30 Day Challenge Update

Below you will find updates from May 27th – June 6th of the 30 day challenge.  Instead of bombarding my subscribers email inboxes with blog post daily, I decided to let a few days pass and now I am posting this update about the character traits I have been focusing on.

Saturday, May 27th: Kindness

On Saturday, May 27th we went to this adorable wine bar in Chandler/Gilbert to listen to some live music.  I had heard about a band playing at the wine bar and someone special in my life was the lead guitarist and singer.  I decided that I really wanted to surprise him by showing up to listen to him sing and play the guitar.   After walking into the wine bar, I was filled with an amazing sense of joy and happiness to see the appreciation and feel the love in his eyes as he noticed our presence.    I love how in life when we show Kindness, it is often paid back to us in so many other ways.  The wine was amazing, the Caprese was out of this world, and the Music set the perfect environment for an amazing night.

Definition of kindness

1.  the quality or state of being kind treating people with kindness and respect
2.  a kind deed:  favor They did me a great kindness.

Sunday, May 28th: Generous

During my Pursuit of Passion, I found that giving created a powerful energy that opened up opportunities that were often unexpected.  When I was in Memphis, TN I had an amazing experience visiting the Civil Rights Museum that was sparked by providing money to a person in need (Read about it here).

On Sunday, May 28th we went to get frozen yogurt after dinner; frozen yogurt with brownie, cookie dough, and gummy bears is my new love!  After I finished creating my masterpiece and put my yogurt on the scale to weigh and pay, we were both overcome with a feeling of giving (maybe it was the generous portion of candy on top of my healthy frozen yogurt treat).  We usually don’t tip at this store, as it is a do it yourself set-up, but we decided that the young man at the counter would be appreciative of a tip.  We left a tip and the feeling you get when you give and you are generous is something that fills your heart and soul with something that money can’t buy.  I truly believe that the more we give and are generous the more we get back in return.

Definition of generous

1. 1a:  characterized by a noble or kindly spirit:  magnanimous, kindly a generous heart b:  liberal in giving:  openhanded a generous benefactor c:  marked by abundance or ample proportions

Monday, May 29th: Self-Discipline

Monday morning rolled around and while I wanted to yell out TGIM, like I was Eric Thomas, I just couldn’t muster up the energy to be as motivated as I needed to be.  On of my goals along my journey was to lose about 15-18 pounds.   I reached my goal and I would like to say it was because of how disciplined I was, but the reality was that I had to go to the gym.   I was sleeping in my car most nights and I needed to utilize the LA Fitness shower in the mornings, which gave me some additional motivation to take that impossible first step (the first step in through the gym doors).  If I didn’t want to smell, then I needed to get my butt in the gym.   This really didn’t cause me to have any real self-discipline, but instead, it was just nature saying “Don’t Stink.”

Now that I am back in Arizona, it has been a little tough to get back into a similar rhythm of working out.  I know that I still have a goal to continue to lose weight (another 25 pounds) and to lose that weight it will be dependent on my self-discipline to eat healthily and workout.   On Monday I got myself into the gym, ran on the elliptical for 25 minutes, and did some weight training.  It honestly felt good, but when you are an old man like me, it will take a lot of self-discipline to create this into a habit and reach my goal of weighing 230 pounds.

Definition of self–discipline

1. :  correction or regulation of oneself for the sake of improvement

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ii0swtvbB8[/embedyt]

Tuesday, May 30th: Confident

One of my passions in life has been coaching basketball and mentoring players.  On Tuesday, May 30th I started working with a collegiate athlete that I coached and trained while he was in high school.  The player has been dealing with injuries, which has taken a major shot to his confidence.   As a mentor it is hard knowing how talented the young man is, but notice that he doesn’t see it himself.  His jumper is absolutely fire and his basketball IQ is that of a player that has been playing for 20+ years.  I knew after the first session that my time with him would be less about fixing any fundamental basketball issues and more about rebuilding his confidence and helping him find his self belief in the talent that God gave him.

I spent the entire training session sharing life lessons on positive thinking, feeling instead of thinking about the negative, focusing on the now instead of the past (aka not dwelling on missed shots and mistakes), and helping him realize how talented he really is.  I know it will take some time, but I am hoping that my confidence in him will rub off and he will look in the mirror and realize what a special player is staring back at him.

Wednesday, May 31st: Creative

When I got back from my Pursuit of Passion, one of the thoughts that crept into my head was “Ok, now what?”  I had just experienced this amazing journey, met so many amazing people, and had a transformation that was life changing.  I started to think about the trip and I decided that I was going to work on a documentary concept that was creatively and organically being generated in my head.  I sat down and created a presentation that highlighted the what, the how, the where, and most importantly the why.  It was a creative process that I thoroughly enjoyed and once that I am hoping I can execute on in the near future.

Stay on the lookout for the next project and the next step in the Chase My Passion evolution.

Definition of creative

1.  marked by the ability or power to create:  given to creating the creative impulse acreative genius
2. having the quality of something created rather than imitated:  imaginative the creative arts creative writing

Thursday, June 1st: Trusting

One of the toughest things about coming back to reality, after my trip, and rebuilding a relationship with someone you love more than life is getting past your own insecurities and trusting again.  On Thursday, we had an amazing talk about how we can rebuild our trust and what we are going to do to ensure that this becomes a centerpiece of our relationship moving forward.

Friday, June 2nd: Sociable

On Friday, June 2nd I was invited to one of my good friend’s homes to enjoy dinner and drinks with him, his wife, his son, and his parents who were in town from New Orleans.  This was a special visit for a couple reasons:

1. The first reason was that this friend is someone that I just recently met, but feel a strong connection with.
2. The second reason that this was a special visit because I had an amazing visit with his parents while in New Orleans.  My time and discussion with his family were not only a divine appointment scheduled by God, but it was a family that provided me with hope and love along what had been a difficult journey for me of self-discovery.

We spent the night eating amazing food, drinking great wine, and sharing life stories.  It was such a great evening and I am blessed that on that day I was sociable (which I often am, but wasn’t during my depression).

Saturday, June 3rd Romantic

One of the most amazing things that happened along my journey was my reconnection with my soulmate.  For months we didn’t speak and it looked like the person I was soulmates with was going to end forever because of the actions caused by my depression & anxiety.   While just a few days away from being back in Arizona, and back to reality, a non-coincidental health issue forced us to communicate.  Since that communication, it has been a daily test to rebuild love, trust, and a connection that is more powerful than both of us.  One of the ways that we have worked to continue to rebuild our relationship, into something even stronger than it was before, is our ability to be Romantic.   On Saturday night we had a Romantic evening together; spending time talking, holding hands, eating dinner, and cuddling, and doing what we do best (loving on our dog).

Sunday, June 4th Spiritual

One of the most amazing things that came from my Pursuit of Passion trip was my new re-found spirituality.   Through the people I met, the experiences I had, and the divine appointments that were set up for me;  I found myself no longer questioning religion and understanding that Spirituality is about my personal relationship with God.  I believe that this relationship is a personal one and it can be strengthened via many different religions and beliefs.  For me, I believe that Christianity is the one that provides me with the most ties to a greater power.  I do believe that this can be different for everyone based on where we were born, our experiences, and our own personal journey.  On Sunday, June 4th I enjoyed another church service at Impact Church.   There is something about the power of the music, the passion of the pastor, and the energy of the other people in the room that really fills my soul with strength.

Check out the Impact Church Website: IMPACT CHURCH

Monday, June 5th:  Humble & Forgiveness

While this challenge has been mostly centered around butterflies and rainbows, there are often mistakes that can bring to light some of our valuable charter traits as well as the character traits of those around us.   While my passion often leads to more positive than negative situations, there are times that my passion can get me in trouble.  My Passion, mixed in with some hard-headed stubbornness (If anyone else wants to chime in, you can insert your description of me here __________……actually on second thought, please don’t), led me to a situation on Sunday where I didn’t act the way I wish I would have.  I made some vital mistakes with how I reacted to my feelings.  Because of this mistake, I was forced to look at myself in the mirror and do two things:

1. I needed to apologize and ask for Forgiveness &
2. I needed to HUMBLE myself, reflect, and admit that I had made a mistake.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx6xnVQuFzw[/embedyt]

Tuesday, June 6th:  Positive

Today I put my Positivity hat on while trying to reduce the stress of someone I love.  Kristina had an interview for a job that seems perfect for her skill sets and for her personality.  There was one small issue,  It is a job that she has never done, has limited experience in the field, and is even unsure of what the job consists of.  As you can imagine the hours leading up to the interview were nerve-racking as her anxiety and stress were causing her to question if she would do well in the interview.

It is nice a very hard stretch to be positive when you know who someone is and what they are capable of, so it was very easy for me to utilize this character trait today when I tried to build her up.

“This is your job.”

“You are going to kill this interview.”

“They are going to love you.”

These are just a few of the things I was attempting to put in her head before her interview today.  Of course, like I predicted, she nailed the interview and it looks like she will be moving to the next stage of the hiring process.  While It could be that she is an amazing person and an amazing worker, I am going to claim that it was my positivity that allowed her to make such an amazing impression today.

There is a lot of power in having a positive mindset.  Through my experiences, both good and bad, I believe that what we put out into the universe will come to fruition.  When we are positive about people, events, and what we want – we are more likely to have positive experiences and outcomes and vice versa.

(My positive Snapchat to her while she was in the interview)

30 Character Traits (in no particular order): 

1. Fearlessness
2. Compassion
3. Courage
4. Love
5. Forgiveness
6. Giving
7. Unselfishness
8. Kindness
9. Trusting
10. Appreciation
11. Self- discipline
12. Perseverance
13. Ambitious
14. Grateful
15. Creative
16. Spiritual
17. Generous
18. Cultured
19. Optimistic
20. Romantic
21. Sociable
22. Humble
23. Adventurous
24. Hopeful
25. Confident
26. Positive
27. Loyal
28. Honest / Transparent
29. Open minded
30. Dependable