Most of the time we barely think about what the true consequences of a bad decision can be, and on those occasions when we do think about the consequences, we usually end up lying to ourselves. We find some way to justify what were doing and make it seem not as bad as it really is. I use to think like this until I experienced the consequences of a truly bad decision. Let me explain; I heard that some people were going to be drinking at the school football game and thought itd be fun to be wasted at the game. I drove to the school around the time we agreed to meet up to start drinking. We all sat in my parents car in the school parking lot drinking out of the bottle getting drunk. I didnt think about how I was going to get home, I couldnt drive home being as intoxicated as I was, but I figured Id worry about getting home later.

We walked into the football game and I dont remember much after that. About 20 minutes into the game I blacked out and when I became conscious again I was in a hospital bed with my mom at the side. I didnt remember how I got to the hospital or anything. The next morning I was faced with many questions, most of them having to do with why I drank, how I was going to get home, what could I of been thinking making a decision like that? I really didnt have answers for these questions, because theyre all pretty much based on why I didnt make a better decision. I didnt think about what would happen if I got caught, how it would affect my life, what consequences there would be.

There were many consequences I had to face from my bad decision, but the worst ones to me were losing the trust of my parents, getting my license taken away, I have to pay an over two thousand dollar hospital bill, and my grades in school dramatically slipped. I now find myself thinking on a more than weekly basis why didnt I think the decision through? How could I have made such a bad decision?

The next time youre going to make a bad decision thatll have negative consequences, take a minute to actually think about what the possible consequences will be if you get caught or something goes wrong, and how they will affect your life. Then make your decision.

¶ 10:43 PM 0 comments

There is value to be had backing the top 10 Championship teams who are drawn against teams lower than them in the league structure and you will obtain better odds than backing Premiership sides in similar circumstances.

During the 2003/04 season, Millwall were drawn at home three times and didnt meet another top 30 side until they faced Sunderland in the semi final. En-route to this match, they won three out of four games, beating Walsall @ 1.91 (h), Telford @ 1.60 (a) and Burnley @ 1.79 (h) before drawing at home to Tranmere in the quarter final, despite being odds on at 1.50. However, they made amends in the replay, winning at Prenton Park at odds of 2.32.

Backing Millwall to win each match before they faced Sunderland would have netted a profit of 26.20 for 10 level stakes, a 52% return on turnover.

Third Round
Millwall @ 1.91 vs Walsall. Result: 2-1
Forest vs WBA @ 2.30. Result: 1-0
Preston vs Reading @ 3.48. Result: 3-3
Sunderland @ 1.42 vs Hartlepool. Result: 1-0
Cardiff vs Sheff Utd @ 2.61. Result: 0-1
Ipswich @ 1.56 vs Derby. Result: 3-0

Third Round Replay
Reading @ 2.21 vs Preston. Result: 1-2

Fourth Round
Forest vs Sheff Utd @ 2.40. Result: 0-3
Telford vs Millwall @ 1.61. Result: 0-2

Fifth Round
Millwall @ 1.79 vs Burnley. Result: 1-0

Quarter Final
Millwall @ 1.56 vs Tranmere. Result: 0-0

Quarter Final Replay
Tranmere vs Millwall @ 2.32. Result: 1-2

Using this strategy to back all top 10 Championship sides against lower opposition produced a profit of 36.20 on level stakes of 10 across 12 matches.

There are five third round matches that qualify for this strategy, three of which sees top 10 sides face Championship opposition.

Sheff Utd @ 1.44 vs Colchester
Stoke @ 1.30 vs Tamworth
Wolves @ 1.72 vs Plymouth
Derby vs Burnley @ 3.00
Preston @ 1.57 vs Crewe

¶ 4:56 PM 0 comments

Maybe you've heard this one:

"What does it profit a man to have gained the whole world, and to have lost his soul?" - Jesus Christ

Inspirational quotes and sayings from the present day or centuries past, can inspire and instruct us. This is true regardless of the religious or spiritual tradition they come from. Nor do religious or spiritully-oriented individuals have a monopoly on useful words. Quotes that strike at the truth of the matter can come from scoundrels, saints, and ordinary people.

We are what we repeatedly do. Excelence, then, is not an act, but a habit - Aristotle

"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old. Seek what they sought." - Basho

Why Read Inspirational Quotes?

Philosophies and arguments often use logic in an attempt to "capture" truth in a net of words to build systems of knowledge, or to satify egos. Logic is important, but when mis-used it leads to confusion. Inspirational sayings cut through the fog and point at the truth, so you can see it for yourself.

Imagine a choice: do what you love and possibly fail, or wait a few more years. Now, outside of mathematics, virtually all reasoning is tainted with rationalization, so you can support whatever you decide with "logical arguments," right? No wonder we're often confused and demotivated! How can we trust our own reasoning, if it just finds a logical construct for whichever fear or other feeling is strongest!

Then you read an inspirational quote:

"You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take." - Wayne Gretzky

Can you see how this hockey metaphor might touch you precisely because it isn't a logical argument? It just points at a truth you can see for yourself: You can't get what you want without "taking that shot." Seeing the truth is far more motivating than arguing it. That's the value of reading inspirational quotes.

¶ 3:02 PM 0 comments