Month: August 2016

I got the chance to go see the movie Gleason not too long ago. The film is about a former football player who gets diagnosed with ALS (Physicist Stephen Hawking also has this, what is referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease). The diagnosis comes just before his son is born so he records videos to document his life for his son to watch.

First of all, this movie was terrific. I knew my heart strings would be pulled but I had no idea I would walk away from the movie and still think about this family days later.  Steve Gleason and his wife are so likeable and the direction of the movie was incredible. Secondly, I could not shake the idea of PERSEVERANCE after I watched the movie.

Yes, the movie was raw and gives viewers a great insight on what ALS can do to a person and how it effects their entire life. But throughout the movie he never stops fighting to live his life. There were times when he could have given up, and it would have most certainly been the easier route for him. He goes through ups and downs with his spiritual faith – anyone who has ever been seriously ill or known someone who has can relate to that.  The Gleason’s marriage is tested beyond more than a couple should have to be tested, yet his determination to preserve remained the same. He was resolved that ALS was not going to stop him. I won’t spoil the movie with too many details but by the end I was really glad I saw it.

Days after I watched Gleason the idea of perseverance dominated my thinking. Perseverance gives us a long term perspective. This life is not going to be perfect. I believe that God has started a good work in me and there will be times I have to weather the storms of life; but I know the outcome is good – and if I can persevere, stay determined, finish strong – I will see that good work finished.

Perseverance may not be something that you think about often. I definitely think about it now than I ever have before. I want to encourage you to not let things in life stop you from achieving your goals and seeing your dreams come to pass. One of my favorite quotes (hanging up in my office) is from Rick Warren. He said “Never stop learning, Never compare yourself, and Never give up.” This is what perseverance looks like to me.

So, when I want to give up, when I want to quit – I will remind myself of Gleason and perseverance, and I will not let anything stop me from living the life I want to live.

All the best…K.

https://gleasonmovie.com/

P.S. the movie has some mature content in it so I do not recommend it for younger viewers. 😉

Call me crazy but I try to give people the benefit of the doubt when it comes with to the idea of good intentions and helping others. I tend to believe that people in general set out to do good to others, to make a difference in someone else’s life, to leave a mark. I hope to think that there is a time in everyone’s life where we realize that we are not here on this plant just for ourselves but that we are a part of a giant big picture and what we do and how we treat people echoes throughout eternity. And I think a lot of people start out with great intentions…. but get overwhelmed in trying to make a difference in whatever the case may be. So more times than not… and it’s a big trend lately, people just do nothing. They would rather not get involved in someone else’s life to help them because it is just becomes too much. They don’t know what to do or say so they do and say nothing.That feeling comes when we think we have to do it all right now and it has to be life changing right now and it has to be something big right now. But that is just not the case.

Instead of feeling like you have to do it all right now, DO WHAT YOU CAN – WHERE YOU ARE – WITH WHAT YOU HAVE (Teddy Roosevelt). No one is asking you to do it all and to change the entire world – but you can change your world! You can do something wherever you are. In line at the coffee house drive thru? Pay for the order behind you. See someone struggling at the grocery store in the hot hot hot Texas heat? Take a moment of your time and offer to help. Know of a family struggling to buy school supplies for their kids? Be generous and take care of the items you can. Is someone in your family going through a difficult time? Call them and be the encouragement they need. See, you never know what action or word may give someone that extra boost to make it. You could be the encouragement they needed. You could be the light at the end of the tunnel that they are looking for. I am so grateful for the times that people stepped in to help me. The least I can do is help others in the same way. So go ahead and do that good thing you have been wanting to do! You can make a difference and leave a lasting impact!

All the best…K