Monday, August 23, 2010

Sunday is Son-Day August 22...

Hi Max!

Let's Play Ball!

Sunday is Son-Day for August 22 was exciting for me (probably more exciting for me than you). For the first time, you were going to see ME play ball. Softball is a love of mine and I've always looked forward to the day when my kid could watch me play ball. And the Sunday league games were normally at 9 and 10 - way after your bed time. But the make up games for Sunday were at 2 and 3. Perfect - and the weather was pretty nice. Warm, but not unbearable. It was great seeing you at the ballpark. At less than 2, you probably didn't get much out of it - BUT I did hear you yell Good Job Daddy! That made me smile after hitting a double against the fence. It was like you understood - and maybe at a deep level you do. :)

Love you son and cannot wait to watch you play ball - and it will happen soon.

To Your Success,

Michael

Sunday is Son-Day August 8...

Hi Max!

I've fallen a little behind with my blog updates to you. My apologies, but it is so much better just to talk to you directly - your vocabulary is REALLY improving.

Sunday, August 8: It was a guys' shopping trip! I had a special surprise for you. It was time to get you a Big Wheel! One of MY favorite toys when I was a kid was my Big Wheel. My brother, Rob (your Uncle Rob) and I rode our Big Wheels so much that we wore holds in the front plastic tires! Loved those Big Wheels - then it was time for bikes. :) You love Cars, the movie, so much (SO MUCH!) that I was just thinking, Boy, it would be great to get you a Cars Big Wheel. I did a quick Google Search and what started out as a hopeful, positive, and optimistic search turned out to be one of frustration. I really wanted to combined these two cool things - Cars plus pedal car/Big Wheel. No pedal cars branded with Cars - anywhere on the Internet. I was thinking, seriously?! So, it was time to go. In all the searches, the Radio Flyer Big Wheel continually came up and Target was the store. So, together, we headed to Target.

We found the Big Wheels and bikes aisle. I was focused on the Radio Flyer Big Wheel. It was great. It was $34 and I had a budget of $50 so we were good there. But, I worried that it was too big. The age said 3 - 7 and it just looked too big. In the cart, you were squirming a little bit so I let you out to walk around a little bit. I'm still looking at the Radio Flyer Big Wheel and looking for a smaller one when I hear a "CARS! Racecars!"
I thought, "Oh no." I turned to see you pointing at Lightning McQueen, on a box - on a box for a pedal car! I couldn't believe it. I was so focused on the Radio Flyer that I missed the box that was PERFECT! It was a three wheel pedal-car outfitted like Lightning McQueen with the horn, the sounds, and the lights just like your push car! It was PERFECT! I was so excited and happy for you and YOU were happy.


An interesting thing did happen though... we were looking at it and I had to get you off of the box to put it in the cart and when I lifted you off the box - you started to throw a fit. You were getting ready to pout and cry. I hesitated to put the box in the cart. I didn't want to encourage you to cry, pout, and throw a fit. What if we weren't getting the pedal car? How would you have acted? I really thought about not getting it - after all the stars were aligned for us to get it. Instead, I lifted it into the cart. I was going to have you walk alongside us, but you were having none of that. You looked up at me, raised your arms, and said, "Up?" I smiled, and picked you up. I lifted you over the edge of the cart and put you in the back of the cart with the new "car" so you could push the sound-makers. You were so happy. I was so happy.

What a great Sunday! What a great Son-Day!

To Your Success,

Max's Dad (Michael)

P.S. By the way, the price? $44. Ended up just under, you guessed it... $50.00. :)


Monday, August 2, 2010

Sunday is Son-Day August 1, 2010...

Hi Max!

Did we ever have a blast on Sunday (Sunday is Son-Day!)!?! You love the water, my son. It was so fun to take you to Thomas (Tony) Soetaert Park in Shawnee. We played in the sprinklers, slid down slides, ran through bubbling fountains, and took a turn in the adult pool. We even floated around the lazy river a few times. You're a fish! I can't believe how much you loved getting into the pool. We stayed the perfect amount of time as well. We got a little sun, but not sunburned and you were getting tired by the time we took this photo.

All in all, a trip to the Aquatic Center was good for both of us and we both deserved a nap afterwards. :)

Sunday is Son-Day!

To Your Success,

Max's Dad (Michael)

Sunday, August 1, 2010

you... You... YoU... YOU!

Hi Max!

This is an actual letter I wrote to a friend today. This friend has let the media get in her head. This friend is worried about the world's economy so much that it has affected her personal economy. She's knocked down and not knowing where to turn to next. She's not suicidal, but just down and out. With her permission, I am compelled to share this with you today.

"Dear friend,

Today, I want you to think about something. I can not change your life, only you can change your life... but perhaps I can change the way you look at your life. Right now, you are just feeling like you - lower case you. you are seeing the negative, you are mired in misery, and you are thinking only about yourself. your thoughts are on survival, your motivation is desperation, and your results are minimal at best. Shake it off. I've got the cure to your ills and it's easy - and it won't cost you a dime. Help someone else. Get your thoughts off yourself and help another. Then do it again. Then do it again. Help one person today. Help them across the street. Help them smile. Help them by connecting them to an influencer. Help them by introducing them to a friend. Don't reach out for a hand out. Reach your hand out to help. I promise it will help you. That's the beauty of the Generosity Generation and helping. You can't help another without helping yourself! Trust me on this. Take a moment to think of someone you could help (and that is anyone). Think of how you could help them. Then do it. Do it now. Because, you see, this is what you were meant to be. This is your Y.

Your why is what motivates You. In fact, once you discover your Y, you go from you to You. You are strong, secure, steady, and steadfast. You are loyal to yourself. You can make decisions easily and quickly because You know what makes You tick and what makes You... You. What is YOUR why? Write down these questions: Why did I choose my profession? Then write down, "What is important about _____ ?" and then ask yourself, "What is important about ______?" Give yourself some really strong alone time to find out what makes You tick. How do you want to be remembered when you die? What is your "life's slogan"? What will your epitaph be? What 12 words will go on your tombstone? A great coach can help you with this. Once You have established your Y, You begin to see the world differently. You begin to ask why not You. YoU. (o = zero = not).

So YoU? Since YoU know your Y, you see that anything that aligns with your Y should be yours. Why not YoU to get that promotion? Why not YoU to get that new subdivision? Why not YoU to get that award? Why not YoU to be successful? Why not YoU to get that girl? YoU start to see life as a world full of opportunities rather than a world full of obstacles. YoU start saying Why not me and it starts to come out like this, WHY NOT ME?!! YoU DESERVE SUCCESS. YoU DESERVE RESULTS, REWARDS, AWARDS, HAPPINESS, HOPE, BEAUTY, TALENT, INTELLIGENCE, LOVE... Why not YoU? Seriously. After continuously seeing that the fruits of your labor should come to YoU and DO come to YoU, YoU become YOU.

YOU is where the light shines so brightly that everyone is attracted to it. YOU is this beacon of beauty, this lighthouse of love that gives and gives and gives so much value that it could never be re-paid. And yet when you might have cared, might have wanted to take, might have wanted to keep score, or might have wanted to see the reciprocation, YOU doesn't care. YOU just continues to give. The light shines brighter, the love comes easier, more are attracted to YOU, YOU are attracted to YOU, YOU don't have time for pettiness, drama, or gossip. YOU have time for brilliance, excellence, ideas, and implementation. YOU have time for learning, failing, and evaluating. YOU think. YOU work. YOU help. YOU give. YOU love. YOU live.

YOU realize that YOU were born for a reason (you were born a winner, you beat millions of others to become YOU). YOU were born to serve the world and drowning in self-sabotage, participating in self-pity, gabbing the gossip, or dragging others into drama does not serve the world. Giving, loving, and LIVING your life to its fullest and most beautiful serves the world. Helping others, bringing value to others, and being a friend serves the world. Shining your light as bright as possible by filling your mind with brilliance, your heart with love, and your life with positive people serves the world. YOU is who I know. YOU is who I see. YOU is inside ready to burst out. When is now the time for YOU? NOW is the time for YOU.

you, You, YoU, YOU. How can I help YOU?

To Your Success,

Michael"


Hope you enjoyed this note.

To YOUR Success,

Max's Dad (Michael)