I heard this from a new friend of mine who was updating a presentation he makes from time to time.

Of course, I lit up when he said this because we have been juicing at home since the first of the year and if there is one thing we have learned… there is some juice that’s worth the squeeze… and some that’s not.

It’s a question that’s been with me since he said it.

Think about how many situations in life you could ask this question around.

Is the effort I’m about to put into this next thing going to be worth the outcome that it produces?

Is the amount of time I’m putting into this project worth the end result?

Am I working to hard for something that won’t really happen or won’t really matter in the end?

How can I focus my energy into things that really matter?

How can I work on something that’s going to have focused results? Meaningful results? Or heck… that’s going to produce income!

What kind of time can I give away now that will benefit me down the road with a paying project?

What can I give away of myself to help out others?

What are you working on right now that you could walk away from knowing it won’t produce much of anything for you?

What could you be working on right now that would be worth the squeeze?

Ok people… let’s get after it.

Go squeeze some good juice.

Related posts:

1. Are You Pursuing Your Worth With Great Diligence?

I was reading a magazine recently and there was a great article full of celebrities, sports figures and world leaders talking about the best advice they ever got.

It caused me to think about the best advice I’ve ever gotten as well.

My high school basketball coach, Bruce Davenport, gave our team advice that I’m still using today after all of these years.

He said, “Don’t’ let the play get in the way of the game.”

Yep. That’s it.

It says so much with so few words but can be applied in so many different areas of life.

Life, work, relationships… and games are all full of various rulebooks, play books and sets of standards to get us through almost any situation.

When you look at it from a game perspective, what our coach was trying to say to us was this.

We know these plays will help us score points and win a game, but there are going to be times when the play isn’t working at all. Don’t pass up the opportunity to take a shot when the moment is right or pass it to someone else who is open. It’s ok to divert from the play if it means you still have a shot in the game.

The game… winning the game is more important that following the play every time. You have to adjust when necessary.

Sometimes, sticking to the play will cost you the game.

Life is like this isn’t it? Work is like this isn’t it? Sometimes you have to do something out of the norm to get the job done. Sometimes you have to take a chance to achieve the end result. Sometimes the normal lines of communication and  authority aren’t going to work.

And sometimes it’s up to you to figure out when to divert from the play and go for what you know is right and do it.

What is the best advice you ever got?

Related posts:

1. The College Years: Advice For Future College Students Pt.2

I saw this video by Igniter Media during a presentation and thought you should see it. I relate to this video in so many ways, but mostly because I feel like I have spent so much of my life NOT doing what I should be doing and being afraid to take that first step. My life, as it is now, is a result of taking that One Small Step…. and then another… and then another.

It’s allowed me to run many steps along the way that I thought would not be possible. But that One Small Step changed my life. It gave me more clarity, more focus and allowed me to be the man I should be. The man I am now.

If I can do it, you can do it.

Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbMOnyeVE-4

?t=4s

Now go do something.

Take that One Small Step.

That’s what my Grandpa Al, Al H. Chesser, said just before we left his home. We had been out to eat with him for lunch and were standing in his home office. He was showing the kids all of his souvenirs from his days working in DC hanging with the likes of LBJ, JFK, Bobby and Ted Kennedy and his time as the President of the United Transportation Union. He had successful career acting on behalf of laborers and got some important bills passed into law as the National Director Of Legislative Affairs of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, which formed into UTU in 1969. Including lobbying congress to get Amtrak started because the passenger cars were being phased out from the freight railroads of the day.

You see, Al turns 98 in February. He married my grandmother in 2000. They were married until she passed away in 2008. She was 90. This is my dad’s mother I’m talking about.

When Al said “it was my best marriage I’ve ever had…”, we had been looking at a photo of my grandmother. She was a classy lady. As he started to talk about her, Krissy and I just about broke out into tears. I had seen how much he loved my grandmother… but to hear it from a man of his age… well that was just beautiful to hear.

A brief history… My grandmother’s first husband… My Grandy Jess, passed away when I was 17. He was the greatest grandfather ever. We spent all kinds of time with them growing up. Vacations, time at the lake… you name it. We did it.

Grandy Jess and my grandmother, Mema, as we called her, retired from the United Transportation Union. (He was the chairman of the board of trustees for the UTU) along with their friends Al and Al’s wife, Rose. They were the greatest of friends.

The all retired in the little town of Hot Springs, AR. As relationships would have it, when my grandfather passed away, Al and Rose would look in on Mema and take care of her… you know, like friends do for friends. They all traveled the world together and enjoyed life the best way they knew how.

Then came the time when Al’s wife passed away. It was a sad time for all as you could imagine. As relationships would have it, my Mema returned the favor and began to look in on Al and make sure he was doing ok.

Now, I don’t know when they started dating and all but I loved getting a call from Mema to tell me she was getting married! I was excited for her and Al.

I mean, why not? Two great friends deciding to spend the rest of their years together? Makes sense to me.

As I look back on it, still puzzled by what Al had said, I thought about this.

Al and Mema both love their former spouses more than I could even imagine. I could see it in my grand parents. Even up to my grandfather’s death. It was all love. But when you are remarried and in your 80’s and traveling your way into your 90’s. I’m sure the thought about marriage goes something like this.

We loved our spouses the best way we knew how. We raised the best kids the best way we knew how. We have the greatest grandkids and great grandkids. We were married to our best friends and now here we are… Best friends, married… reaping the benefits of all we built with our former spouses. Honoring them by loving our families well and living life… Fully alive… just like they would have done with us.

I love Al like he’s been my grandfather from day one. It’s because he loves our family as if he’s been there from day one.

My father told me Grandy Jess said this of Al… “He’s the only man I trust.”

Given the climate they both worked in… AFL-CIO board, DC Politics, Union Labor versus Teamsters… That’s saying a lot about Al.

If there is any take away from this for me it’s this.

We have but one life. Use it well. Love well and do the best you can with what you have and who you are with. Life is too short to be unhappy. We are given every opportunity to be happy and God gives us these gifts of friendships to build into lasting relationships that can help us live out our lives and finish well.

I’m pretty sure Mema, Grandy Jess and Rose are hanging out in heaven looking down on Al thinking… “We can’t wait till he joins us!” But then again, Al is still working out twice a week at 24 Hour Fitness… so it might be a while! Until then… I’m going to soak in every minute I have with him.

Question: What would it take for you to be able to say this about your marriage?

Today is Martin Luther King, JR Day, a national holiday in the United States honoring the sacrifice, achievement and influence of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his fight to stand up for equal treatment for all races and to end racism.

Simply put, this man was responsible for leading the way of the civil rights movement.

Now I know there are parts of our country, especially in the south, where racism still runs a little deep. But gone are the days of segregation in schools, restaurants and public establishments. I’m thankful for President LBJ for signing the Civil Rights Bill into law after JFK was assinated. This was a huge step!

I’m thankful for the influence MLK had while he was alive and I’m thankful we can live in a country where honoring him is the right thing to do.

However, I travel all over the world and racism is alive and well in many forms. It’s not a black and white thing.

It’s a Muslim – Hindu – Christian – Jewish thing. It’s a my tribe – your tribe thing. It’s a Black – Coloured – Asian – Hispantic thing. It’s a have’s – have not’s thing.

And it goes on and on. Simply put, if you could put the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s model into any situation, you would find that situation somewhere in the world… and the fight, the prejudice, would have been going on for generations and generations. Hundreds of years even.

To be honest with you, it’s mind numbing to think about when you see it happening first hand and it makes me angry when I hear about the genocide… that is still taking place in this world!!!

Rwanda happened. Darfur is still happening. Syria is crazy.

We are seeing this played out day after day in the news, on twitter and on facebook and yet for most of us, it slides on by as fast as our twitter stream scrolls through the golden globes.

But in every country around the world, there’s someone that has a dream for their people to be accepted by all people. It’s possible and dreams do come true.

So I ask you, when you think through what MLK day is really all about, what dream are you going to stand up for that fights for the equality of others in your life? That fights for the rights of those in your life that need a voice? What are you going to do when your heart lands on information that could help someone else around the world?

Sometimes, standing up for what is right is not popular. You might lose friends over it. You might even lose your life over it.

The kids and I have been talking about MLK and since their family is from India, we talk about the importance of men like Gandhi. How could such a peaceful non violent man have such an amazing impact on the world? He stood up for what he believed in. He dreamed over a better place for everyone. It’s not a far fetched idea.

What’s important for me is to be able to tell our kids, they have an opportunity everyday to stand up for what is right. To stand up for those who get bullied in school and to stand up, speak up for their friends who need a friend by their side.

We need more people in the world paving the way for someone else to succeed. We have them. I know we do.

I’m thankful for the leaders of the day, those who are paving the way for others. Guys like Wess Stafford and Bob Goff. Women like Aung San Suu Kyi and Christine Cane.

These people are just a few we can see in public, but there are hundreds… thousands of others fighting for what they stand for who we don’t ever hear about.

So today, stand for something. Add it to your life as a non negotiable.

Have an opinion.

Take a stand.

You never know, you might inspire someone else to do the same.

Wouldn’t that be cool?

What dream are you standing for today?

Related posts:

1. Where Does Your Inspiration To Dream Come From?

This week I get to spend some time with friends talking about living a better Story. Thanks Donald Miller.

There’s no doubt, we all are living our own story. Each day we wake up and make decisions that lead our story in certain directions about our faith, family, work, friends, and hobbies.

And everyday we are faced with a choice.

I wish we could look into the future to know how our lives will eventually end up, but what we can focus on for the future is leaving the kind of legacy our families, friends… and for some of you… fans will be proud of.

Leaving a legacy means living a better story today.

We all have the same 24 hours in a day, what choices are you going to make with your 24 hours?

You know those decisions you know you need to make? Today is just as good of a day to start as any.

In the words of Ken Davis… “I’m choosing to live my life fully alive.”

How are you living a better story to leave an even better legacy?

Related posts:

1. Living A Better Story
2. Living Among The Dead
3. Living Life With Arms High And Heart Abandoned

You would think the terms Resolution and Goals are the same, but they are not.

Check out these definitions from Dictionary.com

Resolution

1. a formal expression of opinion or intention made, usually after voting, by a formal organization, a legislature, a club, or other group. Compare concurrent resolution, joint resolution.

2. a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something.

Goals

1. the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end.

The word resolution always feels passive to me. As if it’s an easy commitment to back out of. To make a firm resolution to do something?  It just doesn’t have quite the staying power of The result or achievement toward which effort is directed.

You see, for the past several years, I’ve stopped making new years resolutions and opted for setting a few goals that have an end result to them. Be it a specific date or a specific end in sight. Something tangible that’s clear to see.

The best example of this was when I did my first half marathon. I set a goal in the new year. Signed up for the race, trained and ran the race. By april of that year I had run my first half marathon.

For the physical side of my life, I now sign up for races as my goal for that year. This year I’m looking at 4 triathlon races and a couple of half marathons. The great thing is a can use each race as a checkpoint along the way to make sure I’m hitting the goals I’ve set for each race.

Life seems to have more order for me when I set goals. When I set resolutions? It makes no sense. I mean, when else in the year do you really use the word resolution? It’s not even a word we stick to through out the year!

Are you setting goals or resultions? What goals have you set for yourself in 2012?

Related posts:

1. Reboot Into 2012

Last week, after talking to Michael and Gail Hyatt, Krissy and I decided to watch a great documentary called Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. It’s about a guy who saw his life slipping away because of his bad eating habits and lifestyle. He then decides to take charge and document his turn around. The catch here is he juiced for 60 days. That right. Juiced.

I’ve heard of people juicing but honestly. I never really knew what they were talking about. Drinking your fruits and veggies? Really?

After watching the documentary, Krissy and I were in. The next day we bought a juicer, hit the grocery store and were all ready to go for day 1… December 30.

The first day of juicing was trial and error for sure. Even though there are some great recipes for juicing, getting the right combo wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be, but we quickly found out what we like and what we don’t like.

The first two days we had some light headaches. This comes from your body detoxing, but on the third day I felt great.

However… Sunday night we went to a family gathering and gave ourselves the room to cheat a bit since we knew there was going to be a lot of food around.

I’m not sure what I ate exactly but around 4am Monday morning, it all came out of me and landed me in bed the entire day. I’m feeling pretty good now but Monday was rough one.

All of this got me thinking though. Living a healthy and active lifestyle is a choice and the choices we make affect every area of our lives.

The choices we make when it comes to our physical lives affect everyone around us. The more energy you have and the better shape you are in, the more you can enjoy life with you family right?

I seem to hear these stories more and more. “I want to be healthy so that I can enjoy life with my kids… so I can enjoy life with my spouse… or be able to go enjoy the parts of like that are important to me.”

What are you doing to create a lifestyle of good choices?

Related posts:

1. Set Goals For 2012… Not Resolutions

After almost 11 years traveling overseas with Compassion International. I’m not sure how to put yesterday into words. I’ve seen a lot of rough places in my life. Walked the streets surrounded by the meanest and deadliest gangs in the world and protected by them because their kids are educated and cared for by Compassion.

I’ve been in the largest slum in Africa, Kibera. One million people living in a 3 mile by 6 mile plot of land… and walked on the human waste that fills its streets and covers its area in the most god-awful smell.

But nothing prepared me to see people living in a cemetery. Literally. Their houses are built of whatever wood, cardboard, or alumni they can find. If they need to use the side of a tomb for a wall… they do.

In my head, I know the bones they sleep on, walk on, hang out on… play on are just that now… bones. No souls.

But I’ve always had a deep respect, as must do, for where the dead are buried and the meaning their lives once had in the lives of their friends and families.

But to live a life where your only place you can now live is a grave site… It just doesn’t make sense.

None of the poverty I’ve experienced in my travels ever truly makes sense, but I’m used to the order in which people live in poverty,there’s a loose code within these communities but still….

I think for even those living in extreme poverty, a cemetery would be a deal breaker.

I’m writing this in a very stream of consciousness kind of way. I’m processing at the same time I’m writing.

My thoughts, the way I feel, the reason behind what I’ve seen isn’t quite formed except to say… I don’t get it.

If you have seen what I have seen then you could probably relate. If you haven’t… well… just know… It makes no sense.

That’s all.

Related posts:

1. Living A Better Story
2. Living A Better Story To Leave A Better Legacy
3. Living Life With Arms High And Heart Abandoned

When the kids are here at the house, things get pretty fun. There’s always laughter, a good story to tell and food. Yep food. Someone in this family is always cooking something and it’s usually not me.

Alex is 12. In so many ways he is 100% 12 year old boy trying to figure out his way through middle school. You know what I mean…

Me: How’s school?

Him: Fine.

Me: Have a good day?

Him: Yep.

It’s amazing how much you can learn with one word right? Right… I remember when I was that age.

So then there’s this side of him that completely cracks me up.

When he gets bored, he does something productive!!

Yep…

You can read that again. He gets bored=He gets productive.

Really? Who does that!

Let’s start with vacuuming.

We bought a dyson which he thinks is the coolest thing ever. In fact, it’s so cool that when he and I went to Sears he saw a whole line of dysons next to the one we bought and got a little geeked out. He said, “You know how some people collect cars and just let most of them sit and use them every once in while even though they have a favorite? I would do that with all of these dysons…I especially love the handle wireless one.”

Really? I love this kid.

So then yesterday, I come home and the whole house has been vacuumed. He said he got bored so he decided to vacuum the house!!

Really?? I love this kid.

Yesterday morning he woke up and made pancakes. Why? He was bored.

Then he unloaded the dishwasher and washed more dishes. Why? He was bored.

This morning he got up and immediately took a shower. Why? He was bored.

Last week, we were out looking for a table for the house. Alex calls and says, “would you bring home some brown sugar? I got bored so I’m making some rice cakes from Biju uncle’s Feed Zone Cookbook.”

Really? I LOVE THIS KID!

So, I don’t ever want Alex to get bored, but I’m kind of thinking it works toward our advantage.

Boredom creates productivity for this kiddo and it’s keeping our house clean, him clean and food on the table!

WHO KNEW!!!!

Do you experience this with your kids? Because I’m pretty sure that when I got bored at home I either played my drums or super mario brothers.