Thankful

On this day of my birth, I can come to realize the many wonderful and amazing gifts I already have in my life.

The personal changes I have made, the friendships I have solidified, and all the new relationships I have gained, invoke in me an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Never before in my life have I been surrounded with so much love and positivity.

This year especially, the generosity and thoughtfulness that has gone into making my day special, has been an emotional experience for me. Usually I tend to brush off my birthday as just another day in the scheme of things, but for the last two years now, I have come to appreciate what it truly means to celebrate life.

To all my family, friends, loved ones, and my soul-mate... thank you and I love you more than you could ever imagine.

R.I.P. Evan Tanner

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight titleholder Evan Tanner was found dead in the mountain area near Palo Verde, Calif. on Monday 9/9/08. He was 37 years old. 

Tanner had trekked into the desert on a journey to "cleanse" himself, according to Douglas Vincitorio of Tanner's management team. "He went out to the desert to do a 'cleansing' as he called it. Kind of like 'Survivor Man.'" These short trips were not new to Tanner, said Vincitorio. It is something that he has done numerous times over the years.

"What we were told is that his motorcycle had run out of gas, so he went to walk out in like 115 to 118-degree heat," said Vincitorio. "He was miles away from his camp. That's where the helicopter found him. Right now, they just think that he succumbed to the heat."

On Aug. 10, Tanner wrote a blog on Spike TV's website, proclaiming his desire to start an adventure in the desert east of his new home in Oceanside, Calif. An avid outdoorsman and wandering spirit, he wanted to escape civilization for a while.

"I'm not just going out into the desert, I'm going out into the desert to hunt for lost treasure," he wrote. "I'm going on a pilgrimage of sorts, a journey to solitude, to do some thinking, and to pay my respects to the great mysteries."

"He will obviously be sorely missed," said Vincitorio. Adding, "I think that Evan would want to be remembered as a very complex man with many layers, not just a fighter."

Tanner was surely a unique personality. He's eclectic spirit and competitive nature will be sorely missed in the MMA community.

Accomplished

In my unending and ever changing process of evolution, I have come to the crossroads of what it means to be truly accomplished. 

When I reflect on those throughout history who have paved the way for a better tomorrow, I can't help but feel some kind of sadness for those who have gone unnoticed and unrecognized. 

These were ordinary people, who did extraordinary things. The people who silently fought for a better life for themselves and others, the ones who lost it all but continued to be resilient, the ones that stood strong and true to themselves in the face of adversity and hardship, and the ones who gave without the intention to receive. 

While other brilliant minds worked hard in the forefront of society to improve technology, medicine, and our personal rights, in turn their struggles, hardships, and accomplishments only created more complications. 

In this day and age, we are taught that our body's natural defense systems are invalid, and in turn Naturopathy has been replaced by the pharmaceutical drug war waged by Western Medicine. In order to treat one disease, we create ten others. Side effects of medications have become far more dangerous than the ailment itself, and our personal health and safety are gladly compromised for dollar signs.

Technology is another unstoppable force that is severely unbalanced. We have created large sports utility vehicles in order to make our transportation needs more enjoyable, but at the cost of our atmosphere. Furthermore, these machines perpetuate the slaughter of people and land, all to obtain the resources that fuel these mechanical abominations. 

It seems as though we as humans have digressed far from what we can be. The evolutionary cycle seems to have come to a deafening halt as we pollute our lives and minds with the clutter that is mainstream society. We are miraculous creatures, capable of amazing feats, yet somehow along the way the notion of our potential was lost as we try to chase a dream that is not our own.

I feel it is important, more than ever, to stay steadfast in what is right, what is truly beneficial for the good of all people and not just ourselves. Those throughout history who shared these same ideals and passions to do right, do not get the recognition they deserve. It is time we look to the past for how to proceed with our future to ensure there will be a future.