Legendary Blog

On January 8, 2012, Novartis kicked off the new year with more than just good intentions.  Donating $9,500 and 120 One World Futbols to Indian Summer Camp, a place for children who are going through or recovering from cancer, this company took intentional actions to make a difference in the lives of others.

Taking team building to a new level, these 850 participants were challenged with some unique tasks.  Split into 60 teams these individuals were challenged to take something of little or no value to us and turn it into something remarkable.

Each team was given a bag of trash and two goals.  Create a product that will change the world and build a soccer ball that kids will enjoy.  Items that you or I might see as worthless were the pinnacle building blocks to these creations.

Clothe and water bottles manifested into an H20 filtration systems and rubber tubing and plastic bags morphed into durable soccer balls.  It is truly amazing what is possible when you shift your perspective.

Building a dream in the most literal sense, the creative gurus of A to Z Media came together to build three bicycles for three very special guests.

On a day that painted the pictures of a traditional team building experience, these individuals built much more than that.  With the foundation of their core beliefs and a destination of taking intentional actions, A to Z Media journeyed to discover and rediscover a company of legendary individuals.  

Look around and you will witness a massive shift in consciousness and lifestyle.  We are currently at a global transformation in socially conscious ideas and actions.

From industrialization to interlinking technology we are are perhaps the most important shift yet.  One that shapes a community of individuals, teams, and organizations into mediums of positive and social change.

From this point, building teams, and individuals for that matter, is no longer blindfolds and trust falls but an emotional connection to something much larger - impacting the lives of others.

We are never truly aware of the ripple effects of our actions. Whether it is walking down the street or meeting a prospective client for a 10 o clock meeting, we only see a sliver of the impact we create.

What is a dream? The word gets tossed around in our day to day lives eluding to hopes and desires.  By its very definition, a dream is unreal, intangible, and breeches the realm of possibility.  It is a world of our creation, and yet on December 9, 2011, 620 participants of DeVry Inc. took a dream and turned it into a reality.

Lead by James Carter, Founder of Be Legendary, this group of extraordinary individuals uncovered the very essence of their legendary lives.  What we do and how we do it are motivated by the underlining belief of why.

Everything we do can be traced back to this basic question. And so on this not so ordinary Friday morning, each individual was challenged to think of and talk about the question of why.

With a seemingly ambiguous three word question, participants asked one another, “Who are you?” The answers were profound as people not only discovered the values of others, but also values of themselves.

“Imagine a golf green surrounded by water,” said James Carter.  “What are our initial thoughts?”

Voices from the crowded shouted, “Don’t hit the ball in the water!”

“Exactly!”, smiled James. “But what is it we really want?”

Alas, that fateful day has come and gone. A marathon under my belt and four giant ice packs on my legs.

So I’ll preface this by saying, this is not a story where everything clicked into place, the stars aligned, and I effortless cast myself upon the finish line. This is more like a modern day Disney film. There’s a happy ending, but certainly some heartache along the way.

I woke up Sunday morning with a range of emotions spinning inside my head. I picked out my outfit the night before. Sitting on the hotel room desk was my black and white running shorts and a cotton Livestrong t-shirt that sat comfortably across my shoulders and was just soft enough to prolong any nipple irritation.

Along with my predetermined apparel, I practiced choosing my attitude as easily as I did my outfit. A positive mentality seemed to be one of the paramount tips to running a marathon. Seems easy enough reading it in a 300 word article, but walking at 5:30 in the morning amongst thousands of other runners to stand behind a long, narrow, white line makes it a little bit harder to maintain this focus.

Just coming off a site visit in the Appalachian region, James Carter, Melissa Kahn, and myself have taken on a greater understanding of the definition of wealth.

While some may look at tiny communities filled in by makeshift homes, unmaintained roads, and an insubstantial access to healthcare as poor, we began to see that wealth can take more forms than silver and gold.

While communities in the Appalachian region, stretching across 13 states, struggle fulfilling very real and fundamental needs, there is a remarkable sense of resilience and camaraderie among these individuals.

The wealth of unity, compassion, and resourcefulness, are all incredibly prevalent through these mountainous communities and regions.

We define wealth as an abundance of valuable possession or money.  But this leaves out the very real, yet intangible, wealth of happiness.

Our site visit was designed around the intent of understanding the context of the Appalachian region and identifying the most dire and significant issues and problems these individuals face.

Last week on a rainy Tuesday morning, 35 Novo Nordisk employees were gathering for a 2-hour team building event.  Ah, team building.  It can be like nails on a chalkboard.  Some people look at it as a break from their daily routine, while others look at it as a complete waste of time.  Together you get a group of people showing up with a filter of predispositions and a word that has ignited them all!

Little did they know, what they were actually going to be doing that day was much more experiential. From the very beginning of this 2 hour escapade there was an immediate nose dive from the expected as participants were challenged to become aware of the small opportunities that surround them on a daily basis.

This limbo had only started as they played a little game we like to call "Who are you?" Participants were challenged to communicate in terms that bypass surface levels of communication and unveil the very core beliefs of who we are.  Not only was this a great discovery of the people that surround them on a day to day basis, but this was also a rediscovery of one's self.

Mission: Build 20 Jamis Bicycles

Team: Bain Capital

Location: Lenox, Massachusetts

Outcome: Change the lives of 20 extraordinary children

Changing Mission Impossible to Mission Unstoppable, we have launched yet another successful bike build in beautiful Lenox, Massachusetts.  Teaming up with an extraordinary team of individuals at Edgework Consulting, we set up tables where 20 large, rectangular cardboard boxes covered by table clothes sat.

Bain Capital was launching their first day of a company retreat.  What the participants did not know was that unlike the mesh of memories from previous retreats and conferences, they would soon form some very distinct and meaningful memories from this otherwise ordinary Monday morning.

So I was sitting on the porch the other day flipping through applications on my itouch, when I came across it.  Doodle Jump.  For those of you who don’t know what Doodle Jump is, it’s an insanely addictive game where you move a little Doodler as he jumps from platform to platform, evading obstacles and monsters, to try and climb to a new highest score.

The game always ends with you reaching the inevitable frustration of watching your little Doodler plunge to his doom as you let out a, “Noooooo”...and then play again.

The thing is, I haven’t played this game in months.  At one time something that was so addictive and exciting has lost its allure.

I sat there wondering why my mind wasn’t interested in jumping through Doodle Land anymore.  I knew the appeal was gone as I sat there playing a game, just waiting for it to be over. (Well, actually I have to admit I still break this out from time to time.) But it was no where near as exciting as it once was.

And it dawned on me that the game just got to be monotonous.  What were once exciting challenges turned into redundant expectations.  The flow of the game had been lost because there were no new difficulties.

What I learned from Doodle Jump is that life without challenge becomes boring.  Entertaining new challenges and ideas would mean your considering doing something you did not think possible. Otherwise we get caught up in the rut of reaffirming what we already know we can do instead of trying out new ways of being.

Tennis pro Andrea Jaeger's Little Star Foundation has reached thousands of children stricken by disease, neglect, poverty, natural disaster, abuse and hunger.

After retiring from professional tennis she started the foundation, but Jaeger's mission in making a difference is deep rooted dating back before her tennis years.  She took her first courageous act at age fifteen.  Andrea went to visit a children's hospital with a big bag of toys.  Upon her visit she was amazed that these children, who were going through chemo treatments, were still laughing and happy to have another day.

"Here, I thought I was Santa Clause, but they were the ones that truly knew what life was about," says Jaerger.

Never forgetting the impact that day had on her, Jaeger would continue to make the effort to reach out to these children.  She did not succumb to the busy lifestyle of competing around the world as reason not to make time for these children.

Jaeger's resilience has been inspirational, as she continues to transform obstacles into opportunity.  Now with the economic downturn the Little Star Foundation is hitting difficult times.

We must constantly reevaluate what we do and not let habits and past wisdom blind us to new possibilities.

Apple just launched their newest operating system, OS X Lion, last week.  Like any new idea, people are excited about the change, but weary of its unfamiliarity.  Just like people who are fretful about the idea of switching from PC to Mac, the unknown holds an unsettling feeling for the potential of both positive and negative consequences.

But to ignore a source of innovation because of the possibility of misuse would be senseless.  In Mihaly Csikszentmihaly book on the psychology of optimal experiences, Flow, he writes, “If mankind had tried to ban fire because it could be used to burn things down, we would not have grown to be very different from the great apes.”

Embracing the unknown has been civilizations igniting force continually pushing it forward.  On a smaller scale, the very same ideology can be broken down on an individual level.  What is common and routine now, was at one time unfamiliar and unknown.

Using what was once a part of our tactics to crawl, lead us to stand on our two miniature legs for the very first time.  Entering a building full of classrooms, friends, and considerably taller, unfamiliar adults was our first experience of structured learning.

What is the purpose of music?  It's existence parallels our own and countless amounts of people have made its intricate beauty their personal passion.  The purpose of creating meaningful rhythms through auditory vibrations aimed to be heard by the masses of people who crave its existence is a calling many find value in.  And yet more simply put the creation of music is an enhancement to our lives.

For Coldplay enhancing others lives does not stop at musical innovation and production.  No, their drive for difference echoes louder than just concerts.  They dedicate themselves to the world's agriculture and fair trade practices.

Chris Martin believes in and is a part of Make Fair Trade, a campaign that strives to eliminate unfair wages and promote labor rights.

How do you know which actions are worthwhile and which are not?  Anyone who has an appetite for the taste of success thrives to take meaningful steps towards it, but what do those steps look like?

The most pivotal and overlooked component for success is its starting point.  Teddy Gross, founder of Penny Harvest, has helped raise over $7 million by collecting the tiniest denomination of currency in the US fiscal system.

But where did Teddy begin?  It started with one single penny.  Something so common and tiny most of us don’t even bother to pick one up as we pass it in the street.  And yet the collection of pennies has culminated into something truly extraordinary as millions of dollars have been raised for people in need.

None of this would have not been possible without that starting point, without that initial penny. And so one component to what makes actions so valuable is to not underestimate the value of our actions. What at first may seem as trivial and inessential could very well be the building blocks to an extraordinary breakthrough.

What if we lived in a world where the unthinkable could in fact become possible, even likely.  Where outlandish thoughts that would have previously been disregarded, come to life.  Where wishes can come true.

Our beliefs create reality.  Make-A-Wish Foundation believes in seeing wishes come true.  And wishes by their very nature are formed off the largest hopes and tiniest odds.

So when Joe, a seven year old diagnosed with a brain stem tumor, wished he could be prime minister for the day, Make-A-Wish Foundation did just that.

Joining efforts with British Prime Minister David Cameron, they were able to create a very special day for a very special child.

Nestling himself into the Prime Minister's chair, Joe was ready to get to work.  He spent the morning discussing and drafting some crucial policies with Mr. Cameron.

Last Thursday Jack Johnson received the "Arts Ambassador for the Environment Award" at the first ever National Geographic Evening of Exploration gala.

Johnson grew up on the North Shore of Oahu surfing and playing guitar.  Protecting the environment has been a keen belief of his growing up, so when success hit Johnson directed the spotlight in this direction.

Johnson has integrated the support of environmental education into his daily life.  He has founded the Kokua Hawaii Foundation and the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation, both of which seek to bring awareness and application to environmental issues.

But his actions reach further than starting up foundations and supporting charities.  Johnson has set the building blocks to creating a greener tour life.  Currently on his "To The Sea" tour, he encourages concert goers to fill up reusable water bottles from free water stations at every venue

If you could choose one voice to narrate the rest of your life, Morgan Freeman's would probably surface to the top of your list.  With his countless cinematic appearances and an on stage presence you just can't get enough of, Freeman has just taken it a step further upping the stakes for philanthropic contributions.

Partnering with PLAN!T NOW, a non-profit organization founded by Freeman in 2004 to educate and empower people about natural disasters in coastal regions, he is launching a website Bahamas Hurricane Prep, a website whose mission is to prepare the island nation for hurricane season.

"We are approaching some of the most severe and deadly weather months across the country and have already witnessed the devastating impact hurricanes, flooding and other natural disasters can have on our families, our communities, homes and businesses," Freeman concluded.

Not waiting for disaster to strike, this organization is taking a proactive strategy to prepare and educate islanders on the impact of hurricanes, lists of emergency shelters, and links with immediate information about impending storms.

Our environment has control over our automatic thoughts.  How we act and behave can be directly related to the environmental context we interact with on a daily basis.

For example, a New York cab driver is out making his usual fairs.  Notoriously known for his can do attitude for getting people to their destination in the quickest possible time, he has a habit of...speeding.

So when that traffic light clicks from green to yellow, you will see no signs of hesitation as he steps down gas to beat the inevitable downward flash to red.

In Ohio, a daily commuter is driving through town on her way to pick up groceries.  Driving down a long, winding road she sees the light turn yellow.  Without thinking, she squeezes the break, slowing the car down as it stops at the cusp of the intersection.

Now, on a long awaited trip to New York, our Ohioan drives through the city streets admiring the massive building and observing the everlasting pulse the city seamlessly emits.

Approaching an intersection she sees a yellow light and begins to push her foot down on the break. Behind her is our fast-paced cab driver on his way to drop off his current fair.  Seeing the yellow light he speeds up and...crash!

The Hollywood Pledge enables celebrities to bring awareness to philanthropic causes.  The idea being that fans of these big name stars will become aware and follow the example of volunteering or donating to philanthropies and charities.

Social capital can be much more precious than plain old cash.  Justin Bieber's ability to tweet something to 120 million people could prove more effective than a $100,000 donation in some ways.

The Hollywood Pledge website features pictures of celebrities who have singed on along with names of their favorite non-profits.

So far almost 50 celebrities have signed up on this recent philanthropic launch.

What is so extraordinary about this effort is that it opens the doors to long term, consistent action.  As oppose to a one time large donation, celebrities are pointing the spotlight at the charities closest to their hearts.

The media's spotlight is always shifting and so our awareness shifts with it.  What we tend to forget is that even though the mass focus is no longer centered on a specific issue, does not mean it is no longer a problem.

It has been 15 months since the earthquake in Haiti.  Time has cast the illusion that normal has been restored, when realism shows that there is still much to be done.

Haitians are still struggling for basic human essentials - food, water, shelter, and electricity.  There is still a lot of need, still a lot of attention necessary for change.

Linkin Park's Dave Farrell took a trip to Haiti to witness firsthand the rehabilitation of country who just over a year ago lay victim to Mother Natures sheer dominance.

Farrell hopes his trip will bring awareness back to a forgotten disaster.  He encourages fans to Download to Donate.  The proceeds from each purchase support recovery efforts in this resilient country.

How far do our actions really reach?  Is there a way to measure the cusp of our impact? Or do they ignite an endless ripple effect building off the tiniest droplet of change?

Knowing the effects of our actions is quite impossible, but understanding the worth in taking them could not be more clear.  That variable of greatness will always be present, even when it comes to the tiniest or seemingly insignificant gestures or tasks.

Unmasking our legendary potentials breaks through to the most extraordinary outcomes.  In working with a Fortune 500 company, we were able to bring bicycles to 45 underprivileged children in Lisbon, Portugal this past month.

Each team worked together to build these bicycles for very special children, who until now, never had the opportunity to own one.

Singer Keith Duffy cycled 320km through the alps in Europe to help raise money for Irish Autism Action, a charity that helps in raising the quality of life of individuals and their families affected by autism.

This cause sits close to heart of Boyzone's lead singer, as his daughter has been diagnosed with Autism.

Duffy's actions speak louder then any amount of words.  "My knees are sore, but are holding up so far, but all the pain will be worth it," he said.

This is not the first stroke of action Duffy has taken.  He completed the London Marathon this past April to help raise awareness for autism.  With his first hand experience, he knows what a difference the right support can make - and make a difference he intends.

Nick Cannon knows what it is like to not know where your next meal is coming from.   He knows this because he grew up in poverty.  Pouring sugar packets in between two slices of bread was one of the ways he got from meal to meal.

"I remember being so excited when the holidays came around, and we'd get to go to the local food bank to get our holiday turkey," says Cannon.

Now in a position to give back, Cannon is grateful.  Teaming up with Feeding America, the National Association of Letter Carriers, and Campbell Soup Company, he encourages everyone to donate non-perishable foods.

With action spreading and impact becoming contagious Campbell Soup has pledged to donate one pound of food (up to one million pounds) for every person who joins the Stamp Out Hunger Cause on Facebook.

Everyone knows the importance of feeding the hungry, but you never really are grateful for being full until you've gone a couple days being hungry.  This is what makes Cannon's beliefs so powerful.  He has been exposed to multiple realities.

Consider this.  Two people watch a speech.  Both hear the exact same words, and yet both come drastically different conclusions.

How does this happen?

Well let’s say this were a speech about politics, and one person was a democrat while the other a republican.  Each person would see facts reaffirming their preexisting views.

The brain and the eye may have a contractual relationship in which the brain has agreed to believe what the eye sees, but in return the eye has agreed to look for what the brain wants.

Awareness is more of a choice rather than a general knowledge.

It’s like a word search and we are looking for the 10 words listed on the side of the puzzle.  Even if there are other words filled in, we tend to only see the ones we look for.  We use tactics that hone in on the first letter of our targets or chunk a couple of the letters together as our eyes scan the page.

How many times have we uttered the phrase, “That was a waste of time.”   As good as our intentions may be, the outcome clearly did not pan out the way we wished it to.

Hours upon hours of time invested into something, and the result goes unnoticed.  Perhaps it’s trying to figure out how to use a new piece of seemingly cryptic technology. Maybe it’s an attempt at learning a new language.  It could be time spent exercising, consoling others, studying, reading, helping, conversing, or just showing some support, and yet nobody really seems to notice.

We tend to measure our investments based off the worth other people see in them.  But any experience you engage in runs deeper than the perception others create.

Walt Disney World is a wonderful example of this.  Described as a magical place, Disney has an atmosphere of sheer wonder and awe.  How did Disney come to be what it is?  Investments.  Many of which go unknown, but no doubt play a pivotal roll into creating this living fantasy.

A star studded cast is lined up for this trailer, but it is not for some action packed adventure film or glossy, romantic comedy.  It is for a belief in zero.

22,000 children die each day due to unclean water supplies, hostile living conditions, and malnourishment. "They do not have to die, but they do," says singer and performer Joel Madden.

Food, medicine, and clean water.  Each of these are so common in our life, we think nothing of it.  Routine and typical to us, is life or death for children of third world countries.  If these resources are so abundant that we think little of letting the faucet run an extra 2 minutes or throw away a meal that was too big to finish, then why are these children dying due to lack of access to it?

Is it that no one knows? "They're pain is unseen by the rest of the world," says actor Liam Neeson.  How are we to create a solution, when we are not even aware there is a problem?

It is the spreading of this awareness and the belief in zero that makes this movement legendary.  "22,000 children die each day, and I believe that number can be zero," says actress Tea Leoni.

Julius Caesar and other generals would burn all their boats upon landing ashore when they invaded a foreign country.  It was a dramatic demonstration to their troops that since retreat was impossible, they must either conquer the country or die; there were no alternatives, there were no excuses.

This example, although extreme, is a powerful mindset.  Burning your boats is essentially removing all excuses.  If soldiers found themselves outgunned and outmanned they would have to come up with a strategy different then strength in numbers.  When the option of retreat is off the table, ingenuity and innovation become the new battle tactics.

When we commit to an idea, we must burn our boats.  Eliminate excuses.  The ideas are as endless as your potentials.  We shouldn’t spend time contemplating reasons why we cannot do something.  Instead we should create a list entitled: Why it needs doing.  At the top of the list sits three simple words, “because you can.”

When we worry we think of 100 reasons why something might go wrong.  We are so busy worrying, that we skip over contemplating the positive aspects of what’s to come.

To worry is to allow one’s mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles.  It is a keen focus on the adverse, instead of an open acceptance of the unknown.  It evokes emotions that match it’s destructive desires and suppresses our more constructive thoughts.

In his influential psychology book Emotional Intelligence Daniel Goleman writes, “The mental resources expended on one cognitive task, the worrying, simply detracts from the resources available for processing other information.”

It shifts our attention from figuring out answers to being preoccupied with worries.  These worries then become self-fulfilling prophesies, revealing the very reality they predict.

Worrying also removes us from the current moment.  A night with friends, family, or just some of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey ice cream, turns into flagrant anxiety and overwhelming stress.  This chaotic tag-team certainly has a knack for taking the funky out of Chunky Monkey.

Knowing that I need not go on talking about the destructive tendencies that surface when we worry, the question that still remains to be answered is, “What can we do?”

Will Ferrell follows a cause close to his heart, raising money for Cancer for College.  A $25 donation could win you an autographed copy of Anchorman on DVD and a $21 donation gets you three bottles of sunscreen, each with a photo of Ferrel on it.

"Is there a better way to tell that special someone you'd like to take your relationship to the next level? The answer is NO, there is not," Ferrell factually reports.

Craig Pollard was Ferrel's good college friend and two-time cancer survivor.

"He is hands down the strongest person I know," explains Ferrell. "He didn't let cancer run his life and continued to live a normal life and even excelled in school.  He survived cancer twice before attending college."

Completely inspired by Craig, Ferrell does the only thing he knows how to - make people laugh.  His sunscreen lotions come in a variety of fragrances with an assortment of "sexy" pictures of Ferrell on the front.

With families bank accounts being drained in the effort to keep their children alive, Cancer for College raises money to help these survivors be able to afford the opportunity to attend college.

It has been nearly a year since the chaos and catastrophe of the BP oil spill.  Still remnants of oil are surfacing on shorelines and an entire eco system faces sizable risk.

Besides Kevin Costner's reoccurring roles in ecologically minded movies, he has taken a more direct step in safeguarding the environment from catastrophe.

Partnering with Ocean Therapy Solutions, Costner has developed giant drum-shaped machines that act as giant vacuum cleaners, separating the water from the oil.

Costner wants to ensure that a crisis like this does not come up again.  Even after the spotlight of the media has shifted off BP, Costner keeps the pressure on these corporate giants and their accountability.

These giant vacuums can suck 200,000 gallons of oil and water a day.  A significant difference compared to the workers that used hand held suction devices collecting oil one, tiny patch at a time a year ago. It's like trying to bail out water from an ocean liner with a thimble.  Costner's apparatus is designed to separate oil from huge volumes of water, creating a sizable difference, and saving an ecosystem that is already at risk.

Impossible is a strange word.  For some it prevents action.  For others it fuels it.  And yet, still others don’t even know what it means for something to be impossible.

It is like a timeframe, and impossibility lies somewhere in between yesterday’s answers and tomorrow’s uncertainty.

For some reason, certainty is a system we like to operate in.  What is known can be relied upon, where what is unknown is risky, uncertain, and therefore not possible.

But if we only work in the known, then we are going to keep getting the same answers and results.  It is when you entertain uncertainty, that the results begin to transform into something new.

Kyle Weiss was 13 years old when he attended 2006 World Cup in Germany.  He witnessed how the game of soccer is a cultural cornerstone, and learned that most of the youth in Africa lack access to basic supplies. Most of the time, balls were constructed with materials you or I would treat as trash.

Wanting to help, he and his brother Garett gathered soccer balls, cleats, and other equipment to send over to third-world countries in Africa.

The other day I was challenged to a perspective: look at every single occurrence as something positive. Nothing can happen to you that is not positive.

As audacious as this sounded, it rang true to the Be Legendary theme, and I began to warm up to this being a possibility.

Still, doubts rolled back and forth, as this idea sifted its way through my mind.  Bad stuff happens.  This world can get ugly.  People have unfortunate fates.  How can any of this be positive?

In order to truly understand this rash perspective, I needed to toss the idea of good and bad temporarily out the metaphoric window.

Love your fate, no matter what it is.  Whatever strange, crazy, terrifying things happen look at it as an opportunity, a challenge.  What is occurring right now is what you need.  Any disaster you survive is an improvement in your character, your stature, and your life.

Everyone has a different measuring stick for life and believes in different reasons for our purpose or existence.  But a common platitude among all beliefs is the idea of fulfillment.  These trials of life are the privileges that allow your own spontaneity of nature to flow.

We interact with life through a set of contexts, a scale of possibilities.  The bar gets set and everything under it becomes achievable.

We become familiar with the scales of our lives telling us what we can or cannot do.  Everything within it, achievable.  Everything beyond it, unknown.

If a 3 mile run is part of a person’s daily workout, they generally accomplish it with little doubt.  They have a resume of successes from all their past runs.  It acts as evidence for their ability - known, definite, and achievable.

Now say this person is asked to go on a 10 mile run.  “Woah, hold on a sec now. That’s far.”

It is far if you’ve been used to 3 mile runs, but if you’re a person training for a marathon, 10 miles is a breeze.

It’s all about the context of the situation and the scales you have built in your life. They tell you what you can do just as much as they tell you what you cannot.

Sometime during my junior year of college, one of my psychology professors began the class with a pop quiz.  It was only five questions, none of which were relatively hard until I got to the last one.  It read: “What is the name of the secretary in the psychology department?”

My first reaction was this was some psychology study or quirky joke.  I mean, I could picture the secretary.  I could even hear her voice in my head.  She was tall, had short dirty blonde hair and was in her 50’s.  But I had no idea what her name was.

I finally gave up and left the last question blank.

When everyone had finished, one eager student sitting in the middle row immediately rose his hand asking if that quiz was going to count towards our grade.

Holding the papers in his hand, tapping them firmly on the desk so all the pages would be in unison, the professor smiled and said, “absolutely”.

“Every person you meet is significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say hello.”

Although the war in Eastern Congo ended in 2003, conditions remain far from adequate.  During terrible times, efforts are focused to giving aid and relief.  But perhaps one of the most dangerous times is when the focus dissipates and the needs remain dire.

Without the Congo's status being labeled with the looming proposition of war, awareness has shifted, while its inhabitants remain subjected to terrible brutalization.

In an effort to bring aid to a country who currently in not receiving any, Ben Affleck testified on behalf of Eastern Congo before the House of Foreign Affairs Subcommittee.

Affleck pleaded, "Woman and girls particularly have been so terribly brutalized there.  They're vulnerable and they don't have a government or stable military to protect them. "

Affleck will not sit back and let a country's citizens be torn apart.  After all, what chance do we have in a world where good people do nothing.

It was a hazy Tuesday afternoon and I was driving home from the store.  Buildings passed on either side, cars turned into distant colored blurs, and I had failed to notice the radio had been in commercials for the past three minutes.  I was completely spaced out.

As I sat at a stoplight, I turned my head to see two kids tippy-toeing across a window ledge of a local shop.

Both were smiling as they teetered on the edge of the ridge of the store.  They tried so desperately not to fall, like world would end if they did.

I wondered what they were thinking.  Were they scaling a steep cliff on the coast of a distant country. Perhaps they were secret agents shuffling across the side of a skyscraper.  Maybe they were in the jungle crossing over one of those wobbly wooden bridges that doesn’t break until you are directly in the middle of it.

The possibilities are endless just like a child’s imagination.  Here I was, zoned out on a dreary day in north New Jersey.  And these two little kids were off on some extravagant expedition just a few yards away.

I thought to myself, I just don’t find that type of stuff fun anymore.  It made me realize that my imagination is not what it used to be.

Being Legendary is nothing simpler than action.  Sometimes it takes a tuned awareness to see these opportunities, others it just takes a little bit of courage.

Either way, the ability resides inside of you.

Any True Blood fan would recognize Ryan Kwanten who plays Jason Stackhouse in this blood thirsty vampire series.  But, it wasn't his recognition that lead to his legendary actions, it was his courage.

While driving in Los Angeles Kwanten noticed a man in the middle of a vacant intersection bleeding on the street. Ryan pulled over and helped this stranger, carrying the man from the street to the sidewalk.

Making sure he was alright, Ryan waited with this man until paramedics arrived.

This legendary act was not about fame or some special set of circumstances it was about helping others.

Everyone needs to be rescued at some point in time.  Whether it be a stranger in a street intersection or a friend who is in a rut, seeing and acting on these opportunities are the underpinnings of a meaningful impact and that is far from famous, it is legendary.

“If it isn’t fun, why do it?” says Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream.

Its ironic that what many of us dread, another day of work, is supposed to be an environment for productivity, creativity, and innovation.

Work and play are considered opposite ends of the spectrum.  But can the two co-exist?  Can we have some fun and dare I say even enjoy going into work? And if we can, what does that mean for results and outcomes?

David Ogilvy, head of an advertising agency says, “Make it fun to work at your agency.  When people aren’t having fun they seldom produce good advertising.”

“Necessity may be the mother of invention, but play is certainly the father,” said Roger von Oech.

Yet when the idea of play is brought up, it’s like violating the sacred sanctuary of the office.  It will only distract and detract.  What other offices incorporate play into their work culture?  Aren’t casual Friday’s sufficient?

A company seeks for its employees to generate new ideas. This is accomplished by the unexpected joining of two old elements creating something new.  Bringing fun to the workplace could not only produce innovation, but the joining of these two elements is innovation.

“Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our mind.”

These words echo from singer, life lover, and activist Bob Marley’s Redemption Song.  This is one of my favorite Marley lyrics.

The world around us is a creation made from our mind.  It is a projection of our perception facilitating our interaction with the world we’ve created.

Abilities and potentials are perceptions and perspectives our mind creates.  It is the puppeteer, conductor, and orchestrator of our world.  Whatever it believes or expects, it will do all in its power to make that prospection come to fruition.

Think about when we swallow a sugary placebo pill. We believe it is a potent antidote to our current illness and even though its just sugar we’re ingesting, we still get better.

With warmer weather on its way, I escaped the confines of indoors and took a trip to the local driving range.  I warmed up a little, and with a cool, fluid swing hit a straight 140 yarder with my 9-iron.  Phew, I thought this was going to be uglier after not touching a club for the entirety of the off season.

Japan, no doubt, has been shaken.  Earthquakes turn to tsunamis, tsunamis cause nuclear horror. The Japanese people are in a living turmoil not knowing what is going to happen or who is going to help.

Lady Gaga sends a message of hope.  Recording a video, her message of love means more than one can imagine to a person who has lost everything.

Gaga has also been selling a newly created bracelet that says "Pray for Japan" in both English and Japanese characters.  The proceeds, which currently exceed $1.5 million, are going directly to Japan relief efforts.

What these people are enduring is horrific and terrible.  But the actions of camaraderie, compassion, and kindness have powers that can trump the visceral, awesomeness of mother nature.  It is this love for others that can produce the most extraordinary outcomes.  With fiscal, emotional, and physical support all spawning from a belief of helping our fellow inhabitants of this world, we are showing what we truly are capable of and that is far from famous - it is legendary.

We tend to have very critical self-perceptions.  The way we view ourself is important.  We are the authority of our beliefs and if we do not see ourselves in a confident light than how can we expect others to.

A person with positive performance self-esteem is an individual who is confident and optimistic that he or she is on top of things, understands what needs to be done and feels capable about being able to pull it off. But, a poor self perception actually reduces a sense of performance self-esteem.

The most common example are those all too common bad hair days.  As a guy, I’ve had more of these than I care to admit.

Truth is, when we go out with the perception that we do not look good it alters the way we interact with the world.  This is known as the spotlight effect, where we think the social spotlight is pointed directly in our eyes.

Adam Galluccio believes in breaking barriers. Living the life he wants to live, Adam plays on the freshman basketball team at Manchester Regional High School.  With 11 points under his belt, strong camaraderie with his friends, and a dedication to the team, Adam has been an absolute inspiration. Adam, is also autistic.

The day fliers got posted around the school for basketball tryouts, Adam knew, this is what he wanted to do.  He shot hoops at home, went to all the practices leading up to tryouts, and talked basketball constantly.

“I like to play a lot,” said Adam, 15, and his belief in his ability earned him a spot on the team.  He did not allow his condition to belittle his potential.

Adam saw something he wanted and went after it.  He didn’t just go out on a whim, he took action. Practicing, shooting, playing, talking, his actions revolved around the idea that he could do this.

Once we get that idea in our head...once it ignites that itching drive, that unquenchable thirst for fulfillment, we begin to realize what capabilities really are - limitless potentials.

I always find "do you know" statistics to be so alarming.  Nestled in the top right hand corner of New Jersey, surrounded by cities, stores, homes, and other luxuries, I really don't have a sense for what occurs outside this bubble.  But alarming and shocking statistics can snap us from this waking splendor of life and open our awareness to other worlds.

900 million people do not have access to clean water, nearly half being children.

To think something so common, is so precious.  There must be something we can do.  Well, in 2007 the Unicef Tap Project was created based off the initial premise that participating restaurants would ask patrons to pay $1 for tap water that they normally get for free.

That $1 would provide a person clean drinking water for 40 days.

This idea is amazing yet simple and easily practiced.  The cause has grown and to help promote and provide incentives, celebrities have jumped on board.

The difference between intention and action is courage.  It gives life to our virtues.  It is the foundation that creates a reality around those beliefs.

The word courage comes from the same stem as the French word Coeur, meaning heart. In Rollo May’sThe Courage to Create, he explains how courage is the essence that pumps vitality into all our virtues. Without courage, who we are, simply would not exist, and our fidelity would fade into conformism.

The presence of courage does not mean the absence of fear, it is rather the ability to move beyond it. Feel the fear and do it anyway.  It keeps us sharp, on edge, and on point.

Everything your body does when the pressure is on is good for performance.  Bill Russell was one of the greats in the game of basketball winning an NCAA Championship, Olympic Gold Medal, and professional championship all in the same year.  Here’s the kicker, before every single game Russell would throw up. His nerves would keep him on point.  So much so, that in 1963, when didn’t puke before games he had his greatest slump of his career.  He then got to the playoffs, puked, and played one of the best games of the season.

People express themselves in a manner of ways.  Life is beautiful because of this.  Yet, we tend to have a rigid focus when self-expression does not meet status quo.

Signature strengths come in all different shapes and sizes.  Kate Nash recognizes the discouragement people face who struggle in common and conventional areas of life, such as academia.   Kate knows and believes that just because your strengths do not reside in one specific area does not mean you are not smart.

Kate Nash believes in empowering individuals, and helping them recognize their self worth and focus on their core strengths.  Last month she launched her Rock 'N Roll for Girls After School Music Club in Los Angeles giving encouragement, feedback and a means for these girls to find their talent.

Kate believes in the power of music.  But she expands the versatility of her beliefs by using her passions to provide encouragement for others.  This wholesome idea isn't just legendary because of its innate goodness or hints of charity.  It is legendary because of the authenticity rooted at the reason for this idea's existence.

Is it better to be naturally gifted or naturally diligent?

The age old tale says hard work pays off, but why?

Well, hard work usually comes with long hours, multiple attempts(which means multiple failures), high learning curves, frustration, consistent action, and unknown outcomes.

Those who are known for their innate intelligence have high success rates, verbal praise, and an image to maintain.

But, being praised for the latter of the two can create a mindset that mistakes are signs of weakness and not as building blocks of knowledge.

Physicist Niels Bohr defines an expert as a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field.  Unless you experience the unpleasant symptoms of being wrong, you will never revise your models or approach to those situations.

What is the good life?

Why do we seek it? Why is it so elusive?

Formulas have been written to try and obtain it.  Philosophers have spent careers thinking and writing about how to capture it.  Still answers are vast and indefinite.  It’s like a non-fictional journey to the fountain of youth. Everyone wants a sip, but no one is quite sure how to get there.

BREAKING NEWS. You are already there.

The good life is not something to be obtained or captured or metaphorically drunk.  It is your life. This, now, wherever you’re at, whatever you’re doing. Nothing gets better than this moment.

What if there was an immeasurable power that existed. This power could transform your reality.  It could bring hope, optimism, motivation, change, love, achievement, and beauty to your life.  Would you use this power, going after everything you wanted, or would you simply let it go to waste?

This power is the story of you.  It is what makes your life so interesting, so authentic, so...empowering.  Think about the structure of a story.

A story made up of chapters. Chapters containing sequences of events.  Some foreshadowing others.  Others prefacing some.  And the rest are unknown twists of irony eluding any means of prediction.

The pages written can serve a versatile function.  Those pages could be setting up events to come or they could mark the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.

Experiences change our lives.  Good, bad, whatever the content of our occurrences may be, we move forward with a newfound appreciation.

Christina Applegate was diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago.  New mom and renowned celebrity, Christina shares her stories and the perspectives she's gained when loss was such a promising outcome.

"I've had to talk about that word, cancer, more than I've ever had to talk about a word in my life…After a while, you're like, there has got to be something else to me."

Applegate now in control of her cancer empowers others to find "something else within".  She has founded Right Action for Women, which educates women about breast cancer, directs them to resources for screening, and helps provide financial aid for those who cannot afford the expensive process.

There is the common misconception that with the influx of information there is an increase in knowledge.

We live in a world of rationalizers. I am going to tell you right here and now that openness is the remedy to a fixed mindset.  Now let me momentarily diverge to give clarity to this idea of filtered conceptualization.

Politics.  The argument can be made that the acquisition of information can be directly related to decrease in partisan bias.  But knowing more about politics doesn’t necessarily accomplish this.  Voters tend to assimilate facts that confirm what they already believe.  They think they’re evaluating candidates, but what they are actually doing is inventing or ignoring facts so they can rationalize decisions already made.

It is as if voters twirl a cognitive kaleidoscope until they get the conclusions they want.

This filter effect, which is so prominent in politics, extends into every aspect of our life.  We tend to look for information that already confirms what we already believe.  We edit the world to fit our ideology.  Imperative as focus is, we must make the distinction between a focused mind and a disregard for certain possibilities.

Before you came into this world, you found yourself in a womb of darkness. A paradox of living in known and unknown simultaneously.  Existence is nothing because you do not know what is to exist.

In this dark abyss, a mystical being appears to you.  Fascinated by its presence you listen, poised in intrigue.  The being begins to talk about a world you are about to be born into.

Everything explained is unbelievable, because everything explained you have never experienced.  In this world there are going to be giant people called adults. For them, they will be witnessing the experience of something they call birth, for you, it will be your very first experience.

Just before the mystical being fades away, he asks a question.  “Could you do me a favor? When your out there in the world, can you take this canvas and paint me a masterpiece?”

Excited by everything you have found out thus far, you excitingly nod and the being begins to fade away.

Our perspective is what we choose to look at, what story we choose to tell ourselves, and what we choose to believe in.  If we think and believe in negativity, then that is all we will ever see.  But if we belief in something else, if we believe in something better, then a world of bright spots begins to unfold.

Mark Ruffalo brings awareness to one of these bright spots, as he brings to light a donation of 25,000 books to New York area schools.  Hosted by Target and guided by joint efforts of the New York City Public Library and The National Education Association's "Read Across America" program, this event celebrates the joy of reading and the accessibly of these new recourses.

Profits, gross income, benefits, minimal cost - all typical terms for a successful business.  The goal of the game, maximize the above.  The problem is when crisis hits, which it always does, business as usual is no longer the ideal.

Something new must breakthrough, and breakthrough it has.  For years the word philanthropic had no place in corporate business plans, but now we begin to see a change, a shift in stride, and a restoration of success.  Philanthropic business is good business.

One of the biggest examples is TOMS shoes.  Founded not more then five years ago, this extraordinary company is a giant.  But how?

They must have had some elaborative advertising campaign, putting themselves at the forefront of their industry. But, a further investigation would reveal no such efforts.  Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS shoes discovered that if you do something good you don’t need to advertise or market.

The placebo effect is simple.  It is a play on our expectations.  We expect to feel less pain - we feel less pain.  We expect a surge of energy - we are wide awake.

It turns out that the placebo effect actually induces a neurological response.  A few years ago a neuroscientist named Tor Wager put together a study.  He gave participants tiny electric shocks.  One group was shocked on their bare skin while a second group was given a pain relieving creme.  The catch, the creme was fake. It was a moisturizer you can buy off the shelf at CVS, but this group reported experiencing significantly less pain.

To take a deeper look at this, Wager had participants hooked up to an fMRI machine.  The expectation of a reduction of pain actually created a neurological effect.  The frontal lobes of the these participants brains responded by inhibiting activity in the parts of the brain that normally respond to pain.

Legendary people are all around us.  Discretely disguised in everyday attire, they surround us.  Their actions affect us, sometimes without us even knowing.  Like old-world gunslingers, these everyday mavericks carry with them a wholesome purpose - fulfill a life guided by their beliefs.

A life guided by beliefs is particularly powerful because it stretches further than scripted norms. Motivation for action is not limited to fulfilling a role of expectations, it spawns from something much deeper.  Sometimes we loose site of this.  But legendary shines brightest when we see a person’s core beliefs in everything they do.

Expectations are a shortcut to how we navigate this world.  Day-to-day we have certain expectations. We expect to find water with the twist of the faucet and light with the flick of a switch.

In the north-eastern section of Dumont, New Jersey hundreds of residents expect to see envelopes, magazines, letters, and bills in their mailbox everyday.  Like the postal slogan says, “neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers for the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”

Ever hear of Shiners Hospital?  It provides free healthcare for children living with burns, spinal cord injuries, orthopedic conditions, and cleft lip and palate.  At the backbone of this awe-inspiring organization is none other, but that one time boy band pop star, Justin Timberlake.

His career has taken notable steps forward, but so has his ideas of contribution.  Justin does not shy away from challenge, and what could be more challenging then one of the most controversial  and debated topics in the US - healthcare.

But Justin circumvented petty politics and got right to the real issue at hand, children who need help. This hospitable is a forum of change, for it impacts hundreds of lives every week.

Decision making occurs on a moment to moment basis. Sometimes it is automatic. We make decisions that are so second nature we don’t even realize they’re decisions. Sometimes we think long and hard. We try and gather all the information we can and rely on reason to guide us on making the right choice.

Rationality is a powerful agent in the decision making realm, but what is truest in its rawest form are our emotions.  Basically put they outline and motivate us toward our instinctual desires - what we really want.  But more times then not, we are met with decisions that we try to over think, causing the outcome to actually fall astray from what we really want.

Don't have your StillerStrong headband!? What are you waiting for? Ben Stiller has ignited a viral effect of StillerStrong headbands.  The cause of these bands runs deeper then their general aesthetically pleasing effects.  It carries with it an impact.  Based on Stiller's core beliefs that all children deserve the opportunity to reach their full potential, he has tipped the first domino to making a difference.

Stiller's awareness shifted after his trip to Haiti.  You can see pictures on the internet and hear about it on your TV, but the ultimate experience lies in the heart of Haiti, in meeting its people, in rebuilding its lands. Stiller immediately sought action after becoming aware of a community school's lack of classrooms and access to clean drinking water.

It is the tiniest parts of life that can make the the biggest differences.  A chess player won’t overlook the necessity of its pawns and a sprinter knows the importance of a tenth of a second.

A moment is valuable. Some more then others, but if we start to chuck them out the window like worthless pennies, we will most definitely neglect some of the most worthwhile ones.

Life comes at us in waves.  Literally, giant, oceanic, swirling waves.  Heaps of water crashing down, each with different breaking points.

Ever find yourself hanging on to the good stuff in life?  We just don’t want certain things to stop. Whether it be an amazing movie, a beautiful symphony, an exciting date, or some quality conversation, all share a common fate - we don’t look forward to them ending.

I catch myself doing this all the time.  In the midst of something good, I think, “Gee, I really don’t want this to stop.” Now, instead of continuing to enjoy this pleasurable event, I find myself in this paradigm of temporary good versus inevitable discontinuation.  I have directly withdrawn from maximizing the optimization of this event, by taking my focus off enjoying the moment, and placing it on worrying about it ending.

There was an Indian tribe residing in the Shuswap region of British Colombia.  This specific region was considered by the Indian people to be a rich place.  There was plenty of salmon and game, vast amounts of below-ground resources, and plenty of fertile land.  They built village sites and had elaborate technologies to effectively cultivate the resources.  The Indians looked at their lives to be rich and good.

Yet, over time the elders began to find predictability throughout their days.  With everything so readily available, challenge began to go out of life.  Without challenge, life had no meaning.

So the elders gathered and discussed what they should do.  Through discourse and in their wisdom they decided the village should move.  Every 25 to 30 years, the entire population would move to a different part of the Shuswap land, and there, they found challenge.   There were lands to fertilize, new game trails to learn, new areas to navigate.  Life would regain its meaning and everyone would feel rejuvenated and happy. Incidentally, it also allowed resources in one area to recover after years of harvesting.

Legendary is something we already have inside of us. We just need to call on it, wield it, and take the time and effort to pursue it.  When your beliefs are at it's backbone, your awareness, its forefront, and courage fuels its progression, legendary is no longer an adjective of an action it is the description of your life.

Rachel Shenton, 23 year-old actress on Hollyoaks, is about to make a legendary leap.  On Saturday March 26, Rachel will be jumping from an airplane at an altitude of 10,000 feet with a slender backpack containing a nylon parachute.

A legendary life is living the individual adventure, your adventure. How do you do this? Follow your bliss.  The first key component is “your”.  What makes you happy? What do you enjoy? What really drives you intrinsically?

Following someone else’s path, as successful as they might be, will inevitably cause you to not reach your full potential.  It is missing the key ingredient of your originality.

The second component is “bliss”.  Happiness, pleasure, delight, ecstasy, all are words that take on the same meaning, but that meaning takes on a very specific significance on an individual level.  This shouldn’t be what you think your bliss should be or what others find it to be.  No.  It is what truly gets you going.  It is your sole understanding and comprehension of what you love.  Life is then transformed from an adventure - to your adventure, and that transformation is legendary, mainly because it is uncharted territory.

Find A Dream is a nonprofit organization that reaches out to a community of children working towards fulfilling a dream.  Encouraging children that dreams could in fact become reality..that's big.  Sometimes I sit and wonder what the world would be like if each and every person pursued that one dream that has only been envisioned in a dark room, lying on pillows and bundled up in covers.

Well instead of just sitting around wondering, Quinton Aaron decides to take action.  "My goal is is to pretty much let kids know that no matter what their past or current position is, or whatever problems they may have gone through or are going through, they can get to where they want to be in life,” said Aaron.

Take a look around. What does this world look like? It is yours to look at, see, and make opinions on, but how are you seeing it?  Anthony De Mello, author of Awareness, writes, “We see people and things not as they are, but as we are.”

What a brilliant and enlightening perspective.  For is that not the case.  What we see reflects ourselves rather then the actual external stimulus we are gazing upon.  This is the birth of perspective and the reason for the infinite amount of them.  Each person is their own unique self. If we see things as we are, then there are quite a few ways to see things.

But this thought process also has a part to play in why we don’t see a world of beauty and goodness.  When things are not going as we want, we want things to change.  But those things we want to change are usually people, things, or circumstances.  It is not common for us to think we are the ones who need to change.

But if it is our suffering, our dislike for the ugliness in the world that causes our unhappiness, then what must change?

I was recently in Quebec City.  After I briefly unpacked some of my clothes I realized I hadn’t eaten anything yet that day. I bundled up and walked out through the revolving hotel door.  As I looked around, piles of snow cut out the borders of the streets, while a thin, mushy slush covered the well traveled sidewalks.

I could see my breath instantly hitting the air as I tried to decipher the French signs cryptically hiding any real means of me being able to navigate this city.  I walked down a narrow street illuminated by a series of tall standing lamps positioned roughly every twenty paces.  After passing coffee shops and fine French cuisines I came across this tiny pub nestled in between a restaurant and an apartment building.

I walked in, sat down, and knowing no French whatsoever asked if I could have a menu.   The bartender spoke broken English and between that and charades, I was able to order a beer and a pizza with a topping that I still am unsure of as to what it was.

The Bieber Fever epidemic strikes again.  Young pop sensation, Justin Bieber is hosting this year's America's Biggest Bedtime Story.  In and effort to inspire kids to read more, Justin will be reading the childhood classic, The Cat in the Hat, online at http://www.bookitprogram.com/.

On top of that, if this years web attendance surpasses last years, then BOOK IT!, a national reading incentive program, will donate $25,000 to Pencils of Promise.  Bieber seemed to have ignited a domino effect of impact.  It seems one helpful act uncovers another, and that first act wasn't anything huge. No red carpet or spot lights.  No flashing paparazzi or multimillion dollar donation.  No, just the small act of reading a book.  In hopes of encouraging kids to grab a book, read along, and have some fun Bieber will have his webcast reading February 15, at 8 a.m. CST.

Its wonderful how good things tend to have a snowball effect.  But break it down and that large mound of snow all started with a minuscule, drifting snowflake.  And thats what Be Legendary is all about.  The everyday good things we do.  We need to celebrate that.

Justin Bieber understands the power of these tiny snowflakes and what they can turn into.  What better way help out then reading your favorite childhood book.  His web reading is aimed to encourage kids to want to read, but his action focuses on the broader idea of making a difference, and that is far from famous - it is legendary.

Your life legacy. There is no greater question. At one time it might have been so clear, but then, the world catches up, our perception of reality sets in, and our dreams are lost.  Feeling the pressure of what needs to get done, conforming into the approved path of life, we give up what we once held so dearly.  Legendary is about finding that legacy, believing in it and yourself, and having the courage to make it your reality.  If this is your one shot at life, how do you want to live it?

This past Thursday we brought our legendary intent to 900 very extraordinary SFL employees in Quebec City with the launching of our Sole Purpose event.  Partnering with Soles4Souls, we are taking a joint effort to get shoes to the 300 million inhabitants of developing countries who have no such luxury.  But instead of just shipping out a bunch of shoes, our goal was to empower people to make a difference.  To be the change creating a lasting impact.

In an effort to better understand perseverance, courage, and following ones dreams I looked to contemporary literature, particularly Ernest Hemingway’s, The Old Man and the Sea.  The story base’s itself around the most unfathomable circumstances - an old man, Santiago, capturing one of the largest fish in the sea.  Remove this story from the context of a novel and the premise seems all the more impossible.  But what was once perceived as not possible has once again found an unexpected way to show that the outcome is completely viable.

Sir Ian Mckellen, might better be recognized with long, white hair and a tall, magical staff.  This actor played the part of a heroic, wizard Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. In East London, there is a charity called Step Forward.  They provide information, advice, counseling, and personal training to the youth of Tower Hamlets, a province in the East End of London.  This service holds no cost and services people aged 11-25.  With a goal aimed at enhancing lives, Step Forward actively challenges discrimination welcoming people from all sections of the community regardless of race, gender, sexuality, or social economic status.

It was Wednesday.  A day surrounded by its weekday comrades.  I was grudging through my workday agenda.  Each of my body movements carried with it a listless effort, a byproduct of the ambiguity Wednesday brings.  Nothing to really get excited about, nothing to look forward to.

Instead of figuring out how to complete my work, I was conjuring up ways I could procrastinate and not feel bad about it.  In a final effort to battle this torpid state, I looked to a simple and extremely common fix.  Music.  I plugged in my headphones, scrolled down to Vagabond by Wolfmother (highly recommend) and pressed play.  Tiny invisible sound waves traveled up the long, white headphone cord, through the ear buds, vibrating against my eardrum, and passing along to my nerve fibers. Immediately I felt its effect.  Listlessness had turned into motivation.  With a simple change in environment, I was able to create a mental drive.