The Finish Line isn't the Only Part of the Race

I've spent the majority of my life concentrating on the finish line.  Yes, it's nice to have worthwhile goals.  Yes, it's important to pursue them with every ounce of your being.  What I'm discovering is how beautiful the journey to the finish line is.  Also, the finish line isn't really the end of the race.  It's only a chapter.  Once the race ends, it's time to work on another project.

Another flaw in my thinking has to do with how I pursue my goals.  My old school thinking was, "work on one goal at a time."  My new approach is to concentrate on a new goal while keeping all the other goals going, like spinning plates.  The hard part is getting that plate balanced and spinning.  Once it's in motion, it doesn't take much effort to keep it going so you can add a plate to your list of goals.

I'm sharing what my race course looks like in case you're having trouble visualizing what I'm talking about.  It's part golf course with sand traps and water hazards.  It's part cross country paths with mile markers to help me keep track of where I'm at.  It's part mountain hikes with numerous peaks and valleys.  There are tiny Farmer's Market stands along the way where natural foods are offered to keep my body going.  There are also some fun watering holes to gather with friends and hand out along the way.  My race course is designed to help me nurture my specific talents and gifts.  You can create your own to fit your own dreams.  What's important to know is that you need to keep moving forward at your own pace and you need to appreciate everything you experience along the way.  Enjoy it all, not just the finish line.  Have a great day.

Reward Yourself to Stay on Course

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to lose focus?  Maybe you're beating yourself up too much.  Your brain has trouble responding to negative influences.  I found a better way.  It's really simple.  Reward yourself.  Keep track of all the things you're doing right in your life.  That's one reason why I like charts.  I enjoy seeing progress.  Your brain is more apt to stay on course if you monitor your forward progress.  That's why stepping on a scale every morning increases your chances for losing weight.  Use a digital scale that shows your weight to the tenth of a pound.  When your brain sees you lost a couple of ounces and you give yourself an atta boy, you're more likely to keep making those positive food choices.

If you don't have an app on your phone that congratulates you every time you reach your desired number of steps, get one right now and see how your brain responds to the positive feedback.  You're getting the feedback you need to keep improving.  My app says things, like "you almost made it."  This is so encouraging and makes me want to walk more often to get my "atta boy."  Pick an area of your life you would like to improve and decide how you're going to reward yourself for daily improvements.  Let me know how you're doing.  Have a great day.

Aruba on a Budget

Maybe you're reading this story because you heard about Aruba but you're not sure you can fit it into your travel budget.  You're at the right place.  Everything you need to have a great vacation is right here.  Before you do anything else, get your passport.  Click here to get started.  It's also a good idea to have a credit card with no foreign transaction fees.  I carry a no annual fee card from Citi that also serves as a reward card and use my annual rewards certificate for additional vacation funds.

Don't worry about language barriers or foreign currency.  English is spoken and the US dollar is accepted on the island.  No need to worry about the water either, or the food.  I spent ten dollars on four bottles of water the first day I arrived and that turned out to be unnecessary.  The island is safe as long as you are cautious and keep your valuables locked up.

My wife and I stayed at Eagle Beach, the top-rated beach on the island and number three ranked beach in the world, according to Trip Advisor (2017).  We found La Quinta Beach Resort to be everything we needed.  The only challenge was the ongoing renovations and road construction.  We chose not to get a rental car.  It was easier to navigate on foot and everything we needed was in walking distance or accessible by bus.  We were the only travelers to take the local bus from the airport when we arrived.  A resident who was taking the bus home after her shift ended escorted us to the bus stop across the street from the airport and explained we would need to change buses at the terminal in order to get to Eagle Beach.  We paid 5.20 American for the two of us for the first bus and another 5.20 for two for the second bus.  Warning. If you travel with multiple bags, the driver may not let you board.  Keep in mind you don't need more than some shorts, shirts and a swimsuit.  Also, I highly recommend you travel with carry-on bags only to avoid delays getting through customs on your return trip home.  It also makes the bus rides possible.

There are two sets of hotels on the island, low rise, and high rise.  La Quinta is low rise with lower prices.  Call them direct, +297-527-5000, and ask about the rates.  Many people own timeshares there and are willing to rent them for what they pay in homeowner fees.  You can get a nice 1 bedroom place with an ocean view for the week for $843 plus tax.  The low rise is where you want to stay unless you prefer bigger crowds.  There are a couple of markets close by if you want to buy your own groceries and take advantage of all the major appliances that are equipped in your room.  Washers and dryers are also on the property.  We chose to eat most of our meals on the property.  Danny, our bartender/food server, also provided great entertainment at La Quinta including karaoke on Friday night.

A fun way to get around downtown is a free trolley.  It makes short stops along the way to give you time to pop in for snacks or quick purchases.

Okay, I saved the best for last.  When you're in Aruba, you must try beach tennis.  It's a combination of volleyball, badminton, and tennis all in one.  You play barefoot.  Paddles are provided for a five-dollar fee.  That's me in the photo above with my new friends, Yari from Venezuela, Guenter from Austria, and the local pro from Holland who let me try out the paddle for free to see if I would like playing beach tennis.  I'm hooked.  I returned on my last evening in Aruba, paid the rental fee for the paddle, and played a set of singles and doubles with some locals.  Danny, the pro who also teaches tennis at one of the high rise resorts, gave me some free pointers when I was done.  I'm definitely coming back for more.

The one negative part about Aruba is leaving.  Allow yourself four hours at the airport to get through the maze of lines.  It's necessary to go through everything twice.  This is a safety precaution as the US port of entry is actually on the island and you clear customs before you arrive back in the United States.

Here are a few words to know when you're in Aruba...
Bon Dia:  Good Morning
Bon Tardi:  Good Afternoon
Bon Nochi:  Good Night
Danki:  Thank you
Bon Bini:  Welcome
Dushi:  Dear One

Last but not least, "Te Oro."  See you soon.  Have a great day.

Mustard Seed Experience is Cherry on Top

Our vacation to Aruba ended with a cherry on top at the Mustard Seed in the Atlanta airport on our way home last evening.  All of the ingredients were present for something big to happen and I believe it did.  Jesus teaches us if we have faith the size of a mustard seed, we can move mountains.  Eli, our food server, told me he was watching us pray when we sat in the corner of the restaurant chatting with our new friend, Jackie.  She shared the miracle comeback story about her son, a professional baseball player with the Washington Nationals.  The more we shared, the more I realized it was another one of those God moments.  I'll share more about Aruba tomorrow.  For today, I would like to  elaborate more about the cherry on top.  I still have goosebumps from the encounter.

Jackie is one of those prayer warriors who believes in miracles.  Her son, Aaron Barrett, is walking, talking and living proof that miracles do happen.  Jackie gave us the Readers Digest version of the story while we were waiting for our food to arrive and it's a parent's worst nightmare.  Aaron underwent Tommy John surgery three years ago.  While on a rehab assignment, Aaron shattered his elbow on the mound.  The scene was so horrific that the team ordered the film to be forever banned from public view.  The doctors told Aaron he would never pitch again.  Jackie informed us last night that her son has already pitched 40 innings in the minors this year.  He, his mom, and all the prayer warriors are praying for the September callup in the majors when the roster expands.  His story won't end there.  Aaron plans to write a book about his adventures.

Please keep Jackie's son in your prayers.  And look for the redhead on the mound when his name is called just in time to set his team up for a run at the playoffs.  Who knows?  Maybe my other red-headed friend, Wilson, will be watching Aaron while sitting next to his mother in the stands.  Our son, Shane, an avid baseball fan, texted me to tell me Aaron now has some new fans in Iowa and we're all cheering for him.  And that's the cherry on top of an amazing vacation.  Come back tomorrow and I'll share about Aruba.  Have a great day.

Going Dark – Last Day

My electronics free vacation comes to a close today.  We should be back in communication by late tonight.  Come back tomorrow for an update.  This story was written just before I shut down all electronics.  The only prediction I made was that I was going dark.  I'll share more about that tomorrow.  Have a great day.

Going Dark – Day 4

This is day 4 of my blog vacation.  I promised my wife I would live like a caveman while we celebrate our 30th anniversary together.  My caveman lifestyle has its benefits.  Less is more.  This is freedom.  We will be back on the radar soon.  Have a great day.

Going Dark – Day 3

It's day 3 of my blog vacation.  We are electronics free and communications free until the weekend.  I will share more about our anniversary celebration when we resurface.  This primitive lifestyle is good for the soul.  Have a great day.

Going Dark – Day 2

The blog vacation continues.  We are officially off the radar for the remainder of the week while we celebrate 30 years of marriage.  I will share more later when I turn my electronics back on.  We are in 100% caveman mode until further notice.  Have a great day.

Going Dark

Our 30th anniversary celebration continues.  We're shutting down all outside communications for the rest of this week while we enjoy some quality time together.  These stories are on auto pilot while we're checked out of our regular lives.  I wanted to thank my friends and family for sending good thoughts and prayers our way.  We are happy to report a successful send-off to Heaven for my wife's Aunt Inez.  Mother Nature gave us a pleasant day and we enjoyed our family time with numerous cousins on my wife's side of the family.  Have a great day.

Can You Be Happy During Funerals?

I finished reading "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin this morning.  The timing was perfect because we're on our way to a funeral for my wife's aunt this morning and funerals are usually places where happiness isn't found in abundance.  In my situation, I'm using the lessons learned about happiness to be as happy as I can be knowing it's my personal choice.  Before you read any more, you may want to make a note to order a copy of Gretchen's book.  I'm passing my copy along to my wife and she already told me she's eager to dive in.

Back to the question, "Can you be happy during funerals?"  What helps me is knowing how prepared Inez was for this moment.  She was given 97 years to figure things out and her perspective is much wiser than my own.  Inez did everything right.  She loved her nephews and nieces as if they were her own children.  She taught her students to dream big.  She always believed in a loving God who was watching over her.  Inez knew it was her time.  She didn't fuss.  She told her loved ones not to worry about flowers for the funeral because she believed the best time to get flowers was while she was alive.  Her home was always filled with flowers.  Family members were with her around the clock in the final days and she left this world happy.  I will follow her example today and all my days.  Yes, you can be happy during funerals, especially when the life you are celebrating was lived so well.  Inez set the bar high for the rest of us.  Until we meet again in eternity.  Have a great day.

Wake Day Today

We're paying tribute today to my wife's Aunt Inez.  I'm thankful for all the time we got to spend with her since our relocation to the Midwest seven years ago.  Saying good-bye isn't easy, especially when it's someone who was like a second mother to so many nephews and nieces in my wife's family.  I'm including a link to her obituary.  If you would like to do something special in her memory, please thank a teacher.  They are the game changers in our world.  I know our community is a better place because of what Inez did in her 97 years on the planet.  Have a great day.

https://www.powellfuneralhomes.com/obituary/320571/Mary-Welsh/?fbclid=IwAR3cbBSv1YcyBpscLsoZjGMXaQp2YWSbsnzEoZ9Nl2Kme9yXsofc7gWqH7w#obituary

Catch Yourself Doing Something Right

We all have a tendency to beat ourselves up.  Those negative things we say to ourselves often outweigh our positive thoughts because they tend to pack more punch.  When we add criticism from others it's surprising how we keep up with a great attitude.  I have a suggestion that may help.  It's really simple but you have to remember to do it.  Here goes:

Catch yourself doing something right.  This means paying careful attention to all the choices you make throughout the day.  Skipping over a bad choice counts.  For example, someone offers you junk food and you politely decline.  Give yourself two points for this for showing great manners and choosing correctly at the same time.  Why not keep a "Doing Something Right" journal for the next 30 days?  Forget about logging the not-so-good choices because your brain will automatically haunt you with those.  The trick is to make a big deal about your right choices so they will help you create winning habits.  Imagine what your life can look like if catching yourself doing something right leads to a permanent way of life.  Maybe those hauntings will become ancient history.  Try it out.  See what happens.  What do you have to lose?  Have a great day.

Passing the Baton

Today's blog is a tribute to my wife's aunt, Inez Welsh, who is now with Jesus and all her siblings.  Saying good-bye is not easy.  Inez is the last of the Mohicans.  She officially passed the baton to countless nephews and nieces at age 97.

I'm most thankful for the weekly letters Inez sent my wife over the decades when we were living on the west coast.  Those letters kept us connected.  I also enjoyed Inez's positive outlook on life.  Inez never complained.  Not once.  Inez chose happiness.  For me, her baton is a personal set of instructions on how to live your life to the fullest.  The race is now in the hands of the next generation.  Thank you, Inez, for doing your part to make this world a better place.  You set the standards high for our family.  God bless you.  Until we meet again.  Have a great day.

Count Your Compliments Today

Would you like to make the world a better place?  Give someone a compliment.  You might be surprised how something that seems so insignificant can be a game-changer in another person's life.  Don't stop at one.  Keep going.  Compliments are contagious.  The more you give out, the more others respond and do the same.  Who knows?  You may even prevent suicide.  You may inspire someone to keep going in the face of adversity.  You can make a difference.  I'm counting on you.  Have a great day.

How to Reach a 10 on Your Gratitude Scale

From one to ten, ten being the highest, how would you rank your gratitude?  Your answer most likely correlates with your happiness level.  I know a lot of people who could use a little more happiness.  For me, anything less than ten is no bueno.  I have all the happiness I need in my life because I'm surrounded by blessings.  I'm naturally attracted to others who tend to be happy.  The grumpy ones have trouble with happiness because they believe the world owes them something and they feel cheated when they don't get what they want.  Happy people remind them they're missing out.

I learned a long time ago the world doesn't owe me anything.  I don't need to rely on the world to be at a ten on the gratitude scale because I'm responsible for my own attitude.  Attitude is separate from events.  Bad situations and unhappy people will never steal my ten because I own my attitude and it's not dependent on anything but my own personal choice to be happy.  I see tough times as lessons.  Unhappy people are opportunities for me to work on my patience.  Everything in life is a blessing if you learn the proper mindset.  Be grateful and you will be happy.  Have a great day.

Thank You for Your Good Wishes

My wife and I are feeling loved.  Thank you for your good wishes yesterday.  We're grabbing our passports and plan to go out of the country soon to continue celebrating our 30yr anniversary.  Please keep our family in your prayers while our son goes through a couple of procedures to clear the blockage in his nose.  Today he is having a tonsillectomy.  He will undergo a procedure to repair his nose in a couple of weeks.  We are confident his life will be much better when he can breathe properly.  Have a great day.

It's Our 30yr Wedding Anniversary

"...to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part."  

That's what we said on this day, 30 years ago.  It's also what we live every day.  Yes, I'm one of the luckiest men on this planet.  She's the love of my life.  I know in my heart she would live in a cave with me if that's all I could afford, even though she prefers five-star accommodations.  She comforted me when I couldn't move after my serious auto accident.  Yep, she's one in a million.  I'm thankful she remains in the roller coaster of life with me no matter how scary it may look ahead.  Today I'm counting my blessings.  God bless you, Mrs. Mulligan.  I love you with all my heart.  Happy Anniversary!

We Are Called To Be Bold

If you're ever feeling stuck, refer to your owner's manual.  I'm talking about the Bible.  This is your best source for all your troubles.  One of the most important topics covered is fear.  Joshua 1:9 is the best way I know how to deal with it.  It's a reminder... we are called to be bold.

Do something bold today.  Don't wait.  Go for it.  Have a great day.

My Favorite Morning Habit

I have a set of morning rituals to keep me on track with my long-term goals...write a blog message every day, do 100 stomach crunches and 50 pushups.  Make a morning smoothie.  Floss.  Wake up on the first alarm.  Sleep for 8 hours.  There's a new habit I started a couple of months ago that is now my personal favorite – read a minimum of ten pages a day from something that will motivate me to go in a positive direction with my life.  This is not only fun, but it's also helping me to be a better person.  On busy days like today, I would probably skip this habit if I hadn't made the commitment to never skip no matter how busy I may be.

If I could only make one recommendation to you to improve your life, this would be the habit I suggest you incorporate.  Challenge yourself to improve.  Have a great day.

Lessons in Patience

Do you remember waiting for Christmas to get here or summer vacation?  That wait seemed so long.  Christmas was over in a flash.  So was the summer vacation.  But the wait seemed to be a lifetime.  I'm in a waiting mode now.  It's super challenging to have to wait for a response to my request for permission to place Wilson's image on the front cover of a book I'm writing.  There isn't much I can do right now except work on my patience.  I promise to share the outcome with you once I get my reply.  Have a great day.

The Small Daily Choices Add Up to Big Results

There's a reason these stories may look like a broken record – big results come from small daily choices repeated over and over and over.  There's nothing earth-shattering here.  It's not about hitting the lottery or doing one big thing to put you over the top.  It's the boring stuff.  Broken records replaying the same song lead to an extraordinary life.

Try something just for today and see if you can discover a better way to live your life.  Concentrate on every single choice you make today.  When you make that choice, ask yourself, "is this the best decision based on all the information I have in front of me?"  Keep asking all day long.  When the day is over, review what you did differently and ask yourself, "did this help me make better choices?"  If the answer is yes, repeat this tomorrow.  And the next day.  And the next.  Play the broken record.  Don't ever stop.  I promise you will see big results.  This works.  Have a great day.

Another Experiment Tonight

In my opinion, life is a series of experiments.  I've been experimenting with food.  I've been experimenting with exercise routines.  Tonight I'm experimenting with something that may appear as insignificant to the outside world unless you happen to be one of my tennis teammates.  I'm trying a thinner string (17 gauge for those of you who want to know the details).  The idea behind "thin" is to gain more control and spin.  I restrung two racquets at the 17 gauge and will compare them to my old 16 gauge to see if there is a noticeable improvement.  I'm becoming a believer in the "slight edge" idea – life comes down to a series of little things you do to gain a slight edge in overall performance.  On the tennis court, sometimes the difference between success and failure is one or two shots.

Is there an area of your life that could benefit from an experiment?  Imagine what you can accomplish by using the trial and error method to find better ways to manage your daily routine.  I'm a big believer in doubling my failure rate, something that happens when you decide to try new things.  At least for tonight, I'm going with "thin to win."  Have a great day.

More Evidence God is in Charge

Caution... God moment ahead.  If you're not a believer and you don't want to read anything that might sway you to the other side, you may want to skip this story.  It's packed full of "Godincidences – those strange coincidences that happen so often I believe they can only be attributed to a Supreme Being who is guiding the universe.  I need to rewind to yesterday morning to set the stage.

It all started with a prayer on the 12th floor of Stead Family University of Iowa Children's hospital where I was in the morning with Wilson.  This is the place where the sick kids go to watch the University of Iowa Hawkeyes play football.  The kids have this awesome view overlooking the stadium.  Imagine, you're undergoing treatment and suddenly you get a break from all the procedures to watch your local team.  At the end of the 1st quarter, everyone in the stadium (even the opponents), 70,000 strong, pause and wave at you.  How cool is that?  Well, I sat alone in the prayer/meditation room on the 12th floor and prayed for doors to open for my book projects.  Nothing really happened except I got this sense of peace while I sat with my eyes closed.  God responded but it was one of those "wait for it" moments that was kind of a delayed reaction to my prayers.

My boss sent me a text message on my way out of the hospital that there was a reimbursement check waiting for me so I changed my route home to make a pit stop at my day job.  That's when the magic happened.  I noticed this Herky outside of a building that I'd never noticed before.  The sunlight was shining at just the right angle to make it stand out as I passed by.  I made a quick turn to circle back and get a picture with Wilson.  From the road, this Herky appeared like a knight in shining armor.  He turned out to be just that... my own personal knight in shining armor.  I decided to walk into the building to take a short cut to the silver Herky when I bumped into two men who were seated in the hallway.  One of the men stood up to greet me and I said, "Hello, Mark.  How are you?"  He got this puzzled look on his face and immediately tried to figure out who I was.  I was wearing my Shaquille O'Neal sunglasses so that added to the mystery.  He was stumped when I said, "Mark, I noticed your name tag."  I told him I was a Christian writer.  He stunned me when he said, "so am I."  He walked into the office and pulled out a copy of his book, "The Way of Nile C. Kinnick, Jr."

Here's the crazy part of the story – Mark and his partner, Bob Stein (also a writer), have been volunteering together as ambassadors at this building for over twenty years.  They only work once a week – Monday, for 2 hours.  I arrived at the precise time I needed to be there in order to meet these guys and chat with them.  They told me I was the most interesting person they had ever met at their building, the University of Iowa Roy G Karro Athletic Hall of Fame.  Our conversation ended at 1:00 when their volunteer shift was over.  We shook hands and I went outside to get the photo of Wilson and the silver Herky.  The picture you see above is definitely going in the book.  The photo you see below is of my new writing buddies.  Stop in and visit the next time you're around on a Monday between 11 and 1pm.

This is not the first time God has answered my prayers in a way so incredible that I find it impossible not to believe he exists.  These two guys I met yesterday are big league writer types.  This meeting was not random.  It's all part of God's plan.  Yes, there is much work ahead.  I'm all in.  I have all the evidence I need to be convinced God is in charge.  By the way, Mark's last name is WILSON!  Have a great day.

Time for Some Inspiration

Wilson and I have big plans today.  We're headed to Children's Hospital.  Nothing specific is on our agenda.  We will show up, snap some pictures and see what happens.  I'm still waiting to hear back from 20th Century Fox about permission to include Wilson in my book.  They say a picture is worth 1,000 words.  Perhaps the right shot today can be what influences the decision maker to say yes should I need to send another followup email.

One of the reporters covering the story of our grand opening in Indiana asked our warehouse manager what he expected when we rolled the doors for the first time and he replied, "organized chaos."  That answer can be applied to my own life.  I'm managing two book projects at the same time, preparing my body for our regional tennis tournament and incorporating some new routines into my daily agenda.

The day I got home from Indiana I stepped on a scale for the first time since late April and discovered my body accumulated an extra seven pounds.  My time away was probably like a caveman who killed a dinosaur and feasted on him every day until he returned to the tribe.  No more bone in rib-eye for me until my body returns to normal.  I'm back to my caveman food program and I'm already releasing a pound a day.  Today will be my first day returning to my caveman signature smoothie.  Yummy.  Have a great day.

Touch and Go at My Day Job Today

My life in the last few months has changed dramatically.  Today is more like a touch and go than a permanent landing at my day job in Iowa.  I really have no clue how different my life will be now that my job duties have expanded.  My wife and I are headed to an early morning church service before I return to work for a six-hour shift today.  After today, I will have a couple more days off in a row to fully contemplate all the changes in my life.

My wife is definitely the strongest influence in my life.  Every morning when she wakes up she follows her morning rituals.  A cup of coffee.  Morning prayers.  Daily reading.  She immerses herself in several books while in her quiet zone.  Over the years I have adopted her ways and made them my own morning routine.  I don't drink coffee but I now have a stack of books on my nightstand and I dive in before I do anything else.  Every now and then, my love will share a thought from one of her books.  Oddly, the thought is sometimes similar to what I'm reading at the same moment in time.  I suppose we're becoming more alike because we're each finding ways to increase our happiness.  This happens when you're doing the things you love.

I would like to share one more thought with you before I sign off.  It has to do with failing.  Don't worry about it.  If you can double your failure rate in life, you may find increased happiness.  Failure doesn't have to be a wall you're afraid to climb.  There was a time in my life when I preferred to be grounded.  The touch and go was never an option.  Maybe it's because I was too afraid I would fail in the unknown territory.  Not anymore.  I'm flying to new heights.  Give failure a try today.  The more you fail, the more you will grow.  Have a great day.

Early Morning Tennis Drills Ahead

I'm super excited to be on the tennis courts today with one of our top players.  Many of my teammates are out of town for the Holiday weekend so today is drill day.  The sun is shining and the heat is on.  The conditions are perfect to prepare me for the scorching temps in Oklahoma City next month when we face off against the best tennis players in the Midwest.  Have a great day.

Recovery Mode Today

"You look like Charlton Heston when he came down from the mountain," my wife said when she glanced at my picture from the Monster ride captured on our free fall yesterday on the 4th of July at Adventureland.  Maybe it was my wind-blown white hair.  Pehaps it was that glazed look on my face.  All I can say is... well, I can't say anything at the moment.  I'm speechless.  Literally.  My voice departed during my final days in Indiana on assignment at my day job.  I need quiet time to get back to normal.

The casual observer may think that roller coaster ride is my last hurah now that my latest adventure is over.  Those boring things I do on a daily basis don't reveal much is going on.  I beg to differ.  I believe those in-between days where everything looks mundane are the days that make a difference.  Just as Moses brought a set of commandments down from the mountain, I have my own list of things I must follow in order to have a fulfilled life.  Here are the top 10:

1. Be happy.  Every day and in every circumstance.
2. Read 10 pages a day.  Motivational stuff.
3. Sleep 8 hours.
4. Get up on the first wake-up alarm.
5. See the good in every human.
6. Pray.
7. Exercise 5 minutes a day or more.  Stomach crunches.  Pushups.  Leg raises.  Tennis at least once per week.
8. Tell my loved ones I love them and show them in their own love language.
9. Forgive.
10. Be thankful.

I would like to thank my friends and family from as far away as Kino Bay for remembering my birthday yesterday.  Have a great day.

Adventureland Today

I have all the adventure I need in my daily life but today is extra special.  The family is going to Adventureland.  This is Iowa's version of Disneyland.  We're celebrating two birthdays today.  Our youngest son had a birthday last week while I was away and I'm a 4th of July Yankee Doodle Dandy.

I'm eagerly awaiting my voice to return.  Our grand opening in Evansville, Indiana was so huge that I  talked nonstop for five straight days, straining my vocal cords.  The plane ride home was an ideal time to rest.  I did get a little surprise at the end of the flight when the flight attendant told us, "we only have one shot at our landing so please buckle up."  There was a giant cell directly over the airport and the pilot thought we would be diverted to another airport in order to refuel and wait it out when the storm clouds finally edged away from our landing strip.  The view from my window seat was spectacular although a bit bumpy.  It was a great preview of today's roller coaster rides.  I would like to thank my wife for my birthday present – "The Happiness Project" and "The Way of the Peaceful Warrior."  She's helping me keep my promise to read ten pages a day.  I'm still shocked I woke up as a 59 year-old this morning but it's only a number.  All I can say is life is an adventure.  Have a great day.

I'm Coming Home

What an adventure this has been in Evansville, Indiana.  Great people.  Great fun.  Great experiences.  The only thing missing since late April was family.  The daily phone calls/text messages were helpful but they are no substitute for the real deal... good old-fashioned family time.  My heart is doing the pitter-patter thing this morning as I write today's message.  I'm coming home.


I would like to thank the amazing people who were with my on this journey.  You helped make me a better person.  I'm returning to my life in Iowa as a new person filled with so much gratitude for all the lessons I learned along the way.  My time here as a support person tasked with helping others can be summarized in two words... mission accomplished.  Evansville is in good hands.  Every goal we set has been accomplished.  I will never forget the experiences we shared.  Have a great day.  Wheels up, Wilson.  Let's go home.

The Slight Edge is Working

Today is my last full day working with my teammates in Evansville, Indiana.  Tomorrow is a travel day.  This has been an amazing experience.  My voice is barely working this morning as I've been talking non-stop.  It all started in late April when we reached out to our first new family members who joined without knowing much about our company.  I got the opportunity to read a book, "The Slight Edge," about starting with a "penny" and moving forward daily in order to gain compound interest for your efforts.


I'm applying the slight edge to every area of my life and it's working.  It's all about those small daily choices that appear insignificant.  They aren't.  Small decisions make the difference over time.  I'm excited to share these ideas with my family when I return home tomorrow.  Have a great day.

It's Almost Time to Go Home

My time in Evansville is coming to a conclusion in a couple of days.  This has been one of the most exciting chapters ever in my life at my day job.  I will miss the people who have become family.  My hope is to come back for a visit and bring my wife.  This is America at its finest. 


For those of you following my story, I promise you it doesn't end here.  There are more adventures ahead.  I reached out to the people at Twentieth Century Fox for some follow up regarding my request for permission to place photos of Wilson in a book.  If all goes well, I will publish two books at about the same time.  It's a process.  There are no short cuts.  It's all about perseverance.  I'm coming home soon.  Special thanks to my wife for giving me this opportunity to follow my dreams.  Have a great day.