Category: Why?

Same good and bad challenges 100 years apart?

Odds are great the vibe was the same extraordinarily high level of excitement in 1914, a century apart from today.

 

1914 concrete bench at University of Iowa

 

University of Iowa Homecoming 2014 sign

 

(photo top: Yesterday morning’s running route. Bottom: Flyer on the ground while running on campus.)

Not much changes in the human psyche. Why aren’t all our days extraordinary?

The vibe around homecoming is several levels higher than the karma around other fall weekends.

Why?

We all know why.

The bigger question is why do we not treat each weekend as this special?

Then convert this thinking to our daily living.

Asking why and why not is transformational.

Why are some days extraordinary?

Why are’t all our days extraordinary?

But it requires time.

Yeah, there’s always a catch.

Next Blog

RIP Cooper (July 14, 2014)

Note: Today is July 15, 2014… deleted the original post scheduled for today (the one written 100 days ago) and wrote this one yesterday, July 14.

 

Emergency Vet consent form

 

(photo: 7am Sunday, July 13, 2014, Estero, Florida)

Forty-eight hours ago we arrived at the Sanibel Island beachfront cottage. Annual Summer tradition officially begun. A 25-year old tradition.

Forty hours ago, felt two peach sized lumps – one on each side of Cooper’s throat.

Googled Sanibel emergency Vets.

It was 10pm Saturday night. We are four hours from Orlando.

Found and called the closest option.

Other than some drooling during the day we arrived Cooper had not demonstrating anything unusual.

Thirty-two hours ago Cooper and I drove an hour to arrive Sunday morning at 7am.

His blood work showed virtually all his white blood cells were gone.

The next 26 hours were focused on three things. Breaking his 105.5 fever. Antibiotics. IV fluids.

His fever never broke.

Six hours ago, Cooper stopped breathing and was immediately intubated.

Moments later his heart stopped.

Next Blog

A whole new world

Indiana corn fields near harvest time
This is not Disney’s Magic Kingdom, yet it is still Magical.

 

Living and working at the Walt Disney World Resort was a dream that became a reality 30 years ago. But the phone rang 15 years ago and an opportunity was offered, to become a professional speaker, something never, ever pursued, nor desired.

Have spoken to one million people since then. And every morning, like right now, it is the same challenge. How do you convince others who live in an obviously different world, that it is all the same?

Next Blog

 

Should we do what we do as if our life depends on it?

iWork for iCloud Beta screenshot
Apple is better than anyone at making things – “it just works”.

 

Do we know what we do best? No, really, do we know deep down what lights our fire?

Watching this Ken Robinson TED talk, it hit me less than half way into his topic (education). The educational system is only as good as the teachers.

(Duh. But alas, knowing and doing are two polar opposites. And therein lies opportunity)

And the best teachers are not there to deliver content only, the best teachers:

  • stimulate, provoke, challenge
  • ask, facilitate, inspire
  • incite, encourage, excite

And what I’m adding, is that they teach as though their life depended on it.

Next Blog

 

We, the ‘healthy’ living have no context to motivate us to live as if time is limited

Daisies
The ultimate sophistication is simplicity, nature, and living well.

 

Epiphany just now: We, the ‘healthy’ living have no context to motivate us to live as if time is limited.

Only those seriously ill or injured, terminally ill, or fighting for their life, can possibly know for real the measure of a day.

What prompted this was Helen Keller:

So much has been given to me, I have no time to ponder over that which has been denied.

Anyone else wanna live like that?

Life has something wonderful in store if we don’t quit.

Next Blog