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Wow. Today was a crazy day for me. After a very hectic day at the office with the Brooklyn Nets, I hopped on the bus and headed back to EHS for our speaker of the night, Ed Tseng. MSBA had described Ed’s event as a “Mind and Body Workshop”. Thus, I didn’t know exactly what to expect when I walked in the doors of the library. It is safe to say that my way of thinking has forever been changed from our hour spent with Ed.
Ed informed us on the power of thoughts. Simply put, thoughts are just thoughts. We choose to let them control how we feel when, ultimately, they should have no bearing on our emotions. He compared thoughts to a subway and our minds to a subway station, which was an extremely helpful comparison for me.
However, the best moment of the evening had to be when Kahlil volunteered to go up to the front of the room for an activity. Ed told him to slap a sticky pad on the table as hard as he could. After that, he stuck a thumbtack through the pad pointing upwards and told him to do the same thing. Kahlil’s reaction was priceless. Ultimately, Ed was showing us the power of the mind and how thoughts control our emotions and actions. Ever since he spoke to us, I have often found myself thinking about Ed’s words when I have a negative thought. In these moments, I tell myself, “It is just a thought and nothing more.” This has seriously impacted my attitude in numerous situations.
In the end, it is hard for me to believe that we only have one week left together here in New York. It seems like just yesterday that I was sitting in the San Jose airport waiting anxiously to board my red-eye flight across the country. I was nervous, excited, and had no idea what to expect out of my summer. I can safely say that it has exceeded my expectations in every possible manner. Between my internship with the Brooklyn Nets, my NBA Draft night experience, the amazing speakers we have been introduced to, the connections I have made in the sports industry, and the relationships I have made with the others in MSBA, I consider myself to be one lucky man.
As we all go our separate ways at the end of next week, I know that this is not a goodbye. It is the beginning of a multitude of life-long relationships that will be beneficial for all of us both personally and professionally. As I conclude, I have to say a word about the MSBA staff. Ben, David, Jackie, DP, and Jenna have all been amazing. I can’t wait to keep in touch with all of them in the months and years to come. Lorne, you have been a rock star. I cannot say enough about how helpful you have been this summer and I want you to know how much that meant to me. Thank you.
I will close with this: I know that when I was applying for MSBA this year, the blogs were one of the main things that helped me get a feel for the program. If you are reading this next year and want to talk about the program, reach out to me. I will be more than willing to talk with you. MSBA is an excellent launch pad for your career and like Buzz Lightyear always said, it will take you “To Infinity and Beyond!”