TommyLog – Your Personal Best Thanks to #Thrively

Ok kids, today I want to continue my discussion on the power of the website Thrively.com and what it has done to my relationship with my son Tommy.

Last time I focused on our adventure to the archery range and finding that inner proficiency for that sport. Since that time, a good friend saw my video and gave Tommy a compound bow to use at the range. The power of social media at work and Tommy’s new found passion for archery continues!

2014-05-03 12.49.12Tommy has a love of running. Tommy has always loved to run, but not necessarily the competitiveness of the sport. A few weeks ago I had the chance to see a home track meet at Little Chute High School. Their track team has an “A” and “B” team with the better runners on the “A” team. For that meet, one of the “A” team runners in the 1600 got injured and Tommy got the call to move to the “A” team. Tommy knew that he was out of his league being moved up. Before the race, Tommy told me that his goal for the event was not to get lapped. 4 trips around the track is a long race but Tommy had a goal.

The races started and it was clear very early that Tommy’s opponents were much faster than he and he quickly dropped to last in the field of 12 boys. The crowd cheered and cheered as Tommy ran his laps. Always in last place. I didn’t know how to react. “What was going on in his mind,” I thought to myself? The crowd would cheer him on as he crossed in front of the bleachers. “You can do it Tommy”, “Keep Going,” we all yelled and cheered him on. Tommy ran with never ending determination, never stopping or slowing, keeping his own pace.

One by one the boys started crossing the finish line with Tommy dead last on the track. Tommy kept focused and kept kicking. What seemed like an eternity to a parent, actually maybe 20 or 30 seconds behind the pack, Tommy crossed the finish line. Never lapped, Tommy beat his goal. The crowed cheered him on as good sportsmanship does. I was really worried about Tommy and how he would feel finishing last.

He walked around the grass for a moment, catching his breath after his mile run and then walked over to his coach with the stopwatch. I can see his rosy cheeks turn to me with a smile and say, “Dad I got my personal best!” WOW OH WOW! What a poignant moment for me. It wasn’t about the fact he finished last, or the event itself. To Tommy, it was all about getting his personal best!

Seeing Tommy get his personal best and bringing a father and son together…thanks to our friends at Thrively– was nothing short of amazing!

Thank you Thrively for helping me reconnect to my son in a way I never imagined!

If you want the chance to use this amazing resource and help unlock hidden potential in your son/daughter/niece or nephew –and watch them soar like Tommy, please checkout www.thrively.com and sign up for yourself.

NOTE: This post was written through a partnership with Thrively. The joy in my voice and opinions are all my own!

For the Love of Animals

For the last 2 days, the “gym movie” has been the same at my local gym. War Horse was the movie and though I was listening to my tunes on my iPhone, I still got a good deal out of the movie… or the part that I watched.

War Horse was set in WWI with the battle between the British and the Germans. One moment that hit home was the scene where the horse became tangled in barbed wire. There was a British soldier that put a white flag on his bayonet and went to the rescue of the horse. When he reached the horse, he realized he didn’t have any wire cutters with him and the horse was pretty tangled. A German solder then came out of his foxhole and offered his wire cutters.
I thought it was so remarkable that 2 people, fighting against each other with such verbosity could come together when an animal was in trouble. This led me to think about some friends I have today and their hard work in the name of animals and how much tireless energy they put in for animal “no kill” shelters. I find it so interesting how much energy gets put into keeping puppies and kittens from being sacrificed but yet when it comes to human a baby that does not seem to be the case. What would these people who love animals so dearly think if they knew that baby kittens or puppies were being.  The news is littered with human examples of indifference… if this were a cute and cuddly animal… who would be outraged then?

Look for the Helpers

Over the past 2 days, our minds and hearts have been spilling over for the people hurt by the tragic bombing in Boston. You look for answers but they are few and far between. How do you explain this?

I love the quote by Mr Feed Rogers that has been circling the interwebs…

When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” To this day, especially in times of “disaster,” I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers — so many caring people in this world. – Freed Rogers

This is just so true… TRUE TRUE TRUE!!

its all how you look at things. Sure its easy to be mad and upset…even angry, but what does that get you. Zero.

This take look at the bright side to a whole new level… LOVE THIS!

I miss Mr. Rogers and the good he did!

TommyLog – There is No Suicide Solution!

This last week, suicide has been in the news and has also hit a bit too close to home. The son off a good friend had a suicide scare. As i’m talking to him, borderline tears, I realize I got nothing. I’m no help what-so-ever. I have never dealt with this issue before and I certainly hope I never have to. Just so tragic all around!