When you encounter a life-altering event, others are always eager to advise you when it’s time to move on. At the time of my injury in 1987, I wanted to get semi-serious about cycling. I’d purchased what, at the time, was a decent road bike. Twenty-seven years passed, and that bike sat in a few […]
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Is A Gift Always A Gift?
What happens when you give a no-strings-attached gift and the person to whom you gave it takes advantage of you by misusing the gift? Okay, that’s kind of convoluted. Let’s break it down. First, let’s define “gift.” In its purest form, a gift is offered with no strings attached. For example, we send flowers to […]
Continue readingMore TagHow Do Diverse Teams Work?
Last week we talked about the mysterious process of Gathering A Team. Some people believe it’s possible to manipulate the process and manage the results. I disagree. I think the best you can do is create the right environment and enjoy what happens. We begin with a shared purpose. We’re riding our bikes 500 miles […]
Continue readingMore TagHow To Avoid Being Overwhelmed By Big Numbers
Ever feel like you’re engaging in futility? My friend Mike and I talked last week about 25 kids at the HOME OF HOPE and the enormity of the human trafficking issue. The numbers alone can be staggering—nearly thirty million humans living in modern-day slavery, more than 100,000 U.S children trafficked into prostitution every year, second-largest […]
Continue readingMore TagGathering A Team
A team is a curious thing. I’m working these days on routes and presentations and lots of other stuff that will involve our team on FRONT RANGE FREEDOM TOUR ’14. It’s curious to think about twelve individual riders and two SAG drivers, while realizing that I’m planning for this other entity called a team that […]
Continue readingMore TagA Team And Miles Of Love
We’ve got our team! Twelve cyclists and two full-time support drivers will make the 500-mile trip together from Cheyenne to Raton Pass. It’s gonna be a blast! I’m anxious to tell you more about these committed folks and all the other people who will help us accomplish our mission. Today I want to let you […]
Continue readingMore TagGuys And Tools And Service
I get to do some of the coolest stuff, mostly just by hanging around amazing people like you. A while back a few of you took me up on my Offer You Can’t Refuse to sponsor a guy from Harvest Farm on the one-day ride as part of FRONT RANGE FREEDOM TOUR ’14. Over the […]
Continue readingMore TagIs It Supposed To Be Easy?
My friend Paul and I talked a while back about the benefits of a bike adventure combined with advocating for a social justice cause. We shared stories of riders who exceeded everyone’s expectations because they were riding for something bigger than themselves. I said I wish everyone could have that sort of experience and sometimes […]
Continue readingMore TagCan Weakness Be An Advantage?
“Your injury gives you an unfair advantage.” People actually say this to me. I get their point. Somehow they think it’s easy to sell books and land speaking gigs because I have this inspirational story to write and speak about. Frankly I haven’t always reacted well. I don’t say it out loud, but internally I’m […]
Continue readingMore TagYou Can’t Follow Dreams From A Rocking Chair
I’ve heard a lot of people talking lately about wanting to run a marathon. I think it’s a response to last year’s Boston Marathon bombing. People want to be part of BOSTON STRONG. However, I suspect most of them would like to have run a marathon while few would actually want to run one. It’s […]
Continue readingMore TagWhen We Do Our Training Matters
When do you train? For most folks, training occurs later—which is the same as never. I’ll train when I have time, when the kids are older, when the job slows down. But later is a place in Fantasyland rather than a spot on the journey of life. Some folks trained a while back. They got […]
Continue readingMore TagWhat If I Want To Fly?
What should you do with an impossible dream? A while back I spoke to about six hundred middle school kids—at an all-school assembly at the end of the day on Friday. Not sure if that’s brave or crazy. The kids were great. I encouraged them to dream big dreams and believe they can accomplish remarkable things. […]
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