JoeMangum

So I haven’t written in quite some time now and I just thought I would give a quick update on some things that have been going on in our lives lately. The most notable thing that has happened is that Kylie and Nancy (my Mother-in-Law) have started a chair and table rental business. They rent chairs and tables in Phoenix and other areas in the valley to people holding parties or important events like receptions, family reunions, baby showers…etc.

You can check out their website by clicking on the link above. The business is called Royalty Rentals as they are trying to position themselves as the elite chair and table rental company in Arizona.

It has been fun watching the pieces come together for the business and you can guess how exciting it was for all of us the first time the phone rang from a potential client looking for tables and chairs. It may or may not have been the only thing on our minds the rest of the day. After the jitters of the first delivery and pickup was made though, we all were able to settle down and things seem to be going smoothly and moving right along.

Skyhook has moved into a new office on Val Vista and Baseline. The fresh surroundings have been a welcomed change and I think we all really enjoy getting to actually “go” to work each morning. Plus, who wouldn’t like going to work when at lunch you can play NBA Jam and Contra on a sweet homemade arcade built from scratch by our very own John Gough.

So that is pretty much the scoop. We’re also looking forward to a much needed vacation in a couple of weeks to NYC. Bring on the Yankees, the Empire State Building, Central Park and Ellis Island baby!

We’ve all been there, you’ve reached that point in the day where you feel like you’ve finished everything you know how to do and are left wondering what should be next. Perhaps you’re stuck on a physics problem and you’ve tried everything you know about math and physics to solve the equation but for some reason just can’t come up with the answer. Maybe your business is at a standstill. Things are running smoothly but not progressing. It’s possible you may be dating someone you really like and who really likes you, but for some reason every day feels like the next due to demanding or conflicting schedules that leave you with no time for thinking of creative new date ideas.

All these describe a situation where we are literally damned in that there is a halt in progression. Stagnant water, after a while, begins to stink just like life does if we let these situations linger longer than need be. So how do you escape? What’s the key to kickstart the proverbial engine and get life moving again?

The answer has everything to do with stepping out of our comfort zone. It involves trying something new that you’ve never done before or, even better, something you never thought you could do! Like getting out of bed in the morning, it will be difficult and even painful at first, however, after a short while, you’ll find new life and added energy for whatever you’re doing.

This website is a perfect example. I had been writing down my daily thoughts on a Google doc for months. I’ve wanted to publish my own personal blog for quite some time now but had been waiting for the time and money to hire a designer to create a professional looking site that would be just how I wanted it. Oddly enough, those circumstances never revealed themselves and I was left writing and writing with no means of publication for quite some time.

I decided, one day, to take action. I opened up Photoshop and started putting shapes and images together to make this site. I learned so many things in the process and ended up creating a site that I never thought I had it in me to create. I’m not saying this site is anything to boast about, but for a guy that before had only used Photoshop to re-size images, it’s a lot. More importantly, I left the stagnant waters and got things moving and life is better now.

How can you get the ball rolling with whatever you’re stuck on? What’s something new you can try today to solve a problem you’re facing?

P.S. The picture is of me at the Arizona Warrior Dash two weeks ago. Speaking of things you never thought you could do, I wasn’t sure I could even finish this race. I actually ended up doing pretty well though. The Skyhook team ran together and we all had a blast!

Fool me once… shame on you.

Fool me twice… shame on me.

…Redemption Island round II.

I had a companion when I was serving a mission for my church who said something very profound to me one day. He said that just before he got on the plane to leave for Thailand, his Father called to him and said, “Son, wherever you are… be there.”

Anyone who has been away from home for extended periods of time knows how difficult it is to focus when your past is on your mind… or even your future. The problem is that sometimes we hinder our future by not being in the present. This doesn’t mean that we forget or push out thoughts and memories of good times and hopes for a better future, it simply means that we take full advantage of the opportunities that lie in front of us NOW.

If we’re at work, we need to work. If we’re home, we need to be home and involved with our family there. If we’re playing soccer, just relax and play… you get the point. By keeping our eyes open to opportunities and situations that happen to us each day, we can be better prepared to bless the lives of others and ourselves now and in the future.

It seems that lately (and by lately I mean most of my life) I’ve fallen victim quite often to the unbecoming attribute of forgetfulness. Why do we forget important events like birthdays, meeting times, and things people tell us throughout the day that we wanted to tell someone else? It’s hard because when we forget important things, it usually ends up hurting other people even more than we hurt ourselves.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about why I forget things and how I might be able to do better at remembering… especially important things. One of the synonyms for “forget” is “neglect.” When I think of neglect, it makes me think of selfishness. And I think that’s sometimes where the problem lies. Usually I forget things because I’m so absorbed with what I’M doing at the moment that whatever I was supposed to remember is completely dispelled from me. Like I’m so concerned about eating breakfast that I make it, eat it, then leave and come back to a house that’s burned down because I forgot to turn the stove off!

I feel like I’m the type of person that can focus really well on one thing and get it done but oftentimes this works against me. There needs to be balance and It’s going to have to start with working harder to look outside of myself. My wife is really good at this. I think it’s why she has one of the best memories of anyone I’ve ever met. She’s always thinking of others and their needs and never her own and as a result, hardly ever forgets to do or say something that she was supposed to.

I know this is kind of a personal subject but I felt like I just needed to get it out. Get some thoughts flowing to help me figure out a way to improve. Plus, I haven’t written anything in such a long time that I felt I needed to break the cycle. Again, it’s the busyness and being absorbed with my day to day tasks that have kept me from even remembering to blog. Remembering better starts today!

I truthfully despise protein drinks. I assure you I’ve tried every single brand and flavor there is to offer in the world and I haven’t found one that I can honestly say I enjoy partaking of each morning. I also have to take them if I have any chance of maintaining (It would be nice to even increase) my hefty 135-140 pound frame. This usually means that I have to start each morning already not looking forward to what lies ahead… the dreaded grainy/foamy protein drink.

I don’t like starting my day off on a bad note so this morning I  decided to do something about it. Usually, when I have to face something difficult or undesirable, I’ll try to get myself “pumped up.” I see guys at the gym all the time, before throwing up 400 lbs on the bench press, start slapping themselves in the face, grunting, clenching their fists and I’ve even seen yelling like a cave man. So I decided to do this, with the exception of the yelling and slapping part, to get my protein drink down this morning. It worked!! I forgot about the taste and just focused on getting it from outside my stomach to the inside.

So inevitably, we will all face difficult times, situations, decisions, people and yes… even pets (I still can’t get Drogba potty trained!) throughout our lives. However, there is a key to facing and getting through these without it having to negatively affect you. Your attitude about everything determines your ability to ascend above the undesirable somethings.

I can’t wait until tomorrow morning 😉