The Shining Light - In the words of Brandon Stockdale

Life is full of other people's opinions. I believe it's important to have different points of view from other people because it can help you further discover life, which is one of the reasons that I started this blog. The burning question I have always had, and I'm starting to figure out is this: How do you deal with opinions of people that are negative and don't believe in your vision? The simple and most frequent answer is to not worry about the criticisms of other people and rightfully so. In this installment of Discovering Your Calling, I'd like to further explore this question by understanding, I believe, three reasons why people criticize and how society should handle it. 1. People are going to criticize your vision and calling because of their complacency and lack of drive. In case you live under a rock, you know we have complacent people in the world we live in today. Complacent people are generally, those who are never happy and constantly complain, b...

I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July holiday and is ready to get back rolling with whatever you have going on for the rest of the summer. I've decided to write a series of three blog posts over the next few weeks in a series I would like to title "Discovering Your Calling" which will deal with three specific topics: Questions that lead to Realization, The Inevitable Criticism and Priority: You. These topics are subject to change as I continue to create and think of content for this series. Let's jump in to the first topic: Questions that lead to Realization. I'd like to pose a very simple question: What is your gift? As in, what do you feel God has blessed you to better than anyone else? This is a question that many people know the answer to, however, there are some out there that may still be on the fence of truly discovering what they were put on Earth for. I can speak for college students everywhere who, at some point has struggled to answer this ques...

It's important to always remember history. History has always been, and always will be an integral part and important aspect of the world we live in today. From the moment you and I were born, we became part of history. As time has gone on, we have made memories. Some are spectacular and wonderful and ones that will live on forever. These are the memories that will live on for future generations to come. However, everyone has memories that you would like to forget. The problem, and the question that we all want the answer to is: How do I let go of my past? If this sounds like you, keep reading. I'd like to share with you three distinct keys I believe can help you. Key #1:  Remember who has always been, and are still with you. Never forget those who have stuck with you, even when you were down and out and it seemed like it was absolute hell on Earth. I personally can remember after I graduated from high school and moved on to Spartanburg Methodist College in 2015, while it w...

Believe it or not, we are all in a season in our lives. It could be good or bad but, I encourage you to embrace this season of your life that you're in and maximize it so that you can take your life to the next level. For me personally, as I progress through this current season, it's an exciting and revitalizing time full of new possibilities and new ideas for me. However, I realize that everything will not be easy and I will have to face even more trials and tribulations than I have faced before. The message I want to send is that adversity and hardship will come. Yes, we all will fall and get knocked down, but, the question remains, will you get back up? I think it's important to note that what you want to become you are already becoming because of the process, which I touched on in my previous post. You may not be necessarily where you want to be in life right now and that's perfectly fine. As most college students do in the summer months, they work part-time jobs ...

Anything you want in this life can be attained with the right mindset and a positive approach and with God's help, all things are possible! Don't let anyone ever tell you can't do something. My time at Spartanburg Methodist College was great and I truly enjoyed the two years I spent there. I excelled at a high level with a lot of hard work, effort and through the relationships built over time. For those of you that have followed me closely for any significant amount of time, you may have seen a hashtag on my social media accounts with #TheProcess on it. Some of you may wonder what exactly it is and where it came from. The inspiration for me comes from two guys in particular, Alabama Head Football Coach Nick Saban, who has won numerous national championships and has maintained a standard of excellence during his time at the University of Alabama. As much as I love the Tigers, I have admired the way his teams play and how they are committed to playing as as a unit and they...

Hi everyone! My name is Brandon Stockdale and I have decided to start a new blog called "More Life: In the words of Brandon Stockdale". I hope to be able to keep this up to date as much as possible and give you an inside look at my life through this avenue of creative writing. But first, let me tell you a little bit about me. I am 20 years old from South Carolina and I just graduated with my Associate's Degree from Spartanburg Methodist College, a two-year college in Spartanburg, SC located 30 minutes outside of Greenville, SC. On February 4, 2017, I received word of my acceptance for transfer admission to Clemson University. Attending Clemson has been a dream of mine and I am so excited to begin this new journey and I'm glad you've decided to come along for the ride. I know this journey will not be easy, but worth it in the end. I am confident that I will be able to build off the foundation I have started in Spartanburg and be able to explore new ideas and th...