No Sleep

It’s funny I wrote a blog a few days ago about being rejected by sponsors.  I was devastated to say the least.  With that said I have been having trouble sleeping the last few weeks and have spent several nights not sleeping or being up very late.  I never went to sleep the other night and spent most of the night on Facebook.

I was reading some stuff about sponsorship and being on pro teams.  I realized why I am worrying about sponsorship.  Yeah it would be nice to have help in the fishing industry and get discounts but I fish because I love it, because when I do I feel close to God.  I watched this funny clip floating around face book about guys being on pro teams and how they get on a pro team and then spend more than they would to be on it.  I’ve found that I only want to partner with companies I use.  I only use Vicious line and will not approach any other line companies.  Just like crankbaits, 95% of the crankbaits I use are Strike Kings and I don’t care to approach other companies because I don’t want to use anything else.

I also have had this need to get a new bass boat (which is always there just more at the moment).  I want to fish BFL’s and don’t know that my trusty old 1979 Ranger bass boat will do the trick.  After talking to a few guys and hearing about other people fishing big tourneys in smaller Jon boats.  I am feeling better about my boat. No, I don’t think I will fish BFL’s in it but with the help of my friend Josh I hope we can fix my boat up a little and make it a little better to fish from this coming season.

Even though I didn’t sleep I learned a lot.  God uses all situations to help us grow.  I truly did grow that night.  I realized that I have a great boat.  Its old, it doesn’t go as fast as the guys I fish with but it gets me fishing.  I have great sponsors like JJ’s Magic, Atomic Tackle Company, BB-Lures, Inside Bass Fishing, GLCC, CenterMark Coaching, Bass Fury and Fish Bait Radio.

My wife was telling me about a conversation she had with a lady she works with that helped me gain a new perspective on my sponsors.  The co-worker said it was impressive that I have lined up the sponsors I have.  In this economy to her that was impressive.  My wife realized that I have done a lot and when I stop and think about what her co-worker said, they are right I have done a lot.  I don’t need to have a big sponsor I have a lot more than most guys.

Shout Outs

I need to give a shout out to Dave Maas who writes the Bass Pundit blog.  I started looking myself and blog up on Yahoo and Google this weekend.  I found links to me and my blog on his blog Bass Pundit. 

Make sure you go check him out.  He has a lot of great content on his blog.  Dave knows his stuff and if you are as interested in learning about bass fishing as I am, Bass Pundits blog has what you are looking for.

I also need to give Tyler Brinks a shout out.  I have talk some about how I have a life coach Mike Harrison who has helped me move beyond what I was doing in fishing.  Tyler of T Brinks (his blog) has helped me so much.  He has looked over product reviews, is the second in command of Inside Bass Fishing (he helped me get it off the ground).  Tyler as has great content on his blog so make sure you check it out.

I also want to plug another blog I started Chris McDonald Fishing.  This blog is about God and how I see him and learn more about him in my fishing.  Tyler and I were emailing back and forth today about my new blog and this one.  He encouraged me to keep this one going and I intend to.  The new blog is dedicated to bass fishing.  I have a few things on there right now.  It’s mainly product reviews and articles I have written.  More content is to come.  I am hoping to work it with my website that I am hoping will be up and running soon chrismcdonaldfishing.com.  Make sure you check those two links out.    

Thanksgiving

With today being Thanksgiving I thought I would talk about things I am thankful for.  I have an incredible wife that I married after only knowing her for two months because I felt God leading me too.  I am blessed to have a wife that at times doesn’t understand my fishing and the things I am doing but stands beside me and supports me.  Plus she reads and edits most of my writings so you don’t read all the typos that spell check misses.  I could not write this blog or my magazine articles without her, so next time you see her tell her thank you.  

If a year ago you would have told me I would be doing the things I am today I would have told you that you were crazy.  In about four months I have gone from no sponsors to seven.  BB-Lures, JJ’s Magic, GLCC, Centermark Coaching, Atomic Tackle Company, Bass Fury, Fish Bait Radio.  I have articles being published in magazines.  I have been contacted from companies like Lazer Trokar to do product reviews.  I have been able to interview Shaw Grigsby.  I am so thankful for the opportunities God has given me and allowed me to do.

One of the things I am grateful for is my boat.  As I write this I realize my wife is going to chuckle when she reads this.  I am always looking at new bass boats and dreaming of a new one.  However I am thankful for my 1979 Ranger.  I am thankful because I can go and fish, I can fish bass tournaments.  At least I have a bass boat.  I am lucky.  

Most of all I am thankful for my relationship with the Lord.  I have lived my life without him, and I know that I never want to go back to that life.  I am blessed to have a savior that loves me and sent his son to die for my sins.  The best part is that everyone can have that relationship with the Lord.  This Thanksgiving I hope we all stop and think about the things we are thankful for.  Have a great Thanksgiving. 

practice makes perfect

Remember that old adage practice makes perfect?  It really does, fishing is like any other sport.  You will never get any better unless you practice.  I am not the greatest at pitching and flipping, but with practice out on the water and flipping to a bucket in the front yard (I get a lot of funny looks from people driving by) I have become better at it.

The same is true for anything; the more we work at it the better we are.  My friend Mike is a life coach and owns Centermark Coaching, he has helped me in the last few weeks see another side of fishing.  He has taken me and helped me develop habits with my blog, and other areas that are hopefully going to show companies why they should sponsor me.  Without him and practicing these new habits I wouldn’t be growing like I am.

The same is true for our spiritual lives.  God doesn’t want stagnant Christians even though it is easy to do.  We need to be growing, we need to be digging into Gods word and growing closer to God so we can be more Christ like.  We cannot be content being like, the moss growing on the back of a stagnant pond where the water doesn’t move.  Yes the moss grows but it stinks and doesn’t hold much fish life.  We need to be like the grass that grows from the bottom of the lake.  We need to grow “up”, “up” in are maturity with Christ, “up” toward Christ.  We need to have a firm foundation so when the winds of like blow we are rooted in Christ, not like the moss on top of the water that is blown all around and moved from place to place with no firm foundation.

The value of a coach

I met with my coach Mike Harrison from CenterMark Coaching today and he talked to me about the importance of clarifying your desire and creating the discipline to achieve your dreams.

It is so very important to clarify your desires (ie. what you want to have, what you want to do and what you want to become.)  I know that I want to be a connector for people who desire to discover the best about God's nature and have a great time while fishing.

Mike said it is important to write your desires down...so here it goes:
I desire God to be big in my life
I desire to be a great husband to my wife
I desire to be a great father to my kids

In my business, I desire to help people discover God's best
In my business, I desire to help people do more "catching" than "fishing"
In my business, I desire to make a big difference for others

Finally--creating the discipline.  Mike told me that discipline is always created through empowering relationships.  "Show me someone who says they don't have discipline, and I'll show you someone who is trying to accomplish something all by themselves," Mike said.

So, I want to continue to connect with those who empower me and I want to empower them.  If there is anything that I can do for you, please let me know.  I care.

The value of a coach brings clarity and creating.  You need to have one.