My Thoughts

Of the two people who read this, 50% have asked me to repost the Holiday Greeting that started all this shinanigans…

Okay, I lied. I’ve had more than a few requests…and since I figured we’re half-way through 2008…meh…okay…

And, just in case you’re keeping score…I’M GOING BIG—STILL!

Holiday Wishes…In June?

Friends, this was my twisted version of a holiday greeting.

The holidays are a time to reach out to your friends, family, coworkers and clients. I wanted to say something snazzy this season. So, I plucked a few keys, focused on typically merry messages. I hit delete. Uggh. That’s when I realized that I need to step-up my greeting card efforts. I needed to “Go Big!” …but I wasn’t. When did this happen? When did I start settling for marginal?

I have an obscure question for you: When did you stop believing that absolutely anything is possible?

I know what you’re thinking—“Todd, I still believe anything is possible.” But, do you…really?

I just realized that I had lost the ability to comprehend “BIG”—and I don’t know when the ability to stretch disappeared.

What happened?

I had asked my six-year-old daughter to really think about what she wanted for Christmas. “Take your time.” I said. “Don’t ask for things unless you really want them. And, think BIG.”

She left the room. A few days went by. And then she came back to me.

“Daddy, I know what I want for Christmas,” she said. “There are three things.”

“Okay,” I said. “But, before you tell me what they are, make sure you really have thought about them. They better be BIG!”

She took a deep breath. She paused. And, then she nodded.

“First, I want a penguin in a cage,” she said. “But, I don’t know what I’ll feed him.”

I simply nodded at her request—holding back any laughter as I envisioned the little tuxedoed fella in my back yard. How could we could keep a penguin as a pet—especially in Arizona? I don’t think the bird would be telling his friends in the arctic, “Guys, it’s really a dry heat.”

“Second, I’d like a shooting star,” she said. “Or, a comet. Either one would be just fine.”

“Wow!” I responded. “That may be tricky for someone to get for you, but I like the way you think.”

Again, I tried not to giggle. Sure, I wish I had the ability to reach into the sky and wrangle a mass of fiery gas. Maybe, if I survive the ordeal, we could contain it in a pickle jar.

I was waiting for her to mention something I could actually get for her—a princess dress, a skateboard, a trip to New Zealand. “Please,” I thought. “”Just say something attainable.”

And, lucky for me, she did. Her third request is attainable…I guess.

“Third, I’d like a seeing eye dog,” she said. “I don’t want to bump into anything anymore.”

First, realize that my daughter is not sight-impaired. And, as much as I wanted to laugh at all her requests, I couldn’t help but think of the bigger picture.

The bigger picture is: my daughter took my advice. She “went BIG.”

Why can’t we all think this way? Why can’t we all think BIG?

Often times, in life, I think we are all squashed by a notion of reality—knowing the implausibility of the things we really want. And, because we know how rare it is for people to achieve or discover the true things they want in life is, we simply settle for less.

But why? Why have we, as adults, lost the ability to think “BIG?”

Why do we settle for less?

My daughter asked for something exotic, something magical and fleeting, and something highly trained and uniquely useful.

Why can’t we ask for world peace? Why can’t we ask for private islands in the Caribbean? Why can’t we ask to become owners of our independence, a bigger paycheck, more free time, a better lifestyle, and cures to diseases?

As difficult as it may be for us to achieve these things, the very first step in the process of attainment is asking for them—from ourselves, our families, and our friends. Pray for “BIG”. Just ask your higher power! And, what about asking our communities, governments, coworkers, and our employers to think “BIG?” Why can’t we ask the entire world to step and ask for the very things that seem impossible?

Why don’t we all make this the year we demand of ourselves the things we REALLY want in life? Why don’t we all think “BIG?”

I don’t care if you want to make more money, get healthy, lose 400 pounds, rediscover love, get a promotion, start a business, or break a world record; I’m begging all of you to “Go BIG in 2008.”

Here’s my pledge.

I will “Go Big” in 2008. I’m going to publish more books. I’m going to get myself in the best physical condition of my life. I’m going to be the best father and husband I’ve ever been. And I’ll help everyone I know make their year the “BIGGEST” ever too!

You heard it. You have written documentation of my resolution. Todd is going “BIG” in 2008. I’ll succeed BIG. I’ll love and relish relationships BIG. I’ll play and party BIG (although, I don’t need to work too hard in this department). I’ll reap BIG benefits and BIG rewards. And, I hope you’ll join me. I truly, 100%, hope that any of you reading this will step-up and grow your capacity this next year—simply to think “BIG”.

Am I crazy? Am I overly dramatic? And, am I sounding like one of those cheesy motivational posters?

Well, maybe I am dramatic and cheesy; but, quite frankly, I don’t care. I’m going “BIG” and I’m rounding up as many people I can think of to go “BIG” with me. I hope you do the same.

Ask for a comet. Ask for a penguin. Demand a seeing-eye dog. And, ask the people you care about to do the same for their lives!

Let’s all “Go BIG” in 2008. I’m gonna start today. Are you with me?

Oh yea! Have a REALLY BIG and Happy Holiday Season!

P.S. If you’re still shopping for holiday gifts, check out my book, The Cure for Heart Disease: Truth Will Save a Nation. Just go back to the “books” page of this site and you can click right through!

“Anyone who reads this book can save more lives than I ever could as a heart surgeon” ~Dr. Dwight Lundell

www.thecureforheartdisease.net
Order by phone at: 1-888-890-CURE

I know a lot of people who are frustrated with their job.  Everyone seems to be searching for something that allows for more time to pursue personal passions or spend more time focused on family and/or loved ones.

Isn’t work supposed to support life?  Instead of life supporting work?

Jello is a fine product.  However, it needs to handled strategically.

I was recently at a gathering in the midwest–a pot-luckish type thing–and I was shocked by the amount of Jello presented as a side-dish.

A pot luck (I don’t want to know the origin of the word “luck” in the name) is much like any other gathering in life.  The point of a pot luck is to have everyone provide input into one common goal (in the case of pot luck, we could call it a surprising menu, which is meant to conclude in some sort of satisfactory meal).

But, let’s consider Jello—and the 13 variations—that arrive as input to one satisfactory meal.  What if Jello was your staff, your team, or your group of peers—do you need 13 people providing the same input?

Okay, maybe some variations have marshmallows or canned fruit…so what?

The point here is to view the end user, in my case, all the people dining at the pot luck.  Sure, I understand that it can be difficult to always imagine a new dish to bring to a gathering.  But, if you’re the employee who always brings Jello to the boardroom table, or you’re the friend who always takes the generic approach to the relationship instead of considering the entirety, or the team member who just does what everyone else is doing because you wouldn’t want to reveal your true talents, are you creating the most value for the end user and the most necessity for you being a part of that gathering? Are you truly complimenting the needs of the other players in your life?  Or, are you just some tasty little side dish that people scoop on their plate and never eat?

How do you change the world?

Start by becoming necessary and irreplaceable.  Do the research, ask the questions, and dump yourself entirely into whatever it is you want to provide as input—to this world and every gathering that you’re ever a part of.

Be the cheesecake.  Be the fiery fajitas.  Be the sushi.

Hey, even if you aren’t the perfect side-dish to the deli platter, at least you won’t be competing for that little edge of the plate reserved for all the stuff you don’t really want to eat, but allow the Jello to reside because you’re worried the chef who made the dish might be standing behind you in line.

That’s all I have to say.  Jello needs to be strategic.

Hey, I wish life was a musical sometimes—especially when you find a new product that changes your life.  I’ve found one that makes me want to sing.  I know this is off task…but I’m too excited to care.

Ziplock Zip’nSteam bags.

Hey, need more veggies in your life?  How about lean meats for lunch like chicken or fish?

This changes everything.  http://www.ziploc.com/?p=b13

There’s a lot of self-help oozing around in the world today—deep, philosophical books that make people question the way they life or the way they perceive the world around them.  Of course, most self-help books come  lathered  with  guiding principles, tracking devices,  goal setting exercises, and just about any imaginable  way to make us all question ourselves.

But, at the end of all the hub-bub, there’s really one question that summarizes everything—and if you truly contemplate this question, it will open your eyes to a discussion about yourself that will change you.

Okay, this is a bit off-color for my typical blogging posts—a little more sappy, mushy, and, well, icky.  Nevertheless, I’m going to throw it out there.  Call me a sap.  Call me “touchy-feely”.  Actually, call me and this question anything you want.  But, please answer it—to yourself, your friends, your family, or your spouse.  I think this question actually moves people in the right direction.

Are you happy?

Tim Russert—you will be missed.

Sudden death always catches us off guard.  It makes us realize our own mortality.

Sudden circumstances can often lead us to feel fear and uncertainty—maybe changing the way we live or forcing us into a rationalized sense of denial—”That couldn’t happen to me.”

As the Co-Author of The Cure for Heart Disease: Truth Will Save a Nation, I’ve had a lot of people inquire why a young guy like me is so passionate about heart disease (typically known for striking an aging demographic).  Many people have asked me if I’ve had health problems—issues with my own heart.  I haven’t.  In fact, I’m in great health.

But, this leads me to question some bigger issues about human nature.  My philosophy (as a guy in his 30’s) is that I’ll take care of myself now, so I won’t have to deal with the #1 killer of men and women in America when I get older.

A heart attack happens instantly—but heart disease has a slow progression.

That’s a big concept when you think about it.  And, it’s true of many “sudden circumstances” we face in life.  Maybe someone you know has recently went through a seemingly “sudden” divorce.  Maybe a friend has suffered a “sudden” layoff.  But, are these circumstances truly “sudden?”

Sure, I’ll concede that there are some sudden circumstances in life.  However, I think that if you asked a recently divorced friend, or the CEO of the company who just laid-off your friend how sudden the circumstances were that led to the correlating conclusions, we’d all realize that many “sudden” circumstances actually begin with  slow progression.

Dismal?  Not really.  Because the same is true on the opposite side of the spectrum.  Most famous actors chase their dreams for years before they find “sudden” success.  Most successful businessmen fail at least a few times before they “suddenly” succeed.

Most things don’t happen overnight—changing the world to make it a better place is a day by day process.

Giddy up.  The only thing we can’t create is time.

God speed Mr. Russert.  You were a class act.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601124&sid=azBQWcGNb0L0&refer=home

The world can change people.  People can change the world.  What side of change are you on?

Sometimes situations in life stink.  The economy is in a stink.  I hear about a lot of relationships that stink—with bosses, spouse’s, family members, friends, etc.  I hear about people losing their jobs.  I hear about people who struggling with unrealized dreams.  Hey, the world isn’t always rosey, and sometimes it’s not resting in the palm of your hand.

My oldest daughter entered what she considered a stinky situation today—returning to her previous school for the summer without all her friends.  She’s 6.  She cried.  She was obviously stressed about the situation—not knowing if there would be anyone there for her to play with, and not sure that she remembered all the “school rules” after she had become so accustomed to a new set of standards.

My 3 year-old attends the same school.  And, although she typically mimics everything her oldest sister does and says, this morning was different.  She watched her hero and role model break down in panic.  She looked sad and confused by her oldest sisters fear.  And, although her arm had to stretch to reach around her older sister’s shoulder, my 3 year-old stepped up to the plate of leadership this morning.  “When you get sad, ask your teacher to find me,” she told her big sister.

Instantly the tears cleared from my oldest daughters face. She was willing to face change because she knew she wasn’t alone.  And, because of that, she was no longer a victim—instead, she said, “I guess I do know the teachers.  And, if I have any questions, I can just ask for my sister.”

Is it that simple?  Is knowing we’re not alone the difference between allowing the world to change us, or changing the world around us?  Can we handle the weight of the world alone?

After a morning filled with me telling my 6 year-old, “Don’t be scared,” (which in her mind meant, “Don’t fail”) my youngest daughter instantly resolved any worries by allowing her sister to feel frightened (which meant, “it’s okay to fail”).

Maybe that’s the bigger question.  As adults, why can’t we realize that just knowing someone is there when we fail might actually be more beneficial to our own personal growth than having someone there who won’t allow us to fail?
I once had a guy ask me at the gym if I would spot him while he squat-pressed 400 lbs.  I weigh 160 lbs—so it’s not like I would be much help if he needed me to lift the bar off his shoulders.  But, anytime you’ve got that much weight on your shoulders, I suppose it’s just nice to know that you’re not standing there all by yourself.

Oh…what?  You still haven’t bought my book?

www.thecureforheartdisease.net

My sister-in-law is griping that I’m not blogging enough…at least someone is reading this damn thing.