The Fire Within

We all face obstacles, every day. Part of why I look for things that inspire me is because it gets too easy to focus on the things blocking our path rather than the things making us believe we can get over the obstacles. No persons obstacles look the same, but we can learn something by watching others and how they handle their obstacles. Even when they don't look like ours it could give us ideas on how to overcome them. Part of why I like studying a broad array of subjects is because there are always lessons to find and apply elsewhere. I've done that a lot with dance. Having three daughters who dance tends to dictate the amount of time you spend talking about and watching dance. You learn stories and then you see things that jump out at you, like this clip of a young dancer. Dream your dreams. Live your dreams. Best thing you’ll see today... pic.twitter.com/Mt8fbPCcps — Rex Chapman (@RexChapman) February 4, 2021 Watch the clip again and think about whatever the problems are y...

I live in a very competitive house. My wife and I don't really play games together because neither of us like to lose so it tends to get a little too tense. Being great parents and all we have passed that competitive spirit down to our kids, who all stomped off after losing in a kids vs. parents Pictionary grudge match. My girls also dance so they have had it ingrained early from their very first dance competition. Competition is just a part of life.  Competition is funny though because it can be a good thing, but if taken too far or not looked at correctly it can become a problem. You see on any team you have internal competition and external competition. For instance in sports, you have competition on a team where you have to see first who is going to make the team, then when you figure out who your starters are going to be. So the competition is also your teammate. When you are teammates you then need to work together to beat the competition. Whether you are the starter or the b...

I love this quote from Tim Tebow: I believe that sometimes God gives His toughest assignments to His greatest warriors. — Tim Tebow (@TimTebow) October 26, 2020 It makes me think of all of the kids that face medical issues, attacking them with courage and strength while remaining more joyful than those that have no real issues to complain about. It makes me think of the people who struggle through losing a job and finding a way to provide for their family. Sacrificing, working 2 or 3 jobs to supply what their kids need to succeed. I think of so many people who struggle with things we have no idea about. We all have challenges and battles that we have to face in life. But we are warriors and you have the strength to take on the assignments that you are facing. 

One of the great questions out right now is what school is going to look like in the fall. There are still a lot of unknowns around COVID-19 and what the right decision is. Education, mental health, social growth, nutritional well being are all factors that need to be weighed along with the health risks of the virus.  Parents know the end of the school year was not great. It was pure survival mode for everyone, trying to make the best of a situation we were thrown into. There has been a lot of grief given to teachers and administrators expecting a rock solid plan as we approach heading back to school, which is too bad. The problem is there is still a number of options on how it would look. Each option would require a different structure and game plan for teachers. They need to prepare for all of the scenarios, and also the possibility of having to switch to a plan B over the weekend multiple times throughout the year.  It reminded me of how hard it is to plan. We all get throw...

I know every day feels like a battle. That is because it is true. Every day is a battle. When you are in a battle you get tired. Sometimes you feel like you are winning, some times you feel like you are losing. There are even times it feels hopeless, that a part of you just wants to give up. We want to win a battle that is super easy and straight forward. When there isn't a lot of thought or energy needed to coast to victory. But those aren't really battles, those are just practice. Championships are rarely the contest when you are able to put in your second string. Complex problems don't have easy answers, otherwise we would just call them simple problems.  In life you are going to have battles and there aren't going to be easy answers. So you have two choices, you can quit, or you can keep fighting. Fighting, learning, and adapting until you find a way through.You will find your victories, your moments of joy, and then there will be another battle. It may sound pessim...

I write and think about leadership a lot here. It is because I believe we are all leaders. We might not be in high profile management type positions, but we all have a sphere of influence which gives us the opportunity to be a leader. We are in great need of leadership because this year has been crazy, and we aren't even half way through it. That is a huge opportunity for us to change the narrative on the rest of 2020. But we need leadership. I saw this quote by Doc Rivers and think of the times we've seen great second half comebacks, maybe you've even been a part of one. When you are down at halftime the coach needs to lead, but you also need the players on the team to step up. Everyone can't just throw up their hands, assume the game is lost so try to not to get hurt or have them laughing at you. There are plenty of teams that have that attitude, and we would label their coaches as bad. The great coaches, the great leaders, inspire us to give everything we can to turn...

We have been at this shelter at home stage for 6 weeks now. We've settled into a pretty decent routine with work, home schooling, and when the best time to venture out for groceries and other necessities is to limit exposure. We have our days that we order takeout that we look at as a reward. Do the days feel like it is the same thing day in and day out? Certainly. Do we try to find different activities to break up the monotony? Of course, with what limited options we have. Still the repetitive feeling doesn't go away. Many others feel the same way, some feel like they are going to lose their mind if something doesn't change. All we can do is keep on moving forward. Each day its own little victory. Another step forward and closer to the finish line. We don't know how many steps there are but we know each step is progress. We don't have to be a superstar every day, we just need to take a step. In a year we will look back and be amazed at how far we've come. ...

If you are a runner, you know what a finishing kick is. For those of us who don't run it is the extra burst as you are nearing the end of the race. Timing it right is key because if you go too early you expend all of your energy before you get across the finish line. Start too late and you have untapped resources and probably didn't finish as well as you could have. When you have a project or an assignment due, there is often a push at the end. If things didn't go well in the other parts of the project we think we can just sprint our way till the end. The deadline is fast approaching so we try to kick things into a higher gear. If you are trying to figure out how to do things at the end, you are probably too late, and certainly not conditioned for what is to come. There is a balance and planning that is needed. So many things in our life can be considered a race, and any race has three key components: Start - You want to get out to a fast start. Any journey begins wi...

Have you ever stopped to think how brilliant Dory is? You know, Dory from Finding Nemo. If you forgot her she would understand. She had this motto that work wonders no matter what you face. Good things happen to us in life. Bad things happen in life. Frustrations happen. Setbacks. Losses. Wins. Through all of it, you really need to "Just Keep Swimming." When things are going well for you, it is easy to get lazy with what got you there. You need to keep improving, keep getting better. You need to "Just Keep Swimming." When things aren't going well for you, it is easy to give up. Setbacks don't define you. Most people will tell you out of their greatest defeats led to something even better. Learn from it and move forward. You need to "Just Keep Swimming." Life will throw all kinds of craziness your way. Whatever happens, good or bad, "Just Keep Swimming."

I was listening to episode 80 of the Jocko Podcast  and they were talking about being able to detach. This isn't about detaching as in pulling away and not interacting with another human being. It is about being in a heated situation and not getting caught up in the moment, keeping your cool to make rational decisions. Granted Jocko is a decorated Navy SEAL who later in his career was in charge of training new SEALs. He has been in engagements that make whatever your situation is trivial. The skill is useful to all of us even though we will likely never be in a combat situation. One of the best examples Jocko talked about was whenever his kids are fighting, he instantly detaches and steps in. He doesn't get emotional, he doesn't yell at his kids to stop fighting or else. He calmly steps in, assess the situation, gathers the facts and details needed, and quickly makes a decision.  Haven't we all been in a situation where we loose our cool? We look back on a situat...

I am just finishing up reading The Book of Five Rings  by Miyamoto Musashi. Musashi, as he is commonly known, is considered one of, if not thee greatest swordsman and samurai in Japanese history. In this book he wrote about his philosophy and fighting style. Musashi lived from 1584 to 1645, so times are certainly different now. Most of us aren't going to be going out and dueling other samurai to the death. Yet in his writing you can see concepts still valid today and I can see why many authors and business people have referenced his teachings. There is a passage where he speaks of using different weapons, some teachers believe that an extra long sword is more important, because they can have distance from their enemy. Or others that claim a short sword is more important for when you are in close combat. Musashi believed his way was the best strategy. He practiced it endlessly and studied his opponents methods to learn how to overcome them. He didn't need the biggest or most e...

I know nothing about rugby, that needs to be stated out of the gate so if I have any rugby enthusiasts reading this I hopefully won't offend them. But I need to talk about rugby and probably the most famous rugby team, the New Zealand national team called the All Blacks. I recently finished Legacy: What the All Blacks Can Teach Us About the Business of Life by James Kerr, which talked about the culture and changes the team made over the years to maintain their elite status and rebuild when they weren't meeting their own expectations. You don't have to know anything about rugby to recognize their dominance. They hold a 77% winning record against their international competition. Since the inceptions of the World Rugby Rankings they have held the number one ranking longer than all other teams combined. Part of what is intriguing about the All Blacks is their deep sense of culture and tradition. To wear the All Blacks jersey isn't something to be taken lightly. As a play...

We talk all the time about how important ownership is in your job. You need to own the projects assigned to you, the things that you have control over. But the part we so often fail to recognize is that we have more control than we think we do, so we need to look beyond ownership and instead practice extreme ownership. I just finished Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win  by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. If the military interests you, this is a great book as each principle is told through a story from their time as SEALs, a short overview of the principle itself, and a story that applies the principle in business. The principles themselves though are tremendous. We need more of this thinking today. There is too much entitlement and feelings of, "What are you going to do for me?" Extreme ownership is about not making any excuses, not blaming anyone, not complaining, and never hiding the truth. If your manager isn't explaining why you are having to work on ...

This weekend an interesting event happened, a professional football player, Vontae Davis, decided to quit at halftime of the game he was playing in. This has brought all kind of speculation and ranting from individuals that I'm sure have no idea the actual circumstances or the whole truth. But the opinions have already formed. Some believe he is one of the lowest forms of life, you simply never quit on your team. Others give him their respect and understanding, believing it is only a game and if he felt it was the right time for him to quit that is his choice. The odd way I start looking at events like this leads me to start asking myself the question, "When is the right time to quit?" Countless projects, relationships, activities and agreements in your life fall on either side of that question. There are times that it is the right thing to quit, to stick with something would be an exercise in futility. Many times we can look back and wish we would have quit earlier. Ot...

As I've been thinking about culture, teamwork and high performing teams recently everything I think of comes back to three key concepts found in Patrick Lencioni's The Ideal Team Player . Humble - Check your ego at the door and put the needs of the organization above your own. Hungry - Always wanting more, proactive and never settling for the way things are. Smart - While book smarts are important, it is more important to develop an aptitude on understanding and working well with other people. I believe that you can learn humility and people skills, but hunger is something that you either have or you don't. The drive to work hard. The desire to achieve greatness. The passion to be successful. The need to never accept complacency.  If you are just going through the motions, doing something because you have to, because it is your job, you have already limited yourself in what you can achieve. If you aren't hungry, don't be surprised if someone passes you b...

Why is problem such a bad word? Your boss comes to you and says there is a problem and we get worried, fast. Nobody wants a problem, but rather than look at it with dread, look at it as an opportunity to make something better. I recently had an awful day at work. One of those where a problem spiraled into this complex web of scenarios and variables that made your head hurt because you couldn't tell which path you had wandered down. It was a day when I got nothing done that I was planning. A day where I was just talking to different people one after another to identify the current state. I left at the end of the day exhausted and not feeling like I did much of anything. But I look at it as a great opportunity to figure out how things actually work. The more questions that were asked and the more information we gathered we started to uncover a number of opportunities to improve our business. There were things that were probably happening for years and would have continued on had th...

Right now, The Greatest Showman  is dominating our house. If you haven't heard about it, it is a musical rendition of the life of P.T. Barnum. I've watched the movie twice, but I've listened to the songs probably 100 times each, I'm not exaggerating. Driving my 5 year old to and from preschool every day it is what she requests to listen to. I thought the movie was entertaining, the music was phenomenal but overall I was disappointed. It was a disjointed story with pieces that were just thrown together quickly in my opinion. I think what made it even more disappointing was how the story took away from how great the songs were. When you really listen to the lyrics of the songs there are some great messages about being who you are, breaking free of the barriers that hold us back and ignoring the criticism of others. Read through the snippets below and what the words indicate then go and listen to the songs. What Benj Pasek and Justin Paul created was amazing. I'll ...

Two of my girls had a dance competition this weekend, it went well overall but during one of the dances of my middle daughter, she fell. There is a part where all of the girls do an aerial. No, not the Little Mermaid, it is cartwheel without putting your hands down. She has done it hundreds of times, and many times already on stage in this dance. When she did it this time unfortunately she fell down. It happens. After the dance there were tears and hugs from her teammates, everyone trying to find the right words to make her feel better. She was upset because she thought that she had let her team down. That wasn't letting her team down. Letting your team down is not showing up on time, giving it your best. Falling down just happens sometimes. We all are going to fall down in our lives, multiple times. Not just physical falling down, but emotionally, spiritually or psychologically. Sometimes when we fall down it is in public. We’ve probably all had at least one moment where we’ve f...

If you like to feel inadequate in comparing yourself to others one person you definitely want to follow is Jocko Willink ( @jockowillink ). He is an ex-Navy Seal who wakes up at 4:30 every morning to work out and is unmoved by excuses, no matter how good you think they are. He entertains random ask me anything sessions when waiting in an airport and I find myself laughing at the blunt, short responses that are obvious yet profound. I guarantee a fair number of answers will involve steak (best meal/dessert/snack or compliment to steak) and burpees (favorite exercise, answer to boredom or about anything). My favorite though, was his response to the question, "What do you do if you get stuck in a rut?" "I get unstuck." Following him is part entertainment and part daily reminder that most obstacles we think we face are really just that, a thought in our head and not a real obstacle. Usually the person that is holding us back is the person we see in the mirror. Tell yo...

I recently read a short passage that got me thinking about the roles that we all need to play to a degree if we want to be successful. Soldier - I've never served so I can't begin to understand what people go through that do. What I have seen there are certain truths for almost everyone that does serve. They endure a lot - The life of a soldier isn't glamorous, sometimes sleeping on a cot is considered a great night. They fight through the hardships to accomplish the mission. Develop comradery- The men and women that serve together have a bond. They endure and fight alongside each other to have a bond that is unbreakable. Ability to fight - They don't back down when it comes time to fight. Athlete - If you want to win the game it starts with practice. It doesn't matter how good you are, or what your natural abilities are, you need to continue to practice and get better. You also have to play by the rules if you want to win. Farmer - When there is a job to ...