DEAR TIMOTHY

Dear Timothy,

There are some things that have come up recently that have me wanting to write this letter to you.

I know you are young and if you were to see how seasoned I am, at your age, you would think that I'm old and out of touch.  Let me assure you, the things that I want to communicate to you, will pay off BIG time for you as you continue on through your life's journey.

Timbo, you are at a pivotal time in your life.  And although I can't turn back the clock to help you avoid some mistakes, pitfalls, choices and such (as I realize that each and everyone of the mistakes, pitfalls, choices and such, are what make up who you will become), I want to bestow some wisdom that my 54 years have brought me.

FIRST, don't sweat the small things.  Now, I know that it's tough to distinguish what is small verses what is BIG.  Emotionally, it all looks BIG.  Use this as your measure:  If it has anything to do with ANYTHING other than your family, it's small.

Next, pay more attention in school.  I know there will be subjects you either don't necessarily like or you don't understand as well, even in those situations, you can learn.  And while on the subject of learning, READ more!  Not just things about sports or....well sports, but broaden your thinking on subjects and people you don't know about.  You are going to hear this (and will say it over and over again) but READERS ARE LEADERS.

Right now, a BIG part of your thought process revolves solely around YOU.  What's in it for YOU?  How do YOU look to others (by the way, the hair, don't spend much time on it...trust me on this one)?  When you are facing decisions, BIG or small, think about the outcome that this choice will have on those around you.  Your classmates, friends, family and so on.

GO.TO.COLLEGE!  There isn't anything else to say.  FIND A WAY AND DO IT!  Not just for the diploma (that would be nice) but for the life experience that you will gain.

TAKE RISK.  Go ahead and skateboard down Ave. F on a circa 1976 skateboard.  RUSH BRIDGE...yep, do that again and again.  Don't let your size, or whatever, limit you from going after your dreams.  I know it can be risky, but JUMP!  

In about 25 years, you are going to have an opportunity to talk to someone close to you and you will tell them to "leave it all on the field" so that they will not have ANY regrets when they are older.  Yep, you'll most likely have some regrets...but I guarantee you, you'll learn from them and be able to share with others about overcoming obstacles!

Take care of yourself, physically, mentally and spiritually.  

As you get older, you and others will have a tendency to be "CHASING THE SUN."  Relax. Life is not about ALL that you can conquer...in business or relationships.  Be intentional but also know that you have others that are looking to you...not to just provide for their physical needs but also their relational needs....which is far more important and richer.

Be kind to everyone.  You don't know what they are going through at any given time. Those you know right now, there will be a day when life is cut short for them.  

Get to know others intently.  Ask about their story and listen to what they have to say.  There is so much you can learn from them, because LIFE isn't JUST about you.  Get to know them and be a friend...at all times! 

Tim, so much more I can say but I'm going to leave it for now.  

Oh, that girl who moved from Holdrege to Kearney when you were in 8th grade, treat her kindly.  She's going to be by your side for a LONG time...in good times and not so good times.  She will be taking care of you; holding you when things don't go so good; holding you when things go great.  She'll be your ALL AROUND CHEERLEADER....even when you blow it, she'll be there to pick you up and let you know that she believes in you.

Live your life to the full....NO REGRETS!

Sincerely,

Tim

WHAT IF

Have you ever played the "WHAT IF" game?

I'm sure you've at least considered it.

In the "WHAT IF" game, you come up with different scenarios about almost anything in life.

• WHAT IF I didn't shave for a year?
• WHAT IF I didn't use shampoo for a month? (this one doesn't pertain to me!)
• WHAT IF I got serious about my degree?
• WHAT IF I DID lose those 10 pounds?
• WHAT IF....WHAT IF....WHAT IF.....

As you can see, you can play this game in your mind forever.

But, WHAT IF you did something really radical?

WHAT IF you put action to it and did some little experiments on your WHAT IFs?

I think my "don't shave for a year" might be a bit radical...but hey, it's your WHAT IF!

Here are a few rules:

1. WHAT IFs are all experiments.  They are fun.  Nothing about the outcome is a very big deal.  It's fun to play.
2. This is your WHAT IFs, and it really doesn't matter what other people think about your experiments you are running.
3.  If you don't like the outcomes after a few trial runs, adjust or move on.  I would suggest keeping your WHAT IFs to a maximum of 90 days...but stick with it!
4. REMEMBER, if you play this game truthfully, what ever the outcome is, success or failure...YOU STILL WIN because you learned something new about your life.

So take some time and identify something that is causing your pain (health; weight; relationship; etc) or discomfort (anger; being critical of others; etc) or something else, and ask yourself, "WHAT IF I did ___________.  How would my life be different?"

Next, put a plan together that you can control for your experiment and START!

So, be bold and have at it!

Let's make 2020 your BEST YEAR YET!

TODAY

TODAY!

You might have hear it said, "Yesterday is history....Tomorrow is as mystery...TODAY is a gift, that is why it is called the PRESENT!

What did you do (or what will you do) that made an IMPACT.....TODAY?

For yourself.

For others.

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others."

When you lay your head on your pillow tonight, ask yourself, "Did I win today, or did I lose?" The criteria you choose to measure your "Win or Lose" is YOURS...but to maximize TODAY'S entry in your BEST YEAR YET, you need to keep score.

I.LOVE.TODAY!  

There is so much promise at the start of each day....even MONDAYS!

I can learn a new language.
I can learn a new skill.
I can start a new healthy lifestyle.
I can continue my healthy lifestyle.
I can make a new friend.
I can make my bed.
I can LIVE like it is the BEST day of my life.
I can tell my family I love them.
I CAN CHOOSE TO HAVE THIS BE THE BEST DAY OF MY BEST YEAR YET!

It comes down to CHOICE.  

I can CHOOSE how I'm going to spend this GIFT of 24 hours that has been given to me.

Think about those who know their days are limited due to an illness.  What they wouldn't give for one more 24 hour cycle that we (includes ME) take for granted.

So, embrace TODAY.  Go out and make an IMPACT and leave a mark on this day!

TODAY IS YOUR DAY!

FOLLOW THE LEADER

Most likely, as you were growing up, you played the game "FOLLOW THE LEADER."

For the young ones out there, this was not a PS 1-2-3-or 4, X-box, Wii or any other video game.

We would go out, as a group, and take turns being the LEADER as the rest would follow. Whatever the LEADER did, we would do as well.

It was FUN.

It was full of ADVENTURE.

Today, I was reminded of this and asked myself the question, "WHO are you following?"

There's a verse in the Bible that speaks to this.  2 Corinthians 2:14 (Weymouth's Translation) says, "Now, thanks be to God who in Christ ever leads us in His triumphal procession...."

"...leads us in His triumphal procession..."  

Triumphs are FUN.  

Triumphs are full of ADVENTURE.

When you stop and think about it, is the "leader" you are following leading you down a path of TRIUMPH and/or SUCCESS, or is it a path of failure, sorrow and the like?

In your BEST YEAR YET, look to find LEADERS that:

• KNOW THE WAY
• GO THE WAY
• SHOW THE WAY

A true LEADER is ALWAYS out front, LEADING us in the TRIUMPHAL procession!

WHO ARE YOU FOLLOWING?

FIND A WAY

EXCUSES.

The late Business Motivational Speaker Jim Rohn once said, "If you really want to do something you'll find a way; if you don't, you'll find an excuse."

What are you "listening" to that is telling you to put something off; or you can't do it; or you're not good enough?

When I was in my 20's I was too young.
When I was in my 30's I didn't have enough experience.
When I was in my 40's why did I wait so long?
I'm now in my 50's and has it passed me up?

EXCUSES.

The BEST YEAR YET journey doesn't listen to EXCUSES. 

BEST YEAR YET journeys do as Mr. Rohn said and FIND A WAY....NOT and excuse.

You're NOT too young.
You're NOT too old.
Whatever age; position; gender; small; tall; thin; not as thin; WHATEVER you have on your heart to do.....DO IT!

The KEY:  START!

Coach Don Shula once said, "The thing that stops most people is the START."

What is it that YOU need to be purposeful about?  

Whatever it is, START!

It is time to FIND A WAY!

NO MORE EXCUSES!

HOPE

"Lord, never forget the promises You've made to me, for they are my 

hope and confidence." Psalms 119:49 [The Passion Translation]

hope

/hōp/

Learn to pronounce

noun

1. - a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen

Many times we define the word HOPE as "a wish."  It's strength is the strength of the person's desire.  No real substance behind it.

But HOPE is more than a wish.

The Bible's definition of HOPE is, "An ernest and confident expectation of what God has promised and its strength is in His faithfulness.

Although, according to 1 Corinthians 13:13, Love is the greatest, HOPE made what I call the BIG 3.  "Three things will last forever - faith, hope and love - and the greatest of these is love."

So where is your HOPE today?

Do you have HOPE as the Bible describes it?

Do you just wish or do you have a confident expectation of what God has promised?

Dig in and find out what the God of HOPE has for you today.

WHAT WILL YOU CHOOSE

"Life is a matter of choices, and every choice
you make, makes you."  John C. Maxwell

CHOICES.

We are faced with them everyday.

What to wear?  

What to eat?  

Where to go?  

What to spend? 

What to believe?

Life is a matter of choices....and EVERY choice you make, makes you!  We need to do our best to make the right ones....and ALWAYS do our best to learn from the wrong ones!

I heard a quote that said, "Sometimes I Win....Sometimes I Learn!"  Every choice we make, when we "OWN" it, will put us in one of those two categories....and it's what we do in it that counts.

CHOICES.

In the Bible, Deuteronomy 30:19 [NLT] says:
"Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life....."

Notice that, "....the CHOICE YOU MAKE."  

What will you CHOOSE? 

YOU decide.  

Your choice COULD mean your destiny. 

MAKE YOUR BED

"If you want to change the world - 
start off by making your bed."
William McRaven, US Navy Admiral (Ret.)

Each day I wake up around 5am.

Most days I get right to a work out.  Some days I have early morning meetings that prevent my work out until later in the day.  Even when that happens, I'm still up at 5am.

Today, as I got up, I was drinking a copy of coffee and got on to a closed Facebook group I am a part of.  It is health, fitness, wellness, inspirational related.  As I was looking at this morning's post, there was a link to an inspirational video by an influencer named Lewis Howes (click HERE to watch).

In it, he talks about intention and routine. Right at the front, he says the first thing he does....MAKES HIS BED!

This started me thinking about the WHY behind making your bed and if I could draw some significance to it...some leadership lesson.  

What is it about making your bed that leads to influence and success?

So, I GOOGLED, "why do you make your bed" and came up with some questions and answers on the health benefits, the mental benefits, and a few other things about making your bed.

BUT....then I saw a link to a video by US Navy Admiral (Ret.) William McRaven.  It was a video of the commencement speech he gave to the graduating class of 2014 from the University of Texas.

The slogan for UT says, "What starts here changes the world."

In his speech, he tells of 10 lessons he learned when he was going through Navy Seal Training.  10 lessons in life, that one can do, IF they want to change the world.

Right out of the gate, his number 1 lesson was: MAKE YOUR BED.

He said that making your bed is a simple task, mundane at best.  

But.....

"If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day.  It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another.  By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed.  Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter.  If you can't do the little things right, you will never do the big things right.

And, if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made - that you made - and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.

If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed."

I won't go into the other 9 lessons, but if you want to watch the full speech (and it is worth the watch), click HERE.

Don't bypass what looks like simple, mundane tasks in your day, because even the successful have found out that the reason they are successful is because they have developed the habits of doing things the unsuccessful are unwilling to do.

So, if you want to change the world, to start, MAKE YOUR BED!

NOTE: 

I don't usually make our bed, because most mornings when I get up, the CHEERLEADER is still in bed.  But after she wakes up, I have noticed one of the first things she does is MAKE THE BED!  She is a WORLD CHANGER!

To watch a quick 6 minute excerpt of the commencement speech that gives all 10 lessons, click HERE

CHANGE

"Be the CHANGE you want to see in the world."  Gandhi

WHO are you today?
WHO do you want to be tomorrow?
WHO are you wanting to impact?

WHAT do you want?
WHAT would you like your life to be like?
WHAT will it take to make it happen?

WHERE do you want to go?
WHERE is the "where" in your life?

WHEN do you want to do this?
WHEN is the "START" in this journey?

WHY do you want this?
WHY is this important to you?
WHY?

HOW will you make this happen?
HOW will this impact YOUR life?
HOW many times will you talk yourself out of doing something?

This BEST YEAR YET is written by YOU!

NOT IN A DAY

Welcome to Day 4 of 2020.

How are those "resolutions" coming along?

For some, they are still full steam ahead.  For others, they feel they have already blown it.

For those of the latter, you didn't get where you are in a day, so what makes you think you can reverse it in a day?

HABITS (good or bad) are developed DAILY.....NOT in a day! (for our discussion, we'll stick with good habits)

Your life today is essentially the sum of your HABITS.

Do you like how things are going today?

THEY say (whoever "they" are) that it takes at least 21 days to develop a habit. I'm no scientist or expert on HABITS, but I think it even takes more.

What I have learned about HABITS, in my own life is a 4 step process:

• DECIDE
• The first thing is that you have to make a decision of the change you want to make.  I have written about a time in my life, almost 11 years ago, where I made a decision that I wasn't going to die in my 50's by something I could control.  I made a decision to lose weight and get healthy.  Recently, I have had to remind myself of that promise and make some "course corrections."

• DISCIPLINE
• Giving up, whenever, is NOT the answer.  DISCIPLINE says "I'm all in!"
• If it hurts - GOOD
• If you're tired - GOOD
• If it's cold outside - GOOD
• If it's too hot - GOOD
• You can have results or excuses, just not both.  And DISCIPLINE counters the excuses

• HABIT
• You do the activity...the plan...long enough, it becomes a HABIT for you.  
• If you miss a day does that mean you have to go all the way back to START?  No, it just means you missed a day.  DON'T make that a HABIT!

• LIFESTYLE
• Doing your HABITS long enough will become your LIFESTYLE.  Choose what type of LIFESTYLE you want!

So, just because here on DAY 4, you ate a donut instead of a healthy choice for breakfast, don't throw in the towel on what you want to accomplish.

MAKE A DECISION

BE DISCIPLINED TO YOUR PLAN

BE CONSISTENT, EVERYDAY

ENJOY THE RESULTS FOR LIFE

2020 will be your BEST YEAR YET....if YOU want it to.  YOUR choice.

HOW WILL YOU BE REMEMBERED

I once work with this guy who's greatest fear was doing something stupid that would get captured on video and go viral on YouTube.

My recommendation:  DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID!

Easier said than done, right?

As we begin this new year.....this new decade, I thought about what WORD would I want to help define this year, this new beginning for me.

We look at the beginning of a new year...really the beginning of anything new and we see all the promise....all of the possibility that is in front of us.

We might not be able to change the past, but we can sure change the future, if we choose to.

Your past was an education, NOT a destination.

When coming up with my WORD, this quote by Dr. Seuss came to mind.

I have a choice, everyday on how I will act....how I will react....how I will be a friend...how I will encourage or (hopefully not) discourage.

My WORD for 2020?  IMPACT

I want that WORD to help guide my thoughts, actions, words, really everything that I set out to do.

But you know what?  It will be up to me to live this out and have an IMPACT a positive IMPACT on all of those in my life or even those I don't know but we cross paths.

"Today I shall behave as if this is the day I will be remembered."

How will you be remembered?

STILL STANDING

Welcome to 2020!

I got up this morning and after grabbing a cup of coffee, I opened up Facebook and right at the top was the "ON THIS DAY" post.

The beginning of each year, we have a 365 page book (this year, we have a bonus day or 366 days) with blank pages to write our story for this year.

When January 1, 2016 happened, we had NO idea what we were in for beginning that day in 2016.  

To say the last 4 years have been challenging, would be an understatement.  

I had just come off of my first BEST YEAR YET.  I ran the 2015 New York City Marathon just 2 months earlier.  I turned 50 shortly after the marathon.  And now, on January 1, 2016, I decided I would run 4 full marathons and I was ready to take it on!

I did run those 4 marathons in 2016, but I was also diagnosed with Prostate Cancer and had surgery to remove the cancer (which was successful).

Over the next couple of years, we experienced much Joy and equal amounts or more of pain.  

Relationships started.  Relationships ended.

New jobs.  Loss of jobs.

New family members born.  Some family members passed away.

Through it all, the CHEERLEADER’S words, "We are just going to be us." held true.

My armor took many shots....took on many arrows from the enemy.  

But...here we are, January 1, 2020 and STILL STANDING.

Still making a difference.

Still making an impact on others.

Here's to this new year.  Here's to making a decision to have your BEST YEAR YET.

Here's to STILL STANDING!