Alicia Jessop

I’ve been spending a lot of time on Pinterest lately.

It started in the “Quotes” section, where I’d pin inspirational messages on a board aptly titled, “Inspiration.”

Then I maneuvered over to the “Food & Drink” section.  There, I convinced myself I was the next Rachael Ray, pinning away everything that looked somewhat delectable and as my mom pointed out, a lot of cookie recipes.

From there, my Pinterest sessions took me to places most other women probably frequent on the social media site:  “DIY & Crafts,” “Holidays & Events” and “Weddings.”

In each of these sections, I saw things that I fancied.  Beautiful chandeliers.  Candle lit celebrations.  Gold, sparkly adornments.

As a single woman, or someone who is in the early stages of a relationship, society warns you of not coming on too strong.  You are told not to discuss marriage or children too soon for fear of running a man off.  You are taught to let him pursue you and to put your desires on the back burner until he decides that he is ready to make a move.  You are encouraged to let him make the move related to one of the biggest moments of your life, and propose marriage.  As women, we are taught to wait.

I must admit in embarrassment that I subscribe to all of these notions.  I’ve never wanted to come on too strong in a relationship for fear of being seen as pushy.  I’ve held back stating what I want in a relationship for fear that I wouldn’t be seen as feminine.  I’ve waited.  Time and time again.

It’s for these reasons that when I poke around on Pinterest and see things I’d like to be present at the wedding I someday hope to have, I don’t pin them to a board excitedly called, “My Wedding!” Rather, they get stuck to one vaguely called, “Event Planning.”  The dreams held on that board are disguised by more than the board’s name.  I’ve gone far enough to ensure that it’s vague by adding pumpkin decorating ideas and birthday cakes.  Society has taught me that I need to be secretive when it comes to one of the greatest desires of my heart, that yes, indeed, someday I hope to get married.  And at my wedding, I want to have twinkly lights and hanging chandeliers and long tables filled with friends clinking champagne glasses.

So, I guess now the secret is out.  The cat is out of the bag.  And hopefully I can land a date in 2014.

In mid-December, with the lull of finals and the excitement of the holidays around me, I found that I had a lot of time to spend on Pinterest.  During that time, I kept coming back to these beautiful parties with glitter and gold and sparkles and happy friends.  And I kept wishing and dreaming that someday I’d meet my Prince Charming and that someday, we’d get to have a party just like that.

In the midst of all of this dreaming, though, a little voice began to whisper to me.  And that little voice said, “Don’t wait.”

Don’t wait to have fun.  Don’t wait to celebrate friendships.  Don’t wait for happiness.  Don’t wait to drink champagne in a room filled with glitter.  Just don’t.

So, I got to planning.  I created a new Pinterest board, appropriately called “Sparkle.”  And onto it, I began pinning every sparkly, glittery, festive thing I could find.  I began pulling up recipes and researching champagne cocktail ideas.  I worked on putting together a guest list and finding the perfect date.  I called my friend Megan, and asked if we could throw a “Sparkle Party” at her house in Denver the first weekend I got home for the holiday break.  She said, “Yes!”  And we didn’t wait.

In the days leading up to the Sparkle Party, I collected every vase I could find.  I sprayed adhesive on them and then proceeded to glitter the living daylights out of them.

I was taken back by beautiful, golden tables that served as champagne bars.  So, on the day of the Sparkle Party, we filled Megan’s table with glittered vases holding perfectly pink roses…

and festive mini balloons.

And we lined up bottles and bottles and bottles of champagne accompanied by perfect mixers and petite fruits next to sparkly pom-pom swizzle sticks that I spent an afternoon making.

I used Pinterest to find inspiration for how to decorate for a Sparkle Party.  We lined one wall of Megan’s house with a golden sparkle backdrop surrounded by gold and black balloons.

And as Megan and I scurried to get everything set up, the best thing happened:  Friends started arriving.  And chatter began.  And laughter.  And music was playing.  And we were all so happy.  We didn’t wait.

Most people would tell you that when it comes to life, I’m a go-getter.  There are some very clear areas in my life, though, where I’ve been waiting.  I believe in being patient in finding “the one” and being hopeful in the possibility that that kind of love really can and will find its way into my life.

At this age, though, when I’ve been asked to be a bridesmaid eight times, it becomes very easy to begin to want to quit waiting.  It begins to become very attractive to succumb to the idea of, “Well, maybe that’s just not for me; maybe I’ll never get to have my fairytale day.”  It becomes too easy to build Pinterest boards called, “Event Planning.”

While the man of my dreams and that wedding day still awaits me, what I’ve learned, is that life doesn’t.  You don’t have to wait for the perfect relationship to find happiness.  You do not have to wait for a wedding day to have a celebration–sparkles, glitter, champagne and all.

Life–and happiness–awaits you right now.  And in this New Year, it is my resolution to cherish that notion and to believe in it with all of my heart.  And perhaps, to throw some more really, really awesome parties as a celebration of it.

So, my friends, cheers to a New Year!  May you find it to be your happiest yet.

In just three short weeks we will be ringing in another new year.  Is it hard for anyone else to believe that 2013 is coming to an end?

With the hustle and bustle of the holidays comes another added stress:  creating a New Year’s resolution.

Lose weight.  Find love.  Get a better job.  Travel more.

Resolutions can be any number of things.  In all honesty, though, I often feel like New Year’s resolutions only scratch the surface of issues each of us needs to address and improve in our own lives.

My question, though, is why wait until New Year’s Day to get started on improving in these areas?

What would starting now do when it comes to your chance of actually upholding your New Year’s resolution?

Starting to work on your New Year’s resolution now, in my eyes, does one major thing:  It improves the chance that you will actually incorporate your resolution into your daily life and achieve whatever goal that resolution is aimed at addressing.  21 extra days is an eternity.  They say that habits can be formed or kicked in 28 days.  By starting to work on your New Year’s resolution today–three weeks before New Years Day–by the end of the first week of 2014, your resolution will no longer require resolve, but will be a habit.

What are your resolutions for 2014?  I’ll let you in on one of mine:  Balance.

I need to slow down.  I need to learn to say, “no.”  I need to let some opportunities pass by.  I need to be my own caretaker.

From a professional standpoint, 2013 has been amazing for me.  I was credentialed for events I never dreamed I’d be invited to.  I landed a dream job at the University of Miami.  Earlier this month, a surprise hit, when I was asked to become the Director of Media Relations for Sportsdigita.

I traveled 9 out of the first 13 weekends of 2013.  I’ve flown close to 100,000 miles this year.  It’s been awesome, but it’s taken a toll on another side of my life that is dear to me:  My relationships.

So, my New Year’s resolution that I started working on today is to begin balancing out my life.  I want work to account for 1/3 of it.  Sleep to count for another 1/3 (I firmly believe in getting 8 hours of sleep a night, and generally do a good job of it).  And the other 1/3, will be devoted to me–whether that is exercising, pursuing hobbies or catching up with old friends and making new ones.  It seems simple, but over the last year, work encroached upon this third area, and it’s time for me to push it back.

When it comes to succeeding in New Year’s resolutions, a lot of it depends upon retraining your mind.  By retraining your mind, you can form new habits and find success in endeavors.  One thing that I need to work on mentally is erasing the belief that not taking an opportunity might mean failure for me later down the road.  I need to do a better job of recognizing that what is on my plate is enough and to focus my energy on making what’s on my plate the best it can be.  The rest of my energy should be focused on improving myself–whether that be my health, intellect or social life.

In all honesty, starting now on my New Year’s resolution is daunting.  It’s daunting because I am in the midst of one of the busiest times of the year.  Final examinations and the storylines associated with the college football bowl season make for a hectic time for someone who is a professor and covers sports.  At the same time, though, this is the perfect time for me to get into my new groove.  It’s a perfect time for me to look at the time I have to spend on work and decide where exactly I’m going to spend my energy.

It’s also a good time to reevaluate certain things I am currently engaged in.  That being said, after the New Year I will have a couple big announcements.  They involve taking some risks, but overall, the risks are necessary to maintain my happiness and that resolution of balance I’m working towards.

So, what about you?  What is it that you could be starting now to make your 2014 better?  What is it that your life needs to find a little more happiness?

I’ve always been a sensitive person.

When I was in first grade, I came home in tears.  When my parents prodded me to find out what was wrong, I told them that one of my classmates forgot his lunch money.  Rather than just spotting him a lunch, the lunch lady just shoved some juice and crackers at him and refused to give him a warm, filling lunch.

For some reason, seeing that really bit at my 6-year-old self.  It hurt my feelings to see this classmate of mine being treated differently.  My young head spun wondering why he didn’t have his lunch money.  Did he really forget it?  Or, perhaps, could his mama not afford it like mine could?  I wondered if he was hungry.  These thoughts hurt me so much, that by the time the bell rang, I had no choice but to cry.

As my parents wiped away my tears, they could’ve done two things:  Nothing or something.

My parents probably don’t know I remember this, but one of my earliest memories is of them going to speak with my elementary school’s principal after this event took place.  Two things resulted from that conversation.

First, my parents provided my elementary school with some money, so that if another kid forgot–or didn’t have–lunch money, he or she would receive a hot lunch.

More importantly, though, by doing something, my parents taught my six-year-old self one of the most important lessons I’ve ever learned:  When you have the choice of doing nothing or doing something, you always do something.

As the holidays approached this year, my dad began asking me, “So, Leesh, what are you going to do?” “What do you mean, what am I going to do?” I’d retort with.  He’d say, “Well, you had quite the year in 2013.  Maybe it’s time to give some of what you got back to others.”

He was right.  I wasn’t a “newbie” in the sports world anymore.  It was time to take my name and use it to do something.

With the thought in my head, I began brainstorming ways I could use my platform to give back to others.  In mid-November it clicked:  I wanted to publicize sports nonprofits that many people don’t know about and also fundraise for them.

What happened after my idea was born, is perhaps one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever witnessed:  People began supporting the idea.  And I began watching the sports media life I’ve lived over the last 2.5 years come full-circle.

It started with a simple tweet seeking out a graphic designer.  From there, I met Quinn Carr–who literally, was the greatest person to work with.  Chances are, I wouldn’t have found Quinn if I hadn’t covered a fantasy basketball camp at the University of Miami two months ago and written a story about it.  It turns out, that Quinn’s brother played in the camp and followed me on Twitter, and as such, Quinn saw my request for help.

With a graphic designer in tow and a design in progress, I knew that the ball was rolling.  It was time to find sports nonprofits to support.  Again, I turned to Twitter.  What resulted, was finding six sports nonprofits that I think the world of.  I learned these organizations’ stories–which ranged from spreading joy to wounded warriors and encouraging children’s cancer patients to eradicating Atlanta’s enormous dropout rate and giving underprivileged children positive memories to hold onto.

In these organizations’ stories, I found hope.

I found a hope that, sports could in fact, change the world.

On Thanksgiving morning, I woke up at 4 a.m. more nervous than I’ve been in a long, long time.

Thanksgiving meant that it was time for the campaign to begin.  That morning, I put the finishing touches on the campaign page and hit the “launch” button for the t-shirt sales page.  The jitters in me that morning were palpable.  What if nobody bought a shirt?  What if nobody clicked on the link and read about these great organizations?  What if nobody cared?

In the midst of my nerves, things got good.  Really, really good.

You all did something.

Yes, you bought t-shirts (which I am incredibly thankful for).  More importantly, though, you shared.

You talked about how sports changed your world.  You talked about your hopes for this world.  You mentioned what you can do to better this world.

And people listened.

Because of you, six outstanding organizations have new supporters.  They not only have new donors, but those willing to roll up their sleeves and volunteer.

Because of you, the internet knows that sports can change the world.  Thousands of eyes have seen your tweets, Facebook statuses and Instagram pictures.  These eyes, in turn, have researched the campaign.  That research has led more people to think about how sports can change the world.

Because of you, these “12 Days of Giving” (as I initially called the campaign) have turned into the #Sports4Good Movement.

You did something.

People often gripe about the media.  They say, “Why is the media so negative?”

Before I joined the media world, I wondered the same thing.  I often thought of the athletes I knew and the good things they were doing and wondered why more people didn’t hear these stories.  However, now that I’m on the other side–as a member of the media–I know why you don’t hear those stories.

You don’t hear these stories, because the media gatekeepers think that nobody is interested.  I’ve been told by editors when pitching stories about athletes giving back that nobody cares.  Or that it doesn’t matter.  Or to find something worthwhile.

Over the last twelve days, though, you’ve done something to prove those media decision makers wrong.

People care.  It does matter.  And it is the most worthwhile story there is to tell.

I’m a sensitive person.  And as such, there are tears flowing from my eyes right now.  I’m so grateful for the support all of you have shown others throughout this campaign.  I’m so grateful to know that what I thought before is true:

Sports can change the world.

Don’t forget to vote for your favorite organization until 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, December 9 by clicking here.

And if you haven’t yet, $25 gets you a #Sports4Good t-shirt!  Click here.  The shirts will only be sold until 11:59 p.m. on Monday, December 9, so get them while they’re HOT!

A couple of months ago I went on a first date.  In terms of first dates, it went relatively well.  At the end of the night, the guy walked me to my car.  As we were standing there, he literally said, ‘Wow.  I thought someone who does everything you do would have a nicer car.”

A few weeks later I stopped at CVS to pick up some odds and ends.  When I walked out, my car looked like this:

I’m no car expert.  I’m a lawyer.  Turned writer.  Turned professor.  So when I saw this, I promptly texted my friend Nick and said, “Um, what do I do?”  He promptly responded with what everyone else has responded with, “What did you hit?”  To which I said, “I swear, nothing.”

Realizing that I was on my own when it came to fixing this debacle, I marched my irritated self back into the CVS.  The young guys working there said, “Did ya forget something, ma’am?”  “Yea, duct tape.”

In the Florida humidity, I spent the next 10 minutes of my life utilizing all of the engineering skills I garnered in my four years at the Colorado School of Mines to do this:

As I stood up to admire my feat, a fireman drove by in his firetruck.  I’m a woman, so when he quickly backed up, I thought, “YES!”  However, he just shouted down from the window, “Duct tape fixes everything!” and drove on.  Traumatic.

Today I drove to work at the University of Miami in my duct taped Honda Civic.

When I was in college, I was a nanny for two girls.  They lived in a wealthy suburb in the Denver foothills.  One of my responsibilities was to pick them up everyday from school.  At the time, I was driving a 1998 Saturn that was on its last leg.  At one point, the stereo was broken (and/or possessed), as it would randomly turn up in volume.  When I say, “randomly turn up in volume,” I mean, “randomly turn up in ear-deafening-uncomfortable volume.”  Somehow, it would also always find a way to change stations to Christmas music or Spanish music.

What was notable about the possessing of my Saturn, was that it would only happen right before I would pick up the girls.  The school bell would ring and kids would scatter out to hop in their mom’s Cayenne or their dad’s Mercedes.  I would see my girls with their heads down, kind of chuckling as they approached my jalopy.  Deep down, they were certain of what awaited them.  They’d put their little hand on the door, and they’d be greeted with, “I WANT TO WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS!….FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!”

I told them this was a character building experience.

And everyday for the last month, I’ve held onto the hope that it is a character building experience for the professor to hop out of her duct taped car when her students roll up in Land Rovers.

When I got to work today, one of the first things I did was take my personal laptop to our IT guy.  Last night when I was trying to catch up on old episodes of Homeland, the blue screen of death erupted across my screen.  I figured it must’ve been terrorists.  Our IT guy, though, said it was my hard drive.  He suggested I call Dell to see if my computer was still under warranty.

When I got back to my office this afternoon, I called Dell.  I was nicely surprised when I wasn’t put on hold for eternity and when the guy who answered my call spoke perfect English.  He and I had fun together for nearly two hours as he ran an insane number of tests on my computer system and I continuously kindly reminded him that someone had already done this for me.  Not only had someone already done this for me, but someone had already told me what the problem was.  I was just calling to ensure my computer was under warranty and to have them send me the parts necessary to fix the hard drive.  “But Miss Jessop, we just need to run one more test to see what’s wrong with the computer.”  “You’re the expert, man.  Do your thing.”  Two hours later my new friend said, “Well, Miss Jessop, thank you for your patience.  The problem is with the hard drive.  We’ll be sending you a new one.”  Luckily for this guy, I value new friendships, so I appreciated the chance to build a new one with him as we painstakingly re-identified the problem.

I have a lot of work to get done that involves using a computer, and generally, the blue screen of death would cramp that plan.  However, the University of Miami bought me a nice iBook earlier this semester.  So, when I left work, I packed that baby up and planned to go home and work my little heart out.

In August, I moved into a new condo in Miami.  The cable guy came a couple days after I got here.  He was really flirtatious and as he spewed cords across my condo in the name of bringing TV to it, he said, “Miss Alicia, I am really going to hook you up!”  I said, “Ok, that would be appreciated.”  He said, “Miss Alicia, I am going to give you wireless for free!”  I said, “I thought I was already paying for that?”  He said, “No Miss Alicia, I take care of you.  Just don’t tell them I am doing this.”  As I was mostly confused as to what in God’s name was going on since I ordered a wireless router, I just nodded in agreement.  He said, “Ok, I’m going to set your password for you, so you can enjoy wireless for free!”  I thought nothing of it, like for instance, that I cannot call my cable provider to find out what my wireless password is should I do what I always do with my wireless password:  forget it.

When I got home tonight, I plopped down on my couch looking forward to watching some college hoops and finishing my work.  I turned on my cute little iBook and quickly realized I do not know my wireless password.  So much for being “hooked up.”

So now, I sit here with this finagled set-up:  In case you can’t tell, that’s a short USB cord stretched from my cable box to a haphazardly placed kitchen chair.

On my drive home tonight, it started raining.  When I got home, I realized that the rain had washed away my car’s duct tape job.  The fender is once again hanging on by a string.

I’d die to know what that guy I went out with thinks that says about “someone who does everything I do.”

I am a firm believer that the universe sends situations into your life to see how you respond to them.

When frustrating things happen in life, the quick response is often, “woe is me.”  I like to look at frustrating situations as opportunities for character growth.

What kind of patience am I exhibiting towards others when I am undergoing these types of situations?  What value do I place on material objects and how big of a role do they play in my life?  How kind am I to others when I am in a stressful or annoying situation?  The frustration that today could’ve turned into, in all honesty, brought me a lot of laughs.

They say that when it rains, it pours.  We all have days that start out perfect and end up hilariously disastrous.  Life is about perspective, though.  The best perspective, I’ve found, is to laugh when life sends you a rainy day.

And if laughter isn’t enough, you can do what I did tonight:

Yup.  That’s Haagen-Dazs Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough for dinner, baby.

Let it rain!

As I inch towards age 30, I continue to look for ways to improve my health.  Recently, I thought a lot about my diet.  Overall, it’s not terrible.  I don’t drink much.  I don’t eat out too much.  I eat a lot of vegetables.  I probably drink too many drinks from Starbucks.  However–and this has been true my entire life–I don’t eat much fruit.

I don’t know where my distaste for fruit comes from.  I spent my childhood wandering through my grandparents’ garden, which had a field of raspberry bushes, rhubarb plants and grape vines.  I’d pluck fruit from each and pop it in my mouth and go on my way.  Perhaps I OD’d on fruit as a kid and now, I just don’t like it.

On Sunday, I was at an event for my sorority called Founder’s Day.  It’s the day in which we recognize Sigma Kappa’s founding on November 9, 1874.  There, I met a woman who although she was 83-years-old, she looked like she was 60.  Her body stood upright, her hair was beautiful, her skin fragile and she just epitomized health.  I want to be like that.

Adding fruit and other non-processed foods into my diet along with more strength training are two things I thought I could do to improve my health.  One way I am going to add fruit into my diet is by drinking a smoothie every morning, Monday through Friday.

Today, I share with  you my first smoothie recipe.

Ingredients:

1 Green Tea Bag

1/2 Cup Boiling water

2 TSP Honey

1 Cup Blueberries

1 Banana

3/4 Cup Vanilla Soy Milk

1 Cup Ice

Directions:

Place tea bag in boiling water.  Let steep for three minutes.  Mix in honey until it dissolves.

In a blender, add blueberries, banana, soy milk and ice.  Pour tea mixture over top.  Blend until smooth.  ENJOY!

In 1874, a group of five women got together and made a decision that would change the world:  They founded Sigma Kappa.  I am grateful for the role that Sigma Kappa has played in my life as a young woman and believe it is largely responsible for teaching me the leadership skills I’ve learned.  Today, it’s an honor to be the keynote speaker at the Southern California Sigma Kappa Founder’s Day Celebration.  The following is the text of my speech.

Since the dawn of mankind, the most-asked question whispered around the world, has been, “Why?”

“Why was I born?”

The question of why we were born and what we were put on this Earth to do is at the bane of mankind’s existence.  Each of us at some point has questioned the reason for our existence.  We find answers in religion.  We find answers in spiritual gurus.  We find answers in yoga retreats and meditation vacations to India.

Ultimately, though, the answer to, “Why was I born?” lies in the answer to another question.  That question is, “What is my legacy?”

We are here today, because on November 9, 1874, a group of five women–Elizabeth, Mary, Ida, Francis and Louise–sought to answer that question and define their legacy.

The legacy of these five women was built upon their doing two things:  Surveying the landscape of their community and surveying the landscape of their hearts.

We sit in this room today, as women who all received or are receiving the gift of a college education.  Today, the number of females pursuing a college degree exceeds the number of males doing so.  For Mary Caffrey Low, however, the gender make-up of her college campus could not be more distinct.

Mary entered ColbyCollege in 1871.  It wasn’t until 1873, when another female joined her as a student on campus.  In fact, the female population of ColbyCollege boomed in 1873, as four new women–Elizabeth, Ida, Francis and Louise–all began their college education that year.

As the five women oftentimes found themselves together, they began surveying the landscape of their community.  They quickly realized, that although they had been given the opportunity to attend college, their opportunity differed from that of their male classmates.  The women faced insults from male classmates and teachers.  They were not given the same opportunity to perform in the classroom as their male counterparts.  They were held back from participating in the bulk of the collegiate experience, as they were often precluded from engaging in student organizations.

The survey of ColbyCollege’s landscape was the spark that ignited the idea of creating an organization on campus aimed at addressing the negative issues the women faced.  However, that idea did not birth Sigma Kappa until the five young women examined the landscape of their hearts.

Those five young hearts were joyful hearts.  They were filled with love and friendship and a belief in serving others.  They were hearts captivated with the idea that a woman could grow up to become anything she wished to be and that in doing so, she could serve others.

The landscape of these women’s hearts, is what would become not only their legacy, but our beloved Sigma Kappa.  From the hearts of Mary, Elizabeth, Francis, Ida and Louise, was born an organization that to date, has captivated the hearts of more than 152,000 women worldwide.  From the hearts of five young women, a legacy woven into the fabric of all our lives was born.  That legacy is Sigma Kappa.

Because we all seek to answer the question of, “Why am I on this planet?” we all seek to identify what our legacy is.  How do you do that, though?  The process of defining what your legacy is, is the same in 2013 as it was in 1874:  You must examine the landscape of your community and the landscape of your heart.

What does it mean to examine the landscape of your community?  Examining the landscape of your community involves taking off the blinders that normally bind you, to look at the community in which your life unfolds.  When the blinders come off, you must look at the needs of the community you love.

What is your community?  Is your community your school?  Is it your chapter?  Is it your new member class?  Is your community your job?  Is it your child’s school?  Is it the people who live under your roof?

When you define who makes up your community, you can begin identifying the needs of those people.  Those needs can span any number of issues.  Some issues may be small and some may be monumental.  The size of the issue, however, is not important.  If issues worth addressing exist in your community, your legacy is made by setting out to address them.

After identifying the needs that make up the landscape of your community, it is critical to analyze the landscape of your heart.  This step is critical, because it is what is in our hearts that allows us to address particular needs in our communities.

The reason why there are over 6 billion people on this planet, is that each of us brings unique abilities and beliefs to the table.  The combination of these unique abilities and beliefs are written on our hearts.  Sometimes they’re called passions.  Other times they’re called dreams.  I like to think of these unique abilities and beliefs as the things that keep me up at night wondering what I will do next with my life.

Because each of us has unique abilities and beliefs, and hence, a unique story written on our heart, we are not made to address every issue that faces our community.  If you were capable of addressing every issue your community needs, you would be the only person who lived on this planet.  Instead, each of us was created to address the particular issues that match the abilities and beliefs that are melted into the landscape of our hearts.

The last two years of my life have been a whirlwind.  I’ve traveled enough this year that I’ve racked up three free airline tickets from the frequent flier miles I’ve accumulated.  I’ve been to the Super Bowl and the NBA All-Star Game.  I’ve stood on the sidelines at Cowboys Stadium and the NBA Finals.  I’ve interviewed the likes of Colin Kaepernick, Jim Brown, John Cena, Stephen Curry and Barry Sanders.  I’ve been on national radio broadcasts and made appearances on national television.  And the only reason I’ve been able to do any of this, is because in 2011, I looked at the landscape of my community and got in touch with the landscape of my heart.

In early 2011, I was working a job that although I was grateful for, I was not made for.  My unhappiness at work led me to seek something that would provide an outlet for channeling happiness throughout the day.  For me, that outlet was sports.

Since I was a young child, sports have fascinated with me.  As the only child of a sports enthused father, I spent a large amount of time as a child watching games and learning the intricacies that made them interesting.  As I grew up, I could recite statistics, the names of whole rosters and analyze sports in a way that not many other young women were doing.

In 2011, when I needed a reprieve from my law firm job, I would poke around on various sports news websites.  As I did, I quickly realized that there were few journalists who wrote about sports in a positive manner.  Lost in the stories of athletes who went broke, used banned drugs, got pulled over for DUIs and cheated on their wives, were the stories of athletes doing good things in their communities that I knew existed.

As I examined the landscape of a community I loved–the sports community–I was forced to analyze the landscape of my heart.  That landscape is one that believes in the innate goodness of mankind.  It is a landscape filled with belief that, although we all make mistakes, our good outweighs the bad.  It’s a landscape that holds firmly to the belief that positivity will get you further than negativity every time.

When I began looking at the landscape of my heart, a dream that had been pushed down for too long because of a feeling that it was impractical, began coming to the surface.  What if I could become a sports journalist?  What if I could tell the world about sports in a way that was positive?  What if that could become my legacy?

With an idea of what I wanted my legacy to become, I had to take an honest look at the unique abilities and beliefs I held.  From an ability perspective, I had recently graduated from law school and also held a B.S. in economics.  This educational background, I believed, would allow me to analyze sports from a perspective few others could.  I also had a passion for writing and have been told by numerous people that I can tell a good story.

In turn, the unique beliefs I held in the goodness of man and that positivity outweighs negativity meant that I would use my analytical and writing abilities to tell the story of sports in a way that celebrated it.

On July 1, 2011, I woke up and told my roommate that I was creating a website.  After hours of mulling over names in my head and tinkering around trying to figure out how to build a website, RulingSports.com was born.  Creating RulingSports.com changed my life.  Yes, it gave me later opportunities to write for Forbes.com and The Huffington Post and become a professor at the University of Miami.  However, it changed my life, because it became my legacy.

Each of us has a community.  Each of us has a heart.  Each of us has a legacy.

The world needs to stop asking, “Why?”  We know why we are here.

The question for some of us now, though, is “What?”  “What is my legacy?”  What are the needs of your community that you can address like nobody else?  What do those desires on your heart motivate you to do like nobody else?

Some of us have answered the question of what our legacy is.  The question for us then become, “When?” and “How?”  When will you begin creating your legacy?  If you haven’t begun creating it, will you realize today that the time to start is now?  If you believe your legacy is complete, why are you still on this planet?  Is it because there is more to the story of your legacy?

After answering those questions, how are you going to bring your legacy to life?  How are the abilities and beliefs written on the landscape of your heart perfectly suited to address the needs faced in the landscape of your community?

Each of us was put on this planet for a reason.  And that reason was to build a legacy.  The time is now.  And I cannot wait to see how you all do it.