Direct Life Coaching

There really is no such thing as a small idea when it is comes to caring or serving others. There is a force behind this kind of goodness that takes on a life of its own - a life that is bigger than you!

PFC Nick Madaras was a 19 year-old soldier serving in Iraq. Growing up in Connecticut as a boy, Nick loved soccer. While in Iraq, Nick quickly discovered a common passion for the sport with all of the young boys in the Iraqi towns and villages. He loved playing soccer with the boys, but even the barest necessity of a ball was hard to come by. So, Nick wrote and told his dad that he wanted to gather up old soccer balls around the house in Connecticut and have them shipped to Iraq to give to the children.

Nick served his first tour in Iraq and then got to come home and spend time with his family. He and his father talked more about getting soccer balls to Iraq, but it wasn't long before Nick was called back for a second tour. During this second tour of duty, before Nick was ever able to organize a shipment of balls - he was killed by a street bomb.

Ken Dartley never knew Nick or the Madaras family- but he did live in the same town. After Nick's death, his parents shared the story of Nick wanting to send balls to the Iraqi children - and Ken Dartley decided to do something. A veteran of the Korean War, Dartley was inspired by Nick's desire to help the children - so with the permission of the Madaras family, Dartley started the "Kick for Nick" soccer ball drive.

It started with Dartley setting up a soccer ball bin in his front yard - and then slowly and slowly the bin began to fill up. Residents from all over the town brought their soccer balls - and on each ball it is written, "PFC Nick Madaras."

Nick Madaras had a small idea to send some soccer balls to the children of Iraq. He wasn't trying to change the world - he just wanted to do something nice. He wanted to help these kids experience some extra joy in their day - so why not soccer balls?

Nick never got to see his small idea come to fruition, but to date, over 1,400 balls have been shipped to towns and villages all over Iraq. Soldiers hand deliver the gifts and tell the kids why they are receiving the balls. Then, each kid gets a "PFC Nick Madaras" soccer ball.

It's bigger than you!

"Kick for Nick" drop-off spots are beginning to pop up in different locations all over the country. One simple idea of good is slowly turning into a movement.

"There is nothing so powerful as an idea whose time has come." --Victor Hugo

In Stephen Covey's "The 8th Habit," he points out that the word "inspire" is from the Latin word inspirare, which means "to breathe life into another."

Do you, right now, accept the opportunity you have at this moment to inspire and "breathe life into another?" Or, are you walking around with your head down, buried in your own problems, and waiting for someone to inspire you?

As Nick Madaras proved, an idea based on good has the power to inspire and transform others. One idea. A simple idea.

It's bigger than you!

Are you listening to your ideas? Can you see that the choices you make to inspire has a life well beyond yours?

This is something I think about everyday. What can I do to inspire? How am I making a difference? I am not always happy with what I see to be the difference I am making - but I never stop thinking, listening, and moving forward.

Nick Madaras created a legacy based on an idea he never completed himself. What legacy do you want to leave?

Have a great week everyone - and please give me a call if you want to talk about the impact you want to have in the world.

Much love!

Travis
561.676.4583

Labels: 8th Habit, Kick for Nick, life coaching, PFC Nick Madaras, Stephen Covey

Today I was having a frustrating day. It wasn't directed at any particular person or event - but was more an accumulation of events that aggravate my patience. Now, I have blogged about my patience in the past - and when it comes to the really important things in life, I feel I have excellent patience. People are often surprised when I tell them that I often struggle with patience, but when it comes to some of the day-to-day things that really shouldn't push my buttons - it happens.

Back to today. It started with two of my kids waking up REALLY EARLY and than feeling less than terrific. Once everyone seemed back to form we piled into the car for a trip to the bank and then Home Depot. When we got to Home Depot - my wife and I both realized neither of us brought our wallet (how does that happen) - so we needed to go back home to get it. We did. Once back at the Depot - service wasn't at its height (I am being nice). Our 20 minute trip turned into an hour. Kids got restless - dad got restless - you get the point. We then had to take the paint we purchased to finish our errands at another stop - at which point the kids were cranky, hungry, and tired (or maybe it was just me). At that point, I was definitely in a funk (not to be mistaken for feeling funky!).

I was taking a lot of deep breaths because I really needed to shake my mental funk. Hearing my 10 week old son screaming for what felt like hours (probably minutes) made it hard - so I tried to take my thoughts back to peaceful prayers and a smidgen of perspective.

Bottom line - I needed a new residence for my thoughts. I needed to move.

So I did.

Where I was living mentally didn't feel too good - and it was beginning to poison everything and everyone around me. That is pretty much what our thoughts do.

Coaching has reinforced for me that it really doesn't matter who you are, where you "physically" live, or how much money you make that brings happiness and peace - but rather it is the foundation of your beliefs that determine how you see the world.

Your beliefs create your perception - and then your perception creates your reality.

It is yours - no one else's!

So...where do you live?

What are your beliefs about work, career, happiness, success, and relationships based on? Is it a positive and good foundation of beliefs - or is it fearful, skeptical, and daunting? Do you think there might be a correlation between your beliefs on these topics - to you current reality?

I am guessing yes!

In Stephen Covey's "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" he talks a great deal about the paradigms we live by as individuals. He writes, "To try to change outward attitudes and behaviors does very little good in the long run if we fail to examine the basic paradigms from which those attitudes and behaviors flow."

i.e. - you can't fake authenticity, sincerity, and truth - if it isn't part of your core.

He also adds, "Each of us tends to think we see things as they are, that we are objective. But this is not the case. We see the world, not as it is, but as we are -- or, as we are conditioned to see it. When we open our mouths to describe what we see, we in effect describe ourselves, our perceptions, our paradigms." Then lastly, "Where we stand depends on where we sit."

Where do you live?

How do you describe yourself...friends...work..etc.?

Abraham Lincoln (a pretty decent President) may have been on to something when he said, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."

Mary Baker Eddy also writes, "Our false views of life hide eternal harmony, and produce the ills of which we complain."

Where do you live?

Do you like your neighbors? Do you like your boss and co-workers? Do you like yourself?

To get out of my funk - I needed to recognize where I was living - and remember this was "my perception" and no one else's. It was no one's fault but my own.

I took responsibility - and realized this was an inside job - instead of waiting for the world to change for me. That sounds kind of silly - doesn't it?

Guess what! I am not going to disown my kids after all (at least for one more day). Phew!

If you need some help sprucing up your mental property - I am always happy to talk!

Much love!

Travis

Labels: Abraham Lincoln, direct life coaching, mary baker eddy, Seven Habits of Highly effective people, Stephen Covey