I LOVE YOU ALL THE WAY TO OUTER SPACE

I never had kids of my own. I always said I'd have kids when you could put them away until they were teenagers because I didn't want to deal with poopy diapers, sticky fingers and cheese sandwiches stuck in the VCR.

Lo and behold... when I met my wife she had three kids who were 12, 14 and 15 years old! Careful what you wish for! Fifteen years later I now consider them my kids. And none of the poopy diaper, sticky finger, cheese sandwich stuff, either!

And then it happened... I hadn't even thought about this... GRANDkids! What? A whole new generation of sticky, poopy, sandwich lovin' VCR hatin' people coming up through the stepkids. Damn.

Now, not only have I never raised my own kids, but I was also an only child as well. I have NO experience with little kids at this point in my life. The first time someone tried giving me my grandson I wanted to hold him upside down by his ankle as far away from me as possible (he might poop, ya know)... I mean, NO experience and very uncomfortable around kids.

It's now almost four years later and, I have to say, funny how time changes things. What I've found out about kids is that I'm one of them. I have no problem relating on their level. Somehow it comes very naturally to me. I still have nothing to do with diapers, don't like sticky fingers, and a cheese sandwich is hard to get in a DVD player, but... as far as hangin' with the under four generation - I'm IN!

What I've found is there are just those times with kids when things happen that can touch your heart like nothing else can.

I love the period right before they fall asleep, either watching TV on the couch or reading books with them. Sometimes we just lay on the bed together and look at the glow stars on the ceiling as they drift off to sleep.

Last weekend we were watching the glow stars, my granddaughter Arden was already asleep and my grandson Ben was getting there. He likes falling asleep in my arms. He turned to me and whispered very quietly... in that voice that three year olds have when they whisper, "Grampa, I love you all the way to outer space"...

Wow... I hope you have all had, or can experience that some time in your lives. Because at that moment there was (and is) nothing I wouldn't do for that kid.

So I held him tighter...

And he hugged me back...

And I whispered, "Me, too, buddy... Me, too..."

HOW I MET BOYD DOWLER

Thursday, July 15th, 2010... I'm in my office in an appointment. After the client leaves, my assistant Cheryl says, "You'll never believe what happened while you were in there. Boyd Dowler came in and asked for directions to John's Bar"...

There was a pause as I processed this information.

Finally I responded, "You mean to tell me that THE Boyd Dowler, Packers legend, Super Bowls 1 and 2, one of the greatest players in Packer history, was in my office and you didn't think I might POSSIBLY want to meet him? Anyone in Wisconsin would understand interrupting a meeting for an opportunity like that! It's something I could tell my grandkids about!"... Then I asked her to pack up her things because obviously she could no longer work for me :-P

I hadn't heard about this, but many Packer greats were in Beaver Dam signing the new book THE LOMBARDI LEGEND and raising money for Carroll Dale's son who apparently has some health issues to deal with.

So the day goes on, I have lunch at my desk per usual. I was having some serious problems with my Blackberry so after an hour or so on the phone with US Cellular customer relations they finally agree to swap it out for me.

Cheryl comes back from lunch (which is somewhat strange because she no longer works for me) and I tell her I have to go get my phone swapped out. Now, once I'm in the office I very RARELY ever leave. So... she says to me, "You can't leave, you have to wait a bit"...

Well, putting 2+2 together I said, "You went to the signing and Boyd Dowler is coming in, isn't he?"... and she cracked.

She had gone to the signing, bought the book, had all the players there sign it (including Carroll Dale, Bob Long, Dave Robinson, Marv Fleming and Boyd Dowler), and told the story of her subsequent firing from earlier that day. She also picked up an 8x10 of Boyd Dowler catching a TD in the Ice Bowl personally autographed by Boyd to me.

AND... after hearing her story Boyd Dowler and Bob Long agreed to come to my office and meet me on their way out of town. They came in and hung out for 5-10 minutes talking Lombardi football and... wow, it was awesome! Something i can tell my Grandkids about! :)

Cheryl has since been rehired and has more job security now than I could ever possibly let her know :)

How many of today's players would take 5-10 minutes out of their day to do something like that? Character was a big part of those Lombardi teams in the 60s. Boyd Dowler and Bob Long still exemplify that to this day.

That is the story of how I met Boyd Dowler (and Bob Long).

I didn't even THINK to get a photo with them :(

I'm writing a book... finally...

After years of thought and never quite coming up with the exact idea that would actually drive me to see it through... I've begun work on a book. In the past year or so three idea came to me and the impulse to start writing was so strong I can no longer deny it. So I picked the idea I thought would resonate with the most people, put together an outline and started writing!

Book #1 will be called FEED YOUR ANGEL. It's based on a concept that came to me while speaking to treatment groups and people in recovery. That concept is this: We've all seen in movies or cartoons the image of a demon on one shoulder and an angel on the other. The dichotomy between good and evil... usually portrayed as a 50/50 battle, pretty even. That isn't really how it works for most people, though. One side or the other usually takes a majority rule over time.

For example, in my own life I started using drugs and alcohol when I was 14... FOURTEEN!!! By the time I was 28 I was a full blown alcoholic and addict. I had days where I shut my phone off, pulled all the shades, laid in bed and hoped to die. The drugs fed my demon. The demon had control... and my will to live had become THAT weak.

An amazing series of events occurred in 1988 that led me into treatment, AA and sobriety. I've been clean since Nov 1, 1988... over 21 years now. The actual act of quitting was the easy part. At that point I had been using drugs & alcohol over half my life and the demon had grown to immense proportion. I had a 300 pound demon on steroids on one shoulder and an angel on life support on the other. My self-talk was still very negative, full of why I couldn't do things. I needed to start feeding my angel!

So I began reading and meditating 2 hours a day and going to weekly AA meetings. I've read hundreds of positive thinking and self help books, listened to quite a few tape & CD series as well - I had a lot of catching up to do! What I've found is that your thoughts will create your reality. Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right.

When I first cleaned up decisions were still hard to make. It wasn't so easy to follow my heart because after years with my demon in control the voice of my angel was still very weak.

Life for me is all about passion, energy, commitment to excellence and doing what you can to make the world a better place. Your thoughts WILL create your reality. The book intends to show you many ways to help be a positive force for yourself, your family and your community. If you'd like to track my progress links to the website, Facebook and Twitter pages follow. I started the sites and wrote this blog to cement my commitment to myself to see this through.

There are many reasons this could fail... I've never written a book before, I'm busy with other things and might never find the time to do it, I have no idea how to get a book published once written, etc, etc...

And then there's this little, nagging thought I have... in the back of my mind... It says to me: "David, write this book. This is a concept people can grasp and hold on to. It will affect those who read it immensely. And it will fulfill one of your lifelong dreams"...

Wish me luck! I'm focusing on the latter paragraph :)

WEBSITE: http://ping.fm/O1RH1
FACEBOOK: http://ping.fm/QLORk
TWITTER: http://ping.fm/xIIP9

Slow Dance Poem

written by David L. Weatherford:

Have you ever watched kids
on a merry-go-round?

Or listened to the rain
slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down
Don’t dance so fast

Time is short
The music won’t last

Do you run through each day
On the fly

When you ask “How are you?”
Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done,
do you lie in your bed

With the next hundred chores
running through your head?

You’d better slow down
Don’t dance so fast

Time is short
The music won’t last

Ever told your child,
We’ll do it tomorrow?

And in your haste,
not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die

‘Cause you never had time
To call and say “Hi”?

You’d better slow down
Don’t dance so fast

Time is short
The music won’t last

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift….Thrown away…

Life is not a race.
Do take it slower

Hear the music
Before the song is over.

CAKE SHOW REPORT Carroll University, Waukesha, WI 4/23/10

SHOW REPORT:

So I bought two tickets to this show the day I found out about it thinking I'd have no problem getting someone to go with me... Everyone I asked said no. A posting that I had an extra ticket on Facebook resulted in ZERO inquiries. So I went by myself...

I had to work until 5:30 or so, head home to Waupun before leaving maybe around 6:15 for an 8:00 show in Waukesha. Traffic was pretty light through Milwaukee, I got to Waukesha in decent time, BUT - I'd forgotten how hard it is to navigate Waukesha if you don't know the area (probably is even if you DO know the area). So, I found myself in the middle of town somehow, had NO idea where I was, it was getting close to 8:00, I was pissed off and thinking I might just go home and forego the $40 spent on TWO tickets, one which was already useless >:(

Just as I was deciding it might not be worth the hassle to find the concert I came upon a gas station. I went in and took a shot that they'd be able to direct me to Carroll University. It was only like 4 blocks away! Yay! I parked on the street, found the will call window for my tickets and was in line in time to see the 8:00 start of the concert :)

I asked a few groups of people if they all had tickets thinking I'd just give away the extra one I had rather than have it go to waste... everyone already had their tickets. So I just got in line w/my two tickets. As God is my witness, the people in front of me realized the line they were in wasn't the ticket PURCHASE line and asked me if I knew where to buy tickets because they didn't have any. I said, "well, here's ONE!" and sent them to the will call window to find the ticket booth (figured they'd know where it was)... So that worked out OK :)

8:00 opening act is VIA AUDIO: http://ping.fm/veorc
Now, I've been to a lot of concerts. I like seeing the opening acts (wanna get my money's worth I guess). But this band... I have to say they were possibly the most annoying band I ever sat through. Something about their vibe I just found extremely irritating. I absolutely hated them. I wanted to get right in front in preparation for CAKE, but... they were so bad to me that I stayed WAY in the back for about half their set. Then I maneuvered my way front & center, maybe 20-30 feet from the stage... no tall people in front of me. Perfect spot. They played a 45 minute set. I know because I looked at my watch every 23 seconds thinking "when will it END!"... It finally ended, the changeover between bands was more fun for me than the opening act :)

The concert was held in the Von Male Fieldhouse, basically a gymnasium at Carroll University. Large venue, MORE than big enough to hold the crowd for CAKE. I'd say maybe 1000-2000 people were there. Cake doesn't have a record deal anymore, they're releasing their next CD on their own. they are absolutely one of my favorite bands and I had never seen them live until last night.

Changeover lasted about 20-30 minutes. CAKE started around 9:15 or so...
http://ping.fm/XlPEI

The first song was played through the PA... kind of an 80s keyboard tune no vocals, maybe an "eye of the tiger" type vibe. No band onstage at all for the entire song (maybe 5 minutes long)... this was AFTER the PA announced the concert was starting... Halfway through the song a roadie put a tree onstage. Their backdrop was mountains & trees... that was the first song, basically a light show, a roadie and a tree. The band came onstage at the end of the song...

I gotta say I'm so used to going to punk shows with a pit and people just SURGING forward when the band starts that this had to be the most polite concert crowd I have ever seen. Tall people were letting short people stand in front of them. No surging. Plenty of space between people. If anyone even bumped you they'd say "excuse me"... The only refreshments available was water, CAKE did NOT bring any swag for purchase... but I digress...

CAKE hits the stage. They don't use a set list, just call off songs as they go. And they were really, really good. One thing I guess I've always known and liked about them is the bass & guitar lines are so well thought out, John McCrea is a genius songwriter, but the actual parts to his songs are so well done I've always liked that about them. I didn't realize how good the guitar player really is, though. They played a 90 minute set and did a lot of crowd participation type things. McCrea was really good at making the sing along and or clap along segments just a bit different than the normal concert experience. And halfway through the concert they gave away the tree to a crowd member who owned property, agreed to take care of it, send a photo next to the tree once planted and photos every couple years as the tree and person aged. The winner also had to agree that if they sell their house a clause goes into the contract that this tree does NOT get cut down. You can see all the tree winners by searching the CAKE site :)

After the 90 minute set the crowd went nuts for a LONG time... maybe 5 minutes?... they came back out and did SHORT SKIRT and THE DISTANCE as encores. Really good band, I wasn't crazy about the drummer (bit of a light hitter), but other than that... I got to see one of my favorite bands from a perfect vantage point and they were awesome... Thursday night I get to see Craig Ferguson at the Pabst Theater... ah, life is good :)

Daily Update from TUT

I get daily e-mails from http://www.tut.com - thought I'd post today's because I like it:

Aha! David, do you know what your thoughts did last week?!

Oh, yes you do.

They became the things and events of this week. The things you thought would be difficult became difficult; easy became easy; boring became boring; and fun became fun. Where you thought there might be surprises, you were surprised. And where you thought there might be land mines, there were land mines.

Bravo! You can add this week to the list of your most creative accomplishments.

Now, can you guess what your thoughts this week are going to do?

David, please, choose every single one of them as if nothing else mattered.

Today's life lesson: PUT GOD FIRST

I recently hired a business development coach to help me keep my business growing. Interestingly enough, one of the first excercises he had me do involves writing down what's important to me in 9 different categories - spiritual, health, work, etc... then rating each individual thing I wrote 1-10 in order of importance. Well, this little excercise can be very eye-opening.

One of the reasons I hired someone to work with is that even though I'm very busy, my results haven't been what I expect of myself and I've been feeling a little stressed because I'm not doing as well as I perceive I "should" be. Things feel a little "out of whack". So I hired someone from the outside to look at what I'm doing and find ways to get me back "IN whack" :)

This first excercise was very emotional and I realized right away what a great deal of the problem is. I've been focused on results, numbers, money, being #1 and all the stress that goes with that mindset. Letting my EGO control my life (Wayne Dyer says EGO = Edge God Out) and I've been edging God & spirituality from my daily life.

God needs to be #1 for me. Maintaining my sobriety needs to run a close 2nd. I have nothing without a solid relationship with God and my sobriety. I know what happens to my life when I allow my inner demons to control my thoughts. And it's not so easy to catch yourself when EGO centered thoughts and actions begin to take control again.

Looking back on my life the periods I remember most fondly, when my life flowed easiest and I had the least amount of stress was when I was in the best shape both spiritually and physically. I went through a period of rapid personal growth after getting treatment for alcohol abuse now over 21 years ago. I read and meditated 2hrs/day before work for many years. Several years later I started working with a fitness instructor and at age 42 was probably in the best physical shape of my life. Eventually I fell out of both habits, though. Keeping life in balance can definitely be a struggle.

I don't believe has to be a struggle, though. For me that means a strong faith based foundation from which the rest of my life can be built upon.

Here's my music-based analogy for this: I've long said the drummer is the heart & soul of every band, bad drummer = bad band. Add a decent bassist and the band has a great foundation to build on. A poor rhythm section means a layperson might not specifically know why the band isn't that good, but it just doesn't sound right. Your relationship with God is the rhythm section for your life. If it's not so good tighten it up to see improvement in all areas :)

GIVING

I saw the movie THE BLINDSIDE last night and it got me thinking about how much we can impact the lives of others if we're just open to the opportunities around us. We can not only change our own lives by changing our attitudes, thoughts & beliefs, but our actions stemming from those very same traits can impact the lives of those around us forever. We can change ourselves and/or impact someone else the second we commit to doing so.

Without giving away too much of the movie - it's based on the life of Michael Oher, who now plays professional football for the Baltimore Ravens. At one point in his life, Michael is homeless and the Tuohy family sees him on a cold night walking outside in shorts and a t-shirt. Their kids know him from school. At that point they make a decision that changes ALL their lives from that point on, simply by asking him to spend the night with them. How many of us would have turned our cars around to make that offer? If we HAD made the offer, how many people would go on to actually accept an outsider into our home as family? Not many would be my guess. Even of the people who would shelter him for a night or two after that other arrangements would be made.

We are ALL capable of being, doing and contributing more to the benefit of ourselves, our families and our world. But as humans we get caught up in getting more for ourselves, keeping what we own, our jobs, our responsibilities and all the stress that comes with just paying bills, running a household and living day to day that what we tend to ignore is probably the one thing that would give us the most comfort. We can give of ourselves, we can contribute to society, we can make life better for someone in our family with a phone call or a visit. We can begin to see opportunities and realize God places them in our lives every day if we're just open to receiving and letting love flow from our hearts in the act of giving.

When you see yourself as abundant you'll realize how much you have to give. However small, give of yourself every day until it becomes a habit :)

The Cookie Thief

I first heard this through Wayne Dyer:

A woman was waiting at an airport one night
With several long hours before her flight
She hunted for a book in the airport shop
Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop
She was engrossed in her book but happened to see
That the man beside her as bold as could be
Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between
Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene
She munched cookies and watched the clock
As this gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock
She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by
Thinking "If I wasn't so nice I'd blacken his eye"
With each cookie she took he took one too
And when only one was left she wondered what he'd do
With a smile on his face and a nervous laugh
He took the last cookie and broke it in half
He offered her half as he ate the other
She snatched it from him and thought "Oh brother
This guy has some nerve and he's also rude
Why he didn't even show any gratitude"
She had never known when she had been so galled
And sighed with relief when her flight was called
She gathered her belongings and headed for the gate
Refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate
She boarded the plane and sank in her seat
Then sought her book which was almost complete
As she reached in her baggage she gasped with surprise
There was her bag of cookies in front of her eyes
"If mine are here" she moaned with despair
"Then the others were his and he tried to share"
"Too late to apologize she realized with grief"
That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief

:)

Jim Rohns Mysteries of Life

Motivation is a mystery.Why does one salesperson see his first prospect at seven in the morning and another salesperson is just getting out of bed at eleven?I don't know.It's part of the mysteries of life.

Give a lecture to a thousand people.One walks out and says,I'm going to change my life." Another one walks out with a yawn and says,"I've heard all this before."Why is that? Why wouldn't both be affected the same way?Another mystery.

The millionaire says to a thousand people,"Iread this book and it started me on the road to wealth."Guess how many go out and get the book?Very few.Isn't that incredible?Why would everyone get the book?A mystery of life.

My suggestion would be to walk away from the 90% who don't and join the 10% who do.

- JIM ROHN

Keeping Life Simple

Keeping life simple means having faith that your spiritual connection flourishes in a life dedicated to joy, love and peace. If your daily activities are so overwhelming that you don't make these things your priority, you're disregarding the value of living a simple life - Dr Wayne Dyer