My Inspiration

I want to share my incredible transformation with you in hopes that it can make a difference in your life. It started with a simple phrase from a young 78 year old man named Jim Rohn. It occurred as my 46th birthday was approaching.

I was at a very low point in my life…guilt ridden, feeling like a failure and coming out of a relationship. Then I was introduced to this wonderful man. He had some fascinating stories to share and did so in such an enlightening fashion with his down to earth country boy voice from Idaho. I just couldn’t get enough.

Now it helped that Jim was a multimillionaire so I had confidence he knew what he was talking about. But intrigue wasn’t from his money. It was from his philosophy. Simple little ways he delivered these philosophies made it clear I needed this man as my mentor. If only I would have learned this 25 years earlier!

Now before being introduced to Jim, there were some inspirational moments that happened years earlier that set me on the path to “Pay It Forward”.

It started with Richard Chenault II. Richard was a transplant donation specialist with the University of Michigan. During an organ donation mission with Michigan’s Survival Flight, the jet carrying Richard and other doctors crashed into Lake Michigan, killing all aboard. Richard was my daughter’s high school track and cross country coach of Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard. He had a great influence on her and was a great role model for his other students. I knew him only for a brief time, but the impact was great.

This led to the poem “The Dash” by Linda Ellis. It was posted by a reader on a University of Michigan webpage; giving her condolences. It is a short poem but speaks volumes. It tells of a eulogy and talks about the dates on the tombstone. But the focus isn’t on the dates, it is on the dash between the dates.

“For that dash represents all the time that she spent alive on earth and”… “For it matters not how much we own, the cars…the house…the cash. What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash.”

Then comes Jon Blais. I was preparing for my first triathlon…a long awaited goal. Watching the Hawaii Ironman telecast, they featured Jon’s story. He was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis – ALS – more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, in May of 2005, at the age of 33. Despite the diagnosis, Jon accepted his fate and wasn’t going to let it stop him as he began waging a War on ALS. He continued his fight…fighting for research and raising awareness…right til the end. Jon passed away on May 27, 2007.

“When someone does you a big favor, don’t pay it back, Pay It Forward.”

Coincidence I woke up just at that moment to watch it…I think not!

Now in the spring of 2009, along comes Jim.

Despite the inspiration of the others, I just wasn’t making any progress. I had all these distractions. Nothing unusual that isn’t found in nearly everyone’s life…work, family, money, etc. etc. Of course the money made it extremely stressful…bills to pay, kid’s braces, schooling, sports activities…the same ole stuff.

Not that I minded any of that as I would do anything for my girls and family.  I wanted to provide and give them the world. Something I didn’t have. But I came to the realization that my financial condition just wasn’t making any progress and I needed to do something. Then along comes Jim. After talking about a few different topics, he delivered the phrase that had such an immediate impact, I called my sister right away to repeat it and share in this revelation. The phrase…

“It’s not what happens that determines our life’s future,
it’s what we do about what happens!”

He said to imagine we are all in a sailboat. It is not the blowing of the wind that determines our destination, but the set of the sail! The same wind blows on us all…the winds of change, the winds of opportunity, the winds of difficulty, the winds of fortune and the winds of disaster. The same wind blows on us all! How we react to it is the factor that determines our destination.

Beautiful!

It doesn’t take a genius to figure this stuff out. All it takes is the ability to learn and seek to better ourselves through personal development. Why hadn’t I learned it before? I think we get conditioned to do certain things. Not to mention play the “Blame Game”. Saying it is the government’s fault, the economy, my job, etc. etc.

If only I had meet Jim earlier…or others. Actually the philosophies I learned from Jim aren’t even his. He had a mentor too. Jim was in the same place I was when he was 25. But lucky for Jim…he was only six years into his economic life.

So now…a year later…I am reflecting. I am continuing on the turnaround path that Jim directed me towards. Four months after meeting Jim, I completed an Ironman triathlon. A 20 year goal that involves completing a grueling 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and followed by a marathon…a 26.2 mile run! All in succession.

I have been invigorated to continue non-profit work…specifically trying to get people to Eat Better & Move More.  This blog is part of that.  I now have a business on track to follow Jim in his footsteps. Jim is no longer with us for he passed away in December 2009.

Or is it Jim’s footsteps?

Upon that first meeting, Jim said to “Ask for God’s help” – so I did. So sometimes I wonder…”Was it Jim’s message?” His mentors? Or God speaking through them. But I don’t go crazy thinking too much about it. In true Jim fashion…I ”Don’t Ask Why”!

But the kindness that Jesus showed us, that Jim showed us, that many show us lives on. It is up to us to Pay It Forward. To SHARE your experiences and knowledge. I hope I can have the same effect for someone else. So I start by sharing my principles I live by:
- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
- Find a way to service the many

Lastly, my mentor said, “For things to change, you have to change!”

So how are you going to spend your “Dash” or “Pay It Forward”? Hopefully you will seek to answer that in your own way. But to get started…look at your personal philosophies. That is the place to start!

Life is short…make the most of it and ENJOY!

“Nothing Happens Until Something Moves.” – Albert Einstein​