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!!!