Tag Archives: people

Inspiration

There’s magic in volunteering and helping others

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Recently, I attended a comical magic show in which the magician pulled me on stage to perform some amazing magic tricks. He did his best to embarrass me, and it worked.

After the show, we had an opportunity for a brief discussion. The magician told me that he had went to school to be a psychologist, but chose magic as a profession because it made people laugh and feel good.

This made me think about my own life, and for others. Of course, we all can’t choose a profession that would make others happy because the world wouldn’t function, but what about our spare time?

How rewarding would it be if everyone volunteered or found ways to help others? It doesn’t matter how busy our lives are, we can still find ways of doing this. My mom volunteers at a local hospital and loves all the people she meets.

There are endless year-round youth sports in need of volunteers, coaches, referees and scoreboard help. 

My children and I collected used children’s books and school uniforms for Clear Creek ISD and Galveston ISD, volunteered at The Jesse Tree Foundation to help feed hundreds of families, walked the dogs at League City Animal Shelter, and played Superheroes at Space Center Houston teaching families and children about “Stranger Danger.”

When I was younger, I would mow an elderly neighbor’s yard and buy their prescriptions. 

Read your local newspapers and search the internet. There are numerous organizations looking for volunteers. Take you family, grandchildren, sports teams or anyone you know and lead them to help others. 

How about starting a volunteer program at your work and be the exceptional leader?

Of course, the biggest reward is how good you’ll feel knowing you made a difference in strangers’ lives.

There isn’t a magic show that can pull that out of a hat.

Fitness, Inspiration

Losing is part of life’s journey

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Wednesday, July 29, 2015

If you’ve ever played sports or competed in something, besides winning, you’ve  experienced the feeling of losing. None of us like losing, but it’s part of life’s lessons that’s important to learn, especially for children.

As parents, it’s difficult watching our kids lose competition that’s clearly important to them at that time. 

My daughter Daylyn just went through a tearful loss of trying to win a position for a club volleyball team. There were hundreds of skilled players competing for only a few positions. She and many other girls were devastated after being cut from the team.

This was a moment in which parenting played an important role. We discussed every detail of where she gave full effort, and her possible weaknesses.

After going through a brief crying session and realizing there is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about, we put to together a new plan to tryout for one last team.

First, I worked on her confidence, good sportsmanship and understanding to turn this into a positive learning experience. Then, we targeted weak skills to rebuild courage and determination.

On the day of tryouts, Daylyn walked in ready to own and conquer the practice. During the car ride, she visualized already winning a position. My little girl took no prisoners, and played at a whole new level.

So you know, she did make the team, but the lessons learned in losing out-weighed any victory she’s ever had.

To be a champion, you must learn from losing.

Inspiration

Improve life’s journey, and create a legacy for others to admire

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Lately, I’ve really been thinking about if something happened to me, what type of legacy would I leave behind for my children to reflect on?

About 10 years ago, I made a conscious decision to change my thinking. At that time, life was throwing me some very difficult challenges.

I recognized all this was happening because I put myself in those situations. I owned it, and did not blame anyone else. When something bad happened it was really, in some kind of way, my fault for being there.

Once I started changing my thinking and putting only positive thoughts in my head, these thoughts became actions. My children and others around me would only see kindness and understanding. And, through time, these actions determined my character.

Now, this took some time and self-training. First, I changed my environment by eliminating negative people in my life. I only surrounded myself with positive thinkers and successful people, but really, spent most of the time alone. 

For almost 10 years, I had become a single father raising two young children practically on my own. I wanted to be the best role model possible, but this could only happen by changing me first.

I read countless motivational books and listened to numerous inspirational CDs. Once my mind was filled with only positive thoughts, there wasn’t room for any negativity. It was quite refreshing, peaceful and rewarding. 

This type of behavior seemed to spread amongst people I’d spend time with, especially my children. 

I recognized, the most important role as a parent, is to raise children to be good people in this world. This alone would be the best legacy I could ever leave them.

What about you? When you pass from this world, not only family members, but how will others speak of you? Really, only you can answer that question honestly.

Starting today, improve life’s journey, and create a legacy for others to admire for the rest of their lives. 

Just think, if everyone would embrace love and character, what a wonderful world we could live in.

Inspiration

Make others feel good and you’ll feel good, too

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Wednesday, January 21, 2015

In my past articles, I’ve mentioned how relationships between companions will grow through fitness.

What is your relationship with yourself? Are you hard on yourself for the features your parents gave you? I hope you realize we all have distinct individual looks and that’s one of the coolest parts about the human race.

Really, the only part of your body you can control is fat and muscle percentage. We all know the importance of fitness and eating habits. And, this comes down to discipline and self control.

How about your personality, love for all people and kindness?

I once asked my kids, “Are you the kid you would want?” This question made an impact on them.

So, how about you? Are you someone that you would want to date, be in a relationship with or marry? Be the person you want to spend the rest of your life with because you will. Accept who you are and work on developing and enhancing all that is good and positive. We have one life. This is no dress rehearsal. Be nice and take care of yourself. Walk out into the world with a smile and greet everyone with big Texas “Hello.”

I once was running errands around town, and decided to make a kind comment to everyone I encountered. I would find something about them and tell them kind words. Like, “Your hair looks good today,” “I like that shirt, hat, shoes” or some article of clothing. Or, “You have a great smile.”

Make people feel good about themselves, and you’ll feel good about you.

Remember, a bad day is only because you make it so. Make each day better than the day before. It easily starts with a big teeth-showing smile to share with the world.