Fergie: A happenstance nickname given out of a gross mispronunciation of my last name many years ago.....
It helps remind me not to take things too seriously as I write on a variety of topics for fun, inspiration and whatever purpose I can muster.
It used to be that I was all about the TEAM. You know the drill... "there is no I in team", "it's not about you" that sort of thing. I was reminded that sometimes I is more important than WE!
I guess working in the corporate construct for so long I found that a team can accomplish more than an individual, which I still believe to be true. What began to slip away was a personal connection to what I was doing. It became easy to let the team be sole focus and not my personal conviction, my personal commitment, my story.
I spend most of my time working for The Global Orphan Project and last night I was representing the organization at an event. I found myself saying "we" and "us" a lot, which given the circumstances was appropriate.
However, what I noticed was the moment I began to tell how "I" got involved and why "I" was passionate about the organization, it much easier to connect the people there to the story. It reminded me that sometimes personal reasons are more important than why "we" think you should listen.
Teams and unity is a must no matter what business you are in, but the importance of why "YOU" are there cannot be ignored. Sharing that story is how and why others will connect to your passion and your organization.
I am amazed. No, more than that I am inspired and in awe of two fantastic people who nearly a month ago quickly overcame a surprise in their life, gained unique perspective and have a sense of love that is quite literally glowing around them.
Two close friends were overjoyed a month ago to be their first child. I watched them plan, heard about all the preparations, the diet (we had to forgo our weekly sushi nights), the new habits that would be important the day their baby arrived. They knew a little girl was on the way, they had no idea how special she would really be.
A little girl they were expecting, a little girl with Down Syndrome they were not. It really isn't in me how to relate to that, with no children myself I can only imagine what they must have felt. Fear, uncertainty, perhaps even a little anger? I would have given them all of these emotions for months but what has happened is the amazing part...without dwelling on the challenges that they were facing these two rallied together around their little girl.
They grabbed onto the understanding that they were uniquely chosen for her and her for them. Their perspective changed in what seemed like an instant. They were calm, resolved and determined to do the best job they could. They had a real peace, the kind that only comes from God.
That peace translated into a love that shines like high beam headlights pouring out them both. They are talking to God in new ways, they are focused on nothing else but loving their little girl and ensuring that they know how to take care of her and all of her needs. Mostly they are loving each other and anyone in their path right now....its plain to see, you can't help but smile when you talk to them, see them or really think of them.
It occurred to me that I don't get to witness a lot of miracles. It's not everyday the water turns to wine and blind men are healed in front of you, etc...but somehow seeing this story unfold, the transformation from concern to care, from challenge to perspective, from adversity to love...was truly amazing. I feel like I am forever a part of all three of their lives simply for having witnessed it.
To my friends....keep loving, you know you were uniquely chosen!
I grew up around music; my mother was a fantastic singer, my grandfather taught music at a local college and taught voice lessons (later to me). I even thought one day maybe that's what I would do with my life (initially went to college on a vocal scholarship). For me its a hobby, which is why I respect those who have the talent and gumption to make it their work! I mean what better way to make a living than by doing what you love.
Kyle Blake, loves what he does....all you have to do is take a listen to him (I always prefer live) and you know it, instantly. I had a chance to hear him recently in downtown KC, where he preformed for Twestival an event raising awareness and money for Charity: Water.
Young, energetic...just his start, but what a cool sound and voice. If you are a fan of acoustic singer/songwriter types who like to mix it up by throwing in an occasional "white boy rap" take a listen. Some great catchy love tunes, and now you can catch this local KC kid with is self recorded debut album "Holding Doors & Pulling Out Chairs" on iTunes!
Today like a of days did not include a great deal of TV watching, however while at the gym I was catching up on some Sports Center (instead of watching Obama, still not sure why I chose SC). Dominating the news was Alex Rodriguez (A-Rod) admitting he knowingly used banned substances during a specific period (3 seasons) while at the Texas Rangers.
A few choice quotes from the interview (mind you these are "rough" quotes not exact):
"I was very naive"
"I was very stupid"
"Yes I knowingly used a banned substance"
"I just want to turn the page and get back to playing the best baseball I can"
There are several things wrong with this picture; one, how do you "turn the page" when you admit breaking the rules?? Two, at this point there are no planned consequences for his cheating. Underlying all this is the aspect that the cheating was discovered by an anonymous test that turned out to not be too anonymous!
Normally the only sport I get lathered up about is College Football (Notre Dame, most importantly), but this story has been brewing for some time. It sets an example, do you have integrity or not. Seems to me admitting guilt is far easier when there are ZERO known consequences. Sacrifice and repercussions seem appropriate given that rules were broken, lies told and overall cheating engaged in for years.
Where I come from, honesty meant perhaps less of a "sentence" but didn't mean you got out of trouble just by owning up to doing wrong. Kudos to Alex for his honesty, but there are consequences for our choices in life, we can't get out of jail free just by telling the truth.
Imagine if you will, what it would be like to spend 50-70 hours per week; planning, teaching, struggling, being studied, being judged by the public, parents, administrators and anyone else with an opinion all while trying to educate a class full of different learning levels. Compound those challenges with behavioral and mental disabled kids vying for your and their classmates attention. While you're at it go ahead and throw in an added issue of being underfunded for some basic classroom needs and you will find many of our public educators.
My family is full of them; undervalued, misunderstood, under payed and in many cases they are springing for things they need in the classroom out of their extremely light pocketbooks. Yes beleive it or not our public school systems do have talented, thoughtful and imaginative individuals. But they need some help and support!
Enter: DonorsChoose.org a group that lets teachers post what they need (but have no budget for) and you and I get to choose what we want to help provide by funding all or part of what the project they post!
Sound cool? It gets better, you and I (the donors) get a tax break, the teacher and students get what they need. In my book, that is a winning combination. Charles Best, the founder of DonorsChoose.org received several awards for his cool new concept. And hey any non-profit who can get Stephen Colbert (yes from The Colbert Report) on their board of directors, has to be cool!
Kudos to Charles and crew for helping those like many of my family spending 50-70 hours, for little money in less than perfect conditions making a real difference in the lives of so many. So head out there and sponsor a project or two, trust me giving to these individuals who give so much will feel great!
We grow up, we move, we buy houses and dogs we get jobs and yet somehow we are all still never that far away from those people we knew when we were kids....new connections lead to an old friend and sometimes and old connection helps us out when we least expect it.
Yesterday I was early to a meeting so while checking Facebook mobile I noticed a post from one of my closest friends that his German Sheppard, Moxie, has been lost since the early AM hours. So I send a text to see how they (him and his wife) were doing. Since I no longer live in the same town I can only offer moral support, and I figured they (as typical "animal parents") were freaking out.
They had already been searching for several hours and were pretty worried at this point. In fact they had started canvasing with fliers and posting wherever people would let them. Facebook posts, fliers, driving around the neighborhood....I could almost feel the strain and yet I can't imagine the worry. Losing something you love is painful.
So running low on fliers my friends wife posts one lone flier on one side of a gas station pump (stay with me, here is the fun part)...a woman running low on gas happens to use that ONE pump an hour or so later....it just HAPPENS to be an old grade school classmate of my friend...it just HAPPENS that she had seen a German Sheppard a few hours before....she recognizes my friends name and calls the number....Gives them a general area to look.
It just HAPPENS that this woman lives close to my friend (neither of them knew that), and now that they have an area to search in they have a new hope.....so the search continues... A group of men are working on a house there and HAPPEN to have seen the dog, another sighting....more hope and now as I am hearing the story I can almost taste the anticipation.
Whistling and walking my friend and his wife hit a dirt road with an open field and in what I can only imaging is a movie like reunion.....Moxie, the lost German Sheppard, comes racing out of the field to meet her grateful parents!
When we grow up we move, we get jobs and dogs and tend to forget those we left in our past, when you think that you may never see someone you went to grade school again and you dismiss them...remember Moxie. You really never know when or how your connections will come to your aid or when a simple phone call you make could help someone out in such a big way. You just never know what will HAPPEN!!
A good friend of mine introduced me to a very cool company doing a fairly unique thing....giving back as PART of their business! Lots of organizations have become altruistic in some sense and nearly all want to look like they are doing something for the betterment of the world but its unique to see one that is simply incorporating that into how they do business.
Toms Shoes is doing exactly that. When you buy anything from them they give a pair of shoes to a child in need. Think about how simple that is, buy a pair...and they give a pair! Even though they have only been in business since May of 2006 they gave away 200,000 pairs of shoes to kids in need in 2008!
I love to see companies like Toms Shoes, doing so much for so many by making it part of their everyday business.
This organization is not one of those trying to look like its doing something, it really is creating real change for kids all around the globe, my hats off to Tom!
Not too long ago I felt like the first one to the office was going to be the most respected. So the morning routine would be fairly rushed; get up as early as possible (as a night owl that means not much sleep), get ready as quickly as possible and get to work (usually by 7am)....yes as quickly as possible. I have heard it said that starting your day off on the "right foot" was critical to being happy, never gave it much thought though. But I was already happy....wasn't I?!
If you noticed there was a pretty large void in my routine , there was no conversation, no breakfast of any kind, no devotion time, no newspaper or book, no news ingested by any method, nothing really of any significance or more importantly no thought of mental or physical health. But I was climbing the corporate ladder....wasn't I?!
Fast forward.... new routine; a small workout (push ups, leg lifts, crunches) as soon as the covers are off, prayer time or devotion (most mornings) followed shortly by healthy breakfast and some news (web or mobile mostly). Still a little shy on morning conversation but I assume that will be cured when someone is around for me to converse with. I still manage to be working in whatever capacity most days before many people have even grabbed their morning Starbucks!
All I can offer is the old adage of starting your day off on the "right foot" could not be more true! The morning is where the tempo is set, your energy and focus have a hard time catching up if you aren't getting them stretched out in the AM.
A dreamer, A passionate advocate, A music lover, A bbq sauce company owner
A sales guy, An ex corporate climber, A marketing amateur, A Christian, An adventure junkie, A reader
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