Reflections from the Home Team - January 2, 2019
“Though I am in hospice care and have to wake up
every morning knowing that the day might be my last, I still have a choice to
make: to make that day the best it can be. To make the most of whoever comes to
visit, texts, tweets or calls me. Yet, isn’t that a choice we all have every
day? After all, nobody knows the amount of days we have left. Some could say we
are all in hospice to a certain degree. Be aware that any day can be your last
and make each day the best it can be.”
-- Tyler Trent
Greetings from Cedar Falls,
I wanted to welcome my “Home
Team” to 2019 by sharing some thoughts that have been rolling around in my head
for the past several weeks. Scary thought, I know, but here goes…
First, I was
saddened to hear of the passing of young Tyler Trent yesterday. Tyler had been
an inspiration for me when I first became aware of his situation last year. Tyler was diagnosed with bone cancer in 2014 when he was
still in high school. He had part of his right arm replaced with titanium, but
last year the cancer came back in his pelvis. The cancer has been extremely
aggressive and Tyler has been in hospice care this past fall. Tyler died
Tuesday, January 1. He was just 20 years old.
As a student at Purdue University, Tyler was a huge Boilermaker fan and has served as an inspiration to the football team and an entire community. Tyler wanted to be a sportswriter and was determined to attend Purdue despite suffering three bouts with a rare bone cancer, first diagnosed at age 15. He entered Purdue in the fall of 2017 while undergoing chemotherapy. He camped out with another student to get good seats to a Purdue-Michigan football game, just hours after chemotherapy.
He gained national attention in 2018 by becoming the adopted
captain of the Boilermakers football team. He was in a wheelchair for Purdue’s
upset win over Ohio State, which was ranked No. 2 in the nation at the time. He
became an inspiration to many with his positive attitude and determination to
live every day to the fullest despite the illness.
You know, it’s seems like such a cliché to say
that you should live every day like it was your last on earth…That’s probably not
sustainable. I like what Tyler Trent had to
say, though…
“Though I am in hospice care and have to wake
up every morning knowing that the day might be my last, I still have a choice
to make: to make that day the best it can be. To make the most of whoever comes
to visit, texts, tweets or calls me. Yet, isn’t that a choice we all have every
day? After all, nobody knows the amount of days we have left. Some could say we
are all in hospice to a certain degree. Be aware that any day can be your last
and make each day the best it can be.”
We all can honor Tyler by making the most of
each and every day. You don’t have to live it like it’s your last day on earth.
Just try and make it the best it can be. Savor your interactions with others,
enjoy your morning coffee and take some time to notice the beauty around you. Don’t
put off getting together with someone you want to see. Let a friend know you
care about them. Make today count!
Another thought that I wanted to share was a
recent post from my favorite author, Jon Gordon. Jon always seems to come up with a message that
not only inspires, but also is timely for me as I travel my life’s journey. His
message ties into what Tyler’s short, but impactful life was about -- facing
life each and every day in a positive way despite your personal circumstances.
Jon writes:
No Fear in the New Year
Eighteen years ago I looked out into the Atlantic Ocean on New Year's Day with fear in my heart and uncertainty in my life. I had been fired from a dot com company two weeks earlier with only two weeks of severance, no insurance for my two young children and only two months of savings in the bank. My wife and I had just invested every dollar we had and even took out a second mortgage on our home and $20,000 on a credit card to open what would be the first Moe’s Southwest Grill in Florida.
The restaurant was set to open January 13th and we had no earthly idea how we would pay our home mortgage and other bills since I planned on keeping my salary and job while my managers built the restaurant business. Now, it was New Years Day and I had no job, no salary and a restaurant opening that at worst would fail miserably or at best take a year to be profitable.
Eighteen years ago I looked out into the Atlantic Ocean on New Year's Day with fear in my heart and uncertainty in my life. I had been fired from a dot com company two weeks earlier with only two weeks of severance, no insurance for my two young children and only two months of savings in the bank. My wife and I had just invested every dollar we had and even took out a second mortgage on our home and $20,000 on a credit card to open what would be the first Moe’s Southwest Grill in Florida.
The restaurant was set to open January 13th and we had no earthly idea how we would pay our home mortgage and other bills since I planned on keeping my salary and job while my managers built the restaurant business. Now, it was New Years Day and I had no job, no salary and a restaurant opening that at worst would fail miserably or at best take a year to be profitable.
I thought of all this as I prepared to jump into the icy cold water-to take a symbolic plunge that this would be the year of NO FEAR. Regardless of the circumstances I was facing, this would be the year where I would trust and go for it. This would be the year I would be bold in actions and faith. No longer could I do it alone. Now I needed a miracle and I decided to act as if my future depended on me and pray like it depended on God.
By jumping into the ocean I was declaring that no longer will I allow fear to cut off the flow of abundant and positive energy in my life. No longer will I allow fear to paralyze me. Instead of fear I would trust.
Now, eighteen years later, I'm jumping into the ocean once again on New Year’s Day (but this time in California). It has become my yearly ritual – to remind myself to follow my passion, live life to the fullest, surrender and to stay one step ahead of the fear that hovers around me.
And as I take my leap into the ocean I want to invite you to jump in with me. Perhaps not in the ocean but in the depths of your mind. This jump doesn't necessarily require water but rather a leap of faith in your belief system and a shift in your mindset. The antidote to fear is trust and it is only a thought away.
No one is going to push you over the chasm of struggle to the life that you want. God will nudge you but you must take the leap. You must make this jump in your mind and then with your actions. You must make this jump with trust, determination and faith.
After all, they don't call it a leap of fear. They call it a "leap of faith" for a reason.
You will always feel fear. Everyone will. But your trust must be bigger than your fear. The bigger your trust the smaller your fear becomes. And the more you trust the more you become a conduit for miracles. I know! A consulting project presented itself out the blue and we were able to pay our mortgage. A check came in the mail, the right opportunities came our way and somehow, some way my family and I were carried. A year after the restaurant opened I started writing which eventually lead to me writing books, speaking and doing the work I do now.
Maybe 2018 wasn't a great year for you but I believe the New Year represents a fresh start and presents a new opportunity to create the life and career you want. All you have to do is jump in with all that you are and all that you wish to become. I wish you an amazing 2019 and I'm sending positive energy your way.
"You
will always feel fear. Everyone will. But your trust must be bigger than your
fear."
-Jon
That brings me to my final thought…
I recently spent some time at Barnes and Noble doing a little “book shopping” to help bolster my mind with positive thoughts. I overheard a conversation with a young lady who was asking an employee where she could find a new suspense novel that had just been released. The young man quickly handed the young lady a book from his “personal stash” behind the counter and went back to work. I watched a smile spread across her face as she examined her new treasure while gently turning the book over in her hands and flipping through pages. She then did something I absolutely could not believe. She turned to the last several pages of the book and began reading. I could not help myself.
“Okay. I have to confess that I saw you reading the last few pages of the book. Why in the world did you read the ending? Won’t that spoil the story for you?” I asked. “Not at all,” she quickly responded. “Before I buy a book, I always read the ending to make sure I really want that particular book,” she explained.
It was worse than I thought…seeing the look of disbelief on my face, she laughed and admitted, “I know. It sounds crazy, but I have to know that everything turns out okay before I commit to reading the book.”
The more I thought about her words, the more I realized that as followers of God, we need to do the same. We need to live every minute of every day knowing that no matter what we face, we can truly say, “God’s got it!”
When we focus only on what we can see and understand or explain, we will worry... Been there, done that!!
Fear and doubt will become familiar companions if we live each day against the backdrop of this broken world and our individual circumstances. Our only hope is placing our trust in God. As Isaiah 43:2 says; “When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.”
I recently spent some time at Barnes and Noble doing a little “book shopping” to help bolster my mind with positive thoughts. I overheard a conversation with a young lady who was asking an employee where she could find a new suspense novel that had just been released. The young man quickly handed the young lady a book from his “personal stash” behind the counter and went back to work. I watched a smile spread across her face as she examined her new treasure while gently turning the book over in her hands and flipping through pages. She then did something I absolutely could not believe. She turned to the last several pages of the book and began reading. I could not help myself.
“Okay. I have to confess that I saw you reading the last few pages of the book. Why in the world did you read the ending? Won’t that spoil the story for you?” I asked. “Not at all,” she quickly responded. “Before I buy a book, I always read the ending to make sure I really want that particular book,” she explained.
It was worse than I thought…seeing the look of disbelief on my face, she laughed and admitted, “I know. It sounds crazy, but I have to know that everything turns out okay before I commit to reading the book.”
The more I thought about her words, the more I realized that as followers of God, we need to do the same. We need to live every minute of every day knowing that no matter what we face, we can truly say, “God’s got it!”
When we focus only on what we can see and understand or explain, we will worry... Been there, done that!!
Fear and doubt will become familiar companions if we live each day against the backdrop of this broken world and our individual circumstances. Our only hope is placing our trust in God. As Isaiah 43:2 says; “When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.”
I am so often tempted to worry about so many things… Our world is a mess! I need to continually remind myself that He is in control and that “He’s got this” no matter what my circumstance!
I’d like to leave you with two final thoughts
from Tyler and John as you focus on the year ahead in 2019…
“Be
aware that any day can be your last and make each day the best it can be.”
Tyler Trent
"You will always feel fear. Everyone will. But your trust must be bigger than your fear." Jon Gordon
"You will always feel fear. Everyone will. But your trust must be bigger than your fear." Jon Gordon
Wishing
you a healthy, happy and joy filled year ahead!
In
Christ’s love and comfort,
Dave
Are you
or someone you know fighting cancer... struggling with the physical, emotional
and spiritual issues that accompany a cancer journey? If so, Reflections
from the Home Team... Go the Distance was written to offer strength,
hope and comfort when confronted with a cancer journey's challenges. Share a
message of positivity with those you care about. Learn more at this link:
www.reflectionsfromthehometeam.com/
