The power of positive synergy...

chawx

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So, I know I'm not a huge contributor here on .NET, but, I've been a Seahawks fan since birth in 1980. I've been a fan through a little bit of thick and a LOT of thin. But, through my lurking around and measly 800-something posts, I feel like I know most of you guys and I bet most of you will get a kick out of the story of my day today. Totally Seahawks related...but if you gotta move it Mods, it's cool.

Hey, worst-case, you can read this to help you fall asleep tonight. :)

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So, my day starts out looking at my phone on Facebook about what I missed in the 7 hours I was sleeping and I see that my dad (A Raiders fan / meditation guru) shared the ESPN mag article about the Seahawks and how they practice from a few days ago. It's here if some of you hadn't read it yet (http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/95819 ... n-magazine). I only glanced at it when I saw it earlier but this time I decided to stay in bed for a while and read the whole thing, maybe sike myself up for a day filled with pointless meetings.

As I'm reading, the whole time I'm thinking, "God, I love Pete!" "God, I love this team!"...etc etc. when I get to this quote from Wilson, "I truly believe in positive synergy, that your positive mindset gives you a more hopeful outlook, and belief that you can do something great means you will do something great..." I stop reading for a second and thing to myself, "you know, he's right...I should really try and be more positive."

As I keep reading I run into this from Okung, "It's about quieting your mind and getting into certain states where everything outside of you doesn't matter in that moment. There are so many things telling you that you can't do something, but you take those thoughts captive, take power over them and change them." and I get choked up a little. I think, "I need to do this, I need to make this a habit, I really need to focus on the good and remove the bad...it's just that simple"

I roll out of bed and think, "Okay, I'm going to do it. I'm going to be 100% positive all day today! I can do this!"
---

After a couple of meetings, and lack of coffee in my bloodstream, I start to wane a little. I start letting the negativity of some of my co-workers and clients creep in. Ugh. Then, I see this tweet pop up from Pete Carroll, "Giving away 2 pairs of lower level tix to Thursday's game!! Tweet a pic of your @Seahawks pride at work to enter to win! #12s #AlwaysCompete" The positivity comes streaming back!

"I'm totally winning those tickets!" I think to myself. I have the most decked out desk of Seahawks stuff and I'm wearing my Hawks gear, I got this! So, after a few meetings I send out this tweet: "@PeteCarroll @Seahawks #12s #AlwaysCompete COACH! I gotta win these tix for the #OAKvsSEA game!!! #12thMan #GoHawks pic.twitter.com/Ok9fy1eWx4"

Not thinking I'd win with my scary mug on there, I sent another tweet: "@PeteCarroll @Seahawks Another pic of my desk! #12s #AlwaysCompete #12thMan #SeahawksLove #GoHawks Fan since birth! pic.twitter.com/cSYR7XaWFn"

At this point I'm riding high. No way I'm losing this! I'm winning these tickets!

I then walk over to a buddy of mine who is (almost) as big of a Hawks fan as me and tell him, "When I win these tickets, you wanna road trip up to Seattle with me?" (Mind you, I live in Salt Lake City, if you didn't see that to the left under my avatar), he laughs, and says, "Sure! IF you win..." I correct him and tell him, "WHEN I win..."

---
A few hours go by and no tweets from Pete. My buddy goes home and tells me to give him a call if I hear anything.

Suddenly, in another meeting I get this notification on my screen: "Direct message > Pete Carroll : congrats on winning 2 tickets to Thursday's game! email my asst (name withheld) at (email withheld) to work out details. congrats!"

NO WAY!!! I WON! ... A few seconds later, this goes up on Pete's twitter: "Congrats to @chawx & @SeattleMookie for winning our ticket giveaway today! pic.twitter.com/qnA4b2IoKq & pic.twitter.com/WPWyA05Wqq

#GoHawks! #12s!"

AGGH!! IT'S FOR REAL!! ... No more than a minute pass when suddenly, the negativity starts creeping in, "I can't get to Seattle. I don't have enough vacation saved up. I'm getting married Sept 7th and there's too much to do. My fiancé will kill me. I don't have the spare cash either to buy plane tickets. I'm going to miss too much time at work. I have meetings, stuff that needs to get designed, no way! I can't go! Not now." and I go from pure bliss to self-doubt in a matter of seconds.

---
I start thinking, I gotta email this guy and tell him I can't go. I feel terrible. Someone else should have these. Ugh.

I tell my fiancé the news and she only confirms my feelings. She's mildly excited at first, then the negativity of reality sets in. I'm 850 miles from Centurylink and the game is in two days, there's no way!

I start drafting an email, "Sorry, I'm not going to be able to go. I'm in Salt Lake and there is too much for me to do. etc etc..." I'm heartbroken. I mean, I get that it's just a preseason game, and none of the starters are playing, so, it's kind of pointless anyway. But, I don't send the email and I go into another meeting.

---
After that meeting, I see that post again from ESPN mag about the Seahawks from my dad, and I look at my email I was about to send to Pete's assistant, and I start thinking about it. "What happened to only being positive?"

So, I delete the email I was going to send and start thinking positive about it. Do I have the money for the drive? I have a Honda Insight that gets about 45-50 mpg freeway, and the trip is about 1700 miles roundtrip, at $4.25 a gallon, that's about $80 a person in travel expenses. I have family that lives up there that I can stay with, so no $ for lodging...I can swing that.

Time-wise at work, I have to make sure I keep so many hours of vacation time for the honeymoon and a few days off for a rehearsal dinner and whatnot, it's close, but I can work a few more hours tonight and (when I'm not driving) I can crack open my laptop and get hours that way. I can do this!

So, I email Pete's assistant,
"Hi there,

Coach Carroll gave me your email to get in touch about the Seahawks tickets he was giving away on Twitter. My handle is @chawx

Let me know if you need any other info. (By the way, I live in Salt Lake City, but I am fully committed on going and will make the drive up for the game.)

Thanks!,
Jeremy"

About 15 minutes pass and I get this email:
"Hey Jeremy-
Congrats on winning! I will leave 2 tickets under your name at Player/Press Will Call (southwest corner of the stadium). Does that work for you?"

I respond with:
"Awesome! Yeah, that works great for me!!

Thanks so much,"

That's all I put...and at this point, I'm starting to think, how do I explain this to my fiancé? That I'm going to go on a roadtrip with my friend from work to Seattle, less than 10 days from our wedding day to watch a meaningless preseason game against the Raiders?

Out of nowhere and without saying anything else to Pete's assistant, about 30 minutes go by and I get this email:
"We are also including in your will call envelope 2 pregame sideline passes (with instructions for how to enter the field) so hopefully you can arrive early to soak up the experience. Gates open at 5pm. Enjoy!"

WHAAAAT!! Pregame Sideline Passes?!?!?! I get to go ON THE FIELD! MEET THE PLAYERS TOO!! This trip just went from awesome to ONCE IN A LIFETIME @#)($*@##@#*$(@)#$* INDESCRIBABLE!!!

And that's about it. My friend and I are now 100% positively on board to drive the 850 miles up and 850 miles back home in the middle of the week, to Seattle to enjoy and relish in the awesomeness that is staying positive and the true, unmistakable power of positive synergy! :179422:

---

TL;DR version = WHERE'S THE FREAKIN' PARTY AT FOR THE GAME ON THURSDAY?!??! WOOOOO!!!
 

AROS

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That is so freaking bad ass! I love the positive energy. HUGE believer that our thoughts govern our reality. The proof is in the pudding. Enjoy the fruit of your own creation!
 

CostaRicaHawk

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When do we get to see the winning tweet picture?????

Good job man...

NO pic,,didn't really happen :thirishdrinkers: :thirishdrinkers:
 

bigtrain21

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lacenterhawk":9g8dr4v0 said:
When do we get to see the winning tweet picture?????

Good job man...

NO pic,,didn't really happen :thirishdrinkers: :thirishdrinkers:

It was in the OP.

BSseZ BCEAAKm8z


BSsgn7hCUAAEC3I
 

kearly

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Very cool. What's the relevance of #70? High school jersey number?
 
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chawx

chawx

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kearly":2x6u69xb said:
Very cool. What's the relevance of #70? High school jersey number?

Nah, there was no Russell Wilson's back then and my parents thought I was too small to play football and never let me play. It's actually a really dorky story, the 70 signifies the level of my World of Warcraft character (max level) at the time I got the jersey (probably 06-07).
 
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chawx

chawx

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bestfightstory":2vcz3yx0 said:
Another short Wilson fan. Imagine that.

Congrats :th2thumbs:
I look really short in that pic, but I'm about the same height as Wilson - 5'10" - 5'9 3/4" (almost 5'11' in baseball cleats...lol)
 
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chawx

chawx

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Thanks! I will for sure... Obviously, anyone is free to follow me on twitter or Instagram I'll be sure to post updates and pics of the experience. (@chawx of course)
 

grizbob

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You know, jealousy is an ugly thing, thanks to you I'm feeling damned ugly :3: :th2thumbs:
 
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