Your Highest Calling

“Become your highest you, your best you, your strongest you.”

-Loretta Claiborne

Your Highest Calling

Once in a while I meet someone who really makes me look at myself; someone who challenges my view of the world as well as my view of myself.  This was the case when I met Loretta Claiborne during breakfast.

Loretta grew up with a mental handicap and was one of seven children.  She wasn’t able to speak until she was four so when she started school she was challenged.  In fact, after a while the principal called to meet with her mother and told her that they wouldn’t be able to educate Loretta.

“My mother looked at him and said, “I have seven kids not six.  You will educate her!”

She said, “My mother wanted her children to receive two things, a good education and respect.”

 Loretta beamed as she relayed her story.  She knew that her mother cared for her and was her advocate.  It was her mother’s strength that kept her moving forward.  But, there was another challenge in front of Loretta. 

“I never felt as if I had a voice!  My decisions were always made for me.  Now I layout my own road map.” She said.  From that moment it didn’t take her long to discover her true path.

One day a teacher gave her a flyer and asked her to take it home to her mother.  When she got home, she handed it to her mother who read it and immediately wadded it up to through it away.  Luckily her aunt was there and said, “Let her give it a try.  It may be a chance for her to channel her feisty spirit.”

As a result, Loretta began to participate in track events.  She had found what she was really good at and she poured her passion into it.  Now, years later, she’s competed in events worldwide and is a global speaker.   Her message is one based on her personal discovery.

 “One day, I became frustrated and went home to tell my mother that I was going to quit.  I’ll never forget the lesson my mother taught me.  She said, ‘You stop now and you’ll always stop. You quit now and you’ll always quit.  You don’t ever quit!’  Ever since then, I’ve never quit.”

It isn’t that Loretta hasn’t been challenged since she learned not to quit.   She has.  When she decided to learn to play tennis and she worked for five years before she was able to defeat her greatest rival.  Her never ending commitment to become her best is the secret to her success.

It’s a secret she happily shares so I wanted to share it with you.  “Become your highest you, your best you, your strongest you.”  Loretta says.  You can do it!

When I looked at the smiling face before me I felt a new courage and a new personal commitment to follow Loretta’s advice.  It is everyone’s highest calling.  Will you accept the challenge?

Being More Than an Assignateer

"One of the Special Olympics Athlete friends contacted me through Facebook to invite me to come and watch him compete.  I was so touched it was impossible for me not to go."

-Alexander Fox

Being More Than an Assignateer

A tempest can come in many different forms, a hurricane, blizzard, thunderstorm, or blustering wind.  When I left my car I wasn't expecting difficult weather at all, but after I had walked a couple of hundred yards it was clear that any thoughts of having calm weather had been blow away by the increasing velocity of the wind.

The increasing wind was wreaking all sorts of issues at an event that was supposed to be about competition between people, not competition between people and the elements.  I watched vases filled with flowers tumble from tables and candles follow them, seemingly wrapped in table cloths that appeared to transform into storm clouds.   People were scurrying in all directions in an effort to salvage a reception meant to provide a thank you to those in attendance.

Alex Fox was there.  I had greeted him earlier and then watched as he walked up to the sound system to welcome the crowd.  I've known Alex for almost two years.  We volunteer together for Special Olympics of Utah.  But Alex is more than just a volunteer.

He checks the microphone to make sure it's working and then begins to tell us his experience of giving to Special Olympic Athletes.  I've been on the Board of Trustees of Special Olympics Utah for about two years."  He said.  "When I started, I was committed to volunteering but it wasn't until I got to know our athletes that I began to have my life change in a dramatic way!"

I looked around the gathering to take in the faces surrounding me.  I didn't know very many of them.  Lots of them were there at the invitation of their employers who were sponsors of the Special Olympics Utah Summer Games.  There was no way to know how much time and effort these kind people had given to make this event a huge success.  There was no way for me to peel back the tissue to see what was really in their hearts.  But, I knew what was in Alex's heart.

There was a crack in Alex's voice.  It caused me to shift my attention back to his presentation. 

"One of my Special Olympics Athlete friends contacted me through Facebook to invite me to come and watch him compete.  I was so touched it was impossible for me not to go."

There was another emotional pause.

"Spending time with Special Athletes has changed my life.  They've taught me about strength, honor, effort and love in a way I never could have comprehended."

I looked at the faces watching Alex once again.  There was as different tempest happening.  It was stronger than the one caused by the wind.  It was hundreds of hearts changing from being an "Assignateer", past volunteer, to emotional commitment.

Emotional commitment can only come through interaction between individuals.  I've found that providing service to others is the key to creating a bond of love that can withstand time as well as the storms of life.  It doesn't matter if you're related by blood to those you serve.  What matters is that you truly give of yourself.  When you give from your heart at least two lives will change; the person you serve and most of all, yours.

Volunteer for a good cause today.  Assignments you receive will change you from an Assignateer to a Volunteer and finally to a giver from your heart.  Nothing restricts the good you can do and nothing restricts the love you will receive in return.

The Log Jam Effect

“I’m working so hard and I just don’t feel as if I’m making any progress!”

-Jessi Butterfield

The Log Jam Effect

As soon as I lifted my handset to its companion ear I could feel the emotion and stress streaming through to my soul.  I could almost feel the welled up tears tickle my face.

“I’m working so hard and I just don’t feel as if I’m making any progress!” The words flowed from my daughter’s mouth directly into my heart.  She was in distress.

I listened to her tell me what her challenges were and as she spoke I began to see huge logs, dreams, floating down a large river.  They were hewn down, separated from their roots and cast into the water.  The water was their highway to becoming part of something else.  They were to be transformed into her beautiful vision.

My daughter is doing everything she can to fulfill dreams and vision.  She told me of all she had done.  What she had hoped would happen.  Regrettably, all she was seeing at this moment was a jamming of everything she had envisioned.

It was all so vivid in my mind.  I could see the logs flowing and then stopping.  I felt the current, based on her description.  Her dreams had all tangled and gnarled at a bend in her river of life.  Almost anyone would see this mess of logs and think, “No, that’s a jam that will never be untangled!”

I remember saying those exact words on many occasions.  But, that wasn’t the case anymore.  It isn’t the way I view a log jam, because after lots of experience I’ve discovered that what’s happening at the surface is not the whole picture.  The river of life runs deep and its current is strong.  Jessi was seeing a few of her logs get turned a little sideways for a moment.  It has happened to all of us at one time or another.

When this occurs it is easy to focus on those jammed logs and fret about them constantly.  It’s a natural and easy thing to do. 

“You’re still working away to get things flowing again?”  I said quietly to her.

“Yes!  I just hope people will see the good work I’m doing!” She replied.

“Good!  Keep working and remember the power of the river, the flow.  Most people can only see the log jam.  But, that’s only a small part of what’s really happening.  All the work you’re doing.  All the calls, meetings, email and everything else is working.  They’re the depth and current of the river you’re creating and traveling.  Just keep your eye on that current.  It will be strong enough to push all those logs through, to clear the jam if you don’t quit.  It may take a little time, but it will happen.  Your dreams will all flow through if the current you create is strong and steady.”  I explained.

I could hear relief radiating through to my ear now.  She understood the beauty of the river she had created.  She had her faith renewed in its majesty and power.

Your life has the same majesty and power.  Keep pushing your dreams forward and don’t let a small set-back discourage you.  Keep your eye fixed on the depth and current of the river you’ve created and know that you’re transforming your dreams into reality with each stroke you take in the powerful river of life.

Dreaming or Creating

“I wanted this do badly that I stayed up visualizing a successful closing all night.”

-Gary Christensen

Dreaming or Creating

My phone was ringing from call after call as I worked to get the final details of a transaction complete.  We had been working for weeks to get everything in order.  There had been challenges from many different fronts; not the least of which was the IRS.

It had taken an almost herculean effort to get the IRS the documentation they required to show that all of the past obligations had been satisfied, but we had finally gotten it done!  Now, on the way to the settlement another issue had popped up so I was scrambling to get it laid aside within the next hour.  It seemed as if with every step forward there was some invisible barrier to impede the next step.  Now we were finishing the final step.

I arrived to sign the final documents a little bit early to make sure everything was in order.  It wasn’t too long before Gary came through the door.  When he arrived, we sat and talked.  He looked a little tired.  It wasn’t what I was expecting to see.

I was expecting to see a face that was joyful and relieved.  We were at the finish line!  He had overcome the obstacle course and was about to receive his prize!  But the prize wasn’t what I was expecting.  It was something completely different than what I had anticipated.

“We’re finally going to close!” I said.  “You’ve done a great job getting everything finished.  Congratulations.  You couldn’t have done anything more.”

It was then that I looked carefully at his long, drawn face.  I knew there was more to the story than I knew.

“I wanted this do badly that I stayed up visualizing a successful closing all night.” Gary replied.

We were sitting here to sign the papers as a result!  I knew it was because he had overcome all the odds by creating his success over the past few weeks.  He really wanted this to happen.  Now my eyes were opened to a string of implausible events that had come together to enable this very moment.

Whenever we had come up to what had appeared to be an insurmountable barrier some little miracle had occurred that had propelled us forward, past the obstacle.  Had it happened just once it may have been a coincidence.  But, it happened on several occasions and had a seemingly happened as if by magic!  Now I knew they weren’t the result of magic!

Gary’s success came from deep inside.  He was visualizing his success every step of the way.   And, he wasn’t just dreaming about it.  The difference between a dreamer and a success creator is simple.  One sits and dreams. The other visualizes and then works through assumption, as if he has already achieved his success.  He creates a very detailed plan, within his being, and then sets about to live every step in the physical world.  Gary was sitting across a table from me and was living proof of this principle.

The proof was in the paper.  The documents were slipped from the hand of the Escrow Agent to Gary for signature.  He signed.  He smiled.  Relief and joy radiated from his whole body.  He was now living in the moment he knew he would.