Making your Mark: Blue Streaks

This evening I read a devotional about a young boy that received a bike for his 10th birthday.  It was a blue dirt bike with a banana seat and bright blue tires.  This young boy became the envy of the neighborhood with his awesome new bike.  All of the other boys could leave black streaks across the sidewalk, but this young boy could leave his mark with thick blue streaks.  The point of this story is that we all have opportunities to leave our mark on the people we come in contact with.  This past week I have been reminded of how important it is to make a mark on our children.  We must provide guidance, love, discipline, freedom to grow, and support.  We must also leave a positive mark on every relationship that we encounter on a daily basis.  For me this is impacting students and athletes that are growing and maturing into young adults.  Wow!  What an opportunity that I have to influence.  Also what a challenge!  This past weekend I ran into a former student that is now a coach and teacher.  Our conversation about life, family, and coaching showed me that I had left a mark on his life.  This is a very rewarding feeling.  Having these experiences reminds me that I have a huge responsibility to influence in a positive way everyday.  I hope that you are able to leave a positive mark on your family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and all those you come in contact.  Our marks may not be as visible and short lived as the blue streaks of a bicycle, but they may have an impact of a lifetime!  

Make Your Experience Team Oriented

This week I have spent time reading the book Winning Everyday by Lou Holtz. I have enjoyed reading his philosophy on being successful. It has brought to my attention the amount of influence that we have on other people on a daily basis. We have influence with the words we speak. We have influence with the words we type in an e-mail, in a blog, in a tweet, in a post, etc. Unfortunately we live in a ME world. The joy of reading Coach Holtz's book has been the focus on doing right, having a vision, and sharing in the spotlight. Which means that to be successful in life we must be team players. Whether this is with your family, with your co-workers, with your sports team, with your facebook group, with your class at school, or with the twitter chat group- we must learn to bring a positive influence to the people we come in contact. One of the most successful teams that I have ever been associated with was the 1992 State Runner-Up Baseball Team that I played on my junior year in high school. That team established a routine and developed a true togetherness as the season went along. That experience has left me with lifelong friendships and memories that will never go away. Winning the Semi-State in Richmond, playing at the Old Bush Stadium in Indianapolis, and experiencing the excitement of the community was priceless. The reason that I share this story is because we had a vision of the great things that could happen. We talked about it and we believed that we could do it. This is an ingredient to making your life limitless. Great things can happen when you are a part of a true team. People that trust one another, that care about one another, and that are committed to making things the best that they can be. As Coach Holtz says, "Life is a Team Experience." Once you buy in to that you won't feel so alone, and you will experience life with exponential excitement!

No Man is an Island

Yesterday was a beautiful spring day..the sun was shining, the flowers were blooming, and everyone was excited to be outside. We decided to take the family to Eagle Creek Park to walk the trails around the lake.

As we walked the trails we got some good exercise and family time. We saw an owl, we saw people in canoes, we saw people fishing and jogging, we saw a tree that laying on its side had a trunk that was more than 6 feet tall.

As we continued to walk I was snapping some pictures by the lake and came across this view.

It reminded me of a quote that my high school basketball coach shared with us- "No Man is an Island". What is the meaning of this? To me this quote indicates that we are smaller than we think we are...each day our plate of chores and tasks may seem overwhelming...that is why we must surround ourselves with things that are bigger than us! I believe that we must have Faith in God...we must surround ourselves with people that are gentle and humble...we must give focus to the things that are lasting! We all have great challenges ahead of us and we can't accomplish them alone.

Have a GREAT WEEK!

The Narrow Road

As I sift through the meaning of life, spirituality, success, relationships, leadership, and failure it is brought to my attention that our daily experiences shape our growth or lack of growth. Our approach is influenced by the people that we associate, the environment that we place ourselves, and the attitude that we take on each and everyday. This past week was challenging for me because my kids were on Spring Break, and I had to go back to school. My attitude and approach at the start of the week was not the greatest. It is amazing how one little event, experience, word, or action can influence our approach so easily.

These small influences can make the difference between success and failure; a relationship working or not working; a teaching going well or being chaos; a workout rejuvenating you or pulling you down; a day being good or great; a player making a shot or missing; a student completing their work or not completing their work; etc. It also reminds me that the road we travel can be wide or it can be narrow. I can remember traveling to Maui with Heather on our honeymoon and taking the Road to Hana in our rental car. For those of you not familiar with the Road to Hana- it is a long, narrow, winding road along the shores of Maui. There are beautiful views that are exhilarating and awesome. However, the cliffs and the narrowing of the road to one lane can make you feel anxious and afraid. At the end of the road is a parking area in which you can get out of your car and walk through the forest to an unbelievably high waterfall. It is one of the neatest experiences that I have had in my life. My point in sharing this story is that the road to excitement was narrow and hard. Each day we have that choice. Are you going to take the wide road that makes it easy and comfortable? or Are you going to take the narrow road and challenge yourself? The most memorable things in my life have come from taking the narrow path. There are no shortcuts to the Beautiful Waterfalls, spiritual growth, success, and great friendships. Challenge yourself to do something GREAT!

The Top 10 Things I Would Like All Students To Understand

10. That What You Do Now Will Affect Your Future. 9. That It Is Better To Let Your Actions Do The Talking- Be HUMBLE! 8. Whining And Complaining Will Not Get You Anywhere. 7. It Is Valuable To Know How To Be Instructed Or Coached. 6. Responsibility Is Important- You Must Learn To Meet Deadlines.

5. Your Previous Knowledge Gives You A Starting Point. 4. Response To A Situation Speaks Loudly About Who You Are. 3. Do Your Work To The Best Of Your Ability. 2. Don't Be On Time- Be Early. 1. Show Up And Give Your Best Effort!