(Guest Post)

I am a Christian, a Husband, an Athlete, a Student, a Professional, a People's Person, and most of all, Easy to Get Along With.  This is who I am.  I love my wife, I love challenges, I love the outdoors, and most of all I love to Triumph.  So..FEAR NOT!

We have nothing to be afraid of.  We have a Savior who faced death, conquered sin, and rose three days later to SAVE THE WORLD!  We live in the greatest nation in all of history and have unquantifiable opportunities.

About 6 years ago, I set out to be an Ironman Triathlete.  Let me preface this scenario: 1) I am not a runner, 2) I am not the greatest cyclist, and 3) I had to teach myself how to swim.  All this considered, I had no fear because the race in its profound little way was simple and conquerable.  140.6 - that's the number of miles in an Ironman triathlon.   It's broken down into a 2.4 mile swim, a 112mile bike ride, and a 26.2 mile (yes, a marathon) run.  Seemingly daunting, when broken down it is simple - there is a starting line and a finish line.  All you have to do is cover the distance in between.

Just for this race, I trained relentlessly for an entire year.  Then, I ran my race with a calm and quiet determination.  As I rounded the last turn and headed to the finish, I realized overwhelmingly that achieving anything requires bold determination and plenty of hard work.

As I crossed the finish line, I stood atop of my athletic Mt. Everest.  I was self-actualized for the first time in my life an I celebrated with a triumphant spirit.

I choose to live boldly, live for challenges, live to go beyond them, live to be who I am...in other words, I live to BE WEIRD.  That's what this means to me.

FEAR NOT, BE WEIRD.  Be who you are, be what you are, and use your tools to be the best you can be.  Let go of what holds you back and be that weirdo who does GREAT things!

Drew Snipes