BRING THE HOPE

Happy Thanksgiving

Bring The Hope is taking today and tomorrow off to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with family and friends. All the best for the long holiday weekend.

See you again on Monday. Be well.

 

Theodor Seuss Geisel Brings The Hope

You may already know this story of perseverance, but it's something I just picked up on this week. According to a story in Southwest Airline's Spirit Magazine, "Dr. Seuss' first book was rejected 27 times."

Can you imagine being told "no" 27 times and still having enough belief in yourself and your abilities to keep on trying? That kind of optimism and follow through brings the hope and it's worthy of our attention.

According to Spirit, Dr. Seuss' first book, And to Think That I saw It on Mulberry Street, was picked up by Vanguard Press in 1937. Six million copies later, Dr. Seuss books keep selling strong.

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go."  - Dr. Seuss

Valerie Jarrett's Life Lessons

One of President-Elect Obama's closest friends and advisors is Ms. Valerie Jarrett. The New York Times ran an article in yesterday's paper about Ms. Jarrett and her evolving role in the incoming Administration.

The article mentioned two of Ms. Jarrett's 21 "life lessons". But, according to the NYT's political blog, The Caucus, readers wanted more. So, here are all 21 lessons. There are a few pearls in here.

1. To thine own self be true.
2. All leaders are passionate about their beliefs, even the ones you don't like.
3. Trust your gut after you have listened, studied and learned from those with a diverse range of opinions.
4. You never know who is watching, so work as hard as you can regardless of the assignment.
5. Don't stay in your comfort zone too long.
6. As my grandmother would say: put yourself in the path of lightning.
7. Be flexible because opportunities rarely knock at the most opportune moments.
8. Take time to be kind to everyone.
9. Focus on your priorities.
10. In order to lead, someone must follow.
11. Effective leadership depnds on your ability to connect and motivate people, not of your title, position or power.
12. Set high standards for yourself and your team (lead by example).
13. Take the time to develop personal relationships all along the way, and really cultivate those upon whom you depend. In order for them to help you, they must know you. And you must know what will motivate them. Nurture them so they can help you lead. They must believe in not just your ideas, but you.
14. Goodwill matters.
15. Women are particularly good at listening and studying their audience.
16. Have the courage to make tough decisions.
17. When you lead, not everyone will follow, and that's okay.
18. You will fail. Don't take your failures or your success too seriously. Learn to laugh at yourself. Trust me. It helps.
19. Affiliate yourself with worthy institutions, lead by good people who share your core value.
20. You can have it all, just not at the same time and in the proportions you may want.
21. To those who much is given, much is expected.

Happy Monday

It's Monday. This day usually doesn't inspire as much hope as a Saturday or a Friday. But, since it's a short, holiday week, Monday probably gets a little special love this time around. Since most of us will take Thursday and Friday off from work, this Monday is really more like a Wednesday. We are half way through our work week already. Yea...I'm already feeling better.

See folks, it's all in how you view things. Bringing the hope is often about just having the right perspective on things. For example, when I recently asked a co-worker how he was doing, he said, "I'm on the right side of the grass." We shared a laugh and he explained that he was just happy to be alive. Another friend once told me, he was glad not to be pushing up daisies.

However you want to look at it, life is a gift. Enjoy the day and have a great holiday week. 

We Can All Learn Something From Adam Bender

I saw a great segment on ESPN E:60 earlier this week about an inspiring kid from Lexington. Here is the report from Jeremy Schaap and a video posted on YouTube from earlier this year.

Kentucky boy embodies the power of one
By Jeremy Schaap
Special to ESPN.com

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- A year ago, when Adam Bender was 7 years old, he found a wheelchair in his family's garage.

Standing just outside the garage, the door open, he called out to his mother, Michelle. "Mom," he said, "come here."

Pointing inside at the rusty, folded-up wheelchair, he said, "What's that doing here?" Anger was floating in the air.

"That's here just in case of an emergency," she said. "We might need it if you hurt your leg."

"Get it out of here," Adam said. "Get rid of it."

"What do you want me to do with it?" Michelle asked.

"I don't know. Get rid of it. I'm never using it."

"I'm just keeping it there in case we need it for something," Michelle said, knowing she had already lost the argument. As usual, Adam wasn't budging.

"I'm not getting in it."

Within a few hours, the wheelchair was gone.

At the age of 8, Adam Bender is in many ways typical. He tolerates school. He quarrels with his older brother and younger sister. At times, he listens to his parents; at times, he ignores them. He imagines a career as a zookeeper. Outside of school, he spends most of his time in the gyms and on the playing fields of Lexington, Ky.

He plays baseball.

He plays football.

He plays soccer.

He even wrestles.

A typical 8-year-old boy -- except, Adam Bender has only one leg.

Click here for the rest of this inspiring story.

Rick Monday Brings The Hope

When I was growing up, I cheered for the Chicago Cubs and one of my favorite players at an early age was Rick Monday. Today, Monday celebrates his 68th birthday.

He played in the outfield and it was there where he really brought the hope during a game in Los Angeles.

Here is the story of "the flag incident" as told on Wikipedia:

"...On April 15, 1976, oduring a game at Dodger Stadium, two protestors, a man and his son, ran into the outfield and tried to set fire to an American flag they had brought with them. Monday, then playing with the Cubs, noticed they had placed the flag on the ground and were fumbling with matches and lighter fluid; he then dashed over and grabbed the flag from the ground to thunderous cheers. He handed the flag to Los Angeles pitcher Doug Rau, after which the ballpark police officers arrested the two intruders. When he came up to bat in the next half-inning, he got a standing ovation from the crowd and the big message board behind the left-field bleachers in the stadium flashed the message, "RICK MONDAY... YOU MADE A GREAT PLAY..." He later said, "If you're going to burn the flag, don't do it around me. I've been to too many veterans' hospitals and seen too many broken bodies of guys who tried to protect it."

Happy birthday, Rick. And cheers to you for bringing the hope.

Robert Schimmel Inspires Through Humor

My wife and I have been going to comedy clubs a lot lately. We like to laugh and our support of stand-up comedy was rewarded over the weekend with a killer set from Robert Schimmel. The show was full of belly laughs, but the part I enjoyed the most was his close about beating cancer.  

Going into this post, you should know that some of Schimmel's material is rather graphic and raunchy. So, don't go searching for his stuff without your earmuffs on if you find that kind of comedy offensive.

At the club, Schimmel masterfully worked through 45 minutes or so of his set. He had total control of the room and it was fun watching a real pro at work. But, then something happened that was different. Schimmel went from crude humor to a very personal story. He talked about how he was diagnosed with stage three Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2000 and how he used humor to make it through.

One of the funny stories Schimmel told went like this..."When I was getting my I.V. put in, I started talking to the nurse and told her that my parents and my previous wife were with me in the room when my doctor walked in and broke the news to me. And that after he explained the pros and cons of chemo, he told me that if I was open minded, I might consider smoking marijuana, because it helps some people by easing some of the side effects like nausea and loss of appetite. I told the nurse that I remembered looking at my mom and dad, who were devastated with my prognosis, and thinking, "This is a dream come true! I have a doctor at Mayo Clinic telling me to smoke pot. Where was this guy thirty years ago?"

On his blog, Schimmel said that this exchange made the nurse laugh. And it also made a couple of patients sitting nearby laugh as well. He says, "That's all I needed. Was to hear laughter. To know that it wasn't over. That cancer couldn't touch my sense of humor. So, maybe I couldn't go on the road. But neither could anyone else in that room. I started entertaining other patients every time I was there for a treatment or test. And as much as they needed to laugh, I needed to hear their laughter too!"

Schimmel went on to tell other jokes about his long road back from cancer. And, then he closed with a slide show with pictures of himself and his family. His closing message was a reflection about how lucky he is to have his wife, his kids and a job making people laugh.

Cheers to Schimmel for being so candid. His story of personal triumph brings the hope and I'm glad I was at the club last weekend to soak it in.

A Word From Christian Voltaire

Tomorrow marks the 145th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address. President Lincoln delivered his remarks to the nation at a very turbulent time and his message continues to bring the hope today.

But, don't just take my word for it. Check out the video below from two-year-old Christian Voltaire. He may have a bright future on the public speaking circuit.

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us...that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth."

Our Hope of Moving Beyond Racism

Did you see the troubling story that ran over the weekend regarding an increase in threats that have been directed at President-Elect Obama? Associated Press reporter, Jesse Washington, wrote...

Cross burnings. Schoolchildren chanting "Assassinate Obama." Black figures hung from nooses. Racial epithets scrawled on homes and cars.

Incidents around the country referring to President-elect Barack Obama are dampening the postelection glow of racial progress and harmony, highlighting the stubborn racism that remains in America.

From California to Maine, police have documented a range of alleged crimes, from vandalism and vague threats to at least one physical attack. Insults and taunts have been delivered by adults, college students and second-graders.

I find all of this to be unbelievable and appalling. So, what should people of hope do? I think that we should respond with messages of hope, optimism and tolerance. We can all play a role in helping racist people get the hate out of their hearts.

"Racism isn't born, folks, it's taught.  I have a two-year-old son.  You know what he hates?  Naps!  End of list."  ~Dennis Leary

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."  ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

"I know that every good and excellent thing in the world stands moment by moment on the razor edge of danger and must be fought for..." ~Thornton Wilder

 

Take Two Endorphins and Call Me in the Morning

Got stress? Who doesn't these days? With the economy in the can and concerns about layoffs climbing, it's easy to allow stress to put our emotions in a funk. So, what should we do to minimize stressors and maximize our happiness. One answer to that question has a simple recipe that looks like this...

ENDORPHINS > CORTISOL

Yep...endorphins are greater than cortisol. Both are hormones, but one exacerbates stress while the other gives us feelings of euphoria. So, the question becomes, "where can I get me some of this euphoria?"

The answer lies in endorphins. And you get them by exercising. According to Dr. Debbie Mandel, "exercise burns cortisol and thereby makes us healthier and happier." 

Dr. Mandel also says, "If you don’t have an exercise routine, get one! Activity alleviates anxiety. Doing some sort of physical activity reduces stress hormones and increases endorphins. Exercise helps you think more clearly and positively. Exercise reduces muscle tension and releases stress-relieving chemicals called endorphins to your brain."

Some people even say that endorphins can deliver euphoric feelings greater than opiate drugs like morphine and opium. So, if you bump into me at the gym, now you'll know why I have such a big smile on my face. Enjoy the weekend.