How to Change the World

Wishful thinking? Perhaps.

 

But here is one thing I know...this is, for sure, one way to change YOUR world. And, if enough people would change "their" world in this way then there will, indeed, be an impact on the world as a whole.

 

It all begins right here with you and me.

 

Look around you. Pay attention to those that you come into contact with on a daily - or weekly - basis. Obviously, start with your family first and "move out" from there. Perhaps even sit down with a note pad and brainstorm and see how many people (whether you know their name or not) you come up with.

 

The mail carrier, your children's teacher(s), the school bus driver, your bank teller, the person that checks you out at the grocery store, your hair stylist, your neighbors, your friends...and the list goes on and on.

 

You should also be ready for those that you DON'T know! Notice, there are acts of kindness that you can do for those that you listed in the above paragraph but, when you talk about RANDOM acts of kindness, that means that it will include some that you will not know or that you will not necessarily be thinking about.

 

The opportunity will appear randomly.

 

I know a guy and his wife that was standing in line at a store behind a lady with two or three kids with her. As she stood at the check out counter and the cashier told her the total, she realized that she did not have the money to pay that amount. She began to frantically sort through her cart to see what she could leave behind in order to bring her total down when the guy stepped up to the counter and told the cashier to just put it on his credit card.

 

That, my friends, was a RANDOM act of kindness. Unplanned. Unexpected for all involved. Unknown, as in the total impact of that random act of kindness is still unknown to that man and his wife.

 

So, maybe we need to just talk about ACTS OF KINDNESS, both random and planned.

 

Change your world and watch the world around you change in return.

 

And, as always, it begins TODAY and it begins with YOU! Now, go get something started and, as you do so, be sure to...

 

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

 

Mike

 

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Be a GIVER!

Don't forget, it's "Turn-Around Tuesday!" Stop complaining and start making the CHANGES necessary to turn your life around beginning TODAY!

Today I want to continue my thoughts on #5 of my "7 Life-Changing, Life-Directing, Powerful Daily Affirmations" which is, "Be a GIVER NOT A TAKER!"

In yesterday's blog article I discussed the negative side of this equation - being a TAKER. If you haven't done so, be sure to go back and read the article as well as listen to the podcast that goes along with it (iTunes = http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/mike-spillmans-future-you/id423660739  OR RSS feed = http://mikespillman.hipcast.com/rss/futureyouuniversity.xml ).

Today I want to focus on the POSITIVE side of this equation and one that all of us can improve on each and every day - "BE A GIVER!"

Giving - for the most part - seems to go against our "human nature". Read yesterday's article and see what I mean. For whatever reason it seems that we are born with this sense of "mine" and "me". So, the bottom line is this - BEING SELFISH IS EASY and being SELFLESS is HARD and takes DISCIPLINE!

The truth is this: anything that goes against the "norm" is not easy but, when it comes to improving your life and the lives of those around you, it IS worth the effort. Isn't it?

Jesus Himself said, in Matthew 20: 25b-28... "...but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Again, this goes against everything that we are "fed" from early childhood and it IS hard to combat but combat it we MUST! We can also read in the last part of Acts 20:35... "...And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”. I KNOW you've heard that one before, right? And, the one that we have labeled as "The Golden Rule" can be found in Matthew 7:12... (paraphrase from different translations) "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Some, thinking it humorous, have taken this "golden rule" and have changed it up to things such as, "Do to unto others and then RUN!" or "Do unto others before they have a chance to do unto you!". And, yes, it IS a little humorous but, the fact that so many live by THESE versions of the "golden rule" really is a bit sad.

I believe it was  Zig Ziegler that said, "If you help enough people get what they want, you'll get what you want." (or some very similar quote). Have YOU tried this?

Why not start TODAY putting this theory to the test? Why not put this to the test EXPECTING NOTHING in return, and see what happens?

Why not do this for ANYBODY and EVERYBODY that you come into contact today? Why not do this, not only for your boss, but also for the person that drops your mail off at your desk or empties your trash at night while you are gone?

"Be a GIVER, not a TAKER!".

Easier said than done but well worth the effort!

Until next time, be sure to...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"
Mike

Small Things Becoming BIG!

It's "MAGICAL MONDAY" once again...what will YOU do with YOUR magic?

We go through our days doing what we may think are totally insignificant things along the way. As a matter of fact they are so insignificant to us that we don't even think about them when we do them. (Now stay with me on this because, yeah, I'm going to hit a few "pet peeves" but we ARE going to end on a very positive note!)

For example, one thing I see a LOT of people do (and a growing number of young people - wonder where they get it from?) is to litter. And, from what I can tell by watching, they don't even think about what they are doing. I mean, after all, what's the big deal about one tiny little gum wrapper, right? Of course not until you multiply that by thousands of people that are doing the same thing.

Have you noticed how many "non-handicapped" people park in the "handicap only" parking spots? Hey, what's the big deal, right? I'm just going to run in for a few moments and pick something up. Again, without even thinking about this small, seemingly insignificant action.

Rude comments without thinking. "Oh wait, did you take that SERIOUSLY?" Talking on your cell phone or just being completely engulfed by it while in the company of others.

I could go on and on because there are so many and, by the way, there are things that I do, as well, that has a negative impact on others that I don't even think about. Small. Insignificant.

Now, on the other hand there may also be lots of little things that we or other people do - again without much thought - that may seem rather insignificant. And, just like the negative examples above, though they may SEEM to be small and insignificant, they may be anything BUT that in the lives of some people.

Opening the door for someone else. Saying, "thank you" and "you're welcome" and "how are you today" (and meaning it) when so many people are either too busy or too preoccupied to do so. Picking up that gum wrapper on the ground and putting it in the trash. Taking the time and making the effort to TRULY LISTEN to someone when they are talking with you. Giving someone else the RESPECT of your full attention when you are with them.

Here is a prime example that I experienced just the other day. Please know that I do not share this with you to "pat myself on the back". This just really just jumped out at me because, to me, it was small and insignificant and something that I try to do so often that I didn't even give much thought.

Now first, let me tell you that, for the most part I feel that the term "customer service" is an oxymoron. It seems that the majority of the time that I have to call in and speak to a "customer service representative" it turns out to be something LESS than a pleasant experience. Can any of you relate to that?

Anyway, I really wasn't expecting a battle of any kind but, to be honest, I wasn't looking forward to making a call that would involve a customer representative. As a matter of fact, I tried every way that I could think of to try to take care of this business through this company's website where I would NOT have to talk to anyone. No such luck.

Within the first minute of the conversation, after the gentleman introduced himself to me, he asked, "How are you today?" to which I responded, "I'm doing great! How are YOU doing today?" No biggie. No major motivational speech. Simple. Small. Seemingly insignificant.

However, this gentleman on the other end of the phone said with a smile in his voice, "Mr. Spillman, I'm doing fine and, I'll tell you this - I will be working for another 8 hours or so on my shift and you will likely be the ONLY person that will ask me that today. THANK YOU for asking me how I am doing!"

Did that seemingly insignificant exchange make a difference in this man's day? Apparently so! Did I set out to make that impact? Not really. But I did.

Small things becoming BIG. Think about it and pass it along and see what happens in YOUR world.

Until next time, friends...

"Be sure to make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

RELATIONSHIPS: An Extension of YOU

"RELATIONSHIPS: An Extension of YOU

I'd like to mention something about the picture used above and how it relates to our topic. You can see four pictures of me - the same person but, yet, each picture is different than the other.

So it is as we deal with the different relationships in our lives. WE are the same person yet, we are perceived differently with each relationship that we have in our lives. Now, let's move on to the topic for today.

All of our relationships (remember, they ALL belong to us) have US as a common denominator. We talked about that before but it is important for us to never forget that fact.

And, regardless of what TYPE of relationship we are discussing (check out person, mailman, parking attendant or best friend) we leave our "fingerprints" on each and every one.

Wow, think about that for a moment!

Sometimes we think these "outer ridge" relationships don't really matter. You know, the ones that we discussed yesterday when we talked about taking the time to acknowledge those that we do come into contact with on a semi-regular basis or a regular basis such as a parking attendant.

We can fall into the trap (and lie) that how we treat these people doesn't really matter. After all, they don't really know us anyway, right?

WRONG!

They DO know you by your actions! Who you SAY you are is not as revealing as who you SHOW you are. Now there's an ugly truth to think about.

We want to think that if these people in that "outer ridge" of our relationships think the wrong thing about us (according to who?) then it's because they don't really know the "real" us.

Oh? Perhaps they DO know the "real" you more than you care to admit.

You leave your "fingerprint" on every person that you come into contact with during each and every day. Like it or not, this is true.

Think about this as well - for most of these people this is the ONLY impression that they have of you. Now, based on that, what impression do they have of YOU?

In my opinion, more than anything else, how you treat those in this category defines who we are more than anything you want to believe or want others to believe.

It is your "fingerprint". It is your "identification" of who you really are.

If you are not satisfied with the "fingerprint" that you have been leaving behind why not make a change starting TODAY?

Unlike our own physical fingerprints we CAN actually "change" this "fingerprint" that we leave behind.

It's your move.

Until next time...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

www.MichaelSpillman.com

RELATIONSHIPS: They ALL Belong to You!

"RELATIONSHIPS: They ALL Belong to You!"

Yesterday we discussed the very obvious statement, "Relationships: We ALL Have Them!" and, today, we discuss another that SHOULD be just as obvious.

Here's the deal - when we discuss "YOUR relationships" we have declared something that is very important for us to understand. The word "your" signifies ownership! YOUR relationships belong to YOU!

Why is that important? Because this important fact helps us understand that YOU are the "common denominator" in all of your relationships. ALL of them.

Sometimes the following thought is hard for us to admit and sometimes we don't WANT to admit this fact to ourselves. But, when we understand that WE are the common denominator in all of our relationships, then we must also understand that if our relationships tend to be "less than desired" then we need to take a look at ourselves.

It's easy for us to blame everyone else. It's easy for us to say that it's not our fault that our relationships are not quite what we'd like them to be.

However, by understanding that WE are the common denominator in ALL of those relationships then, perhaps, it's time for us to get honest with ourselves and take a look at US!

Ouch!

We'll talk more about this as we go along in the next few articles so I'll move on to the other part of today's focus.

In this series I will be examining all kinds of relationships but I want to start with the "outside rim" of the relationships that we all have and then we'll work in closer and closer until we begin to discuss those relationships that are closest to us all.

So, today I want to challenge you to consider those relationships that would fit into the category of those that you have "semi-regular" contact with during the week. Perhaps your mail man (or is that "letter carrier"?) or the check out clerk at the local grocery store, or a waiter/waitress that is at your favorite restaurant.

Sometimes we get busy with our own "business" and we don't even acknowledge that these people exist. How many times each day would you think this happens to these people. A LOT!

I was very impressed at one event at which General Colin Powell spoke. This man has spoken with some of the most powerful people in the world on many occasions and has had some of these same people listen to what he had to say.

Yet, he shared how important it was to take the time to reach out to those that, many times, are overlooked. He specifically talked about the parking attendants where he worked. He shared how he always made sure he took the time to put his window down and ask how they were doing before he drove out of the garage.

Did he HAVE to do this? No.

But he did. And it made a difference. Not so much because THE General Colin Powell took time to say hello to these people but it was just the fact that SOMEONE took the time to do so.

You don't have to be a famous person in order to make such a positive impact on the lives of those around you. Why not take the time today (and tomorrow and the next day and....well you get the point) to "reach out" and say "thank you" or ask how those that make up this kind of relationship in your own life are doing?

THIS MATTERS!

Tomorrow I will discuss how THIS has an impact on all of our other relationships. Be sure to join me then.

And, until then...

"Make it an AWESOME day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

http://www.michaelspillman.com/

(be sure to go there and check out the audio/video version of these thoughts)

Thanks For YOUR Help With "Make-a-Wish"

Hey friends...I thoght I'd put up a final note about our recent fund drive with the "Make-a-Wish Foundation" that ended on August 31st.

Although our goal was to raise $5300 to provide the wish for one child, we were unable to meet that goal at this time. Disappointed? Sure. Defeated? NO WAY!

Here's what we DID accomplish... $2044 !!!!

AMAZING! AWESOME! POWERFUL!

Carissa, fromt the "Make-a-Wish Foundation" told me that this figure was enough to provide plane tickets for 5 young people to go to Disney World --- SO WE DID GOOD!

Thank you to ANYONE and EVERYONE that donated to this very worthy cause! Thank you for caring enough to make the sacrifice to help.

I have to mention donations on "both ends of the spectrum" :
1. A young couple donated $1,000 toward this effort all on their own! Why? Because they have healthy children and wanted to be a part of helping out families that were going through the struggles with their ill children! THANK YOU for this powerful show of love and commitment!
2. An unemployed friend of mine out in California donated a total of $60 during the two month effort. He didn't have the money but FOUND a way to make donations! THANK you for your powerful show of love and commitment as well!

Whoever you are - whatever amount you donated - THANK YOU!Lives have been touched and changed and I hope yours has been as well in the process.

What Happened With My Wife's Heart Attack

I'm not trying to be morbid, but I've had a LOT of people ask me what happened with all of this. Some are just finding out about it and I thought that this would be an easier way to clear up rumors and misinformation that is out there as well.There is no way that I can call everyone and explain the same thing over and over again and there is no way in the world I can THANK EVERYONE enough for all of the thoughts and prayers. Please know from the bottom of our hearts how much we love and appreciate each one of you!

On Thursday afternoon, Aug. 20th, Janan was with our youngest son, Jordan at the local Jr. college getting him signed up for a course he is taking for his H.S. Senior year. While he was filling in some information on the computer she sat out in a hallway to wait and began to feel bad. She says that her chest began to hurt and she could hardly breathe. She told Jordan that she needed to go home and so they headed toward the house.Jordan has told me that he knew SOMETHING was wrong but that he wasn't sure what to do. Janan just told him to take her home and that she thought maybe she was having some sort of an allergic reaction.

Thank goodness I came home early on Thursday. I don't remember the exact time, but somewhere around 3 p.m. Jordan and Janan drove up and as soon as Janan got out of the truck I knew something was wrong. She was bending over as she was walking to the house saying that she didn't feel good at all. She went to the bedroom and lay down on the bed saying she just thought she needed to lay down. She did say that her throat felt like it was swelling so I got her some Benedryl to help with that but, upon continuing to question her, knew it was much more than that. Once she told me that her hands were tingling and that her left arm was hurting really bad I knew we had to get her to the doctor.

The 3 of us jumped in the Trailblazer with emergency lights flashing and made a very quick trip to town. NOTE TO DRIVERS: When someone is behind you with their flashers on and honking their horn at you - MOVE!

It had probably only been about 20 - 30 minutes from when she first began to feel bad at this time - so we were getting her to the hospital pretty quickly. We walked in and I told them I thought she was having a heart attack and they took her (with me right along beside her) back to the emergency room. Within minutes of hooking her up to all of the machines the doctor told us that, indeed, she was having a heart attack and that they had begun administering some medication to slow things down a bit and that they also were checking on the helicopter to come from the Heart Hospital in LR as well as check on their ambulances. I called our church office and asked the secretary to spread the word about Janan and within minutes I started getting calls on my cell phone. Some I just let go as things got very busy - but it was good to know that people were already reaching out.

The helicopter was unable to come from LR due to the weather and both ambulances were out at the moment but would be available very shortly as they continued to work with her. She was awake and able to talk to me - scared to death over what was taking place. I had to calm her as it all began to overwhelm her. The doctors told me that an ambulance was on the way and I asked them if I had time to run back to the house and grab some things since I knew we would be at the hospital at least overnight. Plans were for Jordan to spend the night at his grandparents home in Malvern - they had already been called and were to meet us at the hospital in LR.

For those that have never had to do this - do you know how hard it is to call your sons and tell them that their mother is having a heart attack? One lives in Ft. Worth (approx. 8 hours away) and the other in Houston (approx. 11 hours away)....they were both shocked at the news. Do you know how hard it is to call you in-laws and tell them that their daughter is having a heart attack? I was unable to keep a firm voice with ANY of them - as hard as I tried..but was able to get the message out that we were headed to LR in a few minutes.

Jordan and I made another quick trip back home to grab some clothes and then back to the hospital. This took maybe 20 minutes. As we got back to the hospital, a group of people from our church had already gathered in the waiting room and I was so glad that Jordan had someone to talk to. I made a straight path to the ER...I noticed out of the corner of my eye how quickly the lady behind the desk jumped up when she saw me heading toward the ER door. She met me on the other side and cut me off as I looked and saw around 10 - 12 people now over my wife working feverishly. They would not let me get to her. I know how important it is to stay out of their way.....but that was my wife and I needed to know what happened. I insisted that SOMEONE come tell me SOMETHING....the doctor came over and told me that they had to "shock" her and that she had even had a seizure while I was gone. (I WAS NOW BEATING MYSELF UP FOR EVEN LEAVING!!!)

They would not let me close enough to her but I insisted on being within eyeshot of her. My heart was being ripped out as I watched and could tell that they were working frantically to keep my wife alive. Two nurses insisted that I move down the hallway - but to a room out of even earshot???? I obeyed, but not for long...I had to at least have some clue what was going on. These were some of the worst moments for me --- I was so afraid that my wife was going to die right then and there.

They tried to get me to sit out in the lobby where everyone had gathered. I loved the people out there, but did not want to be out there - I needed to be near my wife. I also did not want my son to see me in the state I was in at the moment. The time came that they said there were ready to transport her and that I could speak to her - even though she was unconscious - before they wheeled her out. I asked the nurse to get my son and I spoke to him at the door and told him quickly what was happening and to see if he wanted to say something to her - he did.She was strapped down....they were "hand pumping" air into her lungs and she was unconscious - hard for anyone to see and I really hated Jordan seeing this....but, to be honest.....I didn't know if this might be the last time we had to speak to her. My heart aches even just typing that - but it was true.

As they wheeled her out, we ran through the doors past the waiting crowd to go get in our car. The ambulance driver told me that he would be driving "code 3" - I had no idea what that meant, but I knew it was fast. We had to sit in the parking lot a few minutes as they got everything situated and I know several came by the side of the car and patted my arm and said stuff to me - but I couldn't tell you who said what for the life of me. Thank you to those of you that consoled Jordan on the other side of the car.

The ambulance was finally ready to go with lights on and sirens blazing - we left the hospital headed to LR (about a 2 hour drive). I tried to keep things light as I told Jordan that this would be the fastest trip to LR that he had ever made. -- Yes, we were moving fast.

Little was said between Jordan and myself. We were both lost in our own thoughts. As hard as I tried to stay positive I couldn't help but keep thinking, "What do I say to my boys....her parents.....how do I survive without her?" Tears were streaming down my eyes as I drove.

For those that know the area, not too far before we reached Locust Grove (about 25 miles) I began to notice another ambulance coming up in my rear view mirror. Now there's a dilemma! You're behind one ambulance with your wife in the back when another one comes up behind you - what do you do?

It was not coming up very fast - I was glad of that because it made my decision easier....and then it happened.The ambulance that was carrying my wife pulled over at Locust Grove and the other ambulance pulled up beside it -- a big, husky guy jumped out of the 2nd ambulance and climbed into the ambulance that was transporting my wife. I couldn't help but say to Jordan," Son, I'm not trying to be negative, but that's not good."

The main ambulance sped away and the 2nd ambulance decided to get in front of me - between me and the ambulance with my wife. NOT A GOOD PLAN! The main ambulance was pulling away.....increasing their speed as the 2nd ambulance was lagging behind. I was about to come unglued and decided that the road was about as clear as it was going to get as we came upon a straight stretch. I looked around the 2nd ambulance and saw that there were oncoming cars but that they were pulled over - so I pulled out with my flashers on and began to flash my lights and I floored it. You may think this was stupid...but you weren't in my shoes and I HAD to stay close to the main ambulance!!

All I know is that as I got around the 2nd ambulance and got closer to the main ambulance, I looked down at the speedometer and it was registering 100 mph (Jordan later told me he was watching it and it got to 105-110). In other words, this main ambulance had picked things up considerably which, again, was another sign that was not good.

One thought kept going through my head -- please, keep moving...keep the lights and sirens on. Why? I did not want to see the lights get turned off and the ambulance slow down. I assumed as long as they were moving fast and had their lights on she was still alive.

We got to the intersection in Batesville where you could either turn right to go to Searcy (and on to LR)or left to go into Batesville and they had their signal on to go to Batesville - not a good thing to see again. Once again I told my son, "Jordan....that's not good either."

People along this stretch of road had to wonder what in the world was going on....2 ambulances with a guy between them with his flashers on and his lights flashing!

We got to the hospital and ran up as they began to prepare to unload my wife. The look on one of the EMT's face scared me bad. Honestly, he looked lost. It was as if he already had made a connection as he looked at me - and I didn't like what I saw in his eyes. I did not want Jordan to see that so I grabbed him and held him close and he finally unleashed the tears. We both held each other and sobbed uncontrollably as the EMT mouthed the words, "She's alive" -- which, to be honest, was not all that comforting either.

As they rushed her into the Batesville hospital emergency room they rushed Jordan and I off to another waiting room. Do you know how much I hate those???? Jordan and I prayed and cried together as we waited for some news.(((Yes, I had made more calls during this time to dear friends as well as to my sons and to my mother-in-law......thank you for those that were receiving my calls as I did not do too well holding it together))))

I could not stay in the room the whole time so I wandered out in the hall to try to see what was going on - the one EMT that had made eye contact with me told me that she had been sedated but it had not been enough to last until LR and she was fighting them and the tubes so they had to get more help in the ambulance. I knew that she likely was fighting them....but I also know enough to know that they have more medication in that ambulance....so, again, I knew it was not good at all. (I later learned - not to my surprise - that she had "crashed" on her way to LR so they need to get to the closest hospital at that time).

My doctor friend told me they were going to do a heart cath. while she was there which would get us ahead of the game before going on to LR - and assured me that if it were his wife, that is what he would want. I trusted him with that and thanked him.

Some time later the cardiologist came to where we were and told us that a couple of stints had been put in and that what had happened was very unusual. I can't remember much from that time to be honest, but he used the word "fractured" or "splintered" the best I can remember. Not thinking clearly I asked him when we would be taking her on to LR and told me that there was no need because he had already done what needed to be done.

I was later told that it was a very good thing that he was there when she was brought in. I believe that to be true. More phone calls for the update. Emotions raw and flowing. Worrying about my son driving from Ft. Worth with his wife while so emotionally worked up. Talking to my other son in Houston that was so upset because he didn't' think he'd be able to get away and how it was killing him. I assured him it was o.k. and that Janan knew he'd be there if he could. Later he called and said he had been able to make arrangements to be there which meant them leaving around 12:30 a.m. Friday morning -- worry with that too.

She spent Thursday night, Friday and Friday night , and part of Saturday in I.C.U. and was moved to a room that was a "step down" from I.C.U. on Saturday afternoon. She was released to come home on Monday afternoon.

I went without sleep for 40 hours. I stayed by her side the whole time. The only time I left that room was to go get something to eat. There was no way I was going anywhere. Her mom and dad as well as Jordan, Jeremy and Cassidy and Jacob and Beth all were there by Friday evening...and it made an incredible difference in her. She was so glad to have them all there.

Again, I write all of this to share with you as much as I could. There was a lot of misinformation out there as well as some not knowing anything. I can't help but put in my thoughts and emotions as well - that's just me.

We are glad to be home and are so thankful for all that have prayed for us and kept us in their thoughts. I would say that there were easily over 1,000 people doing just that during this very scary time.

Key thing - she came home with me. Thank you, Lord.

Thank you Jeremy and Cassidy as well as Jacob and Beth for coming - it made a difference for mom to have her boys surround her.

And Jordan. Wow. No son should have to go through what he did. But he did and he did so very well. I earned a whole new level of respect for him through this - so proud of him. He took another stop into manhood during this for sure.

Thank you for allowing me to share this - it is good for me to get it out. Thank you all for your love and your concern. Some of you I don't know and will likely never meet...but thanks to each and every one!

Our next step is to try to figure out exactly what caused this and to see if we can keep it from happening again. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers through this process as well. She is tired - as would be expected - but has no real restrictions on activity, etc.I hope this answers a lot of questions for a lot of people.

Feel free to email me if I left something out that is important.

I'll Shave it Off for a GOOD CAUSE!

The CHALLENGE Has Been Made!

Hello friends - if you listen (or have listened) to my podcast today you will find that today - MONDAY (and every Monday between now and the end of August) is "Make-a-Wish Monday"!

I will be spending time each Monday talking about our current fundraiser and about this great organization and also trying to spur you on to take ACTION with this effort.

Here are some challenges I set out in today's podcast (where do YOU fit in?):

1. GET YOUR OFFICE INVOLVED! (Why not see if you can't get your co-workers involved in donating to this cause? Why not? Most people will help out and, again, it's the LEVERAGE that makes this thing possible!

2. SET THE EXAMPLE! (Don't just encourage your co-workers to get involved but make sure that YOU are involved and that you are "blazing the trail" with your example.)

3. SPECIFIC CHALLENGE #1: (I'm not saying this to "pat myself on the back" with this - I'm really not. But I do want you to know that I'm "putting my money where my mouth is" and I want to challenge others in this very specific way. I have donated $100 for the month of July and I plan to do so again for the month of August. I CHALLENGE 20 other people that are able to do so to commit to the same thing. Yes, I know that many - if not most - of you are unable to do so, but I KNOW that there are those of you out there that CAN! And, so - I CHALLENGE YOU TO DO SO!

4. SPECIFIC CHALLENGE #2 - MORNING COACH: (If you don't know what "morning coach" is, go to www.MorningCoach.com - it's a GREAT community of people that I have been associated with for about that past 9 months or so. There are over 10,000 members of that community and I challenge J.B. (founder) and the rest of the community there - COMBINED - to contribute $1,000 to this cause. I have no way to keep up with it, to determine what has come from the M.C. community - but there is the challenge. THIS IS AN EASY CHALLENGE FOR THIS LARGE GROUP!

5. SPECIFIC CHALLENGE #3 - THE WORLD NEEDS MORE HAPPY: (Again, if you don't know, go to www.TheWorldNeedsMoreHappy.com - this is another GREAT community of people headed up by my friend, Angie Strader. I also challenge Angie and the rest of the community there - COMBINED - to contribute $1,000 to this cause. Again, I have no way to keep up with it specifically from this group - but there, again, is the challenge. YOU CAN DO IT, HAPPY PEOPLE!

It's time we kicked this into "high gear" so that we can be sure to reach the goal of providing the funds to grant the wish of one special child!

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Thanks in advance and, as always...

"Make it an AWESOME Day! (Who else is going to do it for you?)"

Mike

Seeing the NEED Around Us

Hey friends - again I want to encourage you to take a moment and DONATE to the "Make-a-Wish Foundation" fundraising effort that I am involved in through my website http://www.futureyouuniversity.com/

It is SO easy for us to get caught up in our daily activities, problems, etc. and not realize that we CAN and SHOULD be turning some of this focus to others.

"I can't donate!"

Really consider that. Tear it down and look at it closely and then ask yourself the question, "Why?"

Usually we say something like that without really putting much thought behind it. Yet, at the same time we'll go out and spend several dollars on a fancy cup of coffee or a pack of cigarettes or on colas throughout the day without giving that much thought.

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED!!!!!

Do you realize the impact that WE can have TOGETHER in raising enough money to provide ONE WISH for a child in this awesome program?

PLEASE - take a moment and really consider this and then DONATE what you can.

In advance, I once again say, "THANK YOU!"

My "WHY" in Choosing the "Make-A-Wish Foundation"

I encourage you to listen to my podcast for today as I discuss why I chose the "Make-a-Wish Foundation" as my focus for this current fundraiser.

However, I'll still share it with you here in hopes that it will spur you on in a decision to donate and be a part of this great opportunity to help make a wish come true in the life of a deserving child.

You know, the recent deaths of Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Billy Mays have really brought into focus the brevity of life. The fact that these people were "famous" brought their deaths to the forefront.

However, people die every single day without notice outside of a few friends and their family. To me, even more heart breaking is the fact that children die every single day leaving a gaping hole in the core of that family. Some of these children die of incurable diseases and their families struggle with them through the course of this illness reaching out for anything good that they can bring to their child during those difficult days.

In 1998 I was a youth minister in Mountain Home, Arkansas and had been so for about four years. I have always enjoyed working with and being around young people! Their energy and enthusiasm about so many things and their eagerness to share their joy simply made it a joy for me for many years.
(Again, as I mention on the podcast, I may not have all of the facts completely right, but they are close enough to make the point.)

There was one young man by the name of Russell Woods that made a profound impact on my life during this time. He was 13 years old and full of life! You could look into his eyes and see a spark of mischievousness that brought a smile to your face just wondering what he was up to. During this time Russell began to experience headaches and would often get up in the middle of the night to throw up. He knew something wasn't right as did his parents. In the summer of 1998 it was discovered that Russell had a tumor on his brain stem and, at first, was told that it was a slow growing tumor and that with medication and possible surgery, it should be able to be handled.

That was the news as I sat with the family on that particular morning. What joy! How happy everyone was! Tears of joy filled the room as we all hugged each other. However, after I made the four hour drive back home I received a phone call that told me that just the opposite was true... it was actually a fast growing tumor and there was nothing that could be done.

Devastation. Even to this day when I type that I get an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Over the next year and a few months I spent quite a bit of time with Russell - he had such a wonderful sense of humor all through his illness and was such a joy to be around. I still have a picture of him in my office with a package of juice-filled wax bottles that he gave me because he heard me talk about something like that I enjoyed when I was a kid. That was Russell.

During the course of his illness the Make-A-Wish Foundation fulfilled a wish for Russell. To be honest with you, I don't remember what it was, but my wife thinks it was a trip to Disney World. Regardless of what it was, this organization was able to provide a special memory for Russell and his family.

Sadly, one day in October 1999, Russell passed away. To this day I get emotional every time I think of this special young man.

You likely have similar stories to share of some special young person that struggled like Russell. My desire is to provide enough money to help make a wish come true for one of these special young people.

Will you help?

I know times are tough. I know money is tight. But, at the same time, I want you to consider how quickly and easily you go through $10 during the course of a week.

Can you commit yourself to a minimum of $10 to help make this happen? I know some can't, but I know most can!

Hey, wouldn't it be great if we end up raising enough to provide TWO wishes?

Regardless, your help is needed! The "official" kick-off date for this special drive begins on Wednesday, July 1st. But you can begin now if you'd like.

This is a two-month drive and is scheduled to end on August 31st.

Please go to my website: http://www.FutureYouUniversity.com and click on the banner at the top of my page to read more and donate.

Reach out, in love, and touch the life of a special young person.

That's the POWER of LOVE!

Mike