The Meaning of Me

It has been a month (got sidetracked and sorry to those who follow) since my last post but the sole reason for the delay has been my time investment into family devotion. That being said let me take some time and give a big emotional thanks to everyone who donated, shared, passed on or said a prayer for our Team Khlo efforts. I really had no idea how quick or long it would take to reach our goal for Khloe but with a tear in my eye I can say that in two weeks we reached our fundraising goal of 20K (and continue to go strong past the goal). The world answered our prayers and now Khloe's family has the funds needed to move on to the next stage of acquiring an assistance dog for her seizures. I will add to that also that they have found an organization and the ball is set in motion. While it takes awhile to train and adapt the dog to its job it warms my heart to know that sweat Khlo will have a companion to watch over her making sure she is safe for many years to come.

Khloe has made a huge impact on me in more ways that I can explain. The little things in life don't even register in my minds eye anymore. I seem to process them in a sub-conscious fashion and then move on to the larger task at hand. My last few long runs (4 and 5 hour training runs) have been as close to amazing as I can call them. While sore and achy in numerous places all it takes is one glance at TeamKhlo on my hat or a quick glimpse at something purple I am wearing to bring my mindset back to one of accomplishment and not defeat. That's right every single run I go on now I make sure I have some article or clothing/gear that is purple as purple represents the Dravet Foundation.

For as long as I can remember sport for me has always been a battle of competition. A deep down sensation to allows push myself as hard as I could to try and be prepared for battle. An up and down emotional battle of wins and loses and at times poor sportsmanship in competition. I don't think I ever looked at sport personally as a 100% process of who I truly was. While many times in races I have had to go extremely deep into the pain cave it always seemed to be in response to a fellow racer or the time on the clock in regards to qualifying for some larger race that at the end of the day didn't change who I was as a person of signify who I was.

Now enter 2015 and all the negative that has come with it at times. Among family troubles, almost moving across country, career change, health scares and about 30 other little stress induced situations it would also be the first time in 15 years that I would not be competing in my love of triathlon.

Everything changed though the first day I signed up for the North Face Endurance Challenge 50 miler. I was entering a world that was unknown to me on a physical and mental level. Yeah I have treated dozens of patients/friends over the years who have run ultras but things never truly equate until its time for you to step on that start line.

All the unknown's started to enter my mind at that point....I have never run further than 26.2 so how will I almost double that, what happens if I reach mile 40 and my legs quit, I am not sure I am mentally strong enough to go the distance, there is nothing to qualify for so whats the point of racing, is this even considered racing or more of a personal quest and most importantly how am I going to explain to my loving wife that the race is on her birthday...ha ha...love you Britt!!!

Without boring you on the details of the numerous 3-5 hour long (hit 30 miles on longest run) runs that I have done the past couple months I can tell you that I have never been more at peace in my life. Ultramarathon training has given me that ultimate one on one psychiatric counseling with the one person who can change my outlook, belief system, goal structuring, ability to be a better father/husband, conscious mindset that everything will always work out and that one person is....ME!!

I have been able to realize that as a healthcare provider I absolutely love giving people hope and making them feel better. That I was put on this earth to be the best family man I could be and this year has been a blessing of sort cause I have been able to spend as much time as I want with the four ladies that make up my universe. That my mother has instilled in me more that I ever thought she did and like her I love to help out family, friends and others in whatever spectrum I can. That I married into an incredible family, while a little crazy at times they are extremely caring, loving and very unselfish. Most importantly i have been able to realize that the mind is a powerful tool and that it can limit your goals if you let it. I have had some dark places in my training but have used powerful tools like Khloe to push through and when you push the mind you will grow personally opening yourself up to many new avenues of success.

While I still have some doubts on the 50 miler in a few weeks I know that with the belief system I have in myself, the belief system I have in friends/family and the belief system that nothing is impossible I know I will cross that finish line a winner no matter what (don't tell my wife I am already mustering thoughts of a 100).

So while ultrarunning might not be in your deck of cards please find the activity that helps you find the meaning of you. We are at a time where believing in ourselves is of the utmost important. All success starts with you as an individual and until you can make sure that your mindset is strong don't buy into all the other hoax's or snake oils. Don't let social media define who you are but instead do some deep soul searching to find the foundation that makes you a force in your future.

Thanks to everyone who has supported me this year, supported TeamKhloe, continues to fight the good fight and believes in the mantra of "Make It Count!!!"

Role Model

I was recently in an interview and was asked the question who has been the biggest role model for me in my life. I am sure the person interviewing me was looking maybe for someone professionally that has led me down the path I am on or someone that was able to mentor me towards greatness. While I surely have those people in my life and I think the word of them...there is one person and one person only that has been my true role model in life. Its also fitting that I am writing this today as today is her birthday and I thought what better way to sprinkle her with blessings and gratitude then to elaborate on the impact she has had on my life. Plus at her YOUNG age she has just about everything she wants in a material sense so I will use the power of the written word.

If you haven't guessed it yet my role model happens to be the first love of my life (sorry Britt) and that would be my mom. In my 38 years of living life to the fullest my mom has been that one solid figure in my life along the journey. She has supported me in every decision I have made and has never questioned a decision I have made but showed support knowing that if I did fail it would be a life learned lesson.

My mom was the 1st person in life who taught me that anything is possible. That as long as your having fun and giving it your all your dreams can come true. If at any time its not fun anymore than always re-evaluate and then make the decision if its worth it to press on.

My mom also taught me the value of always working hard. When my parents got divorced in elementary school and money was tight my mom worked three jobs as a single mother trying to give three kids the best upbringing one could have. I never felt like money was tight but I also knew that material items where not the ticket to happiness but living life and enjoying its opportunities led to extreme wealth.

She has taught me also how important the role of giving back to your community is. That being unselfish is extremely rewarding but giving your time, creativity and heart to others helps them drive towards that same. She has served on countless boards (I honestly don't know the number its to large) without one once of pay only because she loves helping others. In a world where most think of them self first I honestly think my mom thinks about herself after she has taken care of everyone else.

All this is not to sugar coat that I was this perfect child though. As a stubborn teenager I got into my fair share of trouble and while my mom and I would verbally fight it out at times we also overcame our differences quickly which was probably due to a mutual respect for each other.

Even though miles are far apart now through retirement she still relentlessly aims to be a rock star grandma to my three beauties. I wish she was closer only to teach them the values she taught me growing up.

My mom is hands down the strongest, driven, entrepreneurial, savvy, smart and beautiful women I know which explains why I love my wife so much as the saying the man looks for qualities in a women similar to their mothers seems to ring true.

So on her....I think 29th (repeating)....birthday I want to wish my mom happiness, joy, health and the ability to smile while retired. I love you with all my heart and I hope you know that without you I would not be the man I am today.

Make It Count!!!

Best Form of Comfort: Family

For the past two weeks I have had the yearly privilege of residing on paradise-Vinalhaven.  I will selfishly say that one of the best perks is I married into being able to make the seasonal voyage to this island off the coast of Maine. Its a place where one can recharge, de-stress, go gluttonous on lobster but most of all just SIT and have the most uninterrupted family time.

Every 5 years my wife's extended family has one of the most epic family reunions in existence. It's a three day adventure filled with just about every family activity one can think of. It's an event where if your not having fun you seriously need some help once returning to reality. This years event held roughly 300 people and the one truth that rings with my wife's family is that every single person loves and looks out for each other. All conversations stem from building each other up instead of bringing each other down. Every family member is there as a rejoice and energy of making sure everyone is having fun but most importantly that they are cared for. There is definitely no I in any team family dynamic during the three days of celebration. At the end of the day I married into the family but I always walk away feeling like I am blood. I always try and look for the positive in every situation but when I come away from time in Maine in conjunction with supporting family dynamic I believe there is nothing that can stand in my way.

While on the island this year I really tried to maximize the amount of run training I could get in and in 2 weeks I managed a little over 150 miles. I had the most amazing trail runs, my longest training run ever of 25 miles in which I saw no cars/people for 2 hours to the most breath taking views that make the effort of running seem so simple. There was one run that brought me to tears though as it was a mixture of emotion, inspiration and a drive to constantly strive to be better through helping actions.

Meet Khloe- the beautiful little girl in the first picture (pink jacket in second) she is one of the most amazing little girls I have ever met. For as much as she has had to go through in her life she is one of the strongest people I have ever come in contact with. A strength at three years old that I can only hope to attain someday. Strength taught by her loving and inspirational parents, Kim and Kevin who have battled along side of her keeping faith in getting her through every day.

For the past couple years Khloe has been dealing with epileptic seizures that have been progressively getting worse and only until this summer has been given a specific diagnosis. Doctors this summer have diagnosed her with Dravet Syndrome which is also known as Severe Myoclonic Epilepsy of Infancy (SMEI), is a rare and catastrophic form of intractable epilepsy that begins in infancy. Initial seizures are most often prolonged events and in the second year of life other seizure types begin to emerge. Development remains on track initially, with plateaus and a progressive decline typically beginning in the second year of life. Individuals with Dravet syndrome face a higher incidence of SUDEP (sudden unexplained death in epilepsy) and have associated conditions, which also need to be properly treated and managed. More information on Dravet syndrome can be found at www.dravetfoundation.org. 

Being a parent of three girls it breaks my heart to see any kid/child have to suffer and go through any disease. Whether its a form of cancer, immune suppressing disease or in Khloe's, case severe epileptic seizures which can last upwards of an hour its been extremely hard to understand- Why them?? 

I have been putting in all these extra miles this summer in prep for two races in my future. One being a 50 mile trail run in October and then the next a 100 mile trail run next summer. Both are distances that I have never completed before and are mentally challenging. What I decided on my run was that from that moment on I would use every avenue I have to dedicate every mile I run leading up to October (and my additional Ultrarun) towards-TeamKhlo (Khloe's website). I want to dedicate everything I do in prep, racing and writing towards raising awareness of this disease which has no cure currently and hope that with a little prayer, awareness and fund raising that we can bring Khloe and her parents strength to prevail.

I have set up a gofundme page which anyone and everyone can donate whatever they think is appropriate. One of the most important issues right now is the frequency at which she is having seizures so that next appropriate step in her care is a seizure dog that can detect a seizure before in happens sometimes up to 45 minutes prior. The faster we can raise the money the quicker this incredible family can get the dog into their home to help Khloe remain safe and healthy. 

GoFundMe: TeamKhlo

http://www.gofundme.com/qk227eys

So please join me in raising awareness, spreading the word and donating to a cause that we know will go towards helping a little girl live a long life filled with laughs and hugs. 

On a closing note what my wife's family has taught me is exactly what I always say....they live life to the fullest, they are real people who care, love and listen- GO FLAGGS!!! and more important the Make It Count!!!

Be First

Yes this picture is of my daughter running and yes we are a running family and yes we get a little competitive at times but surprisingly this blog has nothing to do with running to get first place. I just love the picture as the form is money.

While out shopping this past weekend I noticed a trend that might speak to the fact why human interaction is sometimes limited and when interaction does take place there is a palpable tension in the air.

On Friday's I treat my daughters to what is called Fabulous Slurpy Friday. They go 110 miles an hour all week in camp and combined with hopefully a week of good behavior we hit up 7-Eleven on Fridays for a little treat. This Friday was a particular busy one in which there was about 10 people in line in front of us and as I was watching I realized how little or no conversation/attention was given to the attendant. So when it was our turn I made it a focus to Be First. To be the first person to converse, to be the first person to mention her name (name tags help), to be the first person to show kindness, to be the first person to ask how her day was going and maybe be the first person that day to show the human kindness of caring. It wasn't a surprise what happened next as she smiled, opened up how busy the day was and probably upset everyone else behind me as now she was engaged in the present with an energy that one could feel along with more conversation.

My point in this article is how many times during your day can you be the person that goes first? Opens a door, gives a compliment, motivates a co-worker, starts a conversation with a stranger, buys a starbucks for the person behind you in line, be the first person at work showing your boss a drive to succeed, being the first person in your circle to set moon shot goals which drive you out of a comfort zone and most important always being the person that goes first thus being a leader for others to model after.

Most people I have watched from a distance carry on through life with their heads down. Focused on what they have to do tomorrow instead of the present. This leads us to miss out on so many of the pearls of life that are so small and you missed cause your head was buried in your phone.

Being first may save a person's life. Heard an awful stat the other day how many people carry on through their days depressed and that 70% of the US population hates their jobs. While you can't change their job status a potential hi or asking how their day is going may be just what they needed at that particular moment instead of potentially doing something harmful.

Being first allows us to truly experience life for all its worth. Be the first one to tell your loved one how much they mean to you. Be the first person to forgive a friend instead of holding a grudge that more than likely will affect your life more than theirs. Be the first person to give up a bad habit as most bad habits limit us for greatness in other facets of life. Be the first person to challenge your kids to believe in themselves and not worry what someone else things of them.

So as you can see there is no specific designation of what being first means. Its something that is open to your own interpretation. For 13 out of the 15 years I have raced endurance sports my main focus was always some form of being on the podium. The flaw in this focus is it doesn't always work out like you want and tends to lead to more frustration/stress. The be first moment for me has been the last 2 years of realizing that each time I step up to a starting line I may not end up being the first person to finish but I will 100% be the first person to figure out how I can use that experience to live a better life for me and my kids.

So while your out and about today try being that first person to say thanks, hi, pleasure meeting you, great doing business with you and mostly being the first person in any situation to delve out positive energy.

Make It Count!!!!

Life Outside the Box

How many times have you heard the saying "think outside the box" and how many times have you thought up a great idea which just stayed an idea? The thought didn't go through the implementation phase and you also curled back up into your comfortable world inside the box. You then revisit that outside the box experience every now and sometimes ideas take up steam and create a dream event. However some of these people still fall back into their comfortable, cozy couch of the easy way of life never committing themselves again to the rush of life changing events, thoughts or success.

Now how many people do you know that don't think outside the box but live outside the box? The person that never gives in to common ground and is always trying to push the button on what is typically accepted as OK or status quo. The person who seems to always have a refreshing, entertaining and thought provoking idea. The person who always seems to be just one step ahead of the curve or is the person leading the current wave of thought. The person you always want to be around because you never know what will come out of that crazy mind of theirs.

I have tried in my life to live my life outside the box and most of the time I feel like I succeed but I am one that will tend to fall back into the comfortable life. I will not be pushed out of the box again until I notice myself to comfortable with life and that something needs a spark to get my engines going again.

If you follow most of the current minds in business from tech, to fitness to single minded entrepreneurship you will notice that most of them live their life outside the box. Most took rather simple concepts that potentially have been around for a long period of time, improvised a modern day approach and pushed the limitation of what was expected out of that product/service into a model that works. The word entrepreneur is thrown around more frequently now a days and while a majority will never land the unicorn most of them are pushing the limits or boundaries of what is comfortable thus living outside the box.

I have had the blessing of knowing two people who fit the mold of living outside the box. The first one is my middle daughter. Since day one she has been my child who has constantly pushed the limit of WHY? While still young and only in the 2nd grade her mind lives outside the box of reason. She is not the kid to accept and answer for what it is but to always question why something can't be done, or what is holding that person back or why do I have to wait for school to start reading when I can teach myself. This is a kid who gave the teacher a hard time the first two weeks of school cause she didn't get homework. I hope that she will forever be a thinker outside the box cause it pushes me to think harder how I can live a life more driven to help her succeed.

The second person unfortunately is no longer with us but please go back through the blogs are read the entry on GiGi. My wife's grandmother lived a life full of outside the box thinking and actions. She lived till a beautifully full life till she was 96 and there wasn't one day that went by where she didn't invest her time and thoughts towards making sure everyone around her was happy. I would sit outside our summer home in Maine with her for hours and in her 90's she could easy spark conversation that made you question your abilities not in the negative sense but more of why put limitations on yourself and reach for those moon shot goals. Lots of success I have had in my life has been due to some of the conversation we had and her faith/belief in me. She is missed everyday in my household but all of us know to keep pressing forward as that is what she would want.

So you will see that my version of living outside the box is not just great business ideas or a wealth of success from selling an idea. Its being able to live outside a life that is comfortable. Its living a life that is designed to leave a lasting impressions on those you encounter. Its about being larger than life itself so that when its your time to go people will write blogs on you about how you made their life better by just caring.

Make It Count!!!

ME Inc.

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How many of us grew up dreaming of owning our own business? Owning the market place you work, live and grow in? Holding the top position within a company and having people look up to you as a leader, motivator, educator or mentor? I understand that as life rolls forward that some of us will never end up being CEO of a company (although I believe deep in my gut that each and every one of us has the capability to lead) but you can always be CEO of ME Inc.

Motivator, Leader, Entrepreneur, Educator, Mentor, Intelligent, Creative, Challenge Driven, Proactive, Optimistic, Vision, Integrity, Communication and Strength are just a few words that I can come up with to describe the foundations of a successful CEO. Well I am hear to tell you that each and everyone of those words are ones that you can apply to your life now to create personal wealth.

Are you taking control of your life in the four horsemen of success...spiritual, emotional, physical and financial or are you letting others create and dictate your next steps in life? Why give power to others in the decisions that control you in the future? When we let others run our life we are not the CEO of ME Inc. Most people fail to reach their true potential in life not because they are not smart enough or connected enough but more because they don't take charge of themselves. They give away their potential due to lack of confidence, an outlook that life is unfair and they have to work to hard to get what they want.

In regards to that last point I am not saying success is easy as most successful people have failed more times that the media shows. All we see is the fancy cars, clothes, living quarters and confidence but what you don't see is how many times life knocked them down. What made these people succeed though was the unwillingness to quit, the drive to correct the course and the love the have for themselves as CEO of Me Inc.

Don't your think if you treated yourself as CEO of your life that you could immediately make a positive impact on yourself, your family and your community? I know over the years I have applied facets of each and have only noticed positive results. While the list is immense towards what you could implement to help you reach CEO status here are a few things I have done/noticed....

1. Yourself - Read, Read, Read and Read some more. Whether you are a kindle, internet or good old faith full page turner...we are blessed to have some pretty incredible books available to us. The blessing books give us is a glimpse at the stories of some of the most incredible people in our history. Books give us a chance to see what has worked for some people and what hasn't thus allowing us to model our lives and draw principles to live by.

2. Family - Family has always and always will be my number one priority in life (hopefully I can build the strength to share why someday). My goal in getting married was not just to have a wife but more to experience and amazing life with my best friend/soul mate. My goal in having kids was not to be a father (anyone can have a kid) but more to be a dad...someone the girls can look up to 110% of the time and know without a doubt that I will always be there for them. How does all this correlate to ME Inc. Well just like a successful CEO has a staff that helps drive the business...my family helps drive me to be a better person everyday which helps build my strength as CEO of ME Inc. I also have a drive and a personal commitment towards teaching my girls that they are in charge of their life. I want to build a personal confidence in their ability to be CEO of ME Inc. at a young age. If we can build and support our youth now imagine how incredible the future will be.

3. Community - Think about someone in your community who you love to be around, someone that inspires you, someone that constantly gives back to the community in an unselfish manner. Now think to yourself why can't this be you? When we open up and decide to give back not only do we make a positive impact on others but we improve the confidence in ourselves which helps build up that status in your mind of CEO of ME Inc.

In the end whether or not you want to call yourself your own CEO is up to you. My goal is to remind you to believe in yourself, take control of your life and not give it away to someone else to run and always make decisions which are the best for yourself or in the best interest of ME Inc.

Make It Count!!!!

Pebbles

The other day on a long trail run I gradually over the 10 mile run noticed a slight irritation in my right shoe. At first I gave it no thought as I was immersed in the beauty that Maine has to offer but over time the irritation slowly occupied my mindset. The stubborn mind still pushed forward until I got home and noticed not only a pebble in my shoe but a nice size blister had formed. Fast forward about 24 hours later on another 10 mile run about 3 miles in my LB went out and sent me to the ground. The only obvious cause was the pebble from the run that changed my gait over that 10 miles causing an imbalance in my biomechanics leading to tissue fatigue.

I know your wondering what the heck does this have to do with the theme of most of my blog posts. Well in the two days since of non-running due to rehabbing my low back I got to wondering how many times in life do you wake up and attack your day with a pebble in your shoe (not literally but figuratively)? What I have learned in life and especially this year is that we all have pebbles in our shoes as life is never perfect its just what do you do to address the pebble? Do you ignore the pebble hoping that it will just take care of itself? Do you develop a process, goal setting or seek help from a mentor overcome the effects the pebble may have? Have you noticed that your pebble typically turns into a boulder stopping you in your tracks?

Obstacles are a given part of the life formula. There is no way around them. Pebbles in life can fall into any of the personal categories of economical, spiritual, emotional and health. When we ignore the pebbles in any of these categories I can guarantee you that the other categories will suffer. I know to many people that put so much emphasis on money only to have a health scare arise or trouble at home due to ignoring the love and emotional support their family needs.

In the end I can't guarantee avoiding life's pebbles but I can give you three tips for smoothing them out and not letting them grow or steam roll into an avalanche of pebbles.

1.  Balance - Life is lived in a balance state. Like mentioned above when you focus too much energy on one element the other facets of life will suffer. The same goes for ignoring a category cause it doesn't seem important to you. I constantly try to evaluate each portion of each category and make sure I am giving each its due diligence.

2. Communication - I could interchange communication for teamwork, circle of trust, family/friends or mentorship as the goal is to have a team that you can always turn to for help. When one stops communicating they turn the world and themselves off to growth. I have seen a person very close to me this year loose his battle to personal demons as he not only didn't address his demons but when offered help with the emphasis of communication he choose to hold everything in and not participate in active therapy thus allowing that pebble to grow.

3. Being present - I made a facebook post recently on a great quote I heard from a kids movie, "yesterday is the past, tomorrow is the future, today is the present and thats why its called a gift". The goal in life in success and dealing with pebbles and potential failures is to always be present. We can learn from yesterdays mistakes but we can't do anything to change them. I have learned not to put much stress into the future as its not guaranteed so why waste energy and stress on something that might never happen. So that leaves us with being present in the moment and controlling only what we can control. If something starts to steer your life in the wrong direction stop for a second and evaluate what you can do and control in relation to corrected the course towards success.

The most important thing to know is that there will always be a pebble in your shoe. Its the actions you choose that will make a difference in what direction that pebble takes. Don't let the pebble grow or be a constant reminder of something negatively affecting your life. Address the problem and move on but know life is defined by constant growth and learning what you can do daily to implement change.

The picture above is me and my motivation for conquering the pebbles or boulders in life.

Make It Count!!!

Simplicity

How often do you find yourself asking why me? How often do you have the feeling that your barely able to stay afloat in life? How often do you focus on the negatives/failures instead of the positives/wins? Most importantly if life feels like its falling apart what are you doing about fixing it or do you just wake up each day with your fingers crossed that everything will change?

If you answered no or never me to any of these questions I am going to call you out right now as I can guarantee 100% of us at some point in our life have succumbed to the weaker side of the journey.

Problems fall into only three categories: direct control, indirect control and no control. Direct control are problems that involve our own behavior and ones that we have 100% control over how we react, indirect control are problems we have less control over as they relate to other people's behavior however we can help that person influence how they respond and then there are the problems that we have no control over.

I was talking with someone who I find very inspirational but was at a loss as deep down this person had no confidence in there abilities. They focused more on how the outside world was responding instead of having an inside-out approach. They couldn't see through all the reactive negative emotions in their life that they actually inspired everyone around them to be better. This is where indirect control came into play as it hurt me to see how this person was responding to the way their life was revolving. I dug deep and offered all my support and ability to just listen in hopes that they would see the benefit of what they had to offer. This person was focusing to much on the intricacies of items that at the end of the day where out of their control and the ones that where in their control required more effort than was needed.

At this point I offered up 6 tips for simplifying their life and focusing on the wins instead of the losses.

Simple tips for daily simplicity

1. Make Your Bed - In a world that seem to fall more into chaos everyday making ones bed offers an immediate sense of accomplishment first thing in the morning. Why not start the day each and everyday with a WIN. This will also offer you a sense comfort and achievement when your day is done and you can end the day viewing a constant WIN.

2. Listen - Not sure when listening became such a hard thing to do but simple communication skills have disappeared over time because I believe people don't truly listen. Human nature is to listen for about 5-10 seconds in a conversation and then your already starting to formulate a response in your head. I know I have done it in the past as most of you have. I challenge you to hold off on thinking of what you want to say next but dig deep to listen to what the other person is saying. You will be amazed at how successful the conversation will be and what you can achieve.  

3. Smile - A smile puts your mindset into an open mindset where a frown or face of distress typically deals with a fixed mindset. A simple smile has the ability to brighten someone's day who may desperately need it. A smile produces successful behaviors and a sense of personal accomplishment. Smile as much for a whole day and then evaluate how much you accomplished plus the feedback that you received from the internal and external environment. A smile is the simplest form of leading a proactive lifestyle.

4. Read - The one thing I have noticed with almost every successful person you see on the front of a business magazine, leading a conference, CEO of a Fortune 500 company or a leader in your community is that they have an incredibly large thirst for knowledge via reading. This time of year you will see all the leaders of industry putting out their reading lists for the summer. I know first hand as I have probably read more books this year than I have since college that reading is such a simple task yet yields such rewarding results in character development.

5. Exercise - There are many forms of exercise these days and with each passing day another form pops up. I will not get into any specific form for argument sake but the simple form of moving throughout the day yields so many benefits that I could write a very long blog article just on that topic. The one thing I have noticed racing Ironman triathlons for about 15 years now is my commitment to health is contagious. My children see the value I put on it so they understand the benefit and they feel the rewards. Consistent exercise has taught me a will to always push myself to be better, it has given me the confidence of nothing is impossible and as I creep closer to 40 I feel so much younger than I am which helps me attack all facets of my life with the energy needed.

6. Language - I am not talking about speaking a foreign language but more the type of language that influence our attitudes or behaviors. The proactive vs. reactive language which holds you accountable or constantly places blame on others. Does your language inspire others to be better or do you talk about people behind their back? Do you say you have to do something or do you say I choose to do something? Do you say I can't which puts you in a reactive/failing mindset or do you say I choose or I will which opens your consciousness to options geared towards a successful environment.

Make It Count!!!

Life's too short to chase unicorns

Well its been about a month since my last post and its not that I haven't sat down a hundred times to write its just that life has thrown us many curve-balls this past month building upon all the curve-balls we have received this year. Typically writing has a tendency to put me at peace and de-stress/de-clutter but every time I have tried this year the amount of information regurgitation was on overload status. So while I will not overload you with a whoa is me blog post I will touch on a few things I have mentioned before and would like to reiterate in relation to how this year has gone for me/us. 

The best new impact habit I have created for myself this year to READ, READ, READ and READ some more. I have always been on the occasional quick read book list for most of my adult life until this year when Amazon and myself have become very close friends (sorry Britt). The wealth of knowledge, advice, motivation, creativity and personality development one can find via self-study is amazing and so easy to tap into. While some books lack in the build up in anticipation of what you thought they would be I still find that no matter what if you open yourself up to learning you can always come away with a pearl of knowledge. 

About two months ago I read a line in a book stating "Life's too short to chase unicorns". This grabbed my focus immediately as its something I agree with and disagree with at the same time. Unicorns in the business world are typically referred to that one start-up that got bought out for lots of money. For every one company that gets sold for a billion dollars there are thousands more that struggle to ever reach the potential of their creator. So basically the author was emphasizing the fact that life is too short to be wasting your time going for the moon when you can really focus on the now and build something that could be sustainable enough to drive happiness in your life. While I agree with the author in the sense of life's short I also believe that life is also too short not to chase the unicorns, not to have those moon shot goals and not to reach for something so far out of your ability just cause its not the safe choice. Life is about what you make it and in the Oergel household we believe in living each day to its fullest potential and constantly challenging ourselves to be better. To challenge ourselves to focus on the little things but also realize that those little things are the blocks to which once built will house the unicorn.

Through all the ups and downs this year and trust me there have been plenty that are to difficult to talk about I have come to the mid-point of the year with the one realization/true fact/emphasis that should engulf everyone's life. Each day we have is a gift so maximize your life in the present. Don't worry about yesterday as its in the past and there is nothing you can do to change it instead learn and apply to the present. Also don't focus to much on stressful situations in the future. I have learned one to many times this year that tomorrow isn't guaranteed so why waste precious energy, time and focus today on tomorrow. 

There are about a 100 things that will happen to you today that will be out of your control. Whether its the weather, stock market, car accident, the behavior of a friend, neighbor or co-worker or close family friend gets diagnosed with cancer. What you can control is how you and you only respond to these situations. Apply the strategy of changing the things you can change and everything else is out of your control and part of the roller coaster of life. When your co-worker does something to irritate you don't play their game but be the stronger person and try to understand where they are coming from. Offer support to the family friend diagnosed with cancer as a support system is the number one thing they need to know they have. Watch the world with an open eye to positive change and you will be amazed that the things you can control will develop and prosper with a successful outcome instead of stress and the feeling of failure. Communicate with people as this is starting to become a lost art.

The four people in the picture at the top are my support team, my laughter, my dinner guests, my cheer squad and most importantly the reason I wake up each day with a smile and know I have to give my best each and every day. Make sure you have a mission to your days and an objective to why you do what you do. 

Make It Count!!!

Personal Legend

Do you wake up each morning with a defining purpose, a drive to succeed, an emotion to a cause that pushes you no matter your fatigue level, an idea so full of energy that others get motivated just by hearing you talk of it and a goal vs. a dream of being great? If you can't answer yes to any of these questions than i beg you to take time this week to sit down and define what your personal legend in life is or should be.

I know your asking what is a personal legend? Personal legend is what is your drive in life and each day you wake up what are you trying to accomplish. What actions and plans are you executing every day so that when your time comes you left leaving a lasting impression on those around you and the world we live in. Will you be remembered for greatness (a legend) or will you be remembered as the person who never had anything nice to say? Are the actions you are doing right now supporting your greater cause in life?

My personal legend has changed from time to time over my 38 years on this planet but the one quest or goal I have always had and continual strive to improve on is being the best father I can be for those three young ladies. From a young age I always promised to myself that should I ever become a father that I would strive to be the best father I could be. The girls and I consistently have conversations geared towards inspiring them to push towards accomplishing anything they put their minds to. My 9 year old constantly reminds me of the Oergel Family mantra which is "as long as you try your best nothing else matters."

I know many people who if you asked them what their quest or personal legend in life was they would say to be rich. While I at first applaud them for having a personal legend I would also ask them to define exactly what that means to them. I mean we all like money as it makes the world go round but sometimes if its your main focus I guarantee you are missing out on something else in life. If you can expand your personal legend to maybe be a more well rounded person...i.e. treat people with respect, listen before speaking, surround yourself with various people of success, tell those around you how much you love them, take care of your health as without it nothing else matters, make the most of your time as nothing is guaranteed, don't live in the past or future but focus on making a difference NOW and most of all have confidence in your abilities, ideas and your personal legend. If you take all this and more into play I promise not only will the money come if that's your quest but your life will be rich beyond your bank account.

I am also not sure if its my age or what but recently I have known more and more people being either diagnosed with cancer or other health concerns. While I am deeply saddened when I hear of these stories the one thing it does push me to develop is a personal legend of always living each day to its optimal potential and being 1% better than yesterday.

Make It Count!!!!

5 Minutes

I am sure you are very curious what I mean with the title "5 Minutes". There is not a day that goes by when that I don't try and educate someone on the 5 minute rule or at least partake in the 5 minute rule myself. I will get to my definitions of the 5 minute rule and its implications on your life in a minute.

I was listening to an interview recently and the speaker was talking about how often he hears someone say they are SO busy in life. Or typical response to that is either that's a good thing or its better than the opposite. I however would like to challenge those people to sit back for at least 5 minutes and really evaluate how busy or necessary their busy schedule is and is it productive. My sense of busy is like a friend of mine who is a cardiothoracic surgeon who just this week had a 15 hour surgery...now that is busy!!! Although back to our friends that are SO busy what I notice is that they typically don't have structure to their time, don't evaluate what's important to them and get caught up in trying to please everyone which limits their time taking care of themselves.

People always ask me how I fit everything in as they see my life as being extremely busy but I typically tell them its all about what is important to you. When things are important and you give it value then you will divide the appropriate energy needed to succeed. I and my family also have ways which we attack each day and end each day which helps us evaluate whats important, what is a must in our life and what we can do to be 1 percent better the next day.

The "5 Minute Rule" or the three ways we use just 5 minutes each day to try and improve ourselves, our family and those around us.

1. The 5 Minute Journal - First of all let me say that I didn't come up with this concept but this concept is one of the easiest, least time consuming, efficient ways to improve you confidence, planning and accountability. When you wake each morning (for those that wake up late, rush out the door, miss breakfast, get stuck in traffic and start your day stressed...I suggest waking a little earlier as this technique may change your life) take 3-5 minutes to write down:
                   
                        * The top three things you are grateful for
                        * The top three things that would make the day grate
                        * One daily affirmation

Then in the evening when your winding down take another 3-5 minutes to write down:

                         * Three things that made the day great
                         * Three things that you could have done better
                         * I usually then take a minute or two and just write whatever comes to mind

The goal of this daily procedure is to always put your mindset into a state of positive, creative, high functioning success. When we can reflect daily on are we on the right course then your daily actions will be supported with a positive thought provoking change in mental state. You will notice that you are able to have a clear head and choose tasks that are important to you and give those tasks more energy instead of just going through the motions.

2. 5 Minute Appetizer - Once again I can't take credit for this one as this one was developed and created directly from my wife. I will admit there was a time that when she asked this I would get irritated as I just wanted to eat after a long days work. So what is the 5 minute appetizer? Its taking 5 minutes before dinner when the whole family is hopefully seated together and go around the take in which time each person has to say what 3 great things happened to them that day. What I have grown to love about the 5 minute appetizer is the impact it has on showing you that in the darkest, most stressed days that you can always pull out something positive. There have been days when I sat down to dinner over-analyzing all the negative in my life and after this simple 5 minute exercise I am not only smiling but excited for times ahead and how strong my family is.

3. 5 Minute Kindness - This last one is something that I have been focusing on a little more this year as I think its a game changer for not only our inner personal development but also has a huge impact on someone's life outside of ours. Sometimes we get so busy that we don't take the time to engage with others outside of our family or workplace. While this technique can be used 100 percent with family and co-workers I find it works even better with neighbors, teachers, grocery store clerks, etc. For example the other day I had to pick up diapers (not for me) and the lines were long at the store. As I got closer to checking out the person in front of me was in an awful mood and was not particularly nice to the check out person. When it was my turn I could tell the check out person was about the explode so I knew it was my turn to help put her in a better place. With a sincere tone of voice and an approach that showed I truly cared I said "Hello Mary how is your day going?" (tip for everyone out there....people absolutely love being addressed by their name...it shows a simple form of caring that most people neglect). Well that one question was about all I had to say cause for the next 60 seconds Mary with ease told me how she has been having a rough day not only cause they were busy but cause her mother was not feeling well. I of course added a few words of advice but the key was I didn't have to say much as one simple question helped her deal with whats going on in her life and by the time I left she was smiling and wished I had a great day.

As always these are just tips of what has worked in my life. I challenge you to find what works in yours. If these tips can be implemented with success then please take them and go for it.

Make It Count!!!!

Perceived Limitations

“The only way to find the limits of the possible is by going beyond them to the impossible.”
— Arthur C. Clarke

Have you ever sat down and thought to yourself what is the difference in our makeup which allows one person to have a no limitations mentality vs. your neighbor who has an excuse or belief that they can't accomplish anything? What sets us apart from believing we can do anything we put our minds to vs. a fear of failure that stops us in our tracks thus limiting your chances for personal success in life.

I am not sure I really know the answer to this one but the way I approach almost every challenge that comes into my life is to use the approach of just START. Yes that's right my simple approach to not limiting myself is to just START towards the goal, event, obstacle, race or whatever is in my path. The one reason most people never reach their true potential and I am a believer that all of us have an amazing ability to reach for the stars is that they never START.

Human emotions and actions usually present in a way of thinking only about the acts of failure, misfortune, what others will think or how hard/painful the process will be. Well I am here to say that yes you will probably fail a time or two and there will be experiences of deep pain but what I can also tell you is these are short term sacrifices to make in order to reach a high level of success.

I recently have been thinking about a couple long term goals for myself and my initial emotional response was a deep pit in my stomach. This is a normal typical human emotion that is completely normal and what should happen. Without some emotion involved in a journey the journey would be left dark and empty. What is important next is to analyze that pit in the stomach and evaluate why it is there. Almost 100% of the time the emotion comes from a level of self limitation or disbelief in yourself. This is the moment when confidence in your skills and an open acceptance that you will learn a lot about yourself during your journey comes into play.

At the end of the day the main reason why you are not the success you dreamed of at one point in your life is because you put a limit on yourself. Somehow, someday you thought to yourself you didn't have what it took to ask for that promotion, start training for that triathlon, a belief that you didn't have the creativity to write a book or basically the courage to become a great public speaker. The good news is that almost all limits are made to be broken or constantly pushed to a new level. Self exploration takes time and effort and along the path to success you will constantly set new limits and push the envelope that at one time you thought was impossible. Fear will be present along the path but I typically use fear as my friend knowing that fear and pain are temporary but the success of growing will be with me for a lifetime.

The picture above is my little one pushing the limits of her life. The great thing about a 2 year old that constantly hangs out with kids 5 plus years her age is that she has no personal limits. She believes that anything her 9 year old sister does that you better believe she will accomplish the same thing. Her oldest sister was jumping on the box so this little one decided she would do whatever it took to get on top of the box (wish I could tell you she jumped) and look what happened. Next time your out with your kids. nieces or nephews at a playground/park watch how kids dream and play with no limitation in their life. I understand that as adults we have bills, jobs and other obligations but this doesn't mean that you can't dream also.

Make It Count!!!

When Failure Meets Success

On my way home from the bus stop this morning I started to think about what have I failed at in my life and was I able to overcome the failure to improve on who I am? While my life is far from perfect and in 38 years I have had multiple failures due to the fact that I am always trying to push the envelope there are three failures that come to mind that stand out from the rest.

I believe that sometimes the path of growth also comes from admitting your weaknesses as someone out there may be struggling and think they are on an island by themselves. We can all grow together and we can all learn from each other as long as we are willing to open up.

1. Family Connectivity - Growing up I never knew when and if I would ever have children but I always maintained a commitment to myself that when I did become a family man that it would be my first and foremost commitment. I have been married to an amazing woman for 12 years, my oldest will be an incredible 9 years old next week and life seems perfect right. Well yes when you look at my immediate family I consistently do everything I can to maximize our time. The one thing I have neglected though is my extended family. My sisters, parents and nieces/nephews have been shut out to a certain extent due to my immediate focus and lack of present time consciousness. The fix for this is simple...I need to open my life up more to family and close immediate friends as they are the ones that will always be there for me. If I shut them out now then it gives a slight jagged edge but the benefit is that no matter how sharp that edge the love and support always smooths out the process. So end game is love those around you both inside and outside your circle.

2. Closed Learning Capacity - For most of my life until I will say 2-3 years ago I really closed myself off to learning. I reached a state that I felt comfortable that I knew as much as I could and what would be the joy or benefit of investing more time into learning. Well the answer is simple...the advantage is HUGE!!! When I say learning I am not just talking about taking a class. I am talking about everything that is all encompassing surrounding being a better person today than yesterday. I have learned to listen and I mean truly listen to my wife, my children, my patients and myself. Truly listening and not thinking of a response before the person has finished will teach you more that you can imagine. I also started to listen to myself and my body. I have always pushed the limits of training but as I aged I noticed if I really tuned into who I was and how I recover that my performance increased on a quarter of the time commitment. One of the largest training tools is my commitment to reading 1-2  books a week. My Amazon wish list at times would confuse just about anyone as to what I enjoy to read. I have such a wide spectrum of items from Tony Robbins to Napoleon Hill to Tim Ferriss to How to be a better/husband dad to plant based diet books all the way to how to make your daughter think you cool!!! Learning is a tool that no one should ever close the door on. There is such great information discovered daily yet also ancient wisdom that has been around for 100's of years that can reinforce your drive to be better version of yourself.

3. Faulty circle - My reference point here is do you surround yourself with people of success? People that drive for perfection? Individuals that just by being close to them makes you a better person? Or do you surround yourself with people that lack integrity? Morals? Ethically challenged? Talk about people in a negative fashion behind their back? Always respond negatively? or always respond to a challenge you have as saying there is no way you could accomplish that? The great Napoleon Hill used the term Master Mind Group to describe how the most successful people in the history of success have a knack for surrounding themselves with like minded successful individuals. People who offer constructive advice instead of negative criticism. Individuals who help change your perspective if needed by offering better ways at doing a task. I never really gave any thought to this until I really sat down and looked at over time the people I associated myself with on a regular basis. I realized that I indeed surrounded myself with successful people and the mere thought of seeing them boosted a drive within me to be better. I however had those friends that never had anything nice to say, always complained about life (they also never did anything to improve it), set no goals and had no drive to improve their life 1% each day. As hard as it was I had to either continue to let their negative mind infiltrate my daily actions or break away. Well success is garnered from what we learn, associated and our mindset. So while I still see those friends from time to time they are not part of my Master Mind Group or circle of trust.

I hope this helps someone along the way and remember that its you that is in charge of your life. While most people think that external items (money, car, house, nice triathlon bike) is what is needed for a happy life they are wrong as its the internal items (confidence, faith, health, love, positive auto-suggestions) that drive who you really are.

Make It Count!!!!

Fixed Mindset

I often wonder what the best parenting methods are or what it is that we are suppose to focus on each day as a parent to ensure that our children are growing up to the best of their ability. I have seen the TV specials, read one or two books, developed an open ear to other parental advise and even searched the web from time to time over the years. Everything came back mixed and really made no sense to the way I was raised or my beliefs. My wife and I have come to one common agreement in raising our children and that is that we will always show them love, respect, always engage them, always be there for them, always discuss everything as we would rather them hear it from us than somebody else and always build them up with the confidence that they can accomplish anything they put their mind to.

This past week during one of our many snow days this year I was in the other room and I overheard a conversation between my oldest two that made me so extremely proud. My 6 year old was talking about how she couldn't accomplish a task she had coming up as it seemed to hard. Instantly my 8 year old jumped in and said "Do you know what your problem is? You have a fixed mindset. You have already given up on yourself. The event hasn't even happened yet and you are already telling yourself that you will fail. Your mindset is fixed on failure so you will probably fail. I suggest that you believe in yourself and open up your mindset to success before you even try." My 6 year old responded immediately with "that actually makes a lot of sense" and that was that as they walked out of the room and carried on with being kids playing in snow. Proof that if you let yourself you can change your mindset immediately.

What put a smile on my face is that they completely understand that how you attack a situation is all up to you. Your mindset and ability to consciously tell yourself the outcome almost always is the outcome. I have been in to many races, situations in life, etc...where the thought of failure started to creep in and what happens? You start to have doubts, you slow down, your posture sucks, your cortisol levels increase, you loose focus, your a bear to be around and confidence in the simple tasks goes away. Where when you have faith, belief, vision or anything related to success or a positive mindset its typically a win/win.

Fixed mindsets are difficult in the sense that its hard to figure a way out of a situation when your in the thick of it. Your vision may be that life just isn't fair and that everything and everyone is out to get you.

I know first hand that life will always throw you a curve ball and its your mindset that will be the ability to see through the thick trees towards the next path in life. I am not saying that I nor anyone else is perfect at this because us as humans are not perfect optimistic creatures. I believe its a percentage based approach to how individuals deal with success, failure or a stage of being in plateau. Some individuals 99% of the time never skip a stride and move on to the next step, some individuals 99% of the time stress or focus on the negative  and then you have everyone in between. We all need to take in, evaluate the world but its those of success and the ones you want to model after that move on and learn from the stress.

Over the past week I have had about 25 things on my plate that I have been trying to digest and apply to next step focus. Well in typical true fashion I was not giving the larger pieces on that plate the attention they needed so the plate started to overflow...which is fancy terms for I started to gain anxiety. No problem though as my answer to most things is a LONG solo run. The long run has always been my go to creative space in life. Its just me and the ability to zone in so preciously on each task I need to take that the runs are usually almost not long enough for everything I can accomplish. When I returned from my run my fixed mindset was gone and I knew what steps to take and within 20 minutes life was a beautiful thing again.

So end game conclusion from this post is your going to have to work towards avoiding a negative fixed mindset in life. I know its not an easy thing to just wake up each day, throw a smile on your face and everything will go smoothly. That is rarely the case as the adventure of life will always constantly push you to learn more about who you are. Its your mindset that will push through the tough times and accomplish anything you put your mind to.

As always I challenge you to wake up each day and always focus on the three key words I love....Make It Count!!!

Also my 8 year old is available for motivational speeches if needed...ha ha!!!

Take Action

It has been a busy week with my wife gone at her National Sales meeting, extreme cold in the mid-atlantic, two family members having surgery and the daily grind of getting things accomplished. All that said I haven't had much thought towards putting together a blog idea this week. That all changed after I came across this video and it reminded me how much people dream big and thirst for success but never TAKE ACTION!!!

Human are great at dreaming big but never putting the building blocks in place to accomplish those dreams. We hear stories and watch movies about great success and I think many people believe that individual just woke up to success one day. While that may be the case what people don't see are the numerous failures or all the blood, sweat and tears that went into waking up that morning. You hear all the time about Edison's game changing inventions but you don't hear about the 10,000 failures that went into that one success. You hear about Ford's success in developing the V8 engine but not the years of people thinking it was impossible yet Ford stayed the course knowing that if the proper actions and mindset are in place that success will happen.

I have treated thousands upon thousands of patients over the years and the one difference that sets people getting better from those that struggle are the patients that take action. The ones who take what I educate them on and implement those cues into their daily life. Its the little things done daily consistently that will change your life forever.

All the successful people in our rich history can be put into one category called Mr. or Mrs. Activationist and those that typically fall short and just never reach that level fall into the category of Mr. or Mrs. Passivationist. I don't need to go into to much depth as I am sure those reading this fall into the first category. The Activationist creates not only incredible concepts but then takes those concepts and puts them into action. Sounds easy but taking action is the step people tend to never take. Whether its fear, nerves, financial or just confidence many very intelligent people never take the one step that could possibly lead them down an amazing journey/path. The Activationist also reaches out for help when needed knowing full well that sometimes it takes a team in order to succeed.

I watch my kids daily not only dream up an extremely creative world full of potential but I also see them almost 100% of the time implement their thoughts into some form of reality. They are not scared of failure, they are not scared of what people will think of them, they are not scared of loosing money (mostly because its mom and dads money), they are not scared of hard work...they just want to live and have fun.

 Why can't we as adults live, have fun, take chances? You don't need to rely on anyone else to get you off the escalator of life as its your sole responsibility to take ACTION and make the most out of what you are given. The person that says they can't do anything is stuck in life and they wait until someone tells them what to do. The problem with this is that you have no freedom in your choices and your success. You will always be working hard to bolster someones else's dreams and not yours. You will will not see how easy success can be if your mindset is stuck inside the box. You will be like the people of the escalator who instead of just taking an action step forward your life is full of the why me attitude which will limit your progress in believing you can overcome anything.

Make It Count!!!!

Let It Go!!!!

In an attempt to balance life's positive and negative energy I made a foolish decision to slowly let Mrs. Negative, Mr. Energy Drain, Mrs. Failure, Mr. Obstacle and Mrs. Why Me enter my illogical thought process. The unfortunate side of this is that this is the way many people live day to day. They easily let in the negative aspects of life and let those thoughts burn like a wild fire. In the immediate time frame it is much easier for us to have a negative mindset as it easily gives us a way out. It gives us the ability to not take any accountability for our actions (always blaming someone else for our short comings), it gives us the gift of living the comfortable life which never allows you to reach for the goals that bring out the best in you and most of all takes all the energy out of life.

A common trend among the most successful people in life is that they have rewired their thought processes to include Mr. Success, Mrs. Obstacle Is the Way, Mr. Take Charge, Mrs. I Will Make a Difference and Mr. Every Opportunity Is a Chance To Grow. You think there is any coincidence that their mindset equals their success?

This morning I let a situation occupy my thoughts and actions which gave the situation more credit than it really deserved. I got heated about how people where reacting to it which drove me to respond in a not so Jake fashion. Instead of taking a second to step back and survey the scene and respond I jumped straight in and my immediate reaction was that of a negative approach. This continued a downward spiral until my daughter said stop right now daddy and than continued to sing a song to me....

She started to sing the song "Let It Go" from the movie Frozen. I immediately stopped, brought my thoughts back into my core, thought about how foolish I was reacting and immediately joined my daughter in song. Yes having three girls I have seen the movie about 146 times so the songs chorus is not something foreign to me. Actually singing out loud and acting goofy was just what I needed.

Whether she knew it or not her actions of telling me to "Let It Go" was perfect timing and just what I needed. I was reacting to something so small but giving it a mountain of negative energy and she saw that I was not my typical happy dad.

My point in this blog is not to tell you to live this perfect, positive, smile all the time life. I know that at times that is not possible. What I do know is we have the power of choice, thoughts and the ability to take negative events/thoughts/actions of others/ourselves and "Let It Go". Evaluate the importance of the event and quickly make a choice as to what energy you will give it. If the event is a life changing event than go for it 100% and make a difference. However if the event is (negative/non-productive energy) like most events that occupy the day and will eventually cause you to redirect your energy towards something that doesn't build you up then I give you permission to out loud sing your own version of "Let It Go".

Remember life is up to you and what you do today going forward will make your legacy.

MAKE IT COUNT!!!!

Hour Of Power

Recently a patient asked me "Jake how do you fit everything into your schedule and still seem to be pretty calm, collected instead of frantic or exhausted." My quick response was the typical time management is crucial and you have to set aside time for what is important to you...we have all heard the typical response in the past. In reality what really allows me the chance to fit everything in and develop a constant win-win mentality is what I refer to as my HOUR OF POWER. Its what I do the first 60 minutes of my day that sets up my day, week, month and year. Its somewhat of a flowing routine of items or actions that I do every morning that helps me focus and prepare for what lies ahead.

My routine is pretty basic and changes a little during the week depending on whether or not my wife is traveling. My hour of power allows me to focus on the present. Its my way of opening up the day to new possibilities, potential obstacles and prepping my mind/body for success.

I guess the one thing that I have going for me is that I have always been a morning person. No matter the time I get to sleep I have never been one to sleep in. Even in college when we would be out all night I still was up bright and early. It was my mom at a young age told me that life is yours for the taking...if you sleep away life then look how much you are missing out on.

So back to my routine or actions that I take in the morning. Here is a list of things I do almost every morning and has been a huge part of developing the right mindset.

1. Alarm: I typically awake between 4:30 -5:00 daily (even weekends). I also place the alarm clock out of arms reach as to not be tempted with the magical snooze button. Once I am up I am up.

2. Peace of Mind: I love my kids more than they will ever know but in a household of three girls the mornings are the only time in my life when things are quiet. This allows me intense focus with no distractions.

3. Read: Lately I have been on a quest for knowledge. Whether its biographies, business, self-help, motivation, physiology...it really doesn't matter as when you truly open yourself to learning you will be amazed at how thirsty you become for it. I use to maybe only read a book a month but now I am getting about 2 a week.

4. Meditation: This is absolutely new to me. I have read all the research and positive effects but never thought I could apply it to my crazy mind. I always thought you had to be completely clear of all thoughts. I was 100% wrong in that assumption as I have found out. I take about 10-15 minutes each morning to breath, clear the mind, bring thoughts back in, analyze them, think of worst outcomes of the day and how I would react and most important this is a time that I reflected on how grateful I am to have another day.

5. Exercise: When my wife is in town and more on the weekends I LOVE to get out the door at 5AM. This has been my traditional form of meditation over the years as its usually me, my thoughts, nature and a world that is quiet and at peace. Morning exercise also sets the tone for a productive, goal accomplished day.

6. 5 Minute Journal: I have been participating in this ritual for about a month now. It entails 5 minutes of writing in the morning focusing on what your grateful for and what would make the day great and the evenings writing focus is on what made the day grate and what I could have done to improve. I have found this simple exercise absolutely amazing at waking one's self up to your actions of the day. Are you following your own personal philosophy or letting others ideas form your actions.

7. Breakfast: Anyone that knows me knows that I am known for my EPIC breakfast meals. It has always been so important to me to start the day with brain food. Food that helps support my growth both physically from activity but also setting the tone for mental fitness.

8. Goal Setting: The problem with goals is that we always set out at the beginning of the year with these grand goals. I think that this is incredible but the fault comes into what are you doing day to day to support those goals. My morning routine allows me to focus more on the process. Am I planting the seeds daily that are needed for continued growth of those goals or have I unconsciously given up so action is needed to re-invest in myself.

9. Avoiding Panic: Remember the last time you woke up late? You then proceeded to rush around getting ready, skipping breakfast, drove aggressively to work and the rest of your day continued to crumble into pieces. Now contrast this to the opposite...you woke up on time, took time getting ready, mediated, ate breakfast, was able to listen to your favorite podcast on your way to work and not only had a great day but you were productive, team player and a success at work.

10. Maximize Life: This one basically means that you are setting the building blocks in place for success. That you understand the value in investing time into yourself and your actions. That with a somewhat concrete morning routine you are MAKING IT COUNT!!!!

Have a blessed day and enjoy your weekend.

Choice

I recently had a small health scare that not only made me worry about my own well being but also the well being of my kids, wife, my legacy in this world, those around me suffering from disease (whether mental or physical) and those family/friends that are not close geographically to me any more thus not catching up as much.

What came out of the the scare though was a desire to be better and to improve myself daily thus always waking up with the intention of being 1% better than the day before and not going backwards. To not stress over the past and not look forward to what might be but instead to focus on the present in order to LIVE. I have taken many measures over the past week to ensure that my psychological and physical state are in line with the direction that I was to go in life. Some of these changes I will be sharing over time and many of them I am super excited about sharing. 

The big thing that I have neglected over the past year has been taking care of myself. I have always been focused on taking care of those in my environment thus not leaving time to better myself. Most of this came to the forefront with a conversation with my wife recently which really opened my eyes that if I don't take care of myself then how can I really ever truly take care of those around me.

Now back to the title of this blog...CHOICE. During the month of January I really stepped back from most social media and  various other time busts. I needed to reinforce who I am and my beliefs. During this trek I read alot almost completing 2-3 books a week and I also talked to various personalities.  One thing is consistent - you and only you are in charge of your next actions. Everything is based upon how you choose to live. From the entrepreneur who loves the challenge of building a business, to the individual who dealt with a health issue to my daughter who sees a kid getting bullied and decides to step in and protect. Each  individual decided that instead of waiting for things to happen, responding in a negative energy fashion or letting life run over them that they would take action and CHOOSE to live a more fulfilled life.  The power to CHOOSE is YOURS!!!

In January I not only started reading books on motivation, inspiration, success, failure and the drive to be better but I started to meditate.  I also write in a journal daily, develop a "power hour" that sets the tone for the day, also write a Thank You card a day to various influencers in my life.   I exercise less but with purpose (thus seeing results beyond my previous 15 years of running/triathlon), developing goals (small and BIG) which will push me but reward will be immense and finally enjoy every second I get to spend with those I love.

One of my goals is to write a blog post every Tuesday and Friday. My goal is to inspire one or millions.

As always remember to Make It Count!!!!!