It's that time again ladies and gentlemen--Matt Hardy is back with his latest blog. Last night I went out in Raleigh with a bunch of friends celebrating one of my amigo's birthday. What a great time we (and I, especially) had last night--it was one of those times that just makes you appreciate life and what's really important--which brings me to the theme of this blog. I'm gonna let you know what's really important to me--maybe it will help you remember and realize what's really important to you. And if there's isn't anything that's really important to you, maybe this will help you realize what should be important to you.

The most important things in my life right now is my family--my Dad and brother. My Dad and Jeff share the same flesh and blood as me. I've said this before, but I'm gonna say this again right now. My Dad is 73 years old--he's not going to be here forever. I've made a conscious effort to spend more time and do more things with him because I realize he's not gonna be here forever. And even though he wouldn't say it, I know that when I go out of my way to do things with him it means the world to him. I owe him so, so much. Although he's not the most emotionally "loving" father there's ever been, he's always been there for me if I needed him. ALWAYS. He's my hero and also my biggest fan. He's an amazing human being and I hope he'll be around for a long, long time. Whatever you do, don't ever take you're parents for granted. You'll never realize how important they are until they're gone. Make time for your Mom and Dad and don't hesitate to let them know how much they mean to you. Your next closest link to yourself is your siblings. My brother Jeff is absolutely the most amazing person I've ever known--and that's not because we're blood. At some point, I'm gonna write a blog that solely describes Jeff and what makes him tick. Jeffrey Nero Hardy is my brother and my best friend. At this point in our lives, we are closer than we've ever been. We've had our differences, we've went through our different stages, but right now we are so on the same page in life. I understand him, and he understands me. Jeff knows I would do anything for him, and I know he would do anything for me. I am so blessed to not only have Jeff as a brother, but to just have him in my life. I am also happy that he has his girlfriend Beth. Jeff and Beth have an amazing relationship that I must admit I'm envious of. I hope to one day have a relationship as good as theirs. I also love my dog Lucas to death. Lucas is really like a child to me. He looks at me with those dark eyes full of nothing but innocence and love. It's so incredible to have another creature look at you and know they depend on you for everything. I'm sure the feeling you get from raising an actually child is exponentially more rewarding. I think for anyone who wants to one day be a parent, a pet is a great place to start when it comes to getting a little training under your belt. Family should always be a priority--you only have a handful of people that share your same blood and genetic makeup. And the older you get, the more important family becomes. People and friends come and go, but family will always be family. Try your hardest to keep your family tight and together--and don't let little rifts and differences split you apart.

Recently, in my cryptic blog I stated that I only needed two more things to make my life complete. Those two things were a future wife and children. One day I hope to find and be with that special someone I can share every aspect of the remainder of my life with. When the scenario is right, I know I can provide someone with a great life. I definitely want to have children one day as well. Call me old fashioned, but I want to have the wife, kids, pets, and white picket fence thing going on one day. That's important to me. I just want to have it when I know everything is right and it's time. God, I couldn't imagine having kids and being on the road while they're growing up and constantly changing. When I have a kid, I want to be there as much as I can be. I want to be there to experience first words and first steps. That's what being a parent is all about in my estimation--being their for your kid at every step of the way and enjoying it--like my Dad has done with me.

And since I did just acknowledge that I am currently single, having great, memorable times with my friends is something that's important to me. I was just reminiscing with one of my best friends the other day about a night out we had that was completely surreal. It was better than a scripted movie. It was one of those times that made us remember, "Damn, this is an awesome life we lead." If I died tomorrow, I've had more than my fair share of good times. But the reason I've had so many good times is because I have a great circle of friends that I work really hard to keep intact. With my insane schedule (on the road 300 days a year), it's hard to spend as much time with my friends back home as I'd like to. But the important thing is spending time when you can, returning phone calls, and keeping that bond intact. It's really simple--it just comes down to letting your friends know that you give a f*ck about them. And they are important to me. My true friends understand me and me schedule, and I understand them. That's why I love being able to have the Christmas Bash every year--because it allows me to see all my friends that I don't get to see very often at one time. And get really wasted and have a good time, LOL. Try not to neglect the important people in your life. Even if you're crazy busy, take thirty seconds or a minute out of your day and call them back or text them--it's important to let them know you care.

Okay--this is where I'm gonna go in a really different direction than anyone else in my shoes would. As you all know, it was really important to me to achieve my goals and dreams of being a professional wrestler. And I'm always busting my ass to professionally achieve more. But since I've achieved more than I set out to, there's something within me that actually transcends being just a sports entertainer. I want my legacy to go down as more than just a mere sports entertainer, a mere professional wrestler. I want to use the popularity and notoriety I've built for myself to make a difference in the world. People who are usually considered "celebrities" often only focus on their actually job and career, but not their amazing power of influence. An old quote from the comic book "Spider-Man" goes as such--"With great power comes great responsibility." I've always held that quote in high regards and believed in it. I think with my power to inspire and influence that I have a responsibility. I have a responsibility to help others succeed where I have failed (teach from my mistakes). I have a responsibility to be a role model and a positive influence to those who look up to me. I have a responsibility to give back after all I've been given. And I take these responsibilities very seriously. It's extremely important to me to take advantage of this amazing position myself, God, and the people who have supported me have put me in. I want to not only entertain people with my performances inside a wrestling ring, but I want to inspire and teach people with my message. It's important to me to use my standing as a well-known WWE wrestler to help lead people in the right direction, inspire them to dream, and set examples that can help make the world a better place. I don't feel like it's my moral responsibility--I feel like it's my calling. I think that's one of the reason's I was put on this planet--to do my part to make the world a better place. I feel like I've been given the gift to help people realize their true potential. I feel like I did that in high school, in my OMEGA wrestling promotion, and several times over to people I've became close with in my life. It's a gift that I proudly and happily share. Gaining notoriety from being a sport entertainer only strengthens the amount of people I can reach. I love wrestling--it's my passion. But I also love the ability wrestling gives me to make a difference. I want to be remembered and respected for always giving everything I have--inside and outside of the ring. Whether I win, lose, or draw, I think people believe in me because they can sense and feel my passion. And my passion transcends the wrestling ring into my everyday life. I take pride in doing my part every day to make the world we live in a better place.

I always give everything within me when I set out to do something. "If you're gonna do something, do it right"--I'm a big fan of that quote. When I set my mind on doing something, I have to give 100%, I refuse to half ass anything. My pride won't let me. I'll also bend over backwards to try and make something work, I'm a persevering bastard. Here's an example for you--last Wednesday I wrestled Gregory Helms in Texas as a favor for King Booker. Booker's promotion, the PWA, is slowly becoming a training ground for developing WWE talent. In an attempt to help his school, students, and promotion, Matt Hardy versus Gregory Helms was the "draw" for the PWA's card. Although the majority of people came to watch our match, it was a very small appearance for me and Gregory in the big scheme of things. Alot of wrestlers would have went out and done as little as they could to just get through the match. Not me. I never phone it in--my pride and spirit won't have it. Myself and Gregory had a 25 minute street fight and we tore the house down. We used weapons, ladders, bumped on the floor, fought all over the building, and beat the absolute sh*t out of each other. I know alot of those people came there to see me last Wednesday--and I damn sure wasn't going to disappoint them. I also stayed almost three hours longer than I had to signing autographs. Why? Because it was a chance for me to give back... By busting my ass, I wanted to make sure that people had a great time at the PWA show and will come back again and again. I'm not gonna profit from it, but all of Booker's students will. Those young men and women will have a place to train and work in front of a crowd--and a chance to chase their dreams. People paved the road for me--so I'm gonna pave the road for others. And that's important to me.

I think it means everything to have a purpose in life. And whatever that purpose may be, focus on it, and make it as great as you possible can. You can have all the material sh*t you want in life--but if you don't have substance, you never feel complete. Make the important stuff in your life important, and don't take any of it for granted. You only live once and life is short, so make the most out of it. Be well my friends, and until then...

Quote of he day - "All the rusted signs we ignore throughout our life, choosing the shiny ones instead" - Pearl Jam, Thumbing My Way

Matt