Pendulum Effect

Life is a constant swinging pendulum of ups and downs.  There was so much success over the weekend with the Easter Resurrection, record weight loss, accomplishing the 40 hour Fast, and even the joy of knowing true success from putting forth 100% effort.  Then it all ended.  I ate what I wanted, drank what I wanted, and even had a relaxing day with minimal effort.  This morning I dug deeper in the closet to find an old pair of slacks that I haven’t worn in years.  They are now the best fitting pair of pants I own.  I had accomplished everything I set out to accomplish.  With God all things are possible.

There is nothing more devastating to positive progression than to reach final success.  The most unproductive time in life is right between successful completion of one thing and the beginning of working on a new thing.  It is right after that feeling of accomplishment that we are left feeling empty and unchallenged.  We relax only to find that we have lost our purpose and need to quickly find a new one.

Work was not so great today.  Some of the things that I recently thought were coming together seemed to fall apart.  One by one, another thing went wrong.  Then tonight I decided to go running the 5K.  Maybe a good run will bring me back up.  I had to stop a few more times than usual tonight: twice for the dog with the nice teeth, once for the old Ford truck that burned way too much gas, and twice coming up those steep hills.  The salt in all that good food yesterday is now burning my eyes like pepper spray.  I did the whole 5K in 31:38.  It felt like anything but success.

There is a 5K race this Saturday for Relay for Life.  In two weeks I will be hiking in the AT with some great guys.  In 6 weeks I will be revisiting high school friends for my 20 year reunion.  These are all good reasons to keep motivated.  However, my biggest reason to stay motivated didn’t hit me until I was at the 4K mark running tonight; I had not prayed all day.  I guess that level of confidence made me a little arrogant.  Lent was a period of cleansing to get me closer in my relationship with God.  God does not want us to simply thank Him for the nice journey.  He wants a relationship with us.

In order for me to keep my life from a constant pendulum of highs and lows, I need to recognize the patterns and direction changes.  It is time to refocus and stay motivated.  Writing always helps.  Maybe I should write about this . . . maybe I will post it on my website since it’s not being used anymore . . .

Lent Day 47 - Easter

Since the very first day I have felt as thought this period of Lent was a preparatory process for something to come.  I have been getting an education so that I can move on to the next level.  I have gained muscle, lost weight, built endurance, learned about sacrifice, and above all, strengthened my relationship with God. 

One of the biggest things I learned about was sacrifice.  I deliberately gave up certain things and habits.  However the sacrifices were much bigger than giving up chocolate or fried foods.  Rather, the sacrifice was felt in the peripheral things I had to give up.  Whenever I was out running, I had to give up a few minutes at home with my wife and boys or even time spent sleeping.  Giving up certain things meant that I couldn’t enjoy certain times with friends and family as much as I would have liked.  Even though they were numerous this year, these small sacrifices make me really appreciate the sacrifice that Jesus made for each of us: his gave his life for you and me.

The question almost goes without asking, what next?  The biggest thing I was trying to give up was laziness.  Well, on this 47^th day, I rested.  I ate a delightful meal at O’Neal’s with family and friends.  For dinner, I grilled the best hamburgers with sautéed onions and melted pepper jack cheese with jalapeños . . . and then the whole family went for a 4.5K walk.  It took us almost an hour, but the four of us and the dogs had a great time enjoying each other’s company.  I don’t know if I will have the determination to keep this going daily until next Ash Wednesday, but I will remember one important thing my big brother Dean taught me.  Do one thing everyday to get your heart rate up; it doesn’t matter what you do, just get your heart rate up.  Even if all you do is go for a blissful walk with your spouse, children, dogs, or even God.  There is nothing more invigorating.

No matter what I do, how much I dedicate myself, commit my actions, and focus my thoughts, I cannot get any closer to God through any amount of action or inaction.  The only thing that matters is what’s in my heart: that faith in Jesus for what He did on this day about 2,000 years ago.  For that I will always be thankful.

I have exceeded my weight loss goal.  I wanted to lose 12 pounds, and I lost 22 pounds.  The last two pounds was from doing a 40 hour Fast from Friday night through Sunday morning.  Saturday was brutal.  I was so tired, lethargic, and worthless feeling.  Unfortunately, the feeling was familiar; this is what I felt like everyday when I was 40 pounds heavier, smoked, and ate junk food every day.  I had started to question why I was doing the Fast, but then during prayer, it occurred to me; to remind me of what will happen if I turn away from God and go back to my old ways.

Along this journey I defined a few things.  Inspiration is what gives us the desire to get up and make goals.  Motivation keeps us progressing along with enthusiasm.  Dedication is the absolute giving of ourselves.  Commitment is the stoic promise.  I have found each of these things in God along this journey.

Writing these blogs every day became a big commitment and obligation for me.  It was the multitudinous responses and kind words of so many of you that inspired me and kept me motivated.  Writing these kept me accountable.  I could have kept this thing to myself and even gotten away with cheating a little.  I am sure God would have forgiven me.  Knowing that my promise everyday was to God and that all of you were watching, I couldn’t cheat.  I am setting an example to all of you and to my children (who watch me even when I don’t think they’re paying attention).  I am a Christian man who made a public promise to God.  In return, you motivated me and God rewarded me.  I can only hope that I inspired a few of you.   

    

This was my journey to get closer to God . . . for all of you that asked me 47 days ago what is Lent . . . this is the best way I can define it.  Thank you all for following along.

Lent Day 46

Motivation.  It is inspiration that gets us started, but it is motivation that keeps us going for that finish line.  Due to recent events and the timing with Easter, I have to ask myself what is my true motivation?  Am I doing this for myself as a disguised diet and exercise plan or am I doing this for God?  God knows what is in my heart. 

Last night I went camping in the back yard with the boys.  We stayed up very late telling stories and such.  The boys were all snuggled up in the sleeping bags and comforters.  I had a sheet and a very thin blanket so I had a miserably cold night.  Every time I moved a draft of cold air would hit me and make me wake up freezing.  When I finally got up (more like gave up trying to sleep) I realized I was tired and did not get the needed rest.  I suppose this might have been similar to Jesus’s Thursday night before being hung on the cross.  I would bet that was his worst night ever.

I decided to go running this morning.  It is a beautiful morning and besides, since I am Fasting I don’t know if I will have the energy to run this evening.  Christy did her 5K running before me this morning.  When I went running on the dirt road I thought it was really cool to see her footsteps.  I felt like I was running where she had just recently gone.  This can be likened to the fact that Jesus has gone before me to pave the way to the Father.

I ran extra hard this morning.  While running the sun was coming up and making it very hot.  I was already tired from the lack of sleep and lack of food.  Then that stupid dog came out into the road to show me his teeth.  Nice teeth.  With all of those obstacles, I kept running.  As I was jogging up that steep hill I asked myself, “Am I doing this for me or for God?”  I can assure you if it was for me, I would be walking.   

We try to set man-made goals for everything we do.  Those seem attainable, measurable, and calculable.  Whatever goals I may make for myself, I know that I can accomplish with an “A” level (sometimes with just 95%).  However, we cannot even imagine the plans and goals God has for us.  Jeremiah 29:11.  If I follow God’s plan, I know I can stay motivated and accomplish the goal 100%.

Lent Day 45

Good Friday.  It is Good Friday not because of anything we have done, but because of what He did for us.  God gave his only begotten son.  Jesus sacrificed his life for our sins.  He committed His life so that we may have eternal life.

I participated in the passion play at church where we reenacted the crucifixion of Jesus.  As a Roman soldier, I had to block Jesus from the crowd as He carried His cross.  What surprised me the most was how animated some of the members of the crowd had become.  The hatred for this mere common criminal shocked me.  Before, during, and after the death on the cross, they continued to disbelieve that He was their savior. 

I watched the actor play Jesus on the cross.  He did so with such stoicism and stamina.  I know that I was standing on the ground for all that time and felt weak in the feet and knees.  It was much harder to be standing on a cross.  It must have been so much for Jesus to bear up on that cross.  The physical torture that Jesus went through was obviously unbearable.  It just amazes me that the people 2,000 years ago could stand there and spit upon Him and display so much hatred for Him.  Forgive them Father for they know not what they do.

Anything that I have gone through during this Lent period has certainly paled in comparison.  It felt like so much effort physically, emotionally, and mentally.  I ran this afternoon in the 90 degree heat.  I felt focused and I wanted to put forth more effort today than anytime previously, especially today.  I knew if I kept pushing myself harder, I could do it for Jesus.  It was the least I could do to show Him that I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.  My final time was 30:40.  I felt like I had failed when I had to keep walking in that hot sun and finished with a worse time than previously. 

The journey is not over.  The Good Friday event just began.  Sunday’s a coming!  Starting tonight, I shall Fast for 40 hours: through Easter morning.  I shall do this with complete dedication of myself and remain committed to Him.  It just feels like such a small sacrifice in comparison.  I will definitely do one thing even after Easter; I shall remain dedicated. 

Lent Day 44

Confidence.  Confidence comes from experiencing success and gaining a subsequent belief in the likelihood of continued success.  Repeated success increases confidence.  Successful completion of increasingly difficult tasks increases one’s confidence level correspondingly.  This is true in any application.

Tonight we had tee ball and baseball games at opposite ends of the ball park.  They could not put the boys any further apart.  Since the games were simultaneous, I ran to see the opposite game.  I literally ran the entire way without getting winded or hesitating in my ability to make it without walking or stopping.  I have no doubt that I can easily run a couple of miles without stopping.  Fortunately it is not very often that someone is chasing me, but if there ever is . . . I’ll be able to run.

I went running when we got home tonight which was after dark.  Normally I do not like running after dark down these wooded dirt roads.  The last couple of nights have been exceptionally dark since there has been no moon.  I decided to go run on the road anyway, but I brought two small powerful flashlights.  I realized that I did not need them by the time my eyes adjusted to the dimness once I got away from the house.  Of course, that object on the side of the road that looked like either a person or a large bear coming at me made me jump back and frightened me . . . until I turned on the flashlight and realized it was a rapidly approaching mailbox.  After that, I never turned the flashlights on again.  Simply having the flashlights with me gave me the confidence to run in the dark.  The pen and sword may be mighty weapons, but a flashlight can stop any mailbox.

Having God on my side gives me confidence.  The more I listen to God and build my relationship with Him, the more confident I am that I can accomplish anything with Him.  Problems can be resolved and successes will be attained.  I have given myself to God through Lent for the past few years.  With this dedication and commitment, I have grown increasingly more confident in my ability to do whatever God has in store for me.   

There was one fascinating thing about tonight’s run.  I don’t think I have ever seen so many lightning bugs in my life.  It was a grand, bug powered fireworks show all along the road.  There were so many of them that I almost ate two of them; I don’t think one of them survived the venture into my mouth.  It almost made my teeth glow.  Maybe that was practice for the coming hiking trip in the mountains.

Lent Day 43

Goals and Plans.  Very little success can be accomplished without a goal.  Once goals are set, a plan will help you attain that goal.  Having motivation will help you stick to that plan.  Having the inspiration . . . that’s the spark that gets you started.

I’ve had people asking me what am I going to do after Easter, will I continue these blogs, how much weight will I lose, is there a target?  These are all tough questions for me.  A few weeks before Lent, I became very anxious for Ash Wednesday.  I have learned over the past couple of years that Lent has brought me so much closer to God.  With that relationship with God, I feel accomplished. 

The goal was to get closer to God.  The plan was to make sacrifices.  The process involved ongoing motivation through pure dedication and stoic commitment.  Past and present feelings of success are my inspiration.  Walking with God in my life has brought me much joy and happiness.  The rewards are numerous ranging from grand problems being resolved to trivial weight loss.  Nonetheless, the feeling of success when I accomplish my goals is what makes me happy. 

There are only a few days left until Easter.  Before I get to the end of this Lent season I have to come up with a plan for what’s next.  The most unsuccessful period in life is right after goals have been accomplished and new ones have not been implemented yet.  Will I continue in my walk with God?  I plan on it.  Will I go running everyday?  I know that it has become a habit and something that I really look forward to each day.  Will I continue with the diet and lack of certain bad foods?  I am sure my taste buds have changed and I won’t even want some of those bad foods.  Will I ever have a beer again?  You bet.  Will I continue the blog each day? 

I can’t wait to see what God’s plan is for me.  Whatever the next level is, I know I am up to the challenge now.

Lent Day 42

New Goals.  I suppose I am becoming a middle aged guy with all of the inward observations about my life.  One thing I had a hard time with a few years ago was my accomplishments.  I had foolishly thought I already accomplished all of my life time goals.  I had the beautiful wife, kids, home, cars, career, and above all, I had accomplished the American Dream.  I even had the American Corvette.  I asked myself, what will I do now that I reached my goals?  Duh!  I make new goals and push myself harder.

The problem with reaching our goals is that we tend to reward ourselves too easily.  We forget how much effort we had to put forth to obtain that level of success.  If we lose two pounds, then we eat a cheeseburger and fries only to get discouraged the next morning when we step on the scale.  If we get that bonus check from the boss for doing a good job, we go out and spend it frivolously only to find we over spent our budget.  A little hard earned success can inspire us to stay motivated.  Too much easy success will be taken for granted and lead to our failure.  This is true by nature just from living in America but that is another blog for after Easter.

Instead of rewarding myself, I choose to push myself harder.  As if giving up laziness, eating late at night, sweets, fried foods, bread, soft drinks, cigarettes, and alcohol isn’t hard enough, last night I mentioned not giving a full 100% effort at anything.  Tonight I was really inspired to go out there and see how fast I could run the 5K.  I ran the full dirt road path that I have been doing with as much speed as I could maintain.  I beat my record at home time with 29:11.  Can I keep beating my own time through Easter?

Pushing myself harder has me thinking about another topic: the submissive, passive Christian personality trait.  Some people have it in their mind that Christians are not fighters because of this trait.  It is not because I am a Christian that I have never been in a fist fight; that is because I am smarter than any adversary to cross my path.  However, it is because I believe in America and Judeo-Christian values that I would defend my country, family, and freedoms with everything I have.  It is through God that I am strengthened and will be victorious in any battle that comes my way.  If that means I have to punch someone out, then so be it. 

The 5K last Saturday wasn’t the finish line and Easter will not be either.  God’s love and grace will continue past any 40 day period.  The period of Lent is intended to get us back in tune with God and remind us of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us.  This is a period of spiritual and physical cleansing.  It would be a shame to consider Easter a finish line.  The reward for all of the hard work will come later.  I feel the reward everyday with my blessed life.

Lent Day 41

The home stretch.  I have the inspiration to get me started.  I have the commitment to get me actually going.  I have the dedication to continue through the journey.  Sometimes, I even have the speed to go faster.  However, full endurance has always been a hard part for me.  Whenever I am out running I realize something right near the end; I don’t want to push through the last stretch.

That last home stretch is always the most difficult part.  When I was out running the 5K Saturday I had a really hard time getting up that last hill.  I knew full well what I was going to do on that last 100 yard dash, but getting up that last hill was almost too much.  Whenever I do the 5K in my neighborhood, I run 2.5 miles to the south round trip, then past my house to the north another round trip to finish up.  The hardest part is passing my house so close to the end.  Wasn’t that good enough?

They say most car accidents happen within 10 miles of your house.  I know some blondes that may consider moving now.  However, the real reason for this is about increased odds; this is where we drive the most.  The old myth behind this phenomenon is that we get too relaxed and comfortable when we get near home.  This is what happens to me when I am out running . . . without the accidents.

One thing I have always struggled with during my life is giving 100 percent.  In college I was an “A” student.  I never felt the need to strive for “A+” or 100%.  Surely an A was enough.  Truth be told, I always aimed for and accomplished 95%.  No one ever looked at my transcripts and thought, if only he made higher A’s.  Maybe this home stretch thing has been with me my whole life.  This is probably the root cause behind my desire to be better than myself each day.  What would it be like to give 100% to anything and exceed all expectations?  I have to admit.  This sounds very intriguing even though I had written off the notion years ago.  Maybe that will be next year’s Lent.

A few years ago I was conned into purchasing asphalt for my 250 linear feet of driveway . . . a mile down a dirt road.  That’s another story.  Anyway, it has always been great for the boys to ride bicycles, write with chalk, or other fun activity that can’t normally be done in the grass.  About two years ago Christy took a video of me running up the driveway with the boys.  I watched that video in awe.  I was completely shocked that I was that fat guy having a really hard time running up that driveway one time.  Tonight I started very slow.  Ok, I will just run up and down the driveway until I get tired then walk, do push ups, or something.  Shucks, I wasn’t getting tired after 15 minutes, but I did get bored.  There is an average of 80 jogging steps each way up and down that driveway.  Then the jump rope gave me a whooping.  Then pushups, then some new activities with those dreaded five pound dumbbells, then some sit ups, and then the hard part; I have to write to all of you who keep me accountable.

Lent Day 40

Continued Sacrifice.  40 days ago I was determined to make a commitment to God and build my relationship with Him based on personal sacrifices.  As with all sacrifices for God, there will always be positive rewards back to the person making the sacrifice.  I knew this going into it and subsequently made tangible goals so that I could tell if I was staying true to my word.  It is now one week until Easter, and I feel that I have been very successful thus far.  I have exceeded my weight loss goal, spent more time enjoying my kids, been very productive at work, been more focused in church, and feel that I have been growing in my relationship with God. 

This journey is not over.  After the race yesterday, we had a lot of fun as a family.  We enjoyed a Down Home Days festival with all kinds of good smelling / tasting food, fun activities, and a car show.  This morning was a special Palm Sunday at church and they even had brownies in Sunday School.  Then this afternoon was a wonderful time at our friend’s house.  Our families have such a great time whenever we get together, but . . . it was a birthday party . . . with cake and ice cream.  Oh the temptation was strong, and my weakness is ice cream.  Many people were making excuses for me that it was Sunday and I have done so well up to now.  Even my wife wanted to justify that it was ok for me to “cheat” today.  After all, this is day 40 if I count Sundays, and if I don’t count them, then . . . I don’t expect people to understand and participate in my journey.  This is why I know that Lent is a personal experience with God.  I can stay strong in the face of adversity.  I would even sit the bowl of candy right in front of me just to see how strong I could be.

Yesterday I ran the big race and had my best time ever.  Then tonight I didn’t know exactly what to do.  Because I was so hungry from all the temptation, I ate a big dinner consisting of three eggs, a can of spinach (with pepper sauce vinegar), and some dry Fruit Loops cereal.  Then I changed clothes and went running.  Ok, there are a lot of things I have learned through Lent; one includes spinach, eggs, cereal, and running.  Unbelievably, I did not throw up.  I also forgot to drink plenty of water today.  I started running and immediately became very nauseous and thirsty, but I kept running.  Just over the halfway point (2.75km) I had to walk some.  I looked up and noticed the beautiful evening sky, the hawk flying by, and the fragrance of jasmine in the air.  I kept pushing on, but at a slower pace so that I could enjoy the quiet time and all the beauty around me. 

I finished tonight with a time of 32:40.  That is almost 5 minutes slower than yesterday’s race.  Somehow that did not bother me.  I was strong this weekend in my commitment to God and dedicated to my sacrifices.   I feel great.

Lent Day 39

The big race.  We got up early this morning full of anticipation.  Suddenly, my mind started wandering into a debate; do I run this race to show God and myself what I can do or do I hang back with friends and enjoy the time?  After all, this is not supposed to be a diet and exercise plan.  Knowing that my wife and friends were all training to run “their” race, I figured it would be best for me to run at my own pace. 

The weather was forecast for heavy storms and radar was lit up in red all around us.  In 38 days of exercising outside, I have not had rain on me yet.  Just like all those times God took away the “rain” excuse, God kept all of the bad storms away from the race area.  In fact, we only had a few light sprinkles for a minute or two during the middle of the race.

We lined up.  Those who can run fast, get in the front.  The slower folks need to get in the back.  I jumped in the middle and suddenly . . . I felt nervous.  What if I can’t do this?  What if I barely make it and look like a fool?  A few minutes ago all of these people were smiling, joking, and being so nice to each other.  Now, they all have their serious game face on and they look ready to run.  My friend Spence got near the front while Christy and the Archambaults got in the rear of the pack.  I actually felt nervous, intimidated and wondered if I was about to get run over.  

On your mark, get set, . . . Go!  Ok, start running at a good pace and stay with everyone.  Oh no, it starts with a hefty uphill.  We haven’t made it a quarter mile (all up hill) and I am feeling winded.  I suddenly realize that I cannot keep up this pace.  I need to back off from this front pack or I will never make it.  Finally, I’m at the top of the first hill.  We have some fairly flat roads for a minute.  What am I doing at this increased pace?  This is not what I did out on the dirt road. 

I need help.  Since I didn’t have Monte tied to my waist to help pull me along, I had to look elsewhere.  God, I really need you now.  I don’t know what I was thinking assuming I can do this on my own.  No wonder I was so nervous.  God, this experience is about building my relationship with you.  I focused on that commitment to God.  Suddenly, I fell into my steady groove and comfort speed.  My breathing and heart rate were right at my comfortable level.  Ok, let’s keep this pace.  The first large group had pulled away and no one was too close behind me.  It was just God and me . . . going for a normal run.

There was one really long steep up hill on campus at the 2 mile mark.  I thought we were turning left at the top sidewalk, and I was determined to make it there.  There was a staff person standing there to bear the really horrible news . . . keep going further straight up that hill to the top, turn around the curb, then come back to here to take that turn.  Argh!  I finally had to walk about 100 feet.  After that, I resumed my steady pace the rest of the way.  There was one super steep uphill right before the end.  A guy was standing at the top cheering me on.  “You can do this!”  I realized he was right.  I stared right back at him.  I got to the top where he was, thanked him, and then exploded!  I took off for that last 100 yard stretch with everything my body had to give.  Sprint with all my might as hard as I possibly can!  I did it in 27:51!!!  My best time ever. 

Lent Day 38

Change of pace.  Sometimes we need to do things differently to break up the monotony of things.  Regardless of how good or bad anything is, everything must be in moderation; not too much and not to little of anything.  This includes chocolate cake, lasagna, time spent on the computer, work, playtime, and yes, it even includes running.

Tomorrow morning is the 5K race.  Considering that it is early in the morning, I didn’t want to run tonight and wear myself out, but I have to do some exercise.  I finally got outside and went into the garage to retrieve my special exercise equipment: my jump rope.  There is a story here.  About a dozen years ago, I had decided I was going to get into shape.  Yes, I have been out of shape for a long time.  My new bride and I went shopping where I purchased a very nice leather jump rope.  It was a good one with cushion grip weighted handles.  Of all the purchases I have ever made, I have always been very defensive of this item.  I suppose it is because it sat next to the computer monitor for a few years when Christy decided she was tired of seeing it.  She had gotten on to me for purchasing this thing that was so expensive that I will never use.  I assured her that I would use it, but . . . (yes, I have been making excuses for a long time too).  I might grab it and go outside for a minute and come right back in huffing.  I would then place it somewhere else so that she wouldn’t get on to me about it.  I can tell you one thing for certain; a decade plus later and I have always known exactly where that thing is located.

So tonight I get that jump rope, the five pound dumb bells, and my gloves out of the garage.  I slip on the gloves and do some “air boxing” with the dumbbells in my hands.  Oh boy, I better be careful not to throw my back out with those.  I put them down and grab that jump rope.  Sure, I can jump rope for a few minutes, then do push ups and sit ups and repeat.  This will be easy.  Wrong.  I stretched out that old leather jump rope and make sure it was pliable and not going to break.  I start off really well with a steady double skip.  I can go faster.  In fact, I can make that thing whistle through the air.  It made it “whiz” as it went by.  Then it happened . . . I tripped on it with my right foot, and it made a snapping sound!  That thing whipped my left arm so hard I screamed like a girl for a split second.  Holy moly that hurt!  Not to mention the fact that I was stumbling from the trip.  The rope was fine but my arm was stinging!  I picked it back up and tried again; this time I was a little wiser.  Ok, I think I made it about 3 minutes before I felt like passing out.  This thing is not a toy; it is made for hard exercise!  Back in the garage right where I will know where it is . . . no where that anyone else will have to see it.

It is time to go say my prayers and get ready for that run tomorrow morning.  Regardless of how well I do, I will be sure to invite God along with me.  It was my dedication to God through Lent that allowed me to get to this point.  My reward for the dedication is the ability to participate in such an event.

Lent Day 37

Inspiration.  We find inspiration in a variety of ways.  It could come from that thing we read, that speech we listened to, that situation we heard about, or that person who set a great example as a role model.  Regardless of what, who, or how we get inspired, we feel energized to strive toward our goals.    

Whether I like it or not, I have certain roles in my life that put me into a position where I have to inspire others.  As a boss, I have to keep the employees motivated.  Fortunately, I have a good group of employees that only need minor adjustments to stay focused.  I have learned the lessons about motivating with an iron fist versus inspiring with rewards and kindness.  It turns out the best method is not about me as a leader but rather the employee’s response to varying methods.  The good leader simply needs to know how to be versatile enough to inspire each employee. 

As a Dad, I have to motivate the boys to do things they don’t want to do; such as wash with soap instead of simply standing under the water for a half hour.  We expect so much of our kids and even demand that they do things like eat their vegetables, brush their teeth, or do their homework.  Just like with employees, I have learned that the best method depends on whichever one they will respond to with the best results . . . sometimes varying upon how much sleep they have had. 

There is one big difference between motivating employees and children (though they can be hard to tell apart sometimes).  Employees don’t need the boss to do the same job such as build that wall, paint that room, handle that client, or make that sale.  They know that is their job.  Conversely, children need that extra instruction that may require a “hands on” approach.  Most importantly, children need that good example / role model.  That is where I am focusing right now.  I want to be that positive inspiration in my boys’ lives.  As I run each night, I realize that I will have to teach them about endurance through the struggle.  Also, I may eventually have to run after them.  I’ll need to be able to run faster and farther than they will.

We are all morally responsible for setting a positive example.  The things we do, the way we treat people, or even how we live our lives are all examples for others to follow.  If we do these properly, then we will help others get inspired and stay motivated.  This is a big factor in living as a Christian. What motivates me?  Considering the fact that I attempted “to be a better person each day” as a New Years resolution and failed, I have to say God.  This Lent experience has motivated me to get active and stay committed.  It is through Lent that I can witness to others how I want to live a Christian life. 

I ran extra hard tonight.  I never stopped running or even slowed down to walk during the entire 5K.  I ran a 5K in 29:39 . . . yep, 18 seconds worse than last time.  I never said being inspired, having that extra motivation, or even remaining stoic in your commitment will automatically guarantee success.  Some setbacks are inevitable.  These are what make us stronger and encourage us try harder next time.  The important part is to find that inspiration, stay motivated, and remain stoic in your commitments.

Lent Day 36

Better in every way.  When I said I wanted to give up laziness, it was more than physical.  I wanted to make myself do those things that I don’t do for whatever reason.  Sometimes it’s that thing I don’t feel like doing and sometimes that excuse is simply that I don’t have enough time in the day.  Tragically, this even includes being a Dad.  When we came home from baseball last night, Tyler really wanted to go outside and play catch with me.  Unfortunately, it was too late.  It was time for prayers and right to bed.  Every night we have so much to do with baseball and church and homework and . . . I know, it sounds like excuses, right?  And then life happens.

Today was a really productive day at work.  For some reason my Blackberry has started dying each day around noon.  I have to go outside and plug it into the car charger.  I lock the car and go without my Crackberry for a couple of hours.  From 1:00 to 4:00 today I got a lot of stuff done with little to no interruption.  Then it hit me, uh oh, I better go check on my phone.  I feel the vibration on my hip and it’s not even there; must be phantom “phone” pains.  Yeah, a bunch of missed calls, text messages, and those dreaded voice mails.  Oh well, the time at my desk allowed me to have a steady productive pace.  That felt good to get so much accomplished.  I know what some of you are thinking, “Did I get any joke emails from Ben during that 3 hour window . . .?” J

I had to hurry home for exercise time tonight.  We decided to skip church and exercise was going to be special.  We had to rush to get done with dinner so that we could go outside and play catch.  That is one way to get Tyler to eat his dinner quickly, including the vegetables.  We played catch for over an hour.  We would pretend someone was running to 1^st base with each catch and throw.  We tagged them out most of the time, but there were a few that got past us and even made it to home plate.  This additional aspect of getting the other team out made the pace really fast.  It wasn’t running but it was aerobic exercise. 

When we got done playing catch, Tyler and I ran one lap around the property.  I explained that we were going to race from the back yard to the garden, right turn up to the road, right turn down the road, then right again for that last stretch down the paved driveway and back to the porch.  Immediately Tyler took off running full speed.  I quickly started teaching Tyler about pacing yourself to win the race.  I explained that you never win a race at the beginning because the finish line is at the end of the race.  You want to pass them at the end.  Steady jogging and then he exploded into a sprint down the paved driveway.  Blake was standing at the finish line with his arms wide open.  I yelled, “The first one to touch Blake wins.”  Immediately, Blake looked terrified and ran for his life into the house.  We took off after him right into the kitchen.  Christy didn’t have a clue what happened when we all came crashing in the back door on her.

It doesn’t matter what kind of exercise you do, but if you do it with people you love, then it is so much easier and really fun.

Lent Day 35

A race?  I have only participated in one 5K in my life.  That one was the same one I am going to do this Saturday, except back in 1995 when I was young.  I didn’t even train for that one.  I literally just decided that morning that I was going to run in it.  I think the Mrs. Wheeler talked me into it that morning.  I remember saying it was really difficult, and I will never do that again.  Well, I guess I should never say that again.

I had no idea that running a 5K meant actually running a race.  I honestly thought (from all of my prior experience) the goal of running a 5K was to do just that, run a 5K.  A good friend told me today that people will run super hard and finish these in as little as 15 minutes.  What is wrong with people?  The goal is to finish so that I can say I ran a 5K . . . and get the T-shirt that cost me $15.  Well, let me think about this . . . my wife and best friends are running in this “race” with me.  Do I get to talk smack?  I like talking smack to my buddy.  All in friendly Christian love of course.

I truly had not thought about a competitive aspect of this running.  Up to now my only competition was Monte and Molly.  Molly doesn’t count so much because she runs out of steam to quickly.  Though, she is not my fat beagle any more.  She is much leaner, but that could just be summer time.  Monte has really developed a new level of endurance.  He always had speed, but now he has the longevity.  If he ever runs away from home, he’ll be back in Mexico sipping a margarita on the beach before we notice him missing.  There were a couple of times that I outran Monte at the end of the run.  Of course, the best I could do with a leash was to be out in front of him by a few feet.  This is usually a good idea at the half mile mark as well due to his propensity toward expelling waste in the beginning of the run.

What if life was not about the time spent or meeting goals, but rather a competition?  Oh boy, we had all better wake up and get some real running shoes on.  Sure, for some people it is about beating everyone else at their “expertise” or game, but for most people, life is mere survival.  People give up too quickly and simply succumb to their own complacency.  The less they struggle, the less they will fail.  Life does have a way of repeatedly knocking us down.  For me, I know my biggest competitor is . . . myself.  Well, that makes sense; I do try to outdo myself each day.  This is not because I am in a race trying to get to the finish line, but rather because I want to feel success and accomplishment in my life.  I want to constantly improve in every possible way I can. 

I pushed harder tonight than every before.  (I wish I could say that every day.)  I ran a 5K tonight in 29:21 with a band aid on my big toe!  Zechariah 4:6 says “not by might nor by power, but by my spirit says the Lord”.  This is true especially when doing something physical.  Every time I wanted to slow down and walk tonight, I had to ask myself, is this a physical or mental desire?  Every time it was a mental desire to walk.  I had to ask God for that strength and endurance to help me push a little further.  He heard my prayers.  I would push on farther and farther with that steady jog.  Since I held a rapid pace, Monte never even had to do that country two-step dance. 

Lent Day 34

Just an average long Monday.  Mondays have been difficult and long for me lately.  I think it’s because I play too hard on the weekends.  I end up going to work to make my mind do all the work while my body catches up on needed physical rest.  Therefore, by the time I get home, I don’t really feel like doing anything mentally or physically.

We got home really late tonight.  Tyler’s team lost and the coach was really upset.  A few of the kids noticed and became discouraged as well.  The coach yelled at them for a while and even made them run laps back and forth.  Now, I am not a fan of paying a lot of money to let grown men take out there aggression toward my kid.  However, on the way home, Tyler said the best part of the night was when they got to run laps.  The second best part was when he hit that ball.  He was tagged out before he got to first base, but it was cool to him just to hit the ball.  He had no clue how upset the coach was and sometimes, it’s a good thing he doesn’t always pay attention.  Tyler had a good time, and I am very proud of him. 

As a Dad, I have mixed feelings about this.  I get frustrated with the yelling, poor sportsmanship, and too much competition.  At the same time, I know neither of my boys will play professional ball and this is their time to have fun . . . and they are having fun.  I can only hope that I am setting a positive Christian example for them. 

When I finally got dressed for exercising it was dark.  Around the yard I go.  I used my BB GPS Runtastic Application and started running back and forth in the road out front and around back.  That map looked like a 2 years olds plate of spaghetti.  I stopped a few times to do push ups.  I did a total of 100 push ups tonight.  That’s the most since early college days.  They sure were easier back then.  I ran in the new shoes with a good pair of socks and a band aid on the big toe.  It still hurt, but it was bearable.  I don’t want to give it away who made the shoes, but I’m thinking about writing New Balance a letter about their model 475 running shoes.   

The thing about having a long Monday is that I didn’t want to go out and exercise.  With an injured toe, I really didn’t feel like running.  During the process tonight, I would walk a lot more than usual.  My thought was, just keep moving.  It doesn’t matter what you do Ben.  Just keep moving.  I was sure when I started this Lent process that some days would be better than others and some days, I wouldn’t want to do it at all.  I know this; I made a promise to God and myself to exercise in some way every day, and I will remain a man of my word. 

Molly had no idea what she was signing up for.  Monte had figured out that I run back and forth.  He decided to sit in the middle near the porch and say hello as I go by.  Molly is so loyal and does everything she can to stay by my side for those occasional times that I will stoop down, pet her, and say a kind word.  I think it’s like that with God.  He will stay right with us just for those occasional times that we stop and say hello.

Lent Day 33

New ideas, methods, and things.  If we never tried anything new in life then there would never be any advancement and life would be very boring.  Just because an old method worked in the past doesn’t mean that it is the best way of getting things done.  For a person to grow in any manner means there must be struggles; struggles from the implementation of new ideas, methods, and things.

When I told a few friends that I wanted to give up laziness they thought I was a bit crazy.  That’s how I knew I had a good idea.  It was going to be very difficult, it was creative, and people said I was setting myself up for failure.  When I attempted to give up laziness for New Years I didn’t implement it correctly, and I didn’t have the correct motivation.  From that bout of trial and failure, I learned how to better focus my energy and Lent gave me the reason.  I gained the determination and commitment to God so that I will not fail this time.  Giving up laziness physically, mentally, and spiritually was a new idea that I simply had to try until I succeeded at being a better man.

Today for lunch, Tyler wanted a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and he said he was really hungry.  I know that sometimes when he says this and he has been playing hard, he might want a second sandwich.  I told him I had an idea, but I needed his help.  Presentation is everything to new ideas.  We got out the peanut butter, jelly, and three pieces of bread.  His eyes grew big as I gave him plenty of peanut butter on that first slice.  Then I gave him a plentiful amount of jelly on that second slice of bread.  At this point, he thought I was putting too much on for a sandwich.  Just then, I put the third piece of bread in the middle, cut it twice on diagonals, and viola, a triple-decker peanut butter and jelly sandwich in 4 triangles.  Oh what a delighted little boy I had.  If only I had not given up bread for Lent . . . it looked devine.

Christy and I purchased some new running shoes.  The shoes each of us had been wearing were several years old.  Neither of us really ever had a purpose to own running shoes.  I can’t even remember the last time we had to run somewhere.  If we had to run, then surely there was another form of transportation available.  Unfortunately, I had the hardest time finding wide shoes.  Finally, New Balance had some that felt great.  I wore them for a couple of hours today before I went running.  I plan to break them in this week before the official 5K next Saturday. 

When I went running tonight, like everyday, I want to do better than the day before.  I also decided that a different and new route is good.  I went north to the paved road and back.  When I got back by the house the first time, the BB app said I went 1.74 km.  Uh oh, over half way, now I have to do math.  I went running back, got to 2.5 km and realized, uh, this is half way.  I can’t do math: 5km not 5M.  To make up for my miscalculation, I got creative and took some of the cul-de-sacs off the main dirt road so that I could hit 5k by the time I got back to the house.  However, at this half way point, I noticed something really bad; my right big toe is killing me.  The new shoe is rubbing my big toe.  Scrunch it up and run.  Stretch it out and run.  Ignore the pain and keep running.  Whatever you do Ben, keep going.  The pain was getting unbearable, but I never stopped running until the final cool down.  What? 32:44 seconds!  Having that small part of my body in pain made over a 2 minute difference in my time.  When I went in the house and took off these painful new shoes, my sock was bloody.  I rubbed a hole in the top of my big toe.  Ouch. 

Many new ideas, methods, and things need adjustment or modification.  The important thing is that each new item made me learn and grow.  I will know how to overcome adverse challenges.  I will always be creative with new methods.  I will be mindful of new shoes, especially with a hike in the Appalachian Trail coming up.  When we are paying attention to the new things in life we will realize that new things will lead to progress.

Lent Day 32

This is the day the Lord has made.  That was today right?  Yep.  God made all the days, those wonderful Saturdays with friends and family and the dreary Tuesdays.  God even made April 9^th each year.  This day marks a couple of personal anniversaries for me; some good and some bad.  Today I chose to remember the positive ones.  Most importantly, God is good all the time.

Knowing that today was going to be a fun-filled time with family and friends, I decided to go running this morning before we got started with our day.  Christy told me about a new application to download on my Blackberry.  It uses GPS to track my instant speed, average speed, fastest speed, elevation climb, detailed map, calories burned, time spent running, time stopped, and even how far I went.  Wow, and this is free technology.  I wonder what the paid for upgrade program does?  Who cares, only in America can we get so much for so little.  There was one feature that did not work; it was supposed to upload my run to Facebook and my email so that everyone can see how I was doing.  Yeah, because you readers are really keeping track of my progress like that.  “Awe come on Ben, you slowed down in turn three . . . better pick it up next time.”   Ok, I’ll tell you, 5.0K in 30:33 minutes.   

I used the technology because I am American and we need these things to measure our progress.  I guess that’s why we get on the scales each morning to see how we are doing, but only if they are going in the right direction.  Trust me; we never get on the scale when we are gaining weight.  We don’t want to be reminded of our negative side.  We only want to be shown our progress toward success.  I suppose it’s ok as long as we use these things as tools and not as end goals. 

I found myself getting really tired on the run this morning.  I was sweating profusely and pushing myself harder than ever before.  I kept thinking about pushing myself for a phenomenal 5K running time.  I was going to run it faster and set a new record.  Unlike any other time running before, I was focused on the 5K and certain checkpoints along the way.  I was a little over half way back when I remembered this is not about diet and exercise or any stupid 5K.  Besides, in America, we measure in miles.  So what am I focusing on some kilometer measurement for?  Oh yeah, I am building my relationship with God.  I use this 30 minutes each day of exercise to listen to God.  Every time I thank God for the blessings in my life, and sometimes I even ask God for help.  It was on that last half that I remembered I needed to ask God for some help if I was going to push myself this hard.  When I invited God along with me, the stride got a lot easier.  I remembered my commitment and He gave me the strength. 

I sure am glad I did my run this morning.  The Grass family had an eventful day with baseball, Lee Festival, bounce houses, shopping, eating out, and even a cool car show. 

Lent Day 31

Some good ideas turn out to be bad ideas.  This is a beautiful Friday afternoon in tropical paradise.  Unfortunately, Christy has a horrible headache and needs to be left alone.  This is one of those times where the boys and I get to spend some bonding time.  What a great opportunity for some fun guy time. 

I decided I needed to go exercising.  Let’s all three boys go jogging.  Knowing that neither of the boys can run with me, I came up with some arrangements.  Tyler can ride his bicycle along side of us.  Blake can ride in the trailer / push cart.  The dogs, well, they can be tied to the push cart to help pull it along.  Then, I might as well add some weight in the trailer since it makes for easy storage.  A couple bottles of water can’t be that much.  Yep, pushing a 50 pound cart will be smooth sailing.

It took us about 20 minutes to figure out how to get everything set up and down the driveway.  Once we got out in the road, the good idea really turned bad.  Molly was afraid of the cart and Tyler’s bicycle.  Tyler kept going back and forth on the dirt in an attempt to find the “hard” dirt.  This caused so much commotion for the dogs and me.  Molly, being frightened, became an anchor on the right side.  Monte wanted so badly to run fast.  Since Monte was tied to the left side, I had a severe alignment issue.  This caused the cart to pull hard right which I had to compensate extra hard while trying to push this monstrosity through the sandy dirt road.  To make it even worse, the front single wheel kept getting stuck in the sideways position.  Therefore, I had to pull down on the handle to keep it off the ground.  On a difficulty scale of 1 to 100 (100 being the most difficult) this was a 92.  The only one that had a nice ride was Blake since he simply had to sit back and relax.   Tyler rode his bike really well, but even he noticed he was sweating profusely.

I learned several lessons from this fiasco.  One thing Monte taught me is that sometimes in life, the cart you’re pulling can run you over.    We get so preoccupied with life that we don’t pay attention to what we are doing.  Then when we get out of sync either by slowing down or heading downhill making everything else go faster, we realize we have lost control and get run over.  Another thing I learned is that when I am trying to get some exercise in, don’t bring along extra things to carry and push.  Each day is a new adventure that allows us a fresh start.  Sometimes we make it more difficult on ourselves by taking on too much.  Too many activities in our lives can be very difficult and make us loose focus.  Like they say, it is not possible to have our cake and eat it too. 

I read somewhere that God lets us fall so that He can help pick us up.  I am also aware that the most difficult challenges are certain to make us stronger.  When I accepted the Lent commitment I did not expect it to be easy.  I hoped it would be hard so that I could grow stronger.  There have been difficulties each day; some days it is harder than others.  It is through God’s strength that I will overcome these adversities in life . . . even if some of them are self inflicted.

Unnoticed Inflation: Maintaining Price Point

With all the conversations about inflation going around, there is one aspect that has been going unnoticed.  While the cost of items may even stay relatively the same, producers of products and services have been attempting to lower their expenses.  One way they can do this is by cutting quality and quantity in their product lines and services. 

In the food industry, it is not allowable to reduce quality; however quantity can certainly be changed.  Reduced quantity is becoming more and more evident in the grocery stores.  Shrinking the size of packaging without being noticeable is a key factor.  Ice cream cartons are no longer actual half gallon sizes and candy bars have become smaller.  Food items that come in boxes such as cereal can be closely the same size in height and width, but be slightly less in depth.  Water is a cheap additive to many products such as canned goods and juices.  Each of these methods will reduce the quantity of the final product.  

Regarding grocery products, this affects a couple of other factors.  First, this changes the quantity for recipe purposes.  If a recipe calls for a specific quantity that previously was available when purchasing one of something, then the consumer is not forced to purchase two items which will allow for waste or they need to be conscientious to modify their recipe.  A second aspect is portion control.  While dieters may benefit from the reduced portions, most Americans will find themselves desiring a second helping and thus the purchase for more goods is required.

Other commodities are hitting the economy very hard, the most obvious being gasoline prices.  To make matters worse, gasoline refineries are adding ethanol to their products.  This may decrease the cost for the refineries and increase their profit margins; however this reduces fuel economy for most all vehicles.  This is being done under the guise that ethanol can help keep the cost per gallon lower.  Unfortunately, the price has continued to rise while our fuel economy gets lower.  This is a compounded problem for consumers as they struggle to maintain their budgets.

All industries have been feeling the effect of a slower economy.  To increase the bottom line, there are two aspects business owners attempt to analyze: revenue and expenses.  Since an increase in price can lead to a reduction in sales volume reducing expenses is the best choice.  Manufacturers as well as service industries are learning how to reduce expenses very well.  Even though the price may remain fairly static or within the range of CPI, true inflation could be creeping in without being noticed.