Direct Life Coaching

Recently I was on a flight from Florida to St. Louis when I struck up a conversation with the guy sitting next to me. We got talking about Disney World and he told me how he spent a semester in college working there as part of the Disney University college credit program. Having had a cousin who also participated in the program, I was really curious to know how they split people up into the different positions.

He explained how you basically choose one of the different employment areas, such as entertainment or hospitality. Once you choose the area, one of the Disney U facilitators places you with a specific job. He said the process was a little misleading though, and then told how his roommate wanted to work in hospitality thinking he would work in one of the hotels or at a customer service station. During this placement interview, it went a little something like this...

Interviewer: You like hospitality?

Roommate: Yes.

Interviewer: Do you like helping people?

Roommate: Yes.

Interviewer: Do you like talking to people?

Roommate: Yes.

Interviewer: Do you like being outside?

Roommate: Yes.

Now - here is the kicker. His roommate then said the interviewer described his job in this way.

Interviewer: "You like talking to and helping people, and you like being outside. So, for your job, you are going to be 'playing the role' of a street sweeper. You are going to walk around the park carrying a broom and dust pan. If you see any trash on the ground, you sweep it up. But here is the thing, people in the park are going to have questions, and you are going to be one of the first people they see. So, you will be playing the role of a street sweeper, but you'll actually be doing customer service."

Wow, how is that for selling the position of a street sweeper? Well, his roommate didn't feel great about the job - but that line of reasoning from the Disney interviewer really got me thinking.

Do you see where I am going with this?

In one light, you could look at that reasoning and feel that the guy is being totally misleading and full of B.S. - or you can really think about the thought behind that reasoning and ask yourself...

"What role am I playing?"

Think of your job for a second. Technically, you have a job title, and it may be a prestigious title, or maybe it's not. Under this rationale, it really doesn't matter. Do you see that under that job title, you are basically just playing a "role?" With each position that we have comes certain attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that are expected with each title. Most of us fall into these roles pretty easily, and we let others fall into theirs as well.

Yet, if you looked at your work from the Disney line of reasoning, it could really shift just how you view your work. As the street sweeper, you could view your job as lame and valueless, and walk around the park all day with your head lost in self-pity. Or, you could truly see yourself as being the front line of customer service. You could approach every interaction with a customer as an opportunity to serve - an opportunity to bring joy and help to someones day.

Isn't this the opportunity we all have?

So, whatever your job is - you are really just playing the "role" of that position, and you still need to do all the responsibilities that job requires - but maybe your bigger job - or higher purpose - IS TO SERVE?

Maybe?

Imagine how your day might change if you took that approach to your work? If you have been feeling stuck in a rut, or wanting to do more with your job, or maybe you are unhappy with your position all together - perhaps this is the opportunity to SHIFT your thought of how you view your work.

But wait - there's more!

Think about the different relationships in your life - your role as a spouse, parent, friend, son/daughter, etc. Is the opportunity to serve and bless any different in these relationships? Yes, you still have your duties to get done - but what impact are you leaving on the people around you? Are they feeling your love?

In one of my favorite books/films "The Peaceful Warrior," there is a scene when Dan (the lead character) is chastising his mentor (known as Socrates) for working in a gas station.

Dan: If you're so wise, than why do you work at a gas station?

Socrates: It's a service station!

So, I dare you to find me a job that doesn't serve. Whether it's a customer or co-worker - or family member - we are all in the service industry.

"So, on a scale of 1 to 10...1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest - how would someone rate your last interaction with them?"

Do you like the role that you are playing? Maybe it's time to change your script.

Have a great day!

Much love,

Travis
561.676.4583

Labels: customer service, Dan Millman, life coaching Travis Thomas, Peaceful Warrior, role playing

How well do you handle disappointment?

Come on, be honest. It's not like you can't relate. Who hasn't dealt with their fair share of things not working out the way they would have liked? If this doesn't apply to you - give me a call :)

When I think about the growth I am making in my life, this is one of the most important questions I ask myself. It is kind of my barometer of checking how well I am really coming along.

Mainly, when disappointment comes - what are my initial thoughts? Are they angry, frustrated, anxious, stressed? Or, are they calm, peaceful, understanding, and joyful? Joy...yeah, can you believe that one?

So today - when I got that call I didn't want to get, and there was disappointment on the other side - how did I do?

First of all, while I was on the actual call, I noticed my stomach was nervous. My heart was beating. I was able to observe this happening, which was a little discouraging because my goal was to not be so attached to the outcome. My body was telling me I was very attached to the results. The reason this is my goal is because I am working at becoming less attached to how "I think" things should work out, and instead, find the ability to express joy and peace no matter the result.

When I got the news I didn't want to hear today - it put me on a bit of a roller coaster ride of emotions and thoughts for the rest of the day. At some points I was keeping everything in perspective - while at others I was letting my ego run wild with feeling like a victim, and just sad and discouraged.

I kept thinking about a quote a friend of mine sent me a few months ago. It is an anecdote relayed in one of Rumi's poems, translated by Coleman Barks. A sheik was asked once what the true meaning of Sufism was, "It is the feeling of joy when sudden disappointment comes!"

There you have it. That is the game I am playing - being aware of my level of joy when sudden disappointment comes. It came today - and my immediately feeling was not joy. But, and this is a big BUT - I knew it should be. For me, that is progress. Sure, my ego ran wild during the day feeling wronged, afraid, and walked on - but I knew it was those thoughts keeping my from joy.

Why joy? Because I honestly feel that I am living my life in a way where I am doing the best I can, and listening to make the best decisions possible. I wake up everyday and I pray and listen and follow. This is a daily active commitment - and I trust the results - even when I don't like them.

A few months ago I started a new daily commitment of getting real quiet and still - doing some deep prayerful listening - and then writing. Not thinking about it - just writing. You can sort of call it a dictation from my inner spiritual thoughts. So, here is my dictation from a few days ago - and it really resonated once I went back and reread it today.

Quick explanation - when I refer to "Travis," I am referring to myself when I am guided by ego-driven thoughts. I don't see this as my true self. So, here you go:

Wednesday, May 27th

There are two roads that ultimately lead to the same place. The first road is called "Your opinion," and the second road is called "The way it is." There is peace to be found on both roads, but only one of the roads brings lasting peace - and knowing which road that provides this is pretty obvious. So why is it that we continue to map our path down the road of "Your opinion?"

Travis somehow gets tricked into feeling that "Your opinion" provides opportunities for him to steer God in the direction that is best for Travis. There are two stupid assumptions here. 1) Travis knows what is best for him. 2) God does not.

How does Travis allow himself to get tricked into this reasoning time and time again? Travis quickly forgets that where he is right now is the result of traveling down "The way it is." He likes to look back and think that his path is the result of his awesome driving on the road of "Your opinion," or worse, he looks back in regret at what terrible decisions he has made in the past. Either way, he fools himself into thinking that where he sits right now is his doing.

The real me (the real Travis) is patient. Not patient from the standpoint of "waiting" for Travis to get a clue, but patient from the standpoint of knowing that Travis' growth has no outcome on the path of reality. In fact, I am fine with Travis going his whole life trying to drive on "your opinion," because the choices he makes don't add up to anything in the end anyway - they are just illusion. It reminds him of 4 year old Holland sitting at race car video game thinking that he is playing, when in fact there is no money in the machine. He grips the wheel and watches the action in front of him convinced he is actually making an impact - but nothing he does has any effect on the game. He doesn't know any different, and when he get up from his seat, he is convinced he has won. Yet, not a single thing made any difference on the result. Ouch, that is kind of hitting home right now.

So, on the road of "your opinion" there are major ups and downs, highs and lows, pride and envy, pushing and pulling, wrestling and sweating, struggling, fighting, stressing, worrying, doubting, questioning, waiting, hating, losing, winning, losing again, failing, dying, crawling, battling, and eventually, after it all - there is finally - ENDING. The road of "your opinion" comes to an end, but where do you find yoursef...

On an on ramp to the road of "What is."

After all of the effort and toil and time spent on "Your opinion," you find yourself naked, vulnerable, stripped clean, and FREE on the road of "What is." On the road of "What is" there is only peace and joy. Every moment is the perfect moment - not because it is what you wanted, but because it is what God unfolded. Is there any need for further debate? On the road of "What is" there is no ego, doubt, or fear - because there is no "dream job," "Ideal ending," "best case scenario," "dream guy/girl," or even "perfect solution." Every unfolded moment is perfection is motion, Nature pulling back another petal, harmony expressed. On the road of "What is" there are no delayed flights or "running late," because there are no time constraints to butt up against. Every moment is what it is supposed to be, and our only role is to participate in each moment with grace, love, and humility. By expressing these three qualities we bring ourselves into alignment with the oneness of the whole moment. We are not "in the moment" - because we are actually part of the moment. We are one piece of the symphonic puzzle all working in concert with one another, yet we are not separate from any of the other pieces. We are all interconnected, joined in unity and harmony, so it is senseless to try to question our role in the whole. It is only by questioning and attempting to control - that we separate ourselves from the peace of "what is," and fall back to the chaos and disappointment of "your opinion."

There are two roads, they both lead to the same place, yet one road only begins, when the other road ends.


That is how I am handling disappointment.

Have a great day!

Much love - Travis

Labels: direct life coaching, poetry, Rumi, self-help, Sufism, two roads

"It was us against the world!"

If you have watched any sports team championship in the past few years you have grown a little tired of the phrase above. Apparently, any team that wins a title claims they did so "against all odds." The funny thing is, teams that have even been favored to win, and were supposed to win, somehow end up claiming "It was us against the world."

Really?

I get it. There is little that motivates a team, player, or coach more than the experts or public opinion claiming they don't have a chance. If that is the case, what do you have to lose - just go prove everyone wrong! So, it should not be a shocker that in recent years, many teams that have won titles weren't necessarily the team picked to do so. I still remember in 2006 when my beloved Detroit Tigers were preparing to play the underdog St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. One national columnist said Detroit would win the 7 seven game series so easily, it might only take three games to do so. Talk about locker room material for the Cardinals. Guess who won the series in five games? Not Detroit. (I still haven't gotten over that one).

That brings us to the 2009 NCAA Men's Basketball tournament - better known as March Madness. My favorite time of the year. This year, the Final Four was held in Detroit, MI - less than 70 miles from where I grew up. I have spoken of my love and roots to the state of Michigan - and I am a die hard Michigan State University fan, since a few of my family members have gone there (sorry U of M). So, watching Michigan State march to the championship game this year was a special event - because, in many ways, it was the ultimate "home game" for a state needing a warm feeling of "home" more than anywhere else in the country.

Let me quickly add, there is no Hollywood ending here. MSU got blown out in the final against heavily favored and deserving winners North Carolina. It was a sad ending, but what was accomplished by MSU just getting to the final game is what was so inspiring - and that is what I want to highlight.

"Us against the world."

I am so tired of hearing that phrase. MSU was a #2 seed in the tournament, which is a great seed, so getting to the Final Four for them wasn't exactly a Cinderella story - yet it kind of was. It takes 4 wins just to make it to the Final Four, and after their second game, most of the experts were picking against them. At that time, it would of been easy for head coach Tom Izzo and the players to adopt the mantra, "Us against the world."

But they didn't.

They did the exact opposite. Tom Izzo was born, raised, went to school, and has never worked anywhere but inside the state of Michigan. He bleeds Great Lakes. A few years ago when it was announced that the 2009 Final Four would be held in Detroit, he started recruiting and preparing his team for that destination. Little did he know, that a few years later, by the time the tournament rolled around, Detroit would be the poster city for our current financial struggle. It has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. The wheels are falling off the auto companies. Detroit remains to be the butt of every one's joke. To those associated with the state of Michigan, or the city - no one's laughing.

When the tournament rolled around this year, and Izzo saw what a run to the Final Four could do for a state looking for an early stimulus package - the goal became a little more important. If any city in the country right now could claim "Us against the world," it would be Detroit. But they don't. Neither did Izzo and Michigan State.

Game after game. Interview and after interview. Izzo and the players talked about playing "for" the people of Michigan. On numerous occasions they talked about "providing a ray of light for the city." They mentioned wanting to "give the people something positive to think about for a few weeks." There was never a mention of "showing up the experts," but instead, they were playing for people other than themselves - for a cause BIGGER than themselves. Besides, many of the players were Michigan bred themselves. They have felt the pain. Now, they wanted to provide some relief.

The results were awesome. In their run to the final, they beat the Pac-10 champion (USC), the defending national champion (Kansas), the overall #1 seed in the tournament (Louisville), and the team that was ranked #1 for the longest period during the season (Connecticut). As I mentioned, in those last three games, they were seldom picked to win.

If you watched the games (as I did on the edge of my seat) - you could see how they were playing outside of themselves. They were playing "in a zone," and "above their heads." After beating Connecticut in the semi-finals, the game no one gave them a chance to win, Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun had this to say, (and I paraphrase), "I watched tape of them this season against other teams. The team we played tonight was not that team."

Maybe the Spartans were on to something.

We are all inspired by moving stories of triumph against all odds. When an individual or group of people rally around a cause to achieve a goal many thought impossible. We connect with these stories because they reveal such selflessness, courage, and perseverance. If you are like me, you ask yourself, "Could I have done that?"

Well, could you?

What in your life has this kind of importance? And by importance, I mean something that is bigger than you. Something that helps or blesses others. Something that forces you to make sacrifices, stretch your comfort zone - and get out of yourself. Do you think it is any coincidence that we compliment someone by saying they played "out of their mind," and we also encourage people to "get out of themselves." Might their be a correlation?

It sounds to me - that when we get our own ego and self-interest out of the way -and actually live, play, or strive for something bigger than ourselves - MAGIC HAPPENS!

So, it's not "us against the world," it's actually "You 'FOR' the world!" Doesn't that have a better ring to it?

And, you know what they give champions don't you - RINGS!!!

So, if you want to experience some magic - you better decide what you are "FOR!"

If you are not sure, I would be happy to listen!

Much love!

Travis
561.676.4583

PS - Thanks coach Izzo and the Spartans.

Labels: basketball, direct life coaching, Final Four, Michigan State basketball, Tom Izzo, travis thomas

Okay - it has been forever since my last blog, and after my last blog I vowed to get back on a regular schedule, but alas, here I am. I am grateful you all are so forgiving ;)

The last month or so has been bananas. We moved out of our rental in St. Louis, put all of your stuff in my sister's garage for storage (thanks sis), stayed in her house for a week (thanks again), then drove down to Florida where we'll be for at least two months - and now we are finally feeling a little settled.

And here is the blog!

So, about a month ago my wife and I took our kids to a butterfly habitat. Side note, if you are a Brian Regan fan, here is a great bit about him taking his child to a butterfly habitat. Back to me. So, I could blog about the fact that my almost 7 year old daughter was terrified of the butterflies. Seriously, she was in tears shaking. You would of thought we were in the middle of an asteroid field. "They're EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!" she screamed. Anyway, that will probably be a different blog.

Before we went into the Butterfly-dome, we watched a 10 minute video on the caterpillar, and the process of turning into a butterfly. I kind of new the basics (don't we all), but I learned a few cool things. Such as, did you know that a caterpillar molts (did you know that word) five times in all. Molting is the shedding of the skin. So, the caterpillar goes through four molts where he/she sheds all of the skin. The end result is that the caterpillar goes through some minor changes - but he is still very much a caterpillar. It is not until the fifth molting that the caterpillar eats as much as it possibly can, and then its body builds the cocoon for the big and final transformation.

Another cool tid-bit (from SP), is that in the cocoon, the caterpillar decomposes its body into a soupy (my word) substance, and it is from there that the form of the butterfly evolves. So, what does that feel like?

It got me thinking. How many times have I felt like I have gone though major transformations - but still feel like the picture still looks the same (to me). How many times have I molted, and am I still preparing for my butterfly like transformation?

So, a few days ago I was doing a daily writing exercise where I get real quiet, try to silence my own ego and thinking, and then just start writing from the standpoint of INSPIRATION. It doesn't even matter what I write, just let it go and let it flow. The butterfly experience was over a month ago, so that wasn't in my thought, but some friends of mine were.

So, this is the result of my writing - and I thought I would share it with all of you!

"The caterpillar that emerges from his cocoon is not aware of the transformation that has taken place. When he went into the cocoon - did he really know what was on the other side? In fact, he had gone through four transformations before this one - and each time he would shed his skin and move on - but there wasn't much change in his physical appearance. So, when the caterpillar emerges from the cocoon this time - something is different. Something doesn't feel right. He doesn't feel himself - and he doesn't even look like he used to. The parts don't feel right. He doesn't feel like he is in his skin. He wants to go back to the way things were, to his old life, his old body, and his old comforts. But he can't.

As he breaks out of the shell, the shell that has held him tight and served as the manger for this transformation - he can see that he has been born anew. As he faces his fear and walks forward - he begins to see with new eyes. The fear is still there, but the limitations are smaller - in fact - he feels like his old ways don't serve him anymore. He feels like...like...he can fly - but how preposterous is that? Caterpillars don't fly, they don't soar - they creep. Yet, ever since breaking through this shell - he no longer feels like creeping. He has fewer feet keeping him on the ground - and as a whole he feels lighter and less tied down. He begins seeing himself with a beauty he has never noticed before - a beauty that must have been there the whole time - but he just wasn't prepared to see - until now.

Impelled to reach higher ground - he expands his self-concept of his potential and ability - and lets go of old beliefs and hindrances. As he lets go of the past - he cannot help but lift himself up and he feels the freedom of seeing the world from new heights. Before he knows it - he is actually flying - looking down at his past - appreciating it for all of the growth and exploration it provided on his journey - and letting it go with no regret or remorse. He is a new creature - a beautiful, limitless, gravity defying butterfly. The sky is his playground - the sun his companion. As he flutters and soars over treetops and valleys - places he has never seen before - he understands that his greatness was never in question. The unfolding was just part of the process - and that it was in Love's hands the whole time. He didn't need to contemplate or figure out the color of his wings, the length of time in gestation, or whether or not he would be able to break out of his cocoon. In essence, he realizes he never really had a choice in any of the process - except how he would choose to interpret and accept the events that took place.

Now, soaring higher than his thoughts would ever allow - he thinks to himself, 'Thine will be done.'"

Have a great week everyone! If you are ready for some coaching - be in touch!

Much love,

Travis
561.676.4583

Labels: brian regan, butterflies, direct life coaching, travis thomas

"The time for thinkers has come. Truth, independent of doctrines and time-honored systems, knocks at the portal of humanity. Contentment with the past and the cold conventionality of materialism are crumbling away." (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures)

Mary Baker Eddy inked this phrase over 130 years ago, yet the power of the passage seems pretty darn relevant today. There is so much going on in those three sentences that demand a closer look.

Let's go!

(BTW...these are all my interpretations - so take them with a grain of salt ;)

First, let's look at the second sentence, "Truth, independent of doctrines and time-honored systems, knocks at the portal of humanity." Mary Baker Eddy used "Truth" as a synonym for God, and here I see her stating that the knowledge and understanding of God (Spirit, Love, or Being), minus the attachments and separate of tradition or institution, is becoming clearer and resonating with people in a very practical way. A way not dependent on the authority found within four walls, but a way seen in how a life is lived.

Do we see this today? Have you been to a bookstore? Have you seen the best-selling titles? Sure, there are denominational books doing very well, but the big surge in spirituality seems to be happening more in coffee shops and book clubs, chat rooms and meetup groups. Yes, on one side of the spectrum mega churches are thriving, but I seem to see more and more conversations happening outside of the church and in all facets of society. Plus, how many of you had heard of Eckhart Tolle a year ago? Today, if you haven't read one of his books, one of your friends have.

In the third sentence Eddy writes, "Contentment with the past and the cold conventionality of materialism are crumbling away." Could any word describe the current economic breakdown of our major institutions better than "crumbling"? And what is it that has really been crumbling at the core of all this downfall...perhaps greed, irresponsibility, dishonesty? Have any of us in western society not felt the cold conventionality of materialism? I know I have.

Last, but not least, "The time for thinkers has come." I have read this statement hundreds of times over the years, but today it has new meaning. In the past I always interpreted her use of "thinkers" to mean "those committed to thinking spiritually." So, now is the time for spiritual thinkers. Yes, that is true, but now I see there is more to it than that. When I see the use of the word "thinkers" today, it says to me that this is a time of higher consciousness. Not thinking in the traditional term, but thinking from a very "conscious" state of being.

Most of us interpret our lives through what we feel. Good events make us "feel" good, while bad events make us "feel" bad. We tend to be very emotionally driven, and the quality of our day often depends on how we "feel." Stay with me here a second, and now look at your life as a "thinker" or "observer." Instead of being stimulated by the good or bad around you - you notice it and observe it. Or to quote a wise man, "Nothing is either good or bad but thinking makes it so."

To apply this idea to where we are today, it is easy to look at our culture and see how we are stimulated by the "cold conventionality of materialism." Our house, car, looks, bank accounts, etc. all make us "feelers" of the world around us, thus making us slaves to these "time-honored systems" as our source of happiness (and sadness).

When we are driven by our emotions life becomes all about what we can "get." Happiness means getting more, and the more we get, the more we need. This is nothing new to you I know, but it goes back to my point that the act of "getting" is what feeds our need of "feeling."

A friend of mine told me about how he and his son were going to go running. His son was committed to being a runner, yet on this day, when his dad asked him if he wanted to go, the son responded, "I don't feel like it." So the dad replied, "What does 'feeling' have to do with it?"

Are you still with me?

What makes you who you are? Are you happy because you have things that make you "feel" good - or are you good because that is "who" you are? Is your happiness dependent on everything outside of you (feelings driven) - or are you happy because you make a conscious choice to be that way?

The past few years have been challenging for me, but they have been the most growing and rewarding years in my life. I can honestly say that I have a much clearer sense of "who" I am that has nothing to do with houses, bank accounts, or friends. Each day I make different conscious decisions - and for the past few weeks that decision has been "to give" - and not worry about "getting." Life has a different dimension when you are not working an angle with an end result in your favor, but rather genuinely looking to see what you can give.

Give it a try.

The time for thinkers has come! Joy, peace, harmony, compassion, kindness, empathy, tenderness are all feelings - but they are feelings that we can consciously choose no matter what is going on outside of us. We are at such a crucial and precious moment in our human history - we need people standing up and taking a conscious stand for what is good and right - instead of just responding to every stimulus that comes our way.

Do you have your thinking cap on?

Much love!

Travis
561.676.4583

PS - this is not the blog I sat down to write, but this is what came out :)

Labels: economy, life coaching, mary baker eddy, Science and Health

I was talking to a friend of mine recently about buying quality items instead of always buying the cheapest option. I am big fan of "a good deal," but I have also been burned when trying to cut corners too closely. My friend shared with me some advice a mentor shared with him, "Buy cheap. Buy twice." (Thanks Dave J.)

I like that. It is resonating with me on lots of different levels right now.

For the past few months I have been the assistant basketball coach for a boys high school team. I use the word "coach" loosely due to my lack of basketball knowledge. It has been a humbling opportunity for me to take on a new challenge that I have very little expertise in - so I guess I needed a dose of more humility ;)

It's a great bunch of kids. My relationship with them isn't so much the basketball side of things as much as it is noticing their mental approach and overall attitude to their performance. I admit, it has been frustrating at times. I wish I could be contributing more, but I have tried to pick and choose my spots when I can talk with the kids more 1 on 1.

Our record right now is 5-4, and there have been a couple games that could of gone either way. In thinking of the outcomes of these games, I thought of my friends quote, "Buy cheap. Buy twice." For my purposes, I have adjusted the quote to read,

"Start wrong. Start twice."

There have been a few games that we have started awfully. Games we had no reason winning, yet we would find a way to battle back. Just when we get back into the game, we would find away to give away. On the flip-side, their have been games that we have started well, suffered a let-down along the way, yet still managed to pull out the victory in the end.

So, the way we start the game has been important. If we can start the game on a good foot, doing things the right way, and laying a solid foundation for our play - it seems easier to get back to that play when things go bad. Conversely, when we crawl out of the gate with a bad start, no matter how hard we battle - closing the deal is a lot tougher.

So, it seems to be a case of in order to be successful - make sure you have a good start.

To expand this analogy a little larger, I think this approach holds true to most things in life. A relationship that begins with a solid foundation has a much better chance of surviving when things get tough, compared to a relationship that begins under questionable circumstances.

Being it's the new year, many of us commit to things we want to improve in our lives, yet the success of these changes often goes back to how closely these changes really connect to our core. For me, whether talking about basketball, relationships, career, or hobbies - the most important aspect of its success is based on our motives.

A mentor of mine, Mary Baker Eddy writes, "To begin rightly is to end rightly."

If your motives for doing something are pure, inspired, and connected to your highest sense of right - the end result will reflect these qualities. It doesn't mean the end result will always manifest what we want to happen, but it will definitely represent growth and progress that we can build from. Growth in the right direction.

If you find yourself taking something on that really doesn't have the best motives - be prepared to start twice. Man oh man - could I write a book on these lessons!!! For now I will keep it to a blog ;)

I hear people all of the time (sometimes myself included) talk about how they just keep trying and trying to make things better - yet the end result is always the same. Some people might call that effort perseverance, yet Einstein called it insanity. He writes,

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

I can relate to that. If you were a golfer and you were working on your swing, improvement is more than repetition. You want to introduce repetition once you start doing something right, yet how many of us think that if we just keep knocking on the same doors, practicing the same routine, or believing the same beliefs - that eventually all will work out? Well, that's kind of insane.

Start wrong - start twice...three times...four times...five...six...seven...eight...

It doesn't matter. As long as our motives and foundation are off center - we will be doing a lot of restarting. For me, I am sure I have been pretty insane over the past few years. When it comes to some things, I have definitely caught myself thinking that if I just keep doing what I am doing - the same way - it will eventually work out. As for my motives, those haven't changed - I am sticking with them - but a whole lot of humility and self-reflection has given me the ability to be open to new approaches and solutions. I am still a work in progress.

What about you? Are you feeling insane? Do you feel like you are banging your head against the wall - or feeling like the results always come out the same?

If so, be real honest with yourself and think about how you are starting. What are your motives? Are they connected to your center - your highest sense of right? If you are a real honest with yourself - you might only have to start twice. If you're not honest - people might start to think you're crazy.

And, if you are just not sure - give me a call - and I will help you make sure you are beginning rightly.

The end result is worth it.

Much love!

Travis
561.676.4583

Labels: Albert Einstein, direct life coaching, life coaching Travis Thomas, mary baker eddy, Science and Health, self-help

I spent about 10 days home in Flint, MI over the holidays. I don't know where you are from, or where you call home, but Flint, MI is my home. I have lived in St. Louis, Boston, and Palm Beach over the past 15 years, but whenever someone asks me "where I am from," the answer is always Flint.

If you are from Flint but have lived elsewhere, you are familiar with the opinions or associations people have when you mention Flint. They either know Flint because of the documentary "Roger and Me" by Michael Moore or they have heard Flint mentioned in the statistics as one of the most violent places to live in the country. Neither option is necessarily too appealing.

For me, growing up in Flint was nothing but good. If Norman Rockwell would have painted his pictures in the 1980's, my childhood would of captured it perfectly. I had amazing neighborhood friends, and we would spend our days riding our bikes to 7-11 (I had a Slurpee fetish) or Dairy Queen. Then we would spend hours playing baseball, soccer, football, street hockey, and basketball - and when it got dark we switched to "Kick the Can" or "Hide and Go Seek." We never had a shortage of things to do, and we always felt safe.

I felt especially close to Flint because my dad owned (and still does) a chain of fast-food hamburger restaurants called Halo Burger. They are a Flint staple to this day, so I had a tremendous amount of pride growing up with that heritage. It is a family owned and operated business, and there are still employees working there who have been doing so for 30+ years in some cases. It is not glamorous work, but these are good people who care about what they do.

For the past 20 or so years is when Flint really began to have its image tarnished. When General Motors started having hard times it inevitably hurt the whole city. A town built around one company had no choice but to ebb and flow with its successes and hardships. To me, this is the biggest problem with being so dependent on one company. If you take away General Motors from Flint, what is left? I am sure this is the same story that could be told for towns built around coal mines or steel mills, shipping yards, or Silicon Valley.

It is sad. There is no other way to express my general overall feeling when I am in town. General Motors continues to pull out a little more each year. The recent struggles of the "big three" can't be felt much larger than in Flint. The trouble is, this has been happening for 20+ years, and the town keeps trying to stick fingers in the splitting damn, but the result seems inevitable.

I hope I am wrong.

I don't write this blog today to be grim, but rather to challenge people in Flint to go a little deeper. Each day when I pray I start with the idea of wholeness for myself, others, and the world. The challenge for me every time I am in Flint is to see the wholeness of the city. But, while in town this holiday break I was reading Wayne Dyer's new book, and in one of his chapters he challenges the reader to "see the perfection in imperfection." Okay, how do I do that?

Dyer writes,

"You're being asked not to label what you see as imperfect, stupid, or empty; rather look for the stillness and tranquility within you that you can bring to these superficial appearances. When you refrain from engaging in judgments based solely on looks, you paradoxically become an instrument for change."

He then adds, "See imperfections as perfect, even if your ego-mind cannot comprehend this."

So that is exactly what I tried to do. After reading this chapter I had to drive into downtown Flint for church. I was by myself so I had time to focus and just really pay attention to everything I was seeing. On the surface, it wasn't a pretty site. Boarded up houses, closed factories, and beat up storefronts. I was having a real hard time seeing any perfection in these surroundings. Actually, I couldn't find any. My ego-mind definitely could not comprehend this.

Then, while driving through town I thought about all of the people I know who still live in Flint. These are good people - GOOD people. There are life-long friends still there working and raising their families. I have relatives who have spent their entire lives in the area. I thought about all of the people who work at Halo Burger - and how amazing some of these people are. I thought about people I know who could live elsewhere, but have chosen to stay to try to improve the conditions in the city. I thought about Courtney Hawkins, who grew up in Flint and then went on to play in the NFL for many years. He could live in luxury anywhere in the world, yet he chose to come back to Flint with his wife to coach football at his old high school. A school and neighborhood that would rival some third world living conditions.

Despite its economic depravity and gritty imperfection - there is a whole lot of beauty and perfection in the people who make up Flint. My hope is that the people and the city take the current situation as an opportunity to expand their tents, instead of holding on to yesterday. If GM is the parent who raised the city, the city now needs to step out and be its own person. I am not saying to give up on GM turning their success around and contributing to the well-being of Flint, but I think it is time Flint embraces this moment to come out of the GM shadow.

How does the city do this? I don't know, but I know there are good people who can make it happen. The perfection of the city is found in the people. In the people there is hope, intelligence, creativity, strength, and persistence. The challenge may seem daunting, but it only takes one person at a time giving their consent to become an instrument of change. I requires people looking at the situation honestly and humbly, and then being able to make the scary choice. Real change is seldom easy.

This is not a typical blog for me, but I really felt inspired from my most recent trip home. Over the years I have bought into the stories of Flint, and have even been embarrassed telling people where I am from. But no more. You see, whether talking about a city or our own individual lives, there is no difference in how we make a change. Once we identify the problems for what they are, and we agree to take them head on (as ugly as it may get) - improvement is the result. There is no other option.

So, whether you want to talk to me about Flint, or how you can make a change in your own life - give me a call!

Much love!

Travis
561.676.4583

Labels: Courtney Hawkins, Flint, General Motors, halo burger, life coaching Travis Thomas, Michigan, self-help, Wayne Dyer