Stronger in 2011!

In trying to come up with a catchy motto that would motivate me going into the New Year, I’m faced with the same challenge my West Point class had in coming up with a class motto. Nothing really catchy rhymes with 7 or 11. So we decided on “Our Country We Strengthen”. I love that motto! So for 2011, strengthen will be my battle cry. My relationship with my wife I strengthen, my relationships with my children I strengthen, my friendships I strengthen, my personal brand I strengthen, and my relationship with my Maker I strengthen.

I hope that 2011 is an awesome year for you all!

Mobile Shout Out 12/18: thanking the Good Lord for safe travel, our Hoosier is home!!

In It to Win It!

When I woke this morning, the phrase “in it, to win it” popped into my head. I’m not exactly sure why. Maybe my brain was telling my body the reason it was up so early again? LOL I’m definitely in it to win it. So I started thinking about what my “its” were.

My Its:

The love, respect, and admiration of my awesome wife.

The love, respect, and admiration of my incredible children.

The hearts and respect of my friends and family.

The respect of my professional peers and co-workers.

The victory in those little things that can add up to be big, like: deciding to praise instead of berate, offering a smile and a word of encouragement instead of a frown and a dig, choosing to meet someone else’s need instead of chasing selfish gain, and finishing that project I started – no matter how big or small – before moving on to the next one.

I never want to take any of those for granted. So each day I do the little things to put myself in a position to win them over and over again. I’m it to win it!!

The 12th Man is Here!!!!

Just letting the Army Team know that on Saturday, the 12th Man will be in the house to do whatever we can to assist in the dismantling of the Navy Team. Not only will the 12th Man be present in the stadium in Philly but will be tuning in from every corner of the world!!

So to the Army Team I say: "The 12th Man is Here!!! Go Army, Beat Navy!!!!!

That is all....

Beat Navy!

I went to my first Army-Navy football game in 1983. It was very memorable for two reasons: 1) it was my first and 2) it was played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena! The Army team didn't come out victorious that day - on the scoreboard anyway - but this is the cool thing about this contest. The teams will play their hearts out for 60 minutes trying to kill each other on the field. When it's all said and done, they will pay respects to each other's Alma Maters and once again become brothers in arms. It's an incredible tradition to behold.

Army and Navy square off again on Saturday and I get just excited today as I did back in 1983.

Go Army, Beat Navy!!!

Mobile Shout Out Dec 4th 2010: Huge championship weekend in college football. You can be a champion this weekend to someone in your life that matters.

Try Again

The Wii Golf game has a training section. Yes I ‘practice’ Wii Golf – What?! LOL ANYWAY, if you miss a putt in the putting training section a voice tells you to “try again”. It’s not necessarily a super encouraging voice, but it makes me feel better to know that I have another crack at it and that someone cares enough to let me know to try again. There is something very renewing to me when I know that I have another chance to try at something that didn’t go well or that I even failed.

Don’t let the events of yesterday or today ruin your tomorrow! Mary Anne Radmacher said “courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow’.”

So be courageous in the face of your trouble! Although tomorrow is not promised, if it does come, TRY AGAIN!

Mobile Shout Out, Dec 3 2010: Happy it is Friday! But I am happy every day that I get a chance to live, love, and laugh! Lets GO, Happy Friday!!!

Wind-assisted!

My thoughts lately seem to have a lot to do with needing help and relying on other people (LOL). Not quite sure what is up with that! Well on second thought if you ask the folks that are close to me, they’d probably tell you I need a lot of help. Anyway, here we go again! I’ve always known that sprinting records (like the 100m dash) are only counted if they are not wind-assisted times. But I found out recently that there is actually a metric. A maximum tail wind of 2 m/s is allowed for a 100-meter race to be considered eligible for a record. So I guess a wind of 2.1 m/s or higher and it’s no record today! That doesn’t seem like very much wind to me but I guess there has to be a cut-off somewhere.

Thank goodness that in life there are no ‘tail wind maximums’. In fact as I run the race of life, I’m looking for as much tail wind as I can get. For me my tail winds are those things that I value, those things that motivate me, those things that I am passionate about, those things that I love, and my Maker above who provides plenty of tail wind when I need it. My tail winds are family, friends, music, laughing, seeing the fruits of my labor, giving something my all no matter who gets the credit and even if no one is watching or keeping score, having a positive impact on someone’s day, and making someone smile whether they want to or not. A tail wind for me can be something as simple as an encouraging word, a pat on the back, a word or gesture of appreciation. It can also be something as large as someone standing in the gap - see Monday’s post :) - for me and helping me through a major endeavor.

Those are my tail winds and they assist me in my race, help me win (or at least do my best), and get me ready to lace ‘um up for the next event. I would encourage you to identify your tail winds and get that 'wind assist' whenever you can!