I thought I had life pretty good in Maryville (aka Mayberry) but Fort Collins, CO rocks. This morning at 6:30, I took off on a bike around Horse Tooth lake. It was goregous… cool air, clear skies, and no crowds. In fact, Colorado state is one of the healthiest places I have ever been - it seems everyone is into the outdoors. On the drive from Boulder to Rocky Mountain National Park, I must have seen more than 50 bikers in a five mile stretch. Then I wake up this morning to read the Fort Collins Coloradoan newspaper and there’s a great article entitle Bike Library Booms. It seems Fort Collins loans bikes to ANYONE who has a library card. In Denver, during the Democratic National Convention, bikes kiosks will allow visitors to rent bikes for the week.  I wonder if Barrack will be recumbent bike around town? How about John McCain cruising on a beach cruiser? The only thing more humorous would be seeing McKain and Barrack riding a tandem bike with Hillary sitting on the handle bars. Now that would REALLY make Colorado Cool.  

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund and co-founder of the Jeffrey Roth Cycling Foundation. Click here for more information on professional speaker Tim Richardson.

…well not really. My birthday was June 6th (D-Day if you are a history buff). However, I have several friends who have a birthday today. One friend is president of his own company and makes my wife and me laugh about as much as anyone we know. We were at his house to bring in Y2K admist rations and supplies he is still using. He was a hoot that night interviewing a group of friends ala Jay Leno until 4:00 am (we were waiting for something BIG to happen - we were all disappointed!)

Another friend whose birthday is today now who works for Starbucks. He was a high school buddy at Spruce Creek High School who got me into a lot of trouble. He made me do all kinds of things I NEVER would have done without his influence (like walking our biology cadavers to our Math Analysis class, trying to sneak into Disney World on Valentines weekend and Grad night - we were caught both times and really got into a heep of trouble, and mooning an activities bus returning to school after a field trip. Our girlfriends were on that bus along with my very loud and obnoxious English teacher). He too created a lot of humor but most it wasn’t very funny then and is less funny now.

My best friend’s birthday is today too. He LOVED to laugh and would almost gag he would laugh so hard (particularly He was a great audience but also a funnyWe had way too short of a life as he died ten years ago this year of melanoma. I call his parents and widow every year on this date. I try to tell them a story of something he did that made me laugh. Fortunately there were a lot of those times.

Some people don’t like having birthdays. They think getting older is a bad thing. I say laugh and remember something fun from your childhood or make someone else laugh on your birthday. What do you have to lose?

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund and co-founder of the Jeffrey Roth Cycling Foundation. Click here for more information on professional speaker Tim Richardson.

It’s summer camp time. When I was young, I LOVED going to summer camp. I went to church camp, scout camp, sports camp, day camp, night camp, family camp, Kum Ba Ya Camp, 1001 noises you can make with your body camp, and drop off your kids and speed away like Indy Driver Danica Patrick camp and that’s a short list.  As you may have already assessed, my parents loved for me to be at camp.I loved to go to camp and didn’t really need an excuse to go, if the summer experience had camp in its name, I was ALL over it.  One summer I even went to prison road cleanup camp - you know, orange uniformed chain gang kids on the highway picking up trash. Now that was a camp!

For many kids, camp is a rite of passage that includes a lot of firsts - first time away from mom and dad, first time eating delicious institutionalized food cooked to non-recognition, first case of posion ivy or oak in every  place on your body, first time really having to take orders from an older “sibling” like leader (usually with a name like Spike, Skippy, Wally, Scout, Summer, or Cookie). This highly trained camp counselor was someone who you looked up to like a super hero OR hated like Batman’s nemisis. For me, summer camp was the first (and thankfully only) time I ever had a swirly. If you don’t know what that is, don’t ask. Trust me, you are better off not knowing.  Even getting a swirly didn’t detour me from working with young people and at camps as a young adult. I taught water skiing at a camp in Winter Haven, Florida, after my freshman year at Florida Southern College. Later, I worked at Camp Rockmont in Black Mountain, NC, where I worked running the ski program with an 18-year-old surfer boy from Florida named Biff. It will always be a special place for me as it is at that place I fell in love with my wife (who worked at Camp Merimac across town teaching sychronized swimming). It’s also the place several years later where I, on bended knee, proposed to her on the camp ski boat with James Taylor playing on the boat stereo 8-track on a crisp October day, back-dropped by the autumn colors of fall. Yes, I had BIG hair then and was likely wearing short Quick Silver ski trunks that geeks cool skiers of the day wore. (I ONLY mention all this because TODAY is our wedding anniversary).

Summer camp is the ultimate summer job for the adventurer and the worst punishment for a spoiled rich kid. Most camp counselors are paid like they were making Nikes in Southeast Asia (which looks like a fortune to a CIT who pays to come to camp and cleans latrines all summer - think Meatballs, the movie). I wasn’t there for money, no, camp was much more RICH than that. It was about making memories for young boys and helping teens develop character taught throught analogy of skiing (that’s why I told my parents I was going anyway). Actually, it was all about being out on a beautiful lake all summer, skiing when the kids got tired, and grilling steaks on an open fire as the sun set. Really. Oh yeah, and courting my wife.

Well the camp thing has come full circle. My son is at Camp Buck Toms Boy Scout camp and we just received a letter from him today (the day I am going to pick him up). His letter was sweet and filled with descriptions of the fun things he was doing, how much me missed his little sisters and how he couldn’t wait to get home to mow the yard and wash and wax the car.  What he failed to mention in his letter is that he threw up while at camp. So being the rational parents we are, we immediately assume he either caught some summer camp disease rapidly killing off tweenagers and teens OR he ate entirely too much ”Splendid Table” cuisine at the camp-a-teria (the throw up story was of course reported by a mole in camp in a letter written to his mother and yesterday revealed to me). I now know what my parents meant when they said, “Wherever you go, we’ll be there, always watching.”  While my son omitted the “throw up” story in his letter, my friend Laurie emailed me yesterday and said she had received a letter from her son who reported that my son had thrown up.  So I emailed my friend Laurie back in fun “guessing” what her son had written. This is what I sent her:

Laurie, I can just picture Junior’s letter to you:

Dear Mom:

I am having fun at camp. I have gone swiming everyday. I am working on my three scout badges. Camp is swell. Russell threw up today.

Love,

Junior

Below is the email response from my friend Laurie:

Yes, camp is good for kids. I’m headed there for an overnight and to drive him home. I have been itching to go back all week now. It’s been awhile since I have had poison ivy. Perhaps at the campfire tonight we’ll be entertained by an arm pit orchestra who will play until someone er…throws up.

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund and co-founder of the Jeffrey Roth Cycling Foundation. Click here for more information on professional speaker Tim Richardson.

It seems like there is a day to celebrate darn near everything. I must confess, until today, I had never celebrated Recess at Work Day (we are breaking out the toys, baby!). For the rest of my life, I now have the third Thursday in June to highlight on my calendar, thanks to my professional speaker colleague, Rich DiGirolamo. I don’t know Rich well but I usually see him at my National Speakers Association annual meeting wearing a funny hat. I’m gonna guess he celebrates National Recess at Work Day more than most. Like Rich, I like to play. Sometimes too much. I like to think that I play so hard at my career, others can’t tell whether I am working or playing. How about you?

BTW, it also happens to be National Sauntering Day today. I am not sure who comes up with these days but here is a sample of celebrations I found on Zany Holidays, website dedicated to celebrating totally outrageous holidays:

National Splurge Day , Eat Your Vegetables Day , Bloomsday, National Turkey Lovers Month , Superman Week , Mourn for Your Money Day, National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day, National Yo-Yo Day , National Candy Month, National Iced Tea Month, Google Balloon Day - Anniversary of Public Hot-Air Balloons, “Do It Yourself” Marketing Month, Yell “FUDGE” at the Cobras in North America Day (my personal favorite)

I kind of like Recess at Work Day. While I’d don’t suggest daily foursquare with the foreman, kickball with the customers, or red rover, red rover, with the sales reps, I do think your job should bring you about as much fun as recess. Part of living rich is finding work that fuels you. People should question whether you are working or playing if you have RICH job. If you don’t, go to the principals office and get a hall pass.

That’s all for now, as soon I’ll need to be sauntering out to supper to Splurge on Vegetables, Turkey, Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, and Candy. all washed down with some cold Iced Tea.

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund and co-founder of the Jeffrey Roth Cycling Foundation. Click here for more information on professional speaker Tim Richardson.

I was at a meeting tonight at my church where we discussed starting a new Saturday night service. As we discussed some possibilities, one of the things that came out was designing a service around needs that weren’t be met in other more traditional churches or services. One idea explored was to survery a few people, try some different things, and invite people at some level to give input on creating an experience that would keep them coming back. In that spirit, I’d like to hear from some of you including ”lurkers” who read but NEVER comment on this blog. You know who you are and it’s time to come out of the closet! If you don’t think you are a lurker ask yourself if you have been to the site more than once but you haven’t commented. If that is you, now is your time. What would you like me write about in this blog that fits under the theme of living rich? Would you like personal stories of people living rich in the ways that matter? How about some video clips? or more pictures? A little humor thrown in for good measure? Exerts from my upcoming book? What? Tell me, tell me!

Two more comments: 

 2) I j heard about a new social networking site for charities and charitably inclined individuals. Check it out at IsThereSomethingICanDo.com. It was started by Akon and Peter Buffett, son of Richest Man in America Warren Buffett. Looks like it’s worth a look…even for a lurker!

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund and co-founder of the Jeffrey Roth Cycling Foundation. Click here for more information on professional speaker Tim Richardson.

Knowing that I am was on a mission to exercise EVERY day for one year, my friend Tia emailed me a link to a site titled Get Fit by 40. Yet another example of how someone is living rich by extending their life. Here’s a quote from the author of the site:

I just returned from a concert at the Steve Kaufman Acoustic Kamp. Steve is one of the worlds foremost celebrated flatpick guitarist and lives right here in Mayberry (Maryville, TN). Each year, Steve hosts musicians from all over the world who come to learn how to flatpick. As I heard him play tonight, I was reminded of what I had thought the first time I heard him play, “It would take years and many hours of practice to be half that good.” The interesting thing is years have already pasted and many hours have gone by yet my guitar sits off in a corner in my office. I see it regularly and think, “Oh, if I only had the time…”.  I have a POOR attitude about guitar playing thus I am a poor guitarist.

We can’t save time. The hours are ticking by regardless of how we spend them. The reality is if I only played twice a week, I would be a great guitarist. I started playing guitar 30 years ago and took lessons from a fantastic guitarist at Florida Southern College while working on my undergraduate degree. Whether its guitar, parenting, sports, dancing, or riding the unicycle, its just not going to happen if you don’t invest the time.  People who are RICH in living (like Steve Kaufman), find the time to pursue things they are passionate about. It exudes from every note he plays. I’d like to bottle his talent up and save it and break open the bottle some day.  Oh for a someday…

 Anyone who is alive, should celebrate today. The past several days have reminded me about the precioiusness of life. In my  ”My Stroke of Insight” post, I wrote about the tragic death of the brother of one of my best friends. Since then, the wife of another friend was killed in a head-on collison on the way to the grocery store and a friend of my twelve year old son, died while running too hard in the heat of summer. All this in a span of about 10 days.  These tragedies are difficult to understand.  While now is the time to grieve for those close to these families, there comes a time to heal.  While healing takes many forms and I certainly am not an expert on the subject, I like to weigh in. Below are some things I have done when I have experienced loss:

Cry - it’s important to let it all out, freely.

Remember - Spend some alone time thinking about memories that were created with the person who you lost. Watching video tapes, while difficult, can keep the memories alive and remind you of cherished times from the past. 

Write - start a journal both for the sake of posterity AND to help with healing.

Act - Ten years ago, I lost my best friend to Melanoma. Both to deal with my own grief and to help give him hope, I started a foundation in his memory. To date, our foundation has raised almost $500,000 to give away to people who can’t afford treatment and to try to find a cure for Melanoma.  There have been over 20 athletic events in Florida and Colorado to raise money for the foundation. Tomorrow, there will be an event in East Tennessee to Rayz Awareness, our mantra, about the dangers of too much sun exposure.  There will be something for everyone: a 1mile fun run, a 5K run, a 10K run, free skin cancer screenings, massage therapist, and music by a local group called Pistol Creek (they are a totally fun blue grass band). There was a story in yestedays Daily Times which you can read by clicking here: 5K and 10K run in East Tennessee.

Below are the other details:

When: Saturday June 14th

Where: The Rush Fitness Center in Alcoa (new Midland Plaza) Call 273-1360 or visit www.TheRush247.com for directions 

When: 7:30 pm (we are having it at night for OBVIOUS reasons!) Note: Registration begins at 6:30 

Why: Because skin cancer is the fastest growing, most preventable form of cancer.

Cost: $25 IF you print this and bring with you.

There will be t-shirts, free sunscreen, prizes, and more.

It’s Friday the 13th, go ahead make YOUR day. 

NOTE: The picture below is from our Colorado event. Kathy, Bill’s widow is on the left with a melanoma AND breast cancer survivor and her friend. That’s a whole another story!  

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund and co-founder of the Jeffrey Roth Cycling Foundation. Click here for more information on professional speaker Tim Richardson.

Now that I am another year older (and wiser of course), I have some observations about living a RICH life. If you have been a reader of this blog, you probably know that when I write about rich I mean money driven and when I write about RICH I mean purpose-driven.

Last Friday, June 6th was my birthday and now that I am as old as Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, I am thinking I should have run for president! Actually, I am probably too dumb to offer much and too smart to want to put my family through what a politicial family experiences.  However, if Barack can talk about things for which he may not fully be knowledgeable, I am going to take that risk When I reach John McCain’s age, I may have the life knowledge but perhaps I won’t have the memory!  So here goes my stroke of insight pondered on my birthday (but NOT in my birthday clothes):

1. Listen. Thursday my wife and I flew to Daytona Beach, FL for the funneral of a 48 year YOUNG man. He was exuberant, intelligent, witty, a brillant musician, a talented dentist and a doting father of two young girls - an infant and a 2 1/2 year old.  Somehow in the midst of everything he had going for him, he felt he had nothing going for him. He took his life one week ago today. As I heard the words spoken about him at his memorial service, saw over 1000 people in attendance, and spoke with his many friends at the reception, I realized that there were probably some people, who IF they had reached out in love and with a listening and helpful ear, his death MAY not of occurred.  Listening to my best friend talk about it recently, I am convinced that listening is the key to many things, including healing.  Listen more. 

2. Go out on a limb.  Friday, I gave a speech to the Vermont Independent Insurance Agents. During the speech, I had an idea of something that would fit perfectly into my Living Rich speech. It was a concept I hadn’t intergrated into the speech before. It was a bit of a risk. I played the ”do it or not” tape in my brain a few times as I was speaking.  I choose “do it” and am glad I did. It worked and added value to a point I was trying to make.  Don’t let a potential fall keep you from going somewhere you haven’t been.

3. Travel the road less traveled.  Traveling to the Basin Habor Club where I gave my speech, the driver took the back roads. We could have traveled via interstate and made our trip a bit quicker.  Had we done that, we would have missed out on a tour through rural Vermont. We would have also missed  hearing some history about this great state.  Today on a bike ride in the rural area surrounding this beautiful place, I saw some incredible scenes and even met a few locals. The road less traveled was paved for me. How about you?

4. Live like you’re dying. Yesterday I met a retired physican. He is 57 years old and has esophageal cancer (which isn’t a cancer you want to have if you have to have cancer). I met Bob and his wife in the healthclub here at the Basin Harbor Club. He exercises everyday and lives an active life.  He bikes, kayaks, explores lakes, rivers and oceans by boat. Over a five year period, he and his wife canoed over 8000 miles across North America. He’s recently taken up golf.  He told me that he wasn’t afraid of death but he wasn’t going to let statistics ruin the life he had left to live. Today is the best someday to start living, particularly IF you feel like you aren’t living now.  

5. Breathe. That’s one reason I am here. To soak in the beautiful mountains and lakes of Vermont. I know there are three things that fuel me: 1) Time with my wife without our kids 2) Tim Time - taking time alone to renew, revitalize, and recreate and 3) Breathing - slowing down and smelling the roses. There’s a sign here at the resort that says “Slow Down and relax”. Nuff said. I’m off for a walk around the lake and back to my cabin on Lake Champlain. 

Note: This post title was inspired by a coment posted by a reader on my post about the Last Lecture.  He recommended I find out about Jill Bolte Taylor and her book My Stroke of Insight. Sounds like a good read. 

 Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund and co-founder of the Jeffrey Roth Cycling Foundation. Click here for more information on professional speaker Tim Richardson.