Extraordinarily Thankful

Earlier this week I was with a couple of buddies when one of them said something interesting. He said, “Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because we get to be with people we love, hang out and eat good food, and watch football and we don’t gotta screw around buying stupid presents.” Okay, so his grammar wasn’t perfect, but he made a good point. The things we are most thankful for don’t come wrapped with a bow...and I find that kind of extraordinary.

 

For almost 40 years now I have gotten up early every day and jumped into a truck. I head out onto a freeway loaded with thousands of other 3,000 pound missiles driving 70+ miles per hour to get who knows where. I’ve seen some bad accidents and I’ve had a few mishaps (one that was life changing) but I have always made it home safe and sound. For that I am thankful… and I find it extraordinary.

 

During the week I end up at an office filled with people who are true heroes. I constantly watch the people I work with show up early, stay late and work as if they owned the business themselves. They are determined to provide a better life for their families and they don’t compromise their integrity to do it. I am honored to be on their team and thankful for their inspiration…and I find it extraordinary.

 

At the end of the day I come home to my own loving family. For years I was able to tuck my four children into bed, often carrying the youngest on my shoulders. Most nights I would say their prayers with them and then peak into their rooms after they fell asleep. Their faces always looked so precious and peaceful as I pulled their covers up and remembered how blessed I am to be called “Dad”. How a clumsy, forgetful, chump like me could ever be blessed with four such awesome children (and six grandchildren now) I don’t know, but I do know one thing, I am very thankful…and I find it extraordinary.

 

Even more surprising is how each and every night I get to end up in the arms of the most beautiful and loving wife a man could ever want. She is everything I ever dreamed of (and I dreamt a lot when I was young) and she deserves a much better looking man than me. But yet she tells me I am her prince and her warrior, and she makes me believe it. She makes me want to be the best I can be and for that I am very thankful…and I find it (and her) extraordinary.

 

For a few minutes each day I get to sit down with a really good book. It’s a book that was created by the One who created me and blessed me with my life on this earth. I am honored to hold that book in my hands so I try hard to focus on the words, soak in their meaning and learn how to live in a way that honors Him. To have a Creator who will patiently await my personal development is something I am definitely thankful for…and I find it extremely extraordinary.

 

Tomorrow morning I will do it again. I will get into the same truck, go to the same office, work with the same people, call on the same customers, read the same Bible and crawl into bed with the same woman. I couldn’t be more thankful for all of it and I don’t need a bow on any of it! Extraordinary!

Happy Thanksgiving!

If the only prayer you ever said in your whole
life was, "thank you," that would suffice.
~ Meister Eckhart

 

A Moment's Notice

I admit it… I make a lot of mistakes! In fact, I am so far from perfect that sometimes you couldn’t locate me even with a GPS system. However, I don’t stress out about it because I try to learn from each mistake and if possible become a better man with each passing day. However, there is one mistake that I have made too many times. So I really need to work on it and with the Holidays fast approaching it is a mistake that a lot of people will make. It’s called being distracted…and it leads to the mistake of not “Living in the Moment”.

In today’s society, there are cell phones, I-pads and lap tops everywhere. So it’s really easy to get distracted and not pay attention to the real beauty of the world around us, which includes the people in our lives. I was at a restaurant last night and more than half of the people were on their cell phones, texting or emailing instead of focusing on the person right across the table. Don’t get me wrong, cell phones are awesome because they allow us to stay in touch with people quickly and easily. We just need to remember to put them away sometimes and focus on the beauty around us including the people in our lives, especially the ones right in front of us.

Living in the moment is all about taking notice of the world we live in. We can’t do anything about yesterday and tomorrow may never come but we can darn sure enjoy today if we focus on the moments that surround us. Here are 6 tips for “Living in the Moment”.

1. Smile when you wake up. You can set the tone of appreciation and awareness for the next 24 hours by simply waking up and smiling
2. Take notice of the world. No matter what you're doing, notice the moments that surround you, maybe it’s a bridge or a flower or the way the light filters through the sky.
3. Minimize activities that dull your awareness of the moment. Choose times to turn off your cell phone, computer and TV. Do things that are active and that encourage you to look around and engage the world in that moment.
4. Be otimistic. Whether you realize it or not, someone’s always watching, always listening. That means you're always performing, so "dance like nobody's watching" and dance well.
5. Commit random, spontaneous acts of kindness. Whether it's donating a dollar to a charity, picking up litter, or simply complementing someone, keep alert in every moment of your day for some way in which you can make the world a better place.
6. Be thankful for what is. When you find yourself wishing for something you don't have, or wishing your life could be different, start by being thankful for what is already in your life. This will bring you back to the present moment.

 

I Have Everything I Need

It’s funny the things that touch our hearts. I try to be a really tough, strong man that can handle any problem, lift any heavy box and slay any dragon that might come along…because according to society isn’t that what real men are supposed to be like? But the truth is, and I hate to admit it, but sometimes my heart is tugged so hard that the floodgates open and the tears just can’t be stopped. Last weekend was one of those moments.

But first…the back story. When I was young, about 12, I lived with my parents on a very small avocado ranch and often helped them with their grove. But our wealthy neighbor, Jack, had a huge ranch with nearly 50 acres of avocado trees. So every year around springtime the same four Mexican workers would show up at his ranch and work the groves for 9 months and then return back to Mexico with the money they had earned. I got to know them really well and Jack often let me work alongside them.

 

Manuel, Esteban, Jorge and Pancho were the hardest working men I had ever met. They would work 10-12 hours a day, every day except Sunday, and never complain. Pancho was my favorite because he spoke a little English and would often take time to teach me some Spanish. He was always smiling no matter how hot it was and always whistling while he worked. He had a huge hat that was his pride and joy and I remember he would take it off whenever he wanted to get my attention and teach me something really important. One day we were working in a very large tree pruning branches, when I slipped and fell. I landed on the edge of a saw and cut a huge gash in my hand. Before I knew it Pancho had wrapped his bandana around my hand and was carrying me down the road. I told him I was okay and could walk on my own (I didn’t want him to think I was a baby), but he stayed with me until we got to my house where my Mom could drive me to the doctor.

When my hand healed, I went back to work for the remainder of that summer. It was really hard work but Jack paid us $1.25 per hour and I felt like I was a “real man” when I worked alongside Pancho and his friends. I repaid Pancho’s kindness by hunting Quail, Dove and Rabbit which I would drop off at the little plywood shack where the four men stayed. Pancho even taught me how to skin a rabbit, but I didn’t have the guts to eat one, although I did eat the Quail and Dove, which were both pretty good!

Two years passed and I became very close friends with Pancho. He taught me about work ethic, honesty and sacrifice. In fact one of the things that amazed me most was the way he would never spend a dime on himself. He would save all the money he made at the ranch to take home to his family. There was a defining moment one day when Pancho and I were working together and Jack rolled up in his big fancy truck. Pancho whistled and said something in Spanish about the truck being beautiful. I agreed and told Pancho he should get a truck like that. Pancho laughed and said, “It’s not necessary, I have everything I need.” I didn’t fully understand at that time what he meant, but I thought about those words for a very long time.



The next spring rolled around and after school one day I went to Jack’s ranch to find Pancho. I was surprised to see only three men sitting next to the shack. I asked them how they were doing and then I asked them, “Donde esta mi amigo Pancho?” All three men were silent and just kept staring down at the ground. I asked them again, “Where’s Pancho?” Finally, Manuel spoke up and said, “Pancho was bitten by a snake and we had to bury him in the desert.” I couldn’t believe it and cried my eyes out all the way back home. I was devastated and never went back to Jack’s ranch that summer, but I also never forgot Pancho and everything he taught me.

Last weekend I went golfing with a couple of customers and of course I drove my new Ford F150 Truck that I had just purchased last month. When we were done golfing, there was an older Hispanic gentleman that jumped on my cart, rode with me over to my truck and cleaned my golf clubs for me. I gave him a tip and a sincere thank you but when I turned to leave, I heard him say, “Senor…excuse me. That is a beautiful truck. How much does a truck like that cost? It must be nice to have such a beautiful truck!”

I started telling him how I usually shop for trucks at Carmax to save money. He had a really nice smile and I guess I kind of felt sorry for him and wished I could just give him my truck on the spot. I know, crazy idea, but wouldn’t that be cool! Suddenly I stopped talking and became speechless when I noticed his name tag. I slowly turned around and climbed into my truck so he wouldn’t see my face. That golf course employee is probably still shaking his head wondering why some crazy golfer started crying for no reason when he asked about his truck. But maybe it’s because his name tag said “Pancho”.

 Sacrifice is a part of life and it's supposed to be.

It's not something to regret. It's something to aspire to.

    ~ Mitch Albom

Heart on Fire

Halloween is coming up Thursday and everywhere you look there are stores selling costumes. It’s fun because for one day each year we get to put on a costume and be somebody or some “thing” that we are not.

It’s amazing how hiding behind a mask can sometimes help us break out of our shell. It gives us the courage to act differently than normal, perhaps with a bit more personality, more spirit, more flair. And although it’s fun to be different, the truth is….each and every one of us is already different because each and every one of us is already unique. We are not unique because we are flesh and blood with hair and hearts; animals have those features. What makes us unique is the stamp that God put’s on our lives when he plants us in this world to grow. We are formed one at a time, each person a separate and very special work of art.

In fact, I believe that part of what makes us unique is that every single person receives certain gifts when they are born. Some can sing, some can dance, some can change light bulbs (that’s me!) and some can cook. There are people with a passion for paperwork (accountants), those who love to make us laugh (comedians) and those who ignite our imaginations (writers). People being different is what makes life so interesting because imagine how boring the world would be if everyone looked, acted and thought the same.

However, sometimes it takes a while to discover our spiritual gifts. I remember when I was young I didn’t think I had a talent for anything special, so I just took the first job that came along. I was really grateful that somebody took a chance on me and after working in the business for a while, I began to admire my boss for his hard work and the loving way he treated his employees. Eventually I began to dream of starting my own business and maybe doing the same thing for my employees. Thirty-three years later I still love running a business and consider it just one of the many wonderful gifts I have received from God.

Last week my daughter Nikki sent me a photo of her two youngest children. Andie Rose is 5 and Jack is 6 and they were both dressed up in really great Halloween costumes. But a few days later I received a second picture of Andie Rose, this time just dressed for a regular day and it hit me...this girl has a flair for fashion. Maybe it’s one of her spiritual gifts and if it is….it looks like she is realizing it at an early age!

 

Andie Rose - Future Fashion Designer

Once you find what ignites your heart…
then you can let the fire in your heart light your path.
~ Anonymous

 

Is Anyone Listening?

Do you ever wonder if you have any real friends, people who truly care about you? You know how you can tell who your real friends are? They’re the ones that listen to you.

 

Yesterday was the final game of the year for our Halo Baseball Club and it was awesome. We always play our final game in Angel Stadium against local MSBL teams for charity and even though I’ve played there many times before, I still get goose-bumps when I walk onto that field wearing an Angel’s uniform. The Scoreboard was lit up, the President and the Chairman of the Angels were playing on our team, there were “Former Angel Players” in the stands and there were even free hot dogs. What could be better than that!

 

I’ll tell you what’s better than that… all the solid friendships that we have formed in our club. It took me over twenty minutes to get from the Diamond Club down to the dugout just because I had to stop and shake so many hands and give bro-hugs to so many good friends. I had people ask me about my work, my family, my recent injuries, etc. and then stand there and actually listen and care about what I had to say. I saw it all over the field, ballplayers smiling, talking and most importantly, listening to each other. On the other hand, we have all met that one guy, you know the one who goes on about himself incessantly, trying to impress you with everything he has done and everyone he has met, talking the whole time about himself and never really listening in return. That is so sad because guys like that have no friends and the reason is simple, they don’t know how to be a friend. All you have to do to be a friend is care enough to listen.

 

In the third inning of the game I hit a ground ball and as I was crossing first base, I got hit in the face by an errant throw. It bloodied my mouth, gave me a fat lip and rattled my teeth, making it hard for me to talk for the rest of the game. Plus it didn’t help my looks any either, but it did help me in one way. Without being able to talk very well, I became an even better listener. Let’s face it we have two ears but only one mouth for a reason… we need to listen more than we need to talk.

 

If you’re a good listener then chances are you have a lot of friends. But if you don’t because you’re new to the area, recently divorced, suddenly laid off from your job or just feeling lonely or lost for any reason….remember that there is always one person who is willing to listen. He cares about everything we do and everything we say…and treasures every single word we utter like a precious jewel. God listens because He is our ultimate friend.

The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention.

                                                  ~ Thich Nhat Hanh                                                             

 




Halo Baseball Club 50+ Team at the "Bud Kuhl Invitational 2013"

Back Row - John Carpino, Bill Phelps, Chris Dunn, Jerry Hirsch, Carlos and Rick Pianelli, Bill Torres

Front Row - Dennis Kuhl, Greg Lund, Bob Houska, Scott Halperin, Joe Thrailkill, Tony Mauer, Danny Taylor



Spirit of Fear - Part II

My Monday Message last week talked about how important it is to lose our “spirit of fear”. My point was that we need to climb out of our comfort zone once in a while and try something new, something different, something challenging. Well, I guess at least one person took my message to heart and really challenged himself. That would be my Father-in-Law....and he did it at age 72!

 

It was Friday morning last week when the three of us took time off work to drive out to Fontana. Now Fontana isn’t exactly a “garden spot” but there is one venue out there that is extremely impressive, the Auto Club Speedway. It’s a huge two-mile oval race track that hosts a wide variety of NASCAR racing events. My Father-In-Law, Tom, and my nephew, Shane, joined me for an amazing adventure. We arrived at 7:45am and were immediately issued professional NASCAR jump suits and ushered into a large training room where we spent several hours watching video and listening to an instructor explain the dangers of driving a full blown race car at speeds approaching 150 mph. The instructor explained that we would be on our own and in complete control of the car, with no instructor on board, so we had better pay attention to the training.

 

Auto Club Speedway in Fontana

After suiting up we headed over to Pit Road with about 50 other men. We were then fitted with helmets and ear buds so that an instructor would be able communicate with us while we were driving. We received more instructions about when to pass slower drivers and other crucial items, but the last instruction really got our attention. “If you want to go fast, really fast, then don’t slow down entering the turns. The turns are banked, so just keep it floored and hang on!” At that moment one of the professional drivers fired up his car and the roar of that 600 horsepower engine rattled every bone in my body. My adrenalin was really flowing and as the professional driver roared around the track at over 150 mph all of us on Pit Road wondered, “How on earth are we going to be able to duplicate that feat?”

 

My Nephew is 25, and I’m twice his age, but Tom is 72. However, Tom doesn’t look it or act it and when he folded his 6’- 4” body in through the window of that #99 race car; I really had to admire his courage. There was no one else even close to his age attempting to tackle this challenge and when the day was over all three of us had overcome our fear and conquered something extremely dangerous. But Tom, more than anyone else, proved that fear wasn’t going to stop him or even slow him down...his top speed was over 147 mph!

Race Car Drivers - Shane (in blue) and Tom (in red)

 

Tom driving the #99 Carl Edwards Race Car



He has not learned the lesson of life

who does not every day surmount a fear.    

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson             

Spirit of Fear

Do you know what a “spirit of fear” is? It’s when you’re afraid to get off your butt and out of your comfort zone and try something different, something that scares you or challenges you. I hate to say it but I’ve been there more times than I care to admit.

 

I guess it’s okay to hang out in your comfort zone some of the time. In fact my favorite comfort zone is when I get to sit on the couch with my feet propped up, watch a baseball game and eat a great lunch that my wife made for me…. that’s like a little piece of heaven here on earth.

 

But we also need to challenge ourselves both mentally and physically for several reasons. For starters it’s one of the best ways to grow and become a better human being. Secondly, it’s rewarding and can lift your self-esteem and boost your confidence. If we never challenge ourselves we will never find out who we really are. For example, The first time I was asked to give a speech in front of a crowd was back in 1992. The banquet room was filled to capacity and I was filled with fear and wanted to bolt out the back door. Somehow I got through it and when the audience applauded after I finished, I felt like a million bucks. I have given quite a few speeches since that time and I still get scared, but because I got through the first one and realized I could do it. I now have a lot more confidence and can overcome that particular fear much easier.

 

Physical challenges are really important as well. When you challenge yourself physically you overcome your fear, which feels good, but there’s a second benefit. You also reap the reward of becoming stronger and more physically fit. It doesn’t matter whether you hike or bike, run or swim, play softball or baseball, or just workout. When you challenge yourself physically you feel better and look better. How cool is that! Recently I took up a new sport…Stand Up Paddle Boarding. One of the reasons I chose to try it is because I have always had a slight fear of the ocean because I’ve never been a good swimmer. But several weeks ago I took off from the shore on a paddleboard with my heart was beating through my chest and once I got out there and started paddling around it was awesome. You’re out there communing with nature, surrounded by seagulls and pelicans, controlling your own destiny, and yet at the same time getting a great workout for your body. What a great way to break out of my own personal “spirit of fear”.

 

A lot of people will only stick with what they know because they’re insecure about trying something new and failing or getting embarrassed. In my opinion, the only time you fail or should be embarrassed is when you don’t try!

For God has not given us a spirit of fear;

but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

   ~ 2 Timothy 1:7