The Dreams

The Dreams

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that that lit up her entire being.

She said, "Hi, handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?" I laughed and enthusiastically responded, "Of course you may!" and she gave me a giant squeeze.

"Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?" I asked.

She jokingly replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, have a couple of children, and then retire and travel."

"No seriously," I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

"I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!" she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and share a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this "time machine" as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went.. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, "I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know."

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began: "We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only few secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. "You have to laugh and find humor every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are dean and don't even know it!"

"There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight. Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding the opportunity in change."

"Have no regrets. The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets."

She concluded her speech by courageously singing The Rose. She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the years end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago.

One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.

Remember : GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY, GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.

*******

Running Your Own Race

Running Your Own Race

Think back to a time in your life when you tried something new.

When I was a teenager I volunteered to work the water station at a 10k (6.2 mile) race.

It was called the "Heaven Can Wait" 10 K run and ironically, it was sponsored by the local cemetery.

My job was to pass out water to the runners. I remember being so excited to see all the different kinds of people who passed by and grabbed a cup of water. Some ran past, some walked past anda few wheeled past.

I saw so many types of people doing it, I thought maybe I can do it too!

So the next year I signed up for the race and gave it a shot.

Back then I didn't do much to prepare except jog around my neighborhood. I never tracked how far I jogged, or timed myself, I just ran around. :)

I had no time goals for the race, no specialized training, no game plan, nothing.

Needless to say that I prepare differently when I run races today, but back then my only goal was to finish.

On the day of the race, it was incredibly hot and humid. I remember struggling at about the 5th mile, thinking, "I must be crazy, why did I do this? What was I thinking? And at one point, I said, "I am never doing this again!"

Have you ever felt that way about something? You eagerly undertake a goal and in the midst of it comes a moment of struggle, and you realize it is much harder than you imagined it would be?

That first 10 k race was quite an experience. I jogged, I walked, I jogged and I walked. At times, I didn't know if I could finish.

Then came a defining moment.

At one point near the end, a 70 year old man ran past me, very very fast, and I felt embarrassed that I was 50+ years younger than he and I couldn't even keep up with him.

I felt defeated for a second.

But then I realized something.

He was running his race and I was running mine.

He had different capacities, experience, training and goals for himself. I had mine. (remember my goal was merely to finish).

How often in life do we compare ourselves to others and feel disappointed in ourselves when we really shouldn't?

After a minute, it hit me that this was a lesson I could draw from. I learned something about myself in that moment. I turned my embarrassment into inspiration.

I decided that I would not give up on running races, in fact, I would run even more races and I would learn how to train and prepare properly and one day I would be one of those 70 year olds who was still running.

As I crossed the finish line, I was proud of my accomplishment.

I am so glad I didn't give up on running. Today it is an incredible source of joy in my life. I have run several races since then, 5ks 10ks and I run purely for fun. I have studied running books, made friendships with other runners and I can report that I love it now more than ever.

In life we all have those moments where we compare ourselves to others. It's only natural. Don't allow those moments disempower you. Turn them into motivation and let them inspire you. Use them to show you what is possible.

Every struggle is rich with opportunity.

You define your own race when you define your own Goals.

With the proper preparation, coaching and conditioning, you can improve your results to achieve anything you want in life.

The impact of fitness and nutrition on my life has been remarkable. I can do things now that I could not even do in my 20s all because of coaching and conditioning.

You decide your race and you decide your own pace.

Rarely in life will your destiny be determined by one little race.

Life is a series of races.

There are lessons in every race. There are life lessons to be learned every single day.

If you don't win the race, but you get the lesson, and grow, you are truly a success.

You are a winner.

Live Your Dreams,

Past, Present, Future

Past, Present, Future

Don't get stuck in the past,
Where you linger on and on in familiarity,
And replay old memories over and over again.

Don't overindulge in the future,
Where you daydream about leading a grand life endlessly,
And imagine the sweetest days you could ever live.

Don't neglect your present,
Where true life begins to unfold and pass you by silently,
And you wonder about missed opportunities and lost moments.

For lessons, quietly contemplate about your past,
And you might realize life has cleverly placed you in situations,
That demanded you to raise up to the challenges and to grow.

To reduce your anxiety and panic attacks, make plans for your future,
And you might see that your dreams and goals are acting like guiding lights,
Shining the path for you to follow through and learning to overcome your fears.

To avoid the state of merely existing, be aware of your present,
And you might notice that you are part of a grander scheme,
Where the past is long gone and the future has yet to come,
And that your present is the most precious moment you could ever feel.

Your past and your future both lie in your present,
Where your present wields the power to influence and change,
The way you think about your past either with gratitude or with regret,
And shape your future to either a success or a failure.

Live totally in the present,
Enjoying each and every moment,
Where it is all happening,
Where it truly matters.

MY FRIEND AND CONFIDANT

MY FRIEND AND CONFIDANT

You are half the world away,

And my today is your tomorrow.

I have never seen your face,

Nor heard words from your lips.

I do not know your sounds of laughter,

Or the softness of your sigh. I have not

a clue as to who you are,

Or the customs for which you live.

I do know that you are kind and sweet,

You are a thoughtful and caring soul.

You think of others before yourself, ALL others,

young and old. These things I know about you,

Even though we have never met.

I have learned this by coming home

Each day and finding you here.

You are not here in body and soul,

But as a lighted rectangle.

You come to me every day as

A message on my screen,

A message that I can rely on To cheer me

up and make my day.

Through a keyboard we share Our ups and downs.

I have opened my inner self to you,

And you have to me as well.

We have traded secrets and laughs,

As well as sorrows and pain.

I have never met you, but feel as if

I have known you most of my life.

To most this might sound silly,

But I assure them, it is not.

Even though we have never met,

I feel a bond between us.

A bond that should have taken years to build,

Yet was built in a month or two.

A bond that lifelong friends should have,

Although most never do.

A bond that I am glad to share with you...

My Friend And Confidant