The Jeremy Lin Effect

Warning: This is a long post

The biggest craze recently has been all the excitement surrounding Jeremy Lin. Although I may come off as "obsessed" with him or I post too many things about him on facebook, my reasoning goes far beyond his on court success. The success he's had on the basketball court is something that will be talked about for years and it's something I've been fortunate enough to experience but there is much more to it.

I've read countless interviews and articles about Jeremy in order to learn more about him and about his history. After learning about his past, I have the utmost respect for him and everything he represents. Recently, many people have become a fan of Jeremy Lin only knowing the surface of who he is, the first Asian American to ever play in the NBA. Many celebrities are beginning to give him recognition for turning the Knicks season around while shows like PTI, Around The Horn and Sportscenter seemingly offer endless coverage. Pro boxer Floyd Mayweather went as far as to tweet, "Jeremy Lin is a good player but all the hype is because he's Asian. Black players do what he does every night and don't get the same praise." This especially rubbed me the wrong way because Mayweather likely knows nothing about Jeremy's history and why exactly his story is so special.

Here's a brief summary as to why I have grown to become a fan that goes far beyond his Asian heritage. He went to Palo Alto high school in California and lead to them a state championship. He was not highly recruited by any colleges regardless of division even though he was named to the first-team all state. He sent personal workout videos of himself to numerous colleges hoping to get scholarship offers, in the end only two schools offered him a spot on their team Harvard and Brown. He had his heart set on going to Stanford but God closed that door and he eventually decided on Harvard. While playing a Harvard, a notoriously poor basketball program, Jeremy and his teammates turned the program around to make it into a winning and respected program. Even when he played against big schools like UConn or Georgetown, his abilities were always there.

He went undrafted and only received one offer from the Dallas Mavericks to play on their summer league team. He played sparingly behind their starting point guard who got hurt before they played the Wizards. Jeremy was able to get more playing time in that game and played extremely well against that years first pick, John Wall. He eventually signed with the Golden State Warriors and rarely saw the court his rookie season. He was sent down to the developmental league numerous times during his rookie season. He spent time in the off season working on his game in hopes of getting more playing time in Golden State but before the season started, they cut him for "financial reasons." He was then picked up by the Rockets who cut him a week or two later. The New York Knicks signed him but he never saw playing time as the last man on the bench and they also sent him down to the developmental league. On February 4th, 2012, almost out of desperation, Jeremy got to play significant minutes which seemed like a "no lose" situation because of their terrible. At the time, they were considering releasing him because his contract wasn't guarenteed until February 10th. Little did they know, on February 4th, 2012, Linsanity was born. As soon as he got put in the game, he hit the ground running and there Linsanity, Linderlla, Linning and 49503940 other nick names were introduced.

I didn't write this post for the sake of writing a summary about Jeremy Lin but rather about everything I've learned about myself through watching him. As everyone knows, Jeremy is devout in the Christian faith and accredits everything he's been through to God. He has openly expressed that his path to the NBA has "God's fingerprints all over it." He's stated that many things had to happen in order for him to get into the NBA and none were by coincidence. I was fortunate enough to meet him after the Wizards game a couple weeks ago and he was nice enough to take a picture with me and sign my ball. Although I wish I got to talk with him a little, the experience for me was more than I could've asked for thanks to Josh. Anyways, after every game he's played in, reporters always ask him questions and he always talks about the team and coaches efforts and thanks God for the opportunity to play the game. Even after all the success he's experienced, he remains humble and I hope that he remains that way because he is such a role model to many.

I watched a video about his testimony (posted below) and he spoke about how he used to play for the stats, for winning, for the acceptance of others and several other reasons. He now says he plays the game for sheer enjoyment and ultimately to glorify God. I recently had an incident with a friend where I lost my temper (definitely not the first time) and I said things I didn't mean. I don't believe this was coincidence that I watched the video a few days later and believe that God is trying to open my eyes to seeing the bigger picture. I told myself that after I healed from my ACL surgery that I would be less competitive and play for the enjoyment of the game. I quickly lost that mentality and hope that I grow and become better through this experience.

You may know that right now I am in a extremely stressful time as I've interviewed with a few schools but have been wait listed by all of them. All my peers that have applied to PT school have already been accepted and a few days ago I was feeling extremely down and worried about why I keep getting wait listed. I've been waiting to get an interview from my number one school, UMD Eastern Shore but there was some major communication issues with their front desk about them getting my grades and my frustration only grew. I began to seriously panic and doubt whether I had made the right decisions to go back to school. I realized that this entire time I've failed to lift this experience up to God and after listening to Jeremy Lin's testimony, it reminded me that every experience I go through happens for a reason and that God does have a plan for me. Although this is a simple lesson it's one that I often forget and one that needs reminding. I'm going to continually lift this entire PT situation into God's hands and trust he will get me to where I need to be. I know there will be times I will panic/worry about it's something I will continue to work on.

So as weird/stupid/dumb as it may sound, the Jeremy Lin craze has been an eye opening experience for me. I hope through all this I change my attitude for the better, become less short tempered, more open, more caring, more loving/compassionate, more trusting, more accepting, less hating/doubting (learned this after thinking about what Floyd Mayweather said) and many other things I need to and plan on working on. I'm excited to see how Jeremy's inspirational story will continue to unfold and the things he'll do in the future both on and off the basketball court.

Jeremy's story goes far beyond being the first Asian American in the NBA. I hope that his journey is inspirational to many as people continue to witness everything he represents.

"But I am a firm believer in 'Everything happens for a reason.' ... I mean, things happen in life and not just to me. These types of things happen to everyone. It's not being vulnerable; it's just looking at life the way it is from a realistic standpoint. I'm a believer in God and I believe that he puts things in your path for a reason."

Milwaukee Bucks point guard
-Shaun Livingston

The Finish Line

It seems surreal that my second to last semester of pre-reqs is coming to an end next week. After next Wednesday I will only need one more class ( slight chance of two ) and all my pre-reqs will be completed. This entire application process has been ridiculously stressful but has taught me that I need to continue to lift EVERYTHING into God's hands. I realized this after I submitted my applications because up until then I felt I had some control over my situation. I thought after submitting my apps I would be less stressed but actually became more stressed because I could not longer control any aspect of the process. It's gotten better recently and its something I continue to lift up to God. I'm extremely blessed to have a group of guys in my bible study who continue to pray for me. I ended up applying to a whopping 18 schools all over the United States because I didn't want to limit my options. I'm hopeful to get in somewhere and know that God will get me to where he wants me to be.

On another note, the last two weekends have been amazing as I've been privileged enough to coach the championship team for the men's REM football team at the turkeybowl and play in the championship of a local basketball league. It was truly amazing to see all the hard work the football team had put into weeks of practices and I was blessed to be a part of it. Many members of our team came from long distances to make our weekly practices, showing true dedication to the team. Caleb Lui showed the most dedication as he bussed down from New York every weekend to show up to our practices. He played like a champion leading our offense up and down the field (throwing zero picks the entire tournament too). The icing on the cake came was the women's team taking home the women's championship just 20 minutes before we finished. I felt the group of guys we had this year were so in sync with one another and constantly fed off of each others energy. We had no incidences of fighting/arguing which makes everything all that much better. The following weekend CBC was able to win the championship in a league we play in. Although it may not have been a SUPER competitive league, I'll miss playing in organized games with those guys.

Cruise to the Bahamas January 15th, say whatttttt?



Song of the moment:

Step by Step

It's been 3 months since I've written on this thing and it seems like time is flying by. It's been over a year since I started my path and the pressure is building each and everyday. My applications are due in about a week and at this time last year I was thinking to myelf that there was plenty of time before applications are due. It's weird to think about everything I've gone through these past 18 months. 18 months ago I had my "dream" job and thought I was set for life but God had other intentions for me. Although I sometimes forget about why I made the decision in the first place, I remind myself that this decision was not done so on a wimb but rather by faith. I'm scared to death by whats to come in the next few months, my applications will be submitted, i'll surely be rejected by many schools and just hopeful that God will place me somewhere. I've realized that I should use each situation I go through as a learning experience and look at the positive rather than the negative, as cliche as that sounds, it's benefited me for the better.

I've learned a lot these past 18 months and have grown to realize the plan I often set for myself isn't necessarily the plan God has in store for me. This lesson will surely be with me as I continue on this path. Looking back, how often have my plans not gone "according to plan" but always work out for the best in the end. I'm often focused on the short-term and thinking why something didn't happen the way I had planned. In the long run, how often have I been wrong by my desire for something short-term? It's difficult to think about the long term especially when we're so fixed on wanting immediate results but it's all in His timing.

For the past month I've been fortunate enough to observe at Shady Grove Hospital in the inpatient care. Many patients are recovering from serious injuries such as strokes, spinal surgery, hip replacements, and many others. For the most part, the patients always seem to have a good attitude and don't seem too negative by their situation. It's made me think about all the times I let the little things bother me and how I get so frustrated in certain situations. These people have gone through traumatic injuries, are in a hospital but remain joyful in their everyday lives. I'm hoping that I will be able to forget the small things and live joyfully.

Pressure

I talked to a friend recently who started working immediately after she graduated. She explained to me the pressures she feels at work and the need to meet a certain standard just to feel a sense of adequacy. She explained she doesn't feel she can openly speak her mind and show her creativity at work because she's worried about what the experienced/older employees might say. She is without a doubt one of the hardest workers I know and often motivates me to want to do better in school.

Our talk made me realize all the pressure I'm feeling now with summer school moving so fast and GREs less than week away. Many people say the GRE for PT school isn't THAT big of a deal and the score you get isn't nearly as important as the score you get on the SATs. Just the thought of taking a huge standardized test that will be sent to schools is nerve wracking. I think the worst part is the GREs are done on computers now so you find out your score immediately after the test is completed. This will either be a huge burden lifted off my shoulders or another weight pushing me down. I find myself constantly seeking after God in this time because I know I can't pull this off myself. My prayer request is that God watches over me through this whole process and that I lift up my worries/struggles/blessings all to him because in all honesty I wouldn't even be given this opportunity to pursue my dreams if it wasn't for Him.

I know I talk about school a lot in these posts but in all honesty its whats taking up most of my time and what I think about constantly. I honestly appreciate everyone's prayers and thoughts as people continue to urge me to stay focused and continue to work hard.



"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. "

Psalm 32:8

Determination

So it's been a while since I've updated this thing and I've had this entry thought out in my head for some time now. I just finished my second semester of pre-reqs and it definitely feels good to be done with physics. I ended up getting a B in physics which I'm thankful for. Overall these past 2 semesters have gone by so fast and really this entire move I'm making is going by so fast. I made my decision almost exactly one year ago and here I am finished with 4 of the major science courses 9 classes I need. I think everything clicked in my head once I made a PTCAS account which is where you apply to all the schools and submit your information, school records, references, etc. I'm going to be taking my GREs in a month or so and I need to buckle down and study for that. It's crazy how fast it's going and I'm thankful that I have friends who are open to answering my questions. Also through this whole process I've come to realize that God has been teaching me a lot through this whole process, specifically about patience, trust and perseverance. Several times through these past two semesters I've found myself thinking I can do it all by myself which usually lead to doubting whether or not I made the right decision to leave Accenture in the first place. I know that it's absolutely impossible for me to do this on my own and that I will undoubtedly need God's presence through all of this. I still worry about whether I'll even get into a school next school year but that's in God's hands. He's already blessed with even the opportunity to pursue PT with the support of my family and friends, people around me who are so willing to answer questions and even classmates who are my age who are also seeking physical therapy. I've been fortunate enough to meet a couple friends who are also pursuing PT. There are plenty of things that I need to improve on this upcoming semester and I know that I won't be able to make these changes alone.

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I think this is the first Thanksgiving where I've really given thought to all the things I'm blessed with. God has been SO good to me and I am truly thankful for everything. I know I take things for granted but I truly am blessed. I'm thankful that my knee is pretty much back in working order and I'm back playing basketball comfortably without much hesitation. I'm thankful I have the opportunity to pursue my dream career. I take this one for granted because there are times when I don't study as hard as I need to (as shown on my poor grade on my last chem exam) and forget the real reasons for returning to school in the first place. I'm thankful to have the friends around me who support me and are always there for me. I'm thankful for my family who even though may not completely understand my decision on going back to school, fully support my decision for happiness. I'm thankful for a God that is always forgiving and continues to bless with so much.

I hope everyone enjoys their Thanksgiving dinners and appreciate everything we've been given, and for all you crazy people going black Friday shopping, have fun and be safe.


Psalm 107:1 - "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."

Motivation

So I'm roughly a month and a half into this 5 year process of changing my career. It's gone better than expected in the sense that there a lot of people in my classes are going back to school to pursue other careers. Even today this one woman who is in her 40s said that she's going back to school for physical therapy as well. Although its only been a month there are still days I wonder if I'm making the right decision. I've had numerous people tell me that they could see me being really good and passionate at physical therapy which is always reassuring. Although many of you don't know it, a lot of you motivate me just by pursuing what your passionate about. Friends like Chris, Martin, Jason, Shannon, Judy are all in PT school right now and have been open about answering all of my questions. Also friends like Miranda, Andrew, Angel, Kirsten, Stephen are going through their respective graduate programs. When I talk to them they complain about the long hours of studying but continue to push on because they're focused on the end goal and that's something truly worth fighting for. People like Victor, Maria, Chris who are all already therapists have offered their opinions and advice as well. I also am thankful for the fact that I have friends like Nick, John, Becca, Joshie, Adam who are all going into physical therapy as well. Although we may not be at the same step I'm thankful that we're all able to support each other. Thank you to my friends who have shown their support/belief in me, especially during those times where I don't believe in myself. I truly am blessed to have such an amazing group of friends who support me each and everyday.



Apologies if I missed anyone.