What’s Filling Your Cup?

It’s always stunning to me to see how big a percentage of “Liberal, left-ist” students at Universities in the Bay Area consider themselves open to new ideas and philosophies, but are, in reality, grounded in theoretical cement up to their knees.

I only use this example because it is what I know best from first hand experiences. While it may only be a prevailing stereotype, and not a fact, the image of a southern-state, loudly opinionated white male citizen of the States may be the person that jumps to mind when you think of someone who is resistant to change. It is simply not the case. Resistance to change is everywhere.

People are raised into belief systems all over the country, and the world, that are not questioned by anyone in their immediate circles until they come into contact with an educational institution, and the other viewpoints it brings with it. This can be a fascinating process to witness, as well as take part in. People show up with their cups full, and its very hard to pour tea into a full cup, as the old proverb suggests.

Those who see opinions and ideas expressed clearly and in a manner that is respectful, yet still extremely persuasive, have the rare opportunity to see the “other”side of an argument, and in even rarer cases, change their entire opinion or belief about the subject.

Then there are the majority of people in society who staunchly stand behind, in front of, and indeed IN their beliefs, but without sufficient argument to defend them. Their kneecaps flaking off bits of dried concrete, barely leaving them any room to wiggle.

What beliefs are you trapped in? Are they holding you back?

But what I am driving at here is not so much intended to persuade you to more often change your beliefs to the other point of view, but to closely examine where your beliefs come from, and to monitor constantly why you choose to accept and reject different ideas and theories.

When you approach an idea or discussion, do you come in with your cup empty or full? Are you even willing to take in and process what the other side is saying, or are you simply thinking of what you will say next, to defend your side?

Why do you think certain things are “bad” or “good?” Is there legitimate footing for you to be standing on with that argument on your shoulders?

Of course this concept can be applied to the issues and ideas which dominate national discussions, like abortion, gay rights, religious rights, drugs and their uses, and financial decisions. But this concept can absolutely apply to the way we relate to other people. Where have your predetermined judgements come from? Race, sexual orientation, hairstyle, clothing choices, and financial status seem to be some of the first things people use to eliminate “others” from their circle of influence.

“Clearly, I cant learn anything from him, he’s not as smart as me. He doesn’t make as much money as me. I am better than him.”

Sure, maybe the sentence doesn’t sound that clear cut in your head, but the fact is, people will use any amount of unfounded reasons to classify someone else or a group of people as “The Other.” It is through this type of thinking that mankind has shown its greatest failure; the inability to see each other as equals, despite the overwhelming evidence that we are all one in the same.

Just a thought for the day, the week, the month and the year.

Focus Threads Clothing

Let’s All Get Warped

The person behind the name ‘Warped Tour,’ is not only a marketing genius, but a great descriptor. Focus Threads recently attended the San Diego/Chula Vista location of the 2011 tour, and our whole crew was thoroughly impressed. A great setup at a very versatile space made way for well over 30 bands to rock out with some of their most loving, and no doubt some new-found fans.

Our Entrance Paper

We arrived right before the gates opened, around 10:30AM, and partied hard while enjoying some great music performances until around 9:00PM.

What seemed like thousands of tents and booths were strewn along the parking lot interior selling band merch, Vans’ logoed apparel, and even some humanitarian booths popped up. Focus Threads donated some cash to the ‘Hello Somebody’ booth, which is currently sending its Warped Tour profits to feed hunger-stricken people in Somalia. A good cause makes us all feel good inside.

Klean Kanteen© was there with a booth providing free water fill-ups to anyone with a reusable container, (and as the day wore on, pretty much anyone with a water bottle). I found out from a tour manager that this effort significantly cut down on the number of kids passing out from heat exhaustion this year. Hooray for that.

Now, being above a certain age at this event (I won’t mention how old) can spin a bit of bias on the way you view some of the rituals and actions you may bear witness to. However, the Focus crew felt prepared and excited to see and possibly participate in some of the close-quartered, extremely sweaty and smelly pushing and shoving ‘pits.’

But it wasn’t so much the pits that got us worried, it was the creative innovation and subsequent use of everyday items as weapons. Every person has their hands, and when balled into tight fists and swung wildly and without care throughout the space around one’s body, they can be awfully effective at knocking out a fellow concert-goer. Or at least at drawing some blood. Scenes like the one pictured below were commonplace, to say the least.

Anybody have a bandage?

But for the inventive fan, fisticuffs would not be enough. Grenades would be fashioned out of lost sandals, heavyweight shoes, full water bottles, CDs, and even small people, in ascending order of danger. One of our crew members was even able to save a life or two by catching a full water bottle right in front of a young girl’s face, which had appeared almost out of nowhere, as it no doubt came from the high, sunny San Diego skies above.

A Day to Remember

Aside from the apparent anarchy, mega-slum appearances, and flying CDs of death, the bands managed to put on amazing performances, while still successfully (and as if through some sort of legal loophole) inciting mini-riots all over the parking lots where the fans stood.  A Day to Remember was one of the headliners on the Teggart Main Stage, and was one of the last few bands to perform. As the remaining bits of sun sunk down and out of view, we watched two awesome sets in a row, from A Day to Remember and The Devil Wears Prada, respectively.

Food was sparse and expensive, but I did manage to stumble upon the Tri-Tip sandwich booth, and that satiated me through the end of the concert.

After about ten straight hours of music and sun soaked adventure, we made our way out, of course finding a few lucky individuals to which I personally handed a ‘Free Shirt of Choice’ card, courtesy of their new favorite brand of stylish clothing, Focus Threads. (Wink, Wink.)

Overall, Warped Tour ’11 was a unique and kick-ass experience and one not to be missed because I can assure you, if you wait any longer you will feel old and out of place at events like these.

Make sure to look for Focus Threads’ reps at your next event, because you can never really know where we’ll be.

Sincerely,

Focus Threads

Commitment

Commitment. A quality that requires, well, committing. Everyone can benefit from even just a smidgen of it. It aides in successful relationships, businesses, sports, and of course, in blogging.

I, like many other writers, started this blog for the clothing company I helped found, with high hopes and only the best of intentions. “I’m going to write about things that I find interesting, and that others will find interesting as well! I’m going to have fun interacting with the multitude of articles on the internet and the writers of those blogs are no doubt going to interact with ours! Traffic will be at an all time high and things are now looking better than ever.”

But, did I commit? Yes, at first, but ‘life’ got in the way. When I hear that phrase, whether it be uttered from my own mouth or from one of my friends’, I translate it into, ‘I didn’t commit to what I was doing.’

What can you build when you commit?

So, here is my coming clean party/blog post. I admit that in a very short period of blogging, I have failed miserably (by my own standards). Yes, there were successes, albeit small, they made me feel like I was on the right course. However, I apparently, as so many of us do, in so many aspects of our lives, did not commit, and therefore did not DECIDE that I was going to do something and stick to it. I did not DECIDE that I was going to keep the links in the chain in a neat and orderly fashion. After all, indecision and procrastination are twins. 

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In the interest of time, and in the interest of much more interesting blog posts that are clamoring against the inside of my head (in anything but a single-file line) to be written, I will keep this short. In closing, I am now deciding, and committing to posting at a minimum, once per week on Focus On Your Threads. So it goes without saying that I am also committing to getting used to telling my friends and family, “I’ll be blogging,” when the question of “What’re you doing today?,” arises. Of course, these posts must adhere to my quality and content standards, therefore, there will be no rushed, poor quality, and for lack of a better term, weak-sauce writing included in the coming weeks’ posts.

Now, for that whole interaction thing we discussed earlier. I would love some help on this one. Although I have every intention of posting at least once a week, if you are a reader of this blog, avid or first-time, I implore you to call me out on it if you should visit the blog and not see something posted within the last week. And it doesn’t stop there. Of course, I welcome your comments, complaints, questions and anything else you might have to say. Feel free to drop those bits of opinion into the comment section for all to see, or if you’re the shy type, email me directly at contactus@focusthreads.com. I’d love to hear it.

A thousand thanks to you, my friends, chums, and fellow bloggers.

Sincerely,

Joseph, of Focus Threads Clothing.

Change…

People never change. That’s just the way I am. I’ve always been like that.

When these phrases were becoming ‘common’ and ‘cliché’ did anyone ever stop to think that they might be total crap?

What about you? Do you agree with these type of phrases/are you a person who says these things about yourself and others?

Ask yourself why….

What chains and restrictions are you putting on yourself?

Focus Threads thinks this type of thinking is not only crap and completely false, but seriously detrimental to the immense potential for any individual’s life!

Sure, it’s easy to sit around and blame circumstance, the actions (or even words) of others, and general incapability for the explanation as to why you’re not doing what you want with your life. Or even why you treat others the way you do, why you hold the grudges you do, and why you think about yourself the way you do.

But doing great things almost always requires hard work, and dedicated action.

“It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great.”

-Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks) in A League of Their Own-

 

QUITTING the team, NOT going to the gym, CHEATING on that test, (or even just being unprepared for it), or NOT making as much money as you would like.

Why not? Most likely because you gave up on yourself and TOLD yourself that you can’t do it. Or someone ELSE told you that you couldn’t achieve it.

So stop, right now, and ask yourself who took the power out of your hands to decide what you can accomplish and what you can do, and what you’re capable of. You, your parents, your friends, your siblings?

 

Why is it even worth listening to what OTHERS think of your capabilities and potential. After all, its you who is talking to yourself pushing you to run the last five minutes on the treadmill, and its you convincing yourself that you’re going to fail your next math exam, or screw up your next big presentation.

 

Focus Threads has a lot of people we look up to, admire, and sometimes emulate. Another one of our favorite quotes is this one from American writer Charles R. Swindoll. In fact, its posted on our office walls. We want anyone who works with us or for us, or who even comes by for a meeting to see this quote and hopefully apply it to their day, and their life!

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

Sky is the Limit, folks...as long as you move out of your own way.

Here’s to hoping this post promotes positive and deep thought, consideration, and some objective perspective for you. Feel free to pass it along to anyone you’d like.

Lots of hugs and kisses,

Your friends at Focus Threads Clothing.