Life's Isn't Fair!

Growing up I remember my Dad telling me repeatedly that life isn't fair. Sadly, here's a crystal clear example of him being right.

This is a picture of Robbie Hummel, last year's starting forward for the Purdue Men's Basketball Team. Led by Hummel, then a Junior, and Senior Chris Kramer, last year's team enjoyed win after win and top 10 rankings heading into the NCAA tournament. Then on February 24, Robbie Hummel came down awkwardly on his right leg tearing his ACL and ending his 2009-2010 season. Purdue Basketball fans mourned this loss and while other players stepped up in his absence to finish the season, the Boilers fell short of their NCAA tournament hopes.

Fast forward to the 2010-2011 season where the Boilermakers found themselves with a pre-season ranking of #2 the nation. High hopes surrounding this team and the return of Robbie Hummel, now a Senior with high school teammates E'Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson. That is, until the news broke, on an ESPN scrolling message during a college football game...in the 2nd practice of the season, after blocking a teammates shot, Hummel again came down on the right leg, tearing his ACL for the second time in 8 months.

Whether you are fortunate enough to be a Purdue Boilermaker alumni, fan or follower or even if you've just heard of them through this blog today, the sadness and disappointment for Robbie Hummel alone is tremendous. Why do bad things happen to good people!? Isn't one torn ACL in a lifetime enough? Of course we've all heard or lived similar stories of friends, family and acquaintances whose situations cause us to ask, "How can life be so unfair?" And we all wish we had the answer, as well as a way to make it better.

What we do know is that fair or not, life does go on, and we choose to make it whatever we want it to be. Will we choose to be better or bitter? USA Today reports that Robbie Hummel is attending classes, meeting with study groups and planning for surgery around Thanksgiving so as not to derail his education. Additionally, all Purdue Basketball fans hope that next year Grad School is an option for Robbie with a medical red shirt applied to this year. While none of this is ideal, it IS what it is. And my guess is that somehow, someway, Robbie Hummel will choose to be better. Better as a person, a student and an athlete because of this experience.

Today, whether you pause to appreciate your many blessings, become better due to unfair circumstances and go forward in a healthy way or help others to do the same, I hope you'll be the best YOU that you can be!

Happy Monday!

It's Monday, the beginning of a brand new week! Is your schedule a busy one, filled with appointments, events and commitments?

Hans Christian Anderson said, "Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower."

What can you do this week, as your go through your days to enjoy living just a little bit more? How can you share sunshine, enjoy freedom and experience every little flower along your path?

I hope YOU will make it an amazing week. You and those around you deserve it!

Choose to Laugh

We've all been there. A day, a situation, a happening so overwhelmingly bizarre you can't help but wonder, should I laugh or should I cry? A moment when you find yourself caught in that place where your emotions have the ability to take you towards either response. For your entertainment, let me provide an example.

We have two sizable dogs, a Weimaraner named Lucky and a Silver Labrador named Cooper. Both dogs are tremendous assets to our crazy family and we love the activity, companionship and entertainment they provide. But of course, some days are better than others. Shortly after acquiring a new dog bed for Cooper (he ate the last one, his punishment = weeks of waiting for a new one), we all left home for a Friday night football game. The dogs and the new bed went into the laundry room and we were off to what turned out to be our first Varsity Football victory of the season. Hip hip hurray! We returned home a few hours later in delightful spirits with friends in tow for some euchre and celebration. Little did we know, the dogs had been having a celebratory evening as well as the kids immediately discovered dozens (okay, hundreds!) of little white foamy balls coming out from under the laundry room door. Being wise (and scared) children, they waited for me to open the dreaded door. With bated breath, I opened the door to an outpouring of more little white foamy balls. Clearly there had been a dog bed explosion! There were little white foamy balls stuck to the walls, covering the floor and under the washer and refrigerator. Nevermind the ones stuck to the dogs as they bolted in little white foamy ball terror!

At that moment, I can honestly say, my first tendency really was anger (that !@&$ dog ate another bed!) and tears. BUT we had won the game! We had friends over to play cards and celebrate! And, I was pretty certain that no amount of anger or tears was going to suck all those little white foamy balls back into that dog bed. So, after a few deep breaths, I laughed. And the best part was that everyone else did too. And really that's what makes laughter, when possible, the best option available. Laughter is the best medicine. Laughter is contagious. Laughter is like a mini vacation. In truth, I'd say laughter is one of the little things that makes life worth living.

What can you find to laugh at today? Besides the fact that it will make you feel better, I know your family and friends will love you all the more for it!

YOU Matter!

Recently I read a little book called "The Butterfly Effect" by Andy Andrews. I enjoyed this book for several reasons, most notably because it took me less than 30 minutes to read, but has caused me to consider its message for many days since. In the chaos of life, I appreciate books, movies and media that make me pause and think a bit.

In all of the busyness of our days, I occasionally find myself going through the motions. Have you ever caught yourself doing the same? I have questioned whether or not my presence at a meeting really matters, if I really need to finish that book, write that email or have that phone conversation. I have wondered if my family notices that the laundry has been done or that there's a healthy meal on the table. Have you ever asked the question, does it really matter? Do I really matter?

While I don't want to give the message of the book away completely, its meaning is clear. YOU matter! YOU make a difference! This insightful little book illustrates that each of us can make a difference in small ways. And those small things can lead to big and meaningful changes in the lives around us AND the world. And that's the coolest part of the whole concept! It's also the same idea that has prompted me to think about what I do each day and how it can impact the lives of those around me.

If you get a chance, give "The Butterfly Effect" by Andy Andrews a quick read. I hope you find it worth your time and it makes you feel great about YOU! And if nothing else, it's just a nice little reminder of how much you matter to those around you and to the world.

Wear the cute shoes!

A few evenings ago, at her volleyball game, Lexi asked me why I was wearing a certain pair of shoes. They were very cute shoes, the new caged style, open-toe, with a mid-sized heel and totally coordinated with my outfit! I had navigated the bleachers in the gym just fine, but had clearly gotten my youngest daughter's attention. I responded by telling her that I really liked these particular shoes, to which she fired back, "But Mom, you're at a volleyball game." True...but since my weekly schedule looks like the list below, what other opportunities might I have to wear my cute shoes?

Mondays = Freshman Football
Tuesdays = Volleyball
Wednesday = 8th Grade Football
Thursday = Volleyball
Friday = Varsity Football
Saturday = Ball State Football
Sunday = Babe Ruth Baseball

I am guessing that at this point, many of you are really feeling fortunate that you're not me. After all, how many hours should one spend sitting in the bleachers or driving to sporting events across East Central Indiana? On the flip side, I know what concession stands serve the best popcorn and I am there to support my kids by being a loud and proud parent in the stands (there will be a future blog dedicated entirely to my "loud and proud"
tendencies). I truly enjoy where I spend my time, in the bleachers, watching my kids compete in sports they love, wearing my cute shoes!

Now the point of this blog isn't that my kids are overcommitted or that everyone should wear cute shoes (though I find myself thinking "why not?" to the latter). The point is that every day we have things we must do and places we must go in order to support those we love. So, why not GO and DO and BE our very best self when we do those things? We can wear a smile and bring a positive attitude. We can encourage and support those we love in major ways & we can be grateful for every opportunity that we have to be there and support them.

Life's just too short to not "show up" for ourselves and those we love. It's too short to take even a single day for granted. And most importantly, life is way too short to not wear the cute shoes!

Memories

Let's talk about memories.

Do yours invoke happy thoughts of past experiences that make you feel good? Or do your reflections leave you feeling sad and filled with regret? Do your memories affect how you live your life today? Maybe they cause you to play "full-out" allowing you to be GREAT in the present, or maybe they cause you to hold back in fear of recreating the mistakes of the past today.

How can your memories serve you best at present? For my 81 year old grandma, her memories provide happiness and comfort. It's her connection to wonderful days gone by that were filled with joys and sadness too. Her memories give her wisdom that the family can appreciate and tap into to make our today's better than they otherwise might be.

A friend remembers a sister she lost too soon, cherishing the times they had together and living her life with greater purpose. The memories serve to keep her sister near regardless of the number of days that pass.

My 4 year old nephew doesn't concern himself with memories as much as the fun to be had today. Though I am certain his memories have taught him that birthdays and Christmas are super cool & that days with Nana = fun, candy and love, he's all about making a new and better memory today. O, I want to live life like that!

The best thing about memories is that they belong to each of us and we can use them in any way we choose. We can revisit the ones that give us peace, joy and happiness and we can forget the ones that aren't necessary for us to be the best we can be today. But the best news of all is that everyday we can make a new one....and really, how cool is that!?!

Find a Little Joy!

How are you approaching today? Ready and raring to go, or wishing you could crawl right back into bed? Isn't it funny how someday's just have their own energy that propels you through them and other days seem to just suck the life right out of you? How does that happen?

Yesterday my "to do" list was long. Filled with menial tasks like dishes & laundry, phone calls & meetings, shuttling kids and a doctors appointment. It was a day that I woke up wishing was over before it had even gotten started. Somebody smack me! That's NO way to go through life.

Sometimes we get so focused on our "to dos" that we drag through the day checking off our tasks, but missing the world around us, while there are many little joys we could find along the way. Maybe it's a song on the radio that we love or taking a time out to flip through a favorite magazine while in the waiting room. Maybe it's a Starbucks fix on your way to/from a practice with a child or quality time helping somebody with their homework (so long as it's not Algebra!). What little joys can be found along your way today?

I hope your day holds many little joys and that you will share one or two with me and the readers here at Excellence Through Action. Let's find some little joys in every day...and let's use that energy to propel us to wherever it is we need/want to go!