MY NEW BLOG...HOPEFULLY INFORMATIONAL

WOW! That would be the word I would use to describe my 2011. Not WOW because everything was awesome, but WOW because of the roller coaster ride it has been!!! I felt the highest of highs and most definitely the lowest of lows, but I am very blessed to say that I am still here fighting for my dreams and my goals. Today as I sit in my office and look at the mess that needs to be cleaned before buddy day, I truly appreciate my parents for teaching me the power of focus. I believe that the power of focus is an art that is passed down from generation to generation.

My Grandmother (moms side) was a successful, savy business owner in Korea. At her height, she owned a shopping plaza. My grand father (Dads side) was a doctor. Unfortunately for my grandmother she got into relationships with lazy leeching men who used her for her money while she worked all day . My grandfather had an amazing wife who was devoted to her family. Both my Grandmother and Grandfather taught my mom and dad what it meant to work hard and be dedicated. They were strict and from what they told me, my parents were put on a tight schedule.

Just to give you some back round on my parents...my dad was a ROK Marine Special Forces/Secret Service Division. Any military man would know the level of training the Korean Marines receive, can you imagine how they would train the country's ASSASSINS? My dad still gets recognized til this day by men who havent seen him for ages. There were only 20 chosen from the ROK Marines and in Korea, all males must serve in the military for a certain period of time. Being given the opportunity to try out for the Secret Service was like hitting the lotto. Then to actually make the squad...well lets just say you had to be willing to die to make the service.

My mom graduated from the best highschool in Seoul with high honors, and went on to study to become a doctor! My grandmother would tell me how there were nights where she would plead with my mom to put her books down and get some rest. Then my grandmother said to me..."What happened to you!" AHAHHAHAA LOL!

My dad left the mother land to because he heard about this great country called AMERICA! Where the streets were made of Gold, and opportunities were EVERYWHERE! He came to the country...and he saw EXACTLY THAT!!! He ended up in down town Los Angeles and shared a studio apartment with his sister. Now I know what you're thinking...."What do you mean he saw streets of Gold?" As he was walking around the rough neighborhood with drug addicts and homeless people asking for money, he saw that there were businesses being run by immigrants! There really was HOPE.

He got his first job at a gas station as the gas pump boy, worked very hard and never missed a day! The owner loved his work ethic so much he gave my dad the used tires to take home at night so he could sell them for some extra money. Imagine working all day and carrying 2 tires on each arm for 2 blocks to get home. But then again, he was a Secret Service member it was probably cake to him. In a couple of years he raised enough money to bring my mom and my sister to the country leaving him broke. My mom dropped out of medical school to be reunited with my dad and her professors tried their very best to convince her otherwise but my mom knew she was a hard worker and she could make it any where doing anything. So now the Kim family was reunited in America where the streets were made of Gold! My mom...lol...didnt speak the language and the first job she picks up is at a bank! It cracks me up thinking about my dad at a gas station and she lands a bank job but hey...they made a great team. In time, they saved enough to buy their first business which was a hamburger stand! They were only in their 20's and their dedication paid off! They went on to own several more businesses and continue to hustle today. Now that they are older they run a nice little dry cleaners in Carson and yes they are still the boss.

The history I gave you was the Disneyland version of the story. I didn't want to spend time writing about all the hard times they endured from being broke to almost going bankrupt on several occasions. But they did and what I learned from them was a mindset. Stay FOCUSED! Don't be a QUITTER! Don't GIVE UP! Be a Leader not a follower!

*My mom would always come into my room every morning before work, hold my feet and pray aloud "God let my son be at the top and lead, not be at the bottom and follow. Let his feet stand firm and never let him fall." She would cry as she prayed this...and when I was younger I would get so annoyed that she was waking me from my sleep. But these prayers impacted me in a very special way. I would always want to be team captain when I played anything from dodgeball to tether ball at school. In junior high and high school I always opted to be the lead of the group of friends I hung out with. I didn't realize it at the time, but my moms words every morning were shaping my thoughts and my perspective of who I was and who I should become. God was answering her prayers.

*My dad was the one who forced me to do things...like Taekwondo. He said to me I didnt have a choice when it came to Taekwondo until I got my Black Belt. He said I could move on to something new after I test for Black Belt because we (KIM FAMILY) are not quitters.

*My mom would always talk to me about my friends..lol and tell me not to be friends with certain kids. I would get so irritated when she would do that. But now being at my age I fully understand! There are a lot of shady people out there who talk the talk and are great at telling you what you want to hear. She was teaching me to be careful of the snakes. I know my snake radar is very sharp now and I am thankful I know one when I see one.

*My dad also kept me on a TIGHT schedule. School, TKD, Soccer, Tutor and private lessons. I didn't have too much free time to enjoy which I thought was very unfair. He used to always tell me "Son, when you have too much free time you will not be happy with yourself as an adult." "Yeah but I'm a kid!" So he made every effort to make sure I would have great weekends and we would ALWAYS go somewhere fun and exciting on holidays. But during the week, there was no missing practice or games!

*On certain winter mornings, my sick mom would come into my room and pray for me. She would then go out into the cold and work her 12 hour shift to make ends meet at the Kim family house hold. I never understood how she did it until I became a teenager and would help her on Friday and Saturday nights. Dayquil and coffee baby!!! She taught me the importance of showing up to work because if she wasnt going to show up then her competitor might take her customers. Lol, my suck it up recipe is Dayquil and Monster!

The power of FOCUS! I am quite proud of making Varsity Soccer as a freshman and winning several Taekwondo tournaments at the same time. When I was a sophomore my dad sat me down and gave me my first man to man talk. He acknowledged that I was great at both sports but he knew that it would be impossible for me to excel at either one because of the age I was at. How would I compete against Taekwondo players who trained six days a week compared to my 3 days per week? How would I compete for playing time in Soccer when I was practicing 3 times per week as opposed to the die hard 6 day a week players? My dad being a no BS cutthroat military man made it very easy for me to decide. "Son, you're too short for soccer. There are very large humans in the midwest who have played soccer their whole lives. You cant compete with them when you get to college, coaches wont play you. Taekwondo has weight classes. Doesnt matter how tall you are, your work with determine your results. That year I focused on Taekwondo and placed second at Nationals and was invited to train at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

Now here I am today, 2011 is coming to an end and although it is not ending in the way I wish it were, thats life! Whether times are good or times are bad...I need to stay FOCUSED! Thank you Mom and Dad for teaching me the importance of having FOCUS at all times. Thank you for teaching me how to be a stick to it kind of man. 2012.....IM COMING AT YOU WITH A VENGEANCE.....THATS A PROMISE!!!