Josh Tilford

Warrior Dash

Posted February 4, 2010, under Musings, Personal

—WARRIOR DASH—

The name alone stirs me. When I was a little boy, I would put on my dad’s old Air National Guard fatigues, paint my face with green/black/brown commando paint, shoulder a toy gun, assume another identity, and go out into our yard for hours and hours doing missions and top secret surveillance of my neighbors activities. They were never doing anything all that interesting; but because I was a Navy Seal, hiding silently and still in our shrubbery, it was awesome.

I am turning 24 years old in 62 days. 26 days after, I will continue my childhood pursuit~ The Warrior Dash. The website provides an overview that says “Welcome to America’s most insane race. Warrior Dash lands in Texas for the first time in 2010 where 14 obstacles from hell await along this 3.51 mile course. Are you a warrior?”

Doesn’t every guy want to be a warrior? To live a life of principle, without compromise, taking risks for the greater good.. I want that. I don’t think completing the Warrior Dash in and of itself necessarily makes me a warrior. But something deep down inside of me would like to think so.

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Earth, Wind, Fire

Posted November 5, 2009, under Writings

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While studying at the local Starbucks here in Virginia Beach and during one of my, admittedly long, breaks I found myself gazing out the big logo covered window at the partly cloudy sky. I was reminded of how that same sky was actually set in place ages ago. My eyes wandered to the trees, and I tried to picture this location at the beginning of time. No streets, buildings, or busy people zipping about in cars, filling its landscape. Just, earth, wind, and fire in a sense.

It’s good to step back from our society’s rhythm of life, and to reflect on our roots in the creator’s rustic portrait. Back when the sun governed the day’s length. when cold weather signaled a down time of rest. I ask myself, what’s good about my life, and what needs to change, considering the natural state of things at the beginning of time? Has this iPhone, I’m using to record this, enriched my life? absolutely! Has it at times distracted me from the fundamentals of relationships and discipline? Absolutely.

I encourage you to regularly ask yourself similar questions. In what ways do you need to re-establish balanced rhythms in your life, more in line with the order of things before all the buildings, economic demands, and social networking via the Internet? Maybe the answer is more sleep, more intentional convos with friends and strangers, as opposed to quick tweets and wall posts, or more time for meditation and reflection, in place of continuous entertainment.

this practice is vital, because the more we stay rooted, the more modern developments will actually benefit, rather than steal from, our lives.

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Thanks China :)

Posted July 28, 2009, under Business, Musings

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“The number of Chinese engineers is growing by 350,000 annually, young workers and managers willing to put in 12-hour days and work weekends, an unparalleled component and material base in electronics and light industry, and an entrepreneurial zeal to do whatever it takes to please big retailers such as Wal-Mart.” (italics added).

Ah yes, a country that tries to hide but also embraces exploiting child-labor is filled with excited entrepreneurs! Wow, let’s all outsource uncontrollably. Then we can put more things in our houses.

Okay okay, the cat’s out of the bag. I do have some issues with this quote. It appears that the author of this piece, Jim Pinto, who is an industry analyst and commentator, writer, technology entrepreneur, investor and futurist, must have written this, while caressed by an ergo chair in an air conditioned room, looking over stats; but not actually in China. Because the truth is, most Chinese manufacturing factories have poor working conditions to say the least. Furthermore the long hours and 7 day work weeks are essentially forced because the pay is so low. Companies such as Wal-Mart capitalize on these third world workforces.

Interested? Check out Jim’s short article for more info about where most of your clothing, kids toys, man-gear, or other tic tacs are made in this short article at- http://tinyurl.com/kumomv.

Cheers,

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I’m a grownup!! Crap.

Posted July 16, 2009, under Musings, Personal, Writings

19 comments

There are things that all kids do~ play games, make messes, and talk about growing up. Kids measure their height in hopes they’re growing taller, some girls play house and school pretending to be women and lots of boys play war pretending to be men. It’s beautiful. But who is this “grownup”? And how do I live like one? Haha, I know, embarassing question right? Well maybe not.

I am now 23 years old, I’m a third year law student, I have a wonderful girlfriend named Lauren, a car, student loans, I’ve recently joined up with a new company that has enormous potential. Am I grownup? Am I A grownup?! I think so.. But then again, I view twelve year olds more like peers than children set apart from me by the chasm of adulthood. I can’t say the same however about older generations. As much as I want to feel like their peer, sometimes I feel, rather young.

In evaluating this issue, there’s one thing I don’t think I’ll ever shake. It’s the feeling of being afraid. A friend of mine once said to me, “It seems like you’re not afraid of anything”. The idea of me not being afraid of anything is simply put, a cool sounding but ill natured lie. Eleanor Roosevelt said this about fear,

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.”

This morning, I was thinking about how “fathers” have gained a bad rep with some people, because throughout the ages of humanity, lots of fathers have left their families. What on earth could drive a dad to throw in the towel and walk out the door? I believe a strong force at work is fear. The feeling of not having all of the answers, not knowing what the future holds, and not being in control is scary. For some reason, I often connect growing up with figuring things out, getting solid answers, and in a sense gaining more control because of those answers. But what often happens in my own life, is that right when I think I’ve figured something out, a new complexity is thrown into the mix, and my nicely wrapped gift of knowledge becomes another thing I don’t really know.

For example, a friend of mine and I weren’t clicking. There was something between us that ended up being a conflict we were able to resolve. Afterwards, I tucked the process by which we reached that resolution into my pocket for the next time I was at odds with somebody. But then, when the next conflict came, the prior process of success didn’t seem to mend things at all. In fact, I still haven’t figured out what to do with that situation. Why? Because life is complex. Because I am not in control. And this can be scary.

Webster defines a grownup as a mature person. So could it be that growing up is more about broadening our perspective of life, and less about figuring life out? I think so. Because the person who approaches a disagreement between two friends, with an attitude of respect for the complexity of the situation and people involved, and who relies upon the grace and spirit of God Himself to help, probably has a greater chance of seeing redemption in the friendship, than a person who tackles the situation with confidence in himself and relies upon logic to handle things.

I think Mrs. Roosevelt spoke a great truth that I want to continue to live my life by. Instead of trying to rid myself of all of my fears by figuring everything out, I need to lay down my fear of not knowing – not knowing what to do in every situation, not knowing what my life should look like after I graduate law school. Fear is just something that’s going to exist in my life. It’s a beautiful reminder that I won’t have it all figured out. That God is bigger than myself.

In the Bible, Timothy wrote, “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” I want to pursue these. I think that the less pressure I put on myself, and the more I chuckle when I don’t have the answers and look to others for help, then fear will have less grip on my life.

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Thoughts through Spray

Posted December 4, 2008, under Musings

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Some of my most significant thoughts and ideas take form in the shower. Every time I shower, I find it to be quite the introspective experience. I’ve come up with sermons, daily schedules, conflict resolution schemes, songs, poems, and regularly pray, all within that 10-15 minute period.

I thought about this phenomenon today, while showering of course, and wondered why it happens. And I’ve heard more than one person say they’ve shared this experience. I think there are few reasons why the shower is such a perfect conductor for mental action. One that comes to mind is that there are three things I need in order to come up with a good thought and sustain it, or to gain clarity on a particular situation: peace, comfort, and time. And by god gates, the shower provides all three like a crisp hat-trick, Beijing-Dubai-New York City, Whataburger’s Triple with Triple Cheese, and might even come close to the blessed Trinity itself.

Time~ It can be a powerful thing to know you have a set amount of time allotted for a specific task. Isn’t it helpful when someone who is waiting for you tells you exactly how much time you have?? We can become very focused and efficient in our processes. And that’s why a shower, only a few minutes long, provides the perfect opportunity to think and reflect. People rarely, if ever (for us single folk), barge in demanding something. Aaaahh, the beauty of unadulterated time at my disposal.

Comfort~ What is more soothing than privacy, warmth, the gentle yet forceful shiatsu-like patting of the water, and steam induced sinus relief? Nothing…

Peace~ Even if you’ve gone bankrupt, if a relationship is struggling, or the weather is nasty, the shower remains unchanged, unscathed by Ares’s spear. There are few things in life which provide such emotional stability.

And so with that, I invite you to join me in the shower! Of course not while I’m in it. But I encourage us to leverage on this great gift all of us Americans enjoy daily, or even twice so. Because thoughts through spray are the best.

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Were Jericho’s Walls Green?

Posted December 3, 2008, under going green

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Well maybe these obstacles aren’t quite as dominating as the walls of Jericho, but going green can definitely be the road less traveled. I’d like to share an update of sorts about my journey to help not only preserve, but actually better this lovely planet. I take this seriously because the Bible records the account of God telling the first humans to take care of the earth~ the fish of the sea, the plants, and the ground itself (Genesis 1:28-21).

So as I’ve mentioned before, I’m taking simple steps towards a green lifestyle~ buying and cooking mostly organic foods, riding my bike to school 5 days each week (which is sexy for the legs!), and being more conscious of my trash. These have been my main steps.. and of course encouraging others to become more informed and live accordingly.

The most interesting part of it all is that at times, it’s a little lonely being green; sometimes to the point of feeling like I actually live isolated in the woods. Whenever I eat organic food, or talk about it, people often don’t know what to say and act almost freaked out by the idea. They probably react that way because it reminds them of hippies, or worse “weirdness”. I’ve also been riding my bike to and from campus for a few months now and the benefits have been simply amazing.

My gas budget is down over 60%, and my body feels awesome. I ride on average, 50 miles each week, and 200 miles each month, by simply commuting 10 miles round trip. It’s a short trip, but the miles add up. The benefits are obvious, but I can’t help but grimace every time a person honks at me, or shows me their middle finger. Some people yell at me, while others smile, waive, or even cheer me on. Haha it’s really ridiculous at times. It can also feel a bit like an uphill struggle reducing my waste.

Every time I order from Chic-Fil-A I ask them to hold off on the bag and extra napkins. Every time, without fail, they look at me and repeat what I said, “You don’t want a bag?” With a smile I reply “Nope”. Then they say “You don’t need more than one napkin?” Right on cue, “Nope”. For groceries, I leave 3 of those re-usable, recycled bags you see stores offering for just 99 cents each, in the back of my XTERRA. When I shop, I simply fill my cart, purchase, and then re-fill my cart without using bags. Then I wheel my cart, or carry my basket outside, and fill my re-usable bags out at my car in the parking lot, or once I’m home. I would think this a simple enough routine, but the other day, I almost got into an argument with a cashier who demanded I receive 1 kajillion plastic bags to support my medium sized grocery list. With a grunt, she finally gave in, and helped load my goods right back into the cart. I couldn’t help but feel a little out of place~ a tad bit socially awkward. Should grocery shopping regularly include implementing conflict resolution skills?

My journey towards the rainforest has been awesome, and not lacking in adventure. I believe it’s absolutely necessary, better for me and my fellow humans, and so I’ll carry on and continue looking for practical ways to say no to harmful production, and shout yes to replenish-able resources.

It’s not always easy being green, but worth it? Oh babies, yes.

“Hazzah!”

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Chicken or the Egg?

Posted November 9, 2008, under Musings, Personal

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It’s the age old question that I think is most fun to pose in the abstract: “What ‘chickens’?”

I dream of chickens before the eggs hatch. A lot of my time is spent thinking about the future, because dreams get me moving, keep me going. They are the ignition and the fuel.

I don’t know what I’d do without dreams. If you ask me about them, I’ll show you how every area of my present life is coupled with aspirations for the future. For example, I ride my bike to campus most days and I have dreams of our entire society becoming more biker friendly. I also think a lot about doing an ironman sometime in the near(ish) future. So is bicycling to campus the terminus of this two-wheeled journey? Hmmm, nope. I also currently rent a townhouse here in Virginia Beach. It’s a lovely stoop and I’m blessed to be here. But I hardly desire to rent the rest of my days. And then I have many dreams which have seemingly little to do with my present life.

Dreams which are difficult to connect with the present can be the toughest to reconcile and hold on to, because I have no clue how on earth, or even if, I will attain them. I enjoy biographies because I can trace the person’s path from points B-Z back to A pretty easily. In hindsight, one always says “Of course that’s where I ended up! It all makes sense”. That’s why they call it 20/20, even though that’s not really perfect vision. But when I’m sitting at point C, and staring at X way off in the distance, the quandary seems almost silly.

Some people don’t think the Bible has much to offer, practically speaking. Some get lost in the “Thines” and “Wherefores” of the text. If this is you, I have 2 things to say: 1) Get a translation that’s up to date with the English language, and 2) You’re missing out. I know this because the Old Testament is filled with stories that bring insight to our daily 21st century lives. I think the story of Joseph, in the book of Genesis, goes case in point with the question I’m addressing here: Are dreams just silliness if you can’t trace your route to the mountain top??

Joseph’s story begins in Genesis 37. We’re introduced to a cocky young fellow, who has a lot of weird dreams at night, and has the audacity to tell his brothers about them; especially when they include acts such as his brothers bowing down to him. Not too long into this story, his brothers hate him and conspire with one another about how to rid themselves of this pesky little rat. Murder is too much for them to stomach, and so they sell him to people movers. And then BAM, BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM, Joseph is the 2nd in command over all of Egypt, an unbelievably powerful nation of that era!! A foreseeable end to this story..

UM, WHAT? Likely? How on earth did this nomad from an unknown family become Obama’s Biden? You’ll just have to read and find out The point is, Yes!, it will always feel a little silly to dream about, or speak of point T when you’re sitting on the curb at M (job at McDonalds). But history tells us that dreams aren’t silly in and of themselves. In fact, history begs us to realize that dreams are essential to this world, to society specifically, and for the livelihood of each person in particular.

If you’re with me, and think about chickens when all you’ve got is a handful of unfertilized eggs, then smile, because I think we’re on track

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Magnt .. so hot right now.

Posted November 4, 2008, under Business, Musings

8 comments

My brother and a few other spectacular gents launched a sweet new company called Magnt. They’re in the personal branding biz, and provide a venue to promote … YOU! I encourage you to get on board with them. They offer personal websites that are super affordable, clean, and simply sexy.

Here are a few good reasons why you, maybe an average Joe, maybe not, should check out Magnt and join hands with them.

1) With Magnt you get Integrity and Security. I’m friends with most of the Magnt gang, and they are men in the truest sense. I would trust any one of them to extend a firm grip if I were hanging off of a cliff. And that’s important when going in with any company because your lives become a little entwined. They will love you. You will love them.

2) The Future is the Present. Everyone should get their own personal website. Why? In this day and age wealth has gone global. And where is the global market? Online.. Not interested in wealth, but simply have a few good ideas you’d like to see happen? If you have dreams, and want to spread the word, begin the process by branding yourself. Magnt is a big step in the right direction.

3) It’s Do-able. At $199 (for everything) anyone can afford their own personal space. And it’s a flat fee for the first 12 months, so budget it, buy it, and enjoy it.

In short, Magnt is solid- the business is good, and the guys who make up the company are even better. I’m excited to see where they’re at in a few months. My guess, it’s gonna be delicious.

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Why will you go Green?

Posted November 2, 2008, under going green

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Has capitalism gone green? As of a few years ago, green people were discriminated against and labeled as liberals, hippies, strangers of the land. I’ve been talking organic for a while now, and the discussions would rarely even get rowdy. For the most part, people would just shrug their shoulders, or agree with organic being good, and then drive to the local Kroger to buy Borden instead of Horizon Organic milk, because the switch was just “too expensive”. If I was lucky, a friend would fuss about organic food tasting weird. And so the battle raged on, with little change (at least in my sphere of influence). BUT then, something drastic happened.

I heard a report on the tube that parts of the US have reduced gas usage by up to 10% in the last month. That could be why I just filled up for $31 at $2.09/Gal instead of the $60+ I’ve been hitting at the local WaWa where this sexy station offers free air as well. It’s about time I start realizing that by following EcoDriving guidelines (http://tinyurl.com/6o7d92), and/or getting a bike to complete short but frequent distances, I might be able to see the affects on the billboard displaying the $/Gal at the local fill-up.

But most exciting of all, now that capitalism is CAPITALISM, I may start seeing more groceries in my friends’ pantries, and bikes parked next to mine at my school! Who knows, maybe those ill guarded, and environmentally exposed bike racks will be replaced with something a little bit more convenient, like this http://tinyurl.com/638aw2

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Live for free? and Save the world??

Posted October 29, 2008, under going green

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These guys are onto something pretty cool concerning the housing and possibly larger structural development. Essentially, they’re offering a home that is completely self-reliant. So once the initial payment is made, the house is free and lives off of itself. I’m personally super pumped about having a rainforest in my home. I’m definitely planning one building one in the next few years. Join me?

Really interesting! Check it out..

http://preview.tinyurl.com/5eff57

(WARNING: I won’t endorse the scientist’s comb over, the goofy thing around his neck, or his ridiculously tight shirt. I can’t tell you enough that looking like him has nothing to do with Going Green, or this blog. Nevertheless, the concept is exciting!)