Shelter from the Storm

Times are uncertain. The corporate world gets more competitive every day, our personal lives are never simple and the world at large isn't hurling any compliments our way.

You ever feel like the harder you fight, the further you grow away from contentment?

Maybe you should consider what you are fighting for?

People are angry in the midst of the American political climate. Social Media is drowning in negativity. There are those who have strong opinions that they refuse to change and others who have decided to stick up for themselves.

Then, there are those who live by an ethos:

You're Not Going to Tell Me What to Do!!!!!!

If you wake up every day searching for information to help you win an argument... your day is going to suck!

If you are still mad about something that happened a year ago... you won't be happy until you let it go.

We all want to stand up for what we believe in. But, we have to consider our opponent and their degree of willingness to accept information from alternative angles.

Sometimes you have to give up on people.

Start Something That Matters
Blake Mycoskie (founder of TOMS) had a vision. Give away half of his profit. Well, not exactly, but for every pair of shoes he sold, a child in need was given a pair. People thought he was crazy!

Blake lived on a boat and sold shoes from his small warehouse. Over time, the movement caught on. His shoes are now distributed worldwide. With each shipment to a privileged poolside, another pair goes to a child who has never owned shoes.

The shoes aren't great...... but Blake's commitment, passion, hard work and unflappable mission made the company a cultural phenomenon.

When you care for something deeply, you'll do anything to make it work.

If you hate your job, you probably wouldn't be willing to give away half of your paycheck.
  
The Thing Worth More Than Money
I've never been driven by money because I always had some. Not an elegant statement but it is the truth. I always felt like I had a back up plan so I was always willing to try new things. I was no stranger to risk and pursuing new things was always a thrill.

I came to discover the willingness to try was half the battle.

When I was young, I was driven to succeed by reasons that were disingenuous. I wanted to succeed to move up the ladder, acquire a title, prove my worth, have something to brag about, have more to complain about, to be in the spot light.

I didn't know what I was fighting for.

I was swinging at ghosts.

As I've progressed through this life I have come to understand that there is something far more valuable than money:

Time

I talk to Executives who care not to chat about their business. They want to know about my kids, my life, the things that consume the time of a person in their forties.

If we live 80 years, we'll have 29,200 days on this earth. Might seem like a lot of time at first blush, but it rips past you.

You'll create lives, your friends will die and you'll come to understand that the subtle joy the sun on your face on a Tuesday Afternoon is about as good as it gets.

If you lost your job, you wouldn't make money and that would suck.... but, you'd figure out a new thing.

We Always Do..........

Time to Start Listening  
A lightening storm landed in the hills of Northern California with such rage that rugby practice was discontinued. I saw it coming so I showed up to find my son and his friends under a tree with their coaches.

"Dad.... Thank God" - that's what he said when he saw me. The little guy was scared and the only person who made him feel safe was me.... That's Pretty Fucking Awesome!

The thing that is on your mind right now that is bending you from your true motivation is likely curable and certainly less-important than giving your child shelter from the storm.

The loud mouths come and go. They boast and take up space and then you never see them again. They are not missed.

What if you vowed to become a person who people would miss when you are not around?

The privilege of people depending upon you is the greatest testament to a life well-lead.

There is still plenty of time.

Don't Forget to Remember,

Dave 

Better (For Now)

Each summer, I have the opportunity to teach a class to college students. After coaching baseball among 10 years old boys and days spent with professionals of various generations, being on campus is a pleasant change of pace.

Being a teacher, a coach and a consultant have their distinct challenges. All of the aforementioned encompass a certainty:

With each day you'll feel in equal parts empowered and helpless

 

It's difficult stepping out onto the ledge with the intention of helping others (which is why most don't dare try). Those who are leaders may make it look natural but they prepare, practice and learn from their mistakes.

Every day brings it's fair share of frustrations and subtle advancements. It takes a steady demeanor to deal with life's peaks and valleys. The older you get the more you grow to navigate disappointment while recognizing the small advancements that result from bold effort.

Politics, social media and the entitlement of the arrogant have a way of distracting us from our true mission:

To understand that the moments in-between are those that are ear-folded in life's memory book

 

So, you try to keep 10 year old boys from thinking about video games. You do your best to plant seeds in the minds of the college-aged. You deal with people of all ages, every day, who sometimes need help getting out of their own way.

With every valley a climb to another peak.

With every failure an experience from which to learn.

With every victory a chance to remember (for a fleeting moment) that everything is going to be OK.

 

Everything Is Going To Be OK

There is a brilliance in frustration that is driven by one's inability to tolerate incompetence. Successful people use frustration to format their action plan for change. Those who replicate failure do so on the lips of their complaints.      

There are days when you feel as though your volunteer effort is all for not. Then a subtle reminder lays down your burden.


.... and in these fleeting moments, you remember life's purpose


Don't Forget to Remember,


Dave