris Jr.

I’m in favor of truth and brutal honesty. Most people are in favor of politically correct responses and peace keeping one liners. Keeping the peace and politically correct statements keep you (and millions of others) in the long line to nowhere, while the truth has at least a small chance of setting you free. If you are looking for freedom and meaning, you’re going to have to accept whatever happens as a result of speaking your truth.

The result of speaking your truth is most likely going to result in some form of confrontation. It is too bad that most people look at confrontation as a negative thing instead or realizing it really is an opportunity for change and meaningful growth. Living a life where one of your main goals is simply to avoid confrontation will probably give you a false sense of security and consistency, but it isn’t going to result in anything satisfying or meaningful.

In difficult times, it makes more sense to say and ultimately do something drastically different as opposed to simply giving the same old company line. The fact is the company line is old and tired and the company line isn’t getting results. Too many people think giving the company line is helping them move forward. The reality is if you aren’t speaking out and fighting, you are simply maintaining a life of mediocrity. That’s just my Tooz Sense; feel free to leave me yours.

In Florida, most people experience the same kind of weekend all year long. The average Floridian’s weekend involves some form of hanging out poolside/beachside, grilling out, buying overpriced alcoholic drinks at a waterfront bar and grille, and/or hanging out on a boat they don’t own. I call these people, The Pool People. This 4th of July weekend is no different. In fact, it is like a typical Florida weekend on steroids for The Pool People. This extended weekend apparently means The Pool People (and possibly their kids) will sneak into a condo complex’s pool area until they are kicked out by security, they will place charcoal on a gas grille to cook food they can’t afford to buy, they and their friends will buy a $185 bottle of Goose at the newest downtown nightclub on a credit card, and to top it all off they’ll do their best to get a DUI on their grandpa’s boat.

This might be an exaggerated snapshot of Florida, but I think you can appreciate the point. I’m sure you probably see or participate in this same type of weekend behavior in your area of the country. If you’re not seeing it, you’re either a.) not paying attention or b.) participating in it and you don’t even realize it. We’ve all heard that if you are playing poker at a table and you can’t spot the sucker…it’s you. Well, if you aren’t seeing some version of The Pool People on weekends in your area…you are one of The Pool People.

Photo: Brandon Milner

I’m rarely around The Pool People. I watch them from a distance and just shake my head. While they are “working hard” on their obesity, alcoholism, laziness, and skin cancer, my wife and I are making Skype calls and chasing euros (that’s right plural). If you are spending this extended weekend the same way you spend all of your other weekends, it might be time to make a change and get away from the pool. Hanging out by a pool occasionally (especially if you own it) isn’t a bad thing, but being a permanent member of The Pool People isn’t something anyone should aspire to be. That’s just my Tooz Sense; feel free to leave me yours.

You just keep going. There is no finish line.

-Tiger Woods

I used to tell my roommates that I could continue running without ever being physically forced to stop. It led to me betting them that I could run from Morehead to Lexington without taking a break. I truly believe that if we would have had any real money of our own at the time, both of my roommates would have bet against me and I would have been forced to find out if I really could run 65 miles without stopping. Luckily for me, I never had to find out.

While I may have been blessed with certain genes that are useful in long distance running, I think the predisposition to think that I always can go a little further and push a little harder is what really makes the difference for me. Unfortunately most people confuse running with being more about the physical aspects as opposed to the overwhelming mental ones. When it comes to running, too many people focus on lungs, knees, legs, and ankles. All they really should focus on is the mind and the heart.

If you are the type of person that looks at life as a never ending marathon, how have you positioned yourself in the race so far? Are you happy where you are at in this stage of the race? Do you feel prepared to continue on with the miles that are still in front of you? Have you run too hard too early and now have nothing left? Have you slowed down to a walk or are you just standing still?

It’s important, for me at least, to always gauge my position in the race. It is important for me to compete, whether that is against others or myself. At some points it is necessary to simply keep going. Some people don’t feel that way. They don’t push harder and they cruise through life comfortably. They even find logical reasons to slow down or to flat out quit. It boils down to one simple question. If you knew you were running a race that didn’t have a finish line, would you keep running anyway? I would. That’s just my Tooz Sense; feel free to leave me yours.

If you weren’t afraid, what would you start doing with your life? If you weren’t afraid, would you have accomplished more in your past? If you weren’t afraid, would you have more honest relationships? If you weren’t afraid, what would you admit to others and to yourself? If you weren’t afraid, would you ultimately be more successful? If you weren’t afraid, would you be happier?

I ask these questions because everybody is afraid of something and inevitably fear holds people back and keeps people stagnant. I am as guilty as the next person and most likely more guilty of allowing fear to play a role in my daily life than others. The difference in the existence of fear in everybody’s life and the fear in my life lies in how they and I choose to deal with it. Most people find ways to deny that they are afraid of anything. If they aren’t denying it, they are busy finding ways to avoid dealing with it. I don’t deny it and I definitely don’t avoid it, but I struggle with overcoming my fears just the same as everybody else.

Looking back on my athletic past, I realize I probably played in fear more than I didn’t. I wasn’t afraid that I wasn’t good enough or that I was unprepared, but I was terrified of failing. I’m sure every athlete deals with a fear of failing at some point in their career, but I’m not sure how many had to battle it before and during the majority of the games they played. The times I looked really bad or flat out choked were a direct result of not overcoming my fears in an effective way. On the other hand, the times when I looked good and came up big in the clutch were due to the fact that I found a way to eliminate my fears long enough to just live in the moment.

Most of my fears have and will continue to be self imposed. Maybe that kind of fear is the worst kind and the hardest to overcome. While I no longer have to fear failing in baseball or basketball games, I still have a fear of failure in business and finances. Will I be able to come up with good ideas and have the courage to execute them? Will I be willing to take risks in order to have a more fulfilling life? Will I have the confidence to pursue my passion or will I accept becoming a corporate robot like everybody else? Am I being financially responsible? Am I saving enough money? Am I saving too much money? Am I investing soon enough or smart enough?

Fear can be both positive and negative. It has the distinct ability to drive you and hold you back at the same time. I am hopeful that I can continue to use it more as a driving force and eliminate the time that it paralyzes me. I hope that you are working towards using it in the same way. That’s just my Tooz Sense; feel free to leave me yours.

Maybe I’m exhausted, maybe I just lost it.
Maybe I should pick up the pen and try to force it.
Same old story, guts and no glory.
They tryin’ to low ball me.
Do him like Joe Torre.
I reintroduced myself to the world. I’m Jers.
I’m an artist. I paint pictures, I don’t rhyme words.

-Joe Budden

For the past month or so, anyone who has visited Tooz Sense has seen a site that has become more stagnant than the U.S. economy. My apologies go out to all of you who enjoy or hate my writing topics so much that you keep checking in on a regular basis. With that said, I now feel that I am poised to pick up where I left off.

I think my latest post, Mr. Perfect, has stared my readers in the face long enough. If you didn’t quite understand or appreciate the subtle hidden meaning, then I feel sorry for you. On the other hand, if you did understand it and appreciate it, I think we are finally prepared to move forward with a genuine understanding of each other.

You see, I started this site almost two years ago with no real agenda or defined purpose. I never thought it would provoke such positive and negative reactions from friends, family, or my general readers. If I had known that a large number of my conversations with people since I started the site would be centered around the topics I have chosen to write about, maybe I wouldn’t have started this site in the first place. The fact is I did start it, I do have very strong opinions, I do have a sincere hate for the system, and due to the fact that I pay for the ability to self publish my thoughts you are going to read about topics that I want to write about.

I have given you the ability to add your comments to any and all of my posts. I actually encourage everybody that reads this to participate in topics that are deserving of some type of written group interaction. In fact, if you think about it, I have given you the same ability to publish your thoughts as I have as the site’s owner. If publishing your comments, is a little bit too much for you at this point, you can find my email address on the site and shoot me an email. So, from here on out, I hope that you continue to enjoy and accept the site for what it is and maybe more importantly what it isn’t. If you don’t enjoy it, you can always change the channel. That’s just my Tooz Sense; feel free to leave me yours.