Direct Life Coaching

Day 26: Theme Song

2012-01-27T16:10:00.001-05:00

Life is a song - sing it. Life is a game - play it. Life is a challenge - meet it. Life is a dream - realize it. Life is a sacrifice - offer it. Life is love - enjoy it. –Sai BabaHappy Day 26 everyone!!Quick, go eat something! ;) How did your fast or mini-fast go yesterday? Remember, it’s not about “not eating,” but rather noticing what thoughts and feelings we experience when removing food. The

Day 25: The Fast Lane

2012-01-26T15:04:00.001-05:00

Attachment is the great fabricator of illusions; reality can be attained only by someone who is detached. --Simone WeilHappy Day 25 everyone!!!!!How did your day go talking to someone who inspires you? I loved this day!! I got the pleasure of hanging out with an inspiring group of men that I work with, and then was able to spend the rest of the night with three people who have provided so much

Day 24: Aw Shucks!

2012-01-25T14:29:00.002-05:00

"Learning is finding out that you already know. Doing is demonstrating that you know it. Teaching is reminding others that they know just as well as you. You are all learners, doers, and teachers." --Richard BachHappy Day 24 everyone!How did the exercise go of getting to reflect and reboot three times during the day? One of my beeps came during lunch and I was able to sit there for a few moments

Day 23: Reboot

2012-01-24T13:57:00.002-05:00

Human freedom involves our capacity to pause, to choose the one response toward which we wish to throw our weight. –Rollo MayHappy Day 23 everyone!I think Rollo’s quote really captures the motivation for today’s exercise. Today is all about taking moments of pause, consciously reflecting on the previous few hours, and then intentionally choosing how to move forward with the day.Day 23: Reboot(I

Day 22: Living YES and...

2012-01-23T13:36:00.002-05:00

I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes.–E E. CummingsI imagine that yes is the only living thing. –E. E. CummingsHappy Day 22 everyone!It is amazing the quotes you can find on “yes” when you search for it. In case I was unsure of the importance of “yes,”

Day 21: Footloose

2012-01-22T12:23:00.004-05:00

There is a bit of insanity in dancing that does everybody a great deal of good. ~Edwin DenbyWe're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance. ~Japanese ProverbHappy Day 21 everyone!Today is the final day of three weeks of YES! No matter where you are on your 30 day journey – give yourself a pat on the back. If you are reading this e-mail, at the very least, you are pondering

Day 20: Wilbur!!

2012-01-21T19:23:00.002-05:00

“Silent” and “Listen” are spelled with the same letters. –UnknownHappy Day 20 everyone!How awesome is that quote – I love it! Man, that Unknown was one wise person ;)So, I just got done creating my pile of clothes to give away. Finding 10 things was not a problem, so if there are any of you who were a few items under 10, I probably have you covered. This is something I do a couple of times a year

Day 19: Another Man's Treasure...

2012-01-20T16:23:00.002-05:00

Any half-awake materialist well knows – that which you hold holds you. –Tom RobbinsHappy Day 19 everyone!Okay, I have spoken with a number of people who have gotten derailed in their 30 Days of YES. As I have said before, that is okay. And, as I mentioned at the beginning of this adventure – don’t be surprised if things try to pop up along the way that want to hinder or prevent you from achieving

Day 18: Golden

2012-01-19T14:28:00.002-05:00

All men’s miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone. –Blaise Pascal Happy Day 18 everyone! Namaste! The word translates simply into “I bow to the divine in you.” Wow, how different might our interactions be with each other if we were always bowing to the divinity in the other person – even when we don’t seem to see any showing up? Do you think this might be a worthwhile

Day 17: TCBY

2012-01-18T14:43:00.002-05:00

Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built. --RumiHappy Day 17 everyone!As Stevie Wonder sang, “I just called to say…I love you!” How did your phone a friend go yesterday? Would love to hear your inspiration and insights.Okay, there are a lot of goodies today for you in the 30 Days of YES e-mail. First…your assignment…Day 17

Day 16: Phone A Friend

2012-01-17T10:35:00.002-05:00

Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow.Don't walk behind me, I may not lead.Walk beside me and be my friend.-Albert CamusHappy Day 16 everyone!Thanks to all of you who could attend the conference call last night. For those of us on the call – it was a spirited and inspiring call. It is great to hear the depth in which all of you have approached 30 Days of YES. For the rest of you – I am

Day 15 Photo Stream

2012-01-16T23:21:00.012-05:00

Day 15: A Thousand Words...

2012-01-16T15:04:00.001-05:00

30 Days of YESDay 15Happy Day 15 everyone!Conference Call: Just a reminder, the optional conference call is schedule for tonight at 9pm, ET. Once again, here is the info:Call-in number: 1-940-287-4000Pin number: 989241If you can make it – great. If not, that is great too ;)Day 15: A Thousand Words…A picture is worth a thousand words. Your assignment today is to take a picture throughout the day

Day 14: 3 Questions

2012-01-15T12:31:00.003-05:00

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." –Winston ChurchillHappy Day 14 everyone!I had a very inspiring day yesterday corresponding with a number of you in person and over e-mail. It is a gift to me. I have also enjoyed going back and looking at all of the blog posts and reading the comments. Did you know that there are 28 haiku

Day 13: Page Turner

2012-01-14T16:05:00.001-05:00

There are no failures - just experiences and your reactions to them. –Tom KrauseHappy Day 13 everyone!Okay, how did the Random Acts of Kindness go? Start posting them. This isn’t the time to get shy ;)Day 13: Page TurnerTake at least 10-15 minutes digging into something inspirational you have never read. It could be a book that has been sitting on your shelf waiting to be opened, or an author or

Day 12: RAK On!

2012-01-13T15:04:00.003-05:00

30 Days of YESDay 12When you carry out acts of kindness you get a wonderful feeling inside. It is as though something inside your body responds and says, yes, this is how I ought to feel. –Harold KushnerWelcome to Day 12!Day 12: RAK On!: Come on – could I pass up a quote about kindness that has “yes” in it? Nope. Yes – today is Random Acts of Kindness day (RAK). As Dane Cook would say, “Have a

Day 11: Chew Your Food

2012-01-12T16:37:00.002-05:00

30 Days of YESDay 11Are you eating it? Or is it eating you?-Larry CohenHappy Day 11 everyone!Okay, how did taking the bull by the horns go for you yesterday? How are you feeling? I really want to HEAR from you all either in an e-mail back to me – or posting your experience in the blog posts or Facebook. How did it go? What did you take on? What inspiration and new insights did you discover? Share

Day 10: Takin The Bull By The Horns!

2012-01-11T13:58:00.003-05:00

30 Days of YESDay 10Hello Day 10!Can you believe it? We are breaking double-digits with our 30 day commitment – so give yourself a pat on the back for all of you hanging in there! If you have missed a day here or there – so what – get back on the YES horse!!!! Speaking of which – I would love to offer a free conference call sometime next week as a way for people to get on a call together and just

Day 9: "But What If?"

2012-01-10T19:10:00.002-05:00

30 Days of YESDay 9When a resolute young fellow steps up to the great bully, the world, and takes him boldly by the beard, he is often surprised to find it comes off in his hand, and that it was only tied on to scare away the timid adventurers.Ralph Waldo EmersonHappy Day 9 everyone!How did Day 8 go uncovering some of your fears? In my years of athletic coaching, one of the things I have

Day 8: The Only Thing We Have To Fear...

2012-01-09T15:12:00.002-05:00

30 Days of YESDay 8"Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is." --German ProverbHappy Day 8 everyone!Wow – Holy Haiku! I love it. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the wonderful poems posted in the blog thread – please check them out. All you need to do is click on the “comments” link at the bottom of the post – and it will bring up all of the poems. If you have not posted yours yet, there is

Day 7: Haiku - Bless You!

2012-01-08T17:21:00.001-05:00

30 Days of YESDay 7Thirty Days of YESInspiration is flowingJust the beginning! –Laughing YesHappy Day 7 everyone!Your assignment for today – if you choose – is to write a haiku poem based on your reflection of week 1. Have fun with this exercise! It should be fun – and give yourself about 10-15 minutes to do some reflection and listening about what you experienced and noticed from week 1. Then,

Day 6: Tree Hugging

2012-01-07T16:46:00.003-05:00

30 Days of YESDay 6All things are artificial, for nature is the art of God. –Thomas BrowneHappy Day 6 everyone!I hope everyone enjoyed the listening exercise from yesterday, and now I encourage you to take that practice in to many of the other activities we will be doing as well. For example…today…Day 6: Tree HuggingThere are so many lessons and inspiration to be found in nature – but are we

Day 5: What Did You Hear?

2012-01-06T15:58:00.002-05:00

30 Days of YESDay 5Listening looks easy, but it’s not simple. Every head is a world. –Chinese ProverbHappy Day 5 everyone!How did the physical exercise go? I hope it stretched you all (perhaps literally) into some creative activities. I was able to partake in a hip hop dance class with some friends. It is true what they say (not sure who “they” are), “You can take the kid out of Flint, but you

Day 4: Let's Get Physical

2012-01-05T17:17:00.001-05:00

30 Days of YESDay 4It is exercise alone that supports the spirits, and keeps the mind in vigor. -CiceroHappy Day 4 everyone!I am humbled by some of the response I have heard from you all and how you took to the forgiveness exercise. Wow! I have heard numerous examples of total transformation as a result of thinking compassionately about someone for the first time in a long while. I ran into a

Day 3: UR4 Given

2012-01-04T16:12:00.003-05:00

30 Days of YESDay 3Happy Day 3 everyone!Your assignment today is to open your heart and think about someone worth forgiving. Here is the video with a full explanation:Again, I recommend using a journal or notebook (for you men;) so that you can capture your ideas and reflect upon them from time to time.I want to apologize to everyone about the “test” e-mail. I was having problems with my

Day 2: Old School Gratitude

2012-01-03T14:45:00.004-05:00

30 Days of YESDay 2: Old School GratitudeHello everyone,I hope you all have enjoyed writing a letter to yourself. Now that it is written, tuck it away and don’t look at it again until after 30 days. If you wrote it on your computer, you can save the file in a calendar appointment for 30 days from now.How did that exercise feel for you? Okay, Day 2! Here we go!Remember, you determine the amount of

Day 1: Dear Me!

2012-01-02T18:22:00.003-05:00

30 Days of YES!Day 1 has arrived - it is here!For the first day, your assignment is to write a letter to yourself. Dear Travis...In this letter I want you to articulate why you decided to sign up for 30 Days of YES. You might want to think about different goals you are thinking about for the coming year, as well as some changes or transitions you are making in your life.In 30 Days - at the

30 Days of YES: Introduction

2011-12-30T23:39:00.000-05:00

Vlog: The Sun Always Rises

2011-12-22T15:41:00.006-05:00

Seasons Greetings from South Florida.Things don't always work out the way we would like, but you know what - the sun always rises. Check out my most recent vlog of how a bad day forced me to look at things from a different perspective.This is the picture I took that morning at the beach!Travis

30 Days of YES!

2011-12-22T15:33:00.004-05:00

Will you join me?January is the month of starting over - starting new! But, how often do we commit and stick with the resolutions we make as the current year comes to a close?Say YES quickly!Say YES with me, and say YES to yourself, and say YES for everyone in your life who needs you to say YES!Starting January 3rd - join me for 30 Days of YES! Each night I will post a new vlog on this site - in

Travis Vlog: No Compete Clause

2011-12-08T22:07:00.003-05:00

Happy Holidays everyone!Yes, I am still watching TED videos - and I have watched well over 100 and counting. I have not been blogging on them though because I have been focusing on my own words and my own message.So, I wanted to leave my "Goo" talk on the site for as long as I could, but I felt impelled to get a new message on the site for the holidays.Please enjoy my first in a series of vlogs -

Hanging in the Goo!

2011-10-25T23:19:00.004-04:00

Please don't judge me ;)It has been nearly a month and a half since my last blog, but that is okay. I knew that this time was going to be extremely busy, and I was conscious of the fact that my blog would need to wait for awhile.I am still going to get my 100 days of TED videos in, but it is on hold right now.In the meantime, please take a moment to watch a talk I gave at a high school recently.

TED Day 71: A letter from the Taliban

2011-08-21T15:26:00.010-04:00

On the seventy-first day of TED... This TED video is a must see - so please watch it! I have been reading the book by Philip Yancey, "What's so amazing about grace?" It was based on a recommendation from a friend, which just so happened to be the tipping point recommendation for me to finally read the book. Low and behold, it was already on my bookshelf. (Kerstyn

TED Day 70: The word lives on!

2011-08-17T21:27:00.005-04:00

On the seventieth day of TED... I have reached another (somewhat meaningless) milestone. I committed to writing blogs about 100 TED talks, and this is number 70. Seventy blogs - yikes! That is a lot of "Ideas Worth Spreading!" And yes, I have spread these ideas. Recently at a staff team-building icebreaker my boss referred to my "stupid videos." This was actually a

TED Day 69: Tribal Leadership

2011-08-10T10:21:00.003-04:00

On the sixty-ninth day of TED... I had grand plans of reading many books this summer. I only read one. Somewhere between the mayhem of a wedding, the entertaining of family and friends, and constantly corralling my three kids - all of my book time vanished. Tribal Leadership. The book had been recommended to me a half-dozen times, so I finally took note and picked it up. I am glad I did. At

TED Day 68: Embrace your 3%

2011-08-07T15:32:00.004-04:00

On the sixty-eighth day of TED...I am back. Five weeks in northern Michigan, and it went by in a flash. It started with a family reunion, then we moved on to hosting a wedding, and it ended with more friends and family stopping in to say hello. I couldn't have asked for a better five weeks.Vacation is over. Work starts again on Wednesday. It's time to blog!There is so much

Hayden + Shawn = No drama!

2011-07-23T20:07:00.005-04:00

I am still on vacation. I will get back to my TED blogs again soon - but I needed to take a moment to reflect on a beautiful wedding I was a part of last weekend here in Northern Michigan.I have been to big weddings, small weddings, destination weddings, and weird weddings (I am not naming who). Even my own wedding, as special as it was, would definitely be different if my wife and I were to do

TED Day 67: Try it for 30!

2011-07-03T21:12:00.006-04:00

On the sixty-seventh day of TED... 5 years ago I took a personal leadership course that transformed my life. Many of the things I have been writing about for the past five years is an expression of the growth and life lessons I learned, and continue to learn as a result of that course, and the subsequent courses I have taken in that program.During that course I was introduced

TED Day 66: Mental "Skillness"

2011-06-27T14:59:00.002-04:00

On the sixty-sixth day of TED... It is amazing. I have been gone almost a month without blogging, and the world didn't fall apart. I am as stunned as you are :)It has been a crazy and inspiring June. I started the month off by heading back to South Florida to perform in an improv show with the group I co-founded. We booked a show at the West Palm Beach "Improv." This was a

TED Day 65: The Right Questions!

2011-06-05T15:22:00.003-04:00

On the 65th day of TED...As an improvisational teacher, one of the things you try to encourage from beginners is avoiding questions. Questions often spring up from performers being passive, not making choices, avoiding risk, or contributing in any kind of collaborative way. It's not that questions all together are bad - it's just a matter of knowing when and how they are being used. In fact,

Let 'em Learn!

2011-06-02T21:23:00.009-04:00

Picture yourself as a high school senior and someone offers you $100,000 to follow your passion. The only catch - you can't go to college.What do you do?I mean, you need college if you're going to get a good job and be successful, right? Right?...Silicon Valley investor Peter Thiel is challenging the notion that you need college to be successful - and he is doing so by paying 24 young high school

2,000 Chocolate Bars = 1 Smile

2011-05-30T22:25:00.004-04:00

On the sixty-fourth day of TED... Want to live longer? Feel healthier? Be more successful? Recently I started eating a lot better. I have tried to cut out as many white carbs as possible - and I have tried to limit my sugar and sweets to just a couple of times a week. I have dropped about 25lbs as a result - and now I feel I have a much better handle of my sweet tooth (and

For Good!

2011-05-27T18:18:00.006-04:00

I am a man - and I watch Oprah!That's right. I have been happily married for almost 15 years, but I have been in love with Oprah even longer. Sorry Hollister ;)In all seriousness, the Oprah finale marks the end of an amazing era in television, but bigger than that, it ends an unprecedented period of change for our society. The Oprah Effect!Oprah holds a very special place in my heart. As a

Skadoosh!

2011-05-26T21:23:00.003-04:00

It's sad when I look forward to a kids film more eagerly than my own children. Well, it happens, and it happened again recently with the release of Kung Fu Panda 2. I loved the original Kung Fu Panda. In fact, if I were to watch it tonight I would still get emotionally moved at certain parts of the film. From Master Uguai, "Yesterday is history, today is a mystery, tomorrow is a gift - that is

Living "Yes And..."

2011-05-25T10:42:00.003-04:00

As hard as you might try - you just can't get someone to think and feel the way that you feel. Isn't that the source of most of our anger and frustration in the world? You so badly want someone to see things from your perspective - to be right - that when they don't...ugh...what do you do with that?I have been living this idea of "Yes and..." for the past 10+ years. It is the basis of

No Instruction Necessary

2011-05-24T00:15:00.006-04:00

I took 13 high school boys to a documentary tonight called I AM. All they knew is that they were going to a movie. I didn't tell them what the movie was, and I didn't even tell them it was a documentary. I think this was the first time many of them have been to an art house movie theater. In fact, two funny things happened. 1) One of the boys leaned back to me during the previews and asked, "When

TED Day 63: They Buy Your Why

2011-05-23T11:49:00.004-04:00

On the 63rd day of TED...I am still processing all of the inspiration and information gathered from my three days in San Francisco for WorldBlu Live 2011. It is no surprise this was a TED loving audience. In fact, there were three people in attendance who have given TED talks. You can be sure I will be highlighting and blogging there talks here in the near future. Although Simon Sinek wasn't an

Fork You!!!!!

2011-05-22T22:17:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite Jerry Seinfeld bits is when he talks about the Chinese commitment to chop sticks. As he says it, "You know they've seen the fork, but they're sticking with the chop sticks."As someone who is now trying to demonstrate mindful eating, I could make a great case for the chop sticks as a tool for doing so, but that is not really my point of this blog.We all know what it is like to

WorldBlu Live 2011

2011-05-20T11:02:00.003-04:00

Day 1 has come and gone in San Francisco. I had the best intentions of blogging for my own site last night, but I did manage to get a blog done for The ePack - and here it is:http://theepack.com/blog/index.htmIn a nutshell, if the democratic movement hasn't begun - it has now! This is my third WorldBlu Live - and each conference has been hugely inspiring. This is the first conference filled with

I AM

2011-05-16T10:10:00.004-04:00

I miss my blog.When I am gone for a day or two (or five), my fingers start to twitch, my head fills with too many ideas, and tempting thoughts start to creep in that there is so much to say, so why even say anything at all?Last week was an interesting week. I didn't intentionally take the week off from my TED blogs, but between my schedule, and not feeling well, TED took a back-seat. (Note to TED

TED Day 62: 4 Minutes with Frankl

2011-05-10T09:17:00.005-04:00

On the sixty-second day of TED...(Today's talk is 4:22)TODAY'S TALK - CLICK HEREViktor Frankl died before the creation of TED, but had he been around he would have easily been one of the first featured speakers. A survivor of the holocaust, Frankl went on to write nearly 40 books and lectured over 200 times all over the world. His work in psychiatry is often seen as the most significant

TED Day 61: Ice Ice Baby

2011-05-09T14:13:00.002-04:00

On the sixty-first day of TED... My daughter just came to me and told me she was bored. I don't know what to do with that. My wife and I are learning that letting our kids be bored is not a bad thing, and can actually lead to some interesting breakthroughs. Besides, what do you do when you are actually bored? What a perfect opportunity for new discovery!National Geographic

TED Day 60: The Perfect TED talk

2011-05-06T10:28:00.002-04:00

On the sixtieth day of TED... It is obviously just a matter of time before I give my TED talk. And, although I am an improviser and could throw a presentation together last minute, I figured I would start working on my talk now. The question is, where do I start?Luckily, Sebastian Wernicke has done the hard work me. He has broken down and evaluated all of the TED talk

TED Day 59: WorldBlu

2011-05-05T10:58:00.004-04:00

On the fifty-ninth day of TED...I am so excited to share this specific TED talk with you today! Traci Fenton called me 6 years ago to share an idea about a conference she was putting together. Traci and I went to school together, were friendly, but you really couldn't say we were friends. I had gotten to know her a bit more in the years after college as I heard a little bit about her work, and I

TED Day 58: From Trash to Treasure

2011-05-04T15:12:00.004-04:00

On the fifty-eighth day of TED... What do you do with 3,000 Hummer windshields?That is what I have thought about numerous times these past few years. I had met this guy at a friend's party who worked for a non-profit in NYC that took discarded materials and made use of them. His current challenge was figuring out a practical use for these military discarded bullet-proof

The Change You Want to See

2011-05-03T15:10:00.002-04:00

Many of you know that I also blog for the Website "The e-Pack." Yesterday, in response to the death of Bin Laden, we wanted to post a response that was less of a conclusion, but rather a "call to action!"So, take a look at my blog for the site - and let me know how you are inspired moving forward!http://theepack.blogspot.com/Thanks!Travis

TED Day 57: A Better Response

2011-05-02T17:02:00.005-04:00

On the fifty-seventh day of TED... I needed a better response, but it wasn't there. The news didn't offer it up, and sadly I wasn't finding much of it on Facebook either. I google searched, looked at peace Web sites, but I couldn't find anything that really captured the way I felt as a result of the Osama Bin Laden news.People celebrated.It's not fair for me to judge, but I

TED Day 56: Prepare for Impact

2011-04-29T12:15:00.003-04:00

On the fifty-sixth day of TED... It is difficult to have perspective, until you have had perspective. Hind-sight is 20/20 for a reason, because it is easy to access how things turned out after the fact. That is why we have talk and sports radio ;)I was talking with a friend and colleague this morning about how I thought about career and finances 15 years ago compared to how I

TED Day 55: Wrong and Loving It!

2011-04-26T11:49:00.004-04:00

On the fifty-fifth day of TED... I am a pretty insightful guy. I read a lot. I watch tons of TED talks. I have been a life coach, and attended intense workshops on self-reflection and listening. I think it is pretty safe to say that I know what I am talking about...at lease 99.9% of the time. So, if you are one of the .1 out there who disagrees with my inspired ideas - here

TED Day 54: Hole in the Wall

2011-04-25T11:36:00.003-04:00

On the fifty-forth day of TED... A friend of mine sent me a text last night, and it read, "I watched 4 TED talks tonight off of your blog. I hate you ;" That is the kind of response I have been waiting to get. I am not alone. This is addicting stuff. I got my BA degree 15 years ago, but I feel TED has given me a Master's Degree in Higher Education. The cool thing is - I pick

TED Day 53: Happy Earth Day!!

2011-04-22T11:53:00.004-04:00

On the fifty-third day of TED... My wife and I took a HUGE leap. We trusted our children.In fact, every day we are face to face with this deep philosophical decision: Our children know best.It is scary, frightening, terrifying. Growing up in a religion where I was often the only kid in the school who had my religious beliefs was difficult, but I grew comfortable with it. Now,

TED Day 52: Empathy is Everything

2011-04-19T14:26:00.005-04:00

On the fifty-second day of TED... I am probably at my worst when I have noticed that I am no longer listening, nor do I care, about the other side of the story. The temptation to go there happens all of the time. It happens with my own three kids - who individually have their own desires and agenda. It happens with the high school boys I take care of - who come from different

TED Day 51: Is It Broken?

2011-04-18T10:50:00.004-04:00

On the fifty-first day of TED...http://www.ted.com/talks/seth_godin_this_is_broken_1.htmlAll of us come across things that just don't make sense. The funny thing is, that after awhile, we just end up accepting them as a normal part of our lives and forget that it never made sense to begin with. The stupid and senseless, over time, can become the normal, expected, and accepted.Off the top of my

TED Day 50: My Play-Doh Didn't Do That!

2011-04-15T10:16:00.004-04:00

On the fiftieth day of TED... 50 TED talks - 50 blogs! If someone writes a blog and no one reads it - does it count? Who cares. This is for me. This is my commitment - and guess what - I am halfway there. It is pretty awesome when I think about the fact that I have watched over 50 interesting TED talks. On average, let's say each talk is 10 minutes long - which means roughly

TED Day 49: Limitless

2011-04-14T13:26:00.005-04:00

On the forty-ninth day of TED... I recently watched a video of former Major League Baseball pitcher - and Olympic Gold Medalist - Jim Abbott. Jim was an amazing athlete, excelled at the highest level, and was only born with one arm.I grew up in Jim's hometown of Flint, MI. I played soccer with his younger brother. The Abbott family is still highly respected in the

TED Day 48: Big History

2011-04-13T10:12:00.003-04:00

On the forty-eighth day of TED... You know...TED contacted me about doing this presentation on Big History, but I thought I would throw David Christian a bone and give him a little attention. I think he did a pretty good job - take a look.If you have any further questions on the presentation, I would be happy to answer them ;)Travis

TED Day 47: Inspired or Stupid?

2011-04-12T12:01:00.004-04:00

On the forty-seventh day of TED... I am 47 days into watching and blogging on TED videos. What am I accomplishing? One of the high school boys that I work with came up to me last night and said, "I don't get it. You watch a talk, and then blog about it. Why?"So, as you can see, I haven't really achieved critical mass yet. It's not a good sign when 1) People don't read your

TED Day 46: Leadership Through Learning

2011-04-11T11:51:00.003-04:00

On the forty-sixth day of TED... We love to refer to leadership using military analogies. The CEO needs to "steer the ship!" The quarterback needs to "lead the troops!" We use terms like "having each others back," and "going into battle." Stanley McChrystal is allowed to use those terms, because when he says them - they are literal. A four-star general spanning many decades,

TED Day 45: What are you hiding?

2011-04-10T18:52:00.005-04:00

On the forty-fifth day of TED...This is the first time that I have decided to highlight the same blog two days in a row. Now, I know what you think...I am being lazy! But actually, it is because I feel Morgan's message of transparency is so important to highlight. In my last blog I focused on the idea of knowing your individual brand, but it is his other message of companies being transparent

TED Day 44: What is your brand?

2011-04-07T16:21:00.003-04:00

On the forty-fourth day of TED... (Today's hunger satisfying blog is brought to you by Chipotle.)Morgan Spurlock got my attention a few years ago with his entertaining and controversial film "Supersize Me." Since then he has continued to do projects and films that expose social issues that often get swept under the rug. So, with his new film, what better issue to take on than

TED Day 43: Com-pass-ion!

2011-04-06T08:50:00.003-04:00

On the forty-third day of TED... Chade-Meng Tan is the "Jolly Good Fellow" at Google. In addition to being an innovator in technology and engineering, Google has allowed their pioneering spirit to translate into the company culture as well. Allowing employees the freedom and autonomy to create, to problem solve, TO BE HUMAN - has allowed Google to produce amazing programs -

TED Day 42: Connection

2011-04-05T10:46:00.005-04:00

On the forty-second day of TED... Eric Whitacre was looking for cute girls and a free trip to Mexico - and in the process became one of the most respected conductor's in the world. Kind of sounds like a great lead-in for a movie, doesn't it?I am begging you to take the time and watch today's TED video with Eric. You will be moved at the creativity and scope of his virtual

TED Day 41: Look Mom - No Hands!

2011-04-04T10:58:00.004-04:00

On the forty-first day of TED... Sebastian Thrun lost his best friend to a car accident when he was 18 years-old. Like so many people passionately driven to improve the world, this was the event that inspired Sebastian into his life-long pursuit. His goal: Save 1 Million People a Year From Car Fatalities.To date, he has not achieved this goal. I have a feeling he is getting

TED Day 40: Living YES

2011-04-01T11:04:00.006-04:00

On the fortieth day of TED... 40 blogs in about 50 days. Not bad. It also means I have watched over 40 TED videos in these 50 days and feel totally enriched as a result. Not a day goes by that I don't recommend a TED video to someone based on a conversation we are having. Bottom line - whether I am or not - TED videos make me feel smarter. School never did that ;)It's Friday,

TED Day 39: Iron Man

2011-03-31T21:31:00.003-04:00

On the thirty-ninth day of TED... To me, technology, at it's core, should be about innovation and improving the day-to-day lives of man. Too often it seems that the usefulness of technology is overshadowed purely by the entertainment and frivolous advantages it provides. And of course, there have been horrible advancements that have taken place in the spirit of technology -

TED Day 38: Two Choices

2011-03-30T10:45:00.004-04:00

On the thirty-eighth day of TED...You get two options today. I found two interesting videos, and instead of choosing one, I am posting them both. Patricia Ryan is a long time English teacher in India. She has seen over the span of her lifetime that our global obsession with the English language is actually holding many people back - and becoming a barrier that keeps many people back. In addition,

TED Day 37: A River Runs Through It

2011-03-29T09:36:00.004-04:00

On the thirty-seventh day of TED... For a few years now I have been intrigued by the green energy movement, and in particular, green markets that are being created to incentivize environmental responsibility. As we have seen for the past 100 years or so, big business left to their own devices don't necessarily give back to the environment and resources that they so liberally

TED Day 36: In Your Flow

2011-03-27T13:28:00.005-04:00

On the twenty-sixth day of TED... I currently struggle with singing. For those of you who know me, this is probably an understatement. I use the word "currently," because I believe singing, like any other activity, can be improved. I have taken singing lessons in the past, and at some point I would like to do it again. If I could grant myself one talent to have instantly - it

TED Day 35: Save the Shoes

2011-03-27T12:38:00.003-04:00

On the thirty-fifth day of TED... Okay, it has been a few weeks since my last post. I have been on Spring Break touring a new country: Texas!It has been a great time with my wife and kids seeing some new parts of the state I have never seen. We visited family, friends, and ate the best Tex-Mex in the world. I got to see the Alamo, witness why Austin is weird, smell the Old

TED Day 34: From "Ga-ga" to "Water"

2011-03-11T07:31:00.002-05:00

On the thirty-fourth day of TED... Deb Roy must have an understanding wife. There is something about the privacy of your own home that feels safe, especially when it comes to parenting. Yes, it is often where some of the greatest moments of your life happen with you and your children, but there is also behavior that you hope is never seen outside your house. In other words, "

TED Day 33: The Wrath of Khan

2011-03-10T10:14:00.005-05:00

On the thirty-third day of TED... You know, it probably means something when Bill Gates stands besides you and says, "I think we have seen the future of education." This, from a man who has dedicated his past 10+ years to transforming the educational system. I think he is right!Technology at its best is about improving our quality of life. When you are able to improve an

TED Day 32: See a need - fill a need

2011-03-09T16:56:00.003-05:00

On the thirty-second day of TED... Watching these TED videos gives me a different reason each day of why I love them so much. Today's talk with John La Grou is a prime example that when you take someone with a big idea, and give them an audience, change can happen. It is also proof that there are endless solutions to all of our everyday problems. There are people out there

TED Day 31: The Whistleblower

2011-03-08T08:36:00.004-05:00

On the thirty-first day of TED... It started as a practical joke. Gert Chatrou didn't know how to stop whistling. His father whistled, so as a kid, Gert grew up whistling. For him, it was a normal part of his communication, even when it annoyed everyone else around him. The tipping point came one Christmas at a holiday party when Gert wouldn't stop adding his own whistle

TED Day 30: Real Winning

2011-03-07T14:47:00.003-05:00

On the thirtieth day of TED... Thanks to Charlie Sheen, I think the word "winning" needs to be reclaimed, and I can't think of a better person than Wael Ghonim and his TED talk on the Egyptian Revolution to bring the word back!How did the Revolution really go down?Was it one person, one method, one cause, or one goal? No. It was none of those, or maybe it was all of

TED Day 29: World Changing Art

2011-03-04T16:16:00.004-05:00

On the twenty-ninth day of TED... I got to go into two classrooms today and talk about "voice." By voice, I mean the individual expression we all have inside, and the need for us to express that authenticity with the world - in whatever way feels best to us. It is great to work with high school students, knowing the potential and enthusiasm in each of them, but it is also

TED Day 28: What do you see?

2011-03-03T12:43:00.005-05:00

On the twenty-eighth day of TED... I have always loved optical illusions. Besides being very entertaining to look at, they have always held a deeper meaning. If we can be tricked right before our eyes, how do we know we can always trust what we see...or what we think we see? The answer is, we can't. I think a big part of the allure of spirituality is the faith that goes into

TED Day 27: Raising Entrepreneurs

2011-03-02T15:48:00.004-05:00

On the twenty-seventh day of TED... It has finally begun! I was hoping that my commitment to sharing TED videos with you would lead you to start sharing TED videos with me. It has happened! Yesterday's blog about poetry inspired my friend to send a TED video to me today, and one that I have not seen. And might I say - it is an awesome TED talk!Cameron Herold is an

TED 26: A New Model

2011-03-01T15:02:00.002-05:00

On the twenty-sixth day of TED... I am pretty passionate about education. Without getting into my own personal beliefs too much, I don't think the current model is working. There is just too much evidence, let alone common sense, that proves that the generally accepted method is at best flawed. In fact, all you need to do is talk to a parent and you will find out what is not

TED Day 25: Your Voice

2011-02-28T15:18:00.004-05:00

On the twenty-fifth day of TED... I am going into a few English classes this week to do a workshop on creativity. The classes have been introduced to poetry, and in the coming weeks they will be crafting their own writing. I am thinking about what I am going to offer to the students. I am a writer, but I would not call myself a poet. I have written poems, but unless they are

TED Day 24: Pinheads

2011-02-25T16:30:00.003-05:00

On the twenty-fourth day of TED... As I have shared before, mastery comes in many forms, and today's TED presentation is no different. The Raspyni Brothers are world juggling champions, and one can only imagine how much time it takes to become a world champion of anything?I often think about people who attain world champion status, and wonder how many times during their life

Ted Day 23: Where are the Virgins?

2011-02-24T16:29:00.004-05:00

On the twenty-third day of TED... I must admit, this is by far my favorite title of all the blogs yet? I think I could not blog at all, just leave the title, and you will probably watch the chat. But, the blog must go on. Lesley Hazleton gives a talk on a subject I have been curious about for years, but have never put the time into researching: the Koran. Thanks Lesley.She

TED Day 22: Enough is Enough

2011-02-23T10:45:00.002-05:00

On the twenty-second day of TED..I noticed that one person is now following my blogs! Awesome...being 22 days in...that means by the time I get to 100 blogs I could potentially have close to 5 people following me. Yahtzee!http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_changing_education_paradigms.htmlI digress. It takes a special person to be invited to do a TED talk, so I am not sure what you need to be

TED Day 21: Think for Yourself

2011-02-22T10:28:00.003-05:00

On the twenty-first day of TED... "The time for thinkers has come." With this statement, Mary Baker Eddy started her seminal work on spirituality over 130 years ago. She was challenging health, religion, and spirituality - and taking on the accepted tradition, leadership, and experts of the day.Last November I attended a talk in Baltimore by a former Yale professor who also

TED Day 20: The Stories We Tell

2011-02-21T09:18:00.004-05:00

On the twentieth day of TED... I wasn't sure where I wanted to go today on my TED adventure, so I clicked on the "jaw-dropping" category on the TED site, because who wouldn't want to have their jaw dropped on a Monday morning?Jonathan Harris' talk stood out to me. He is an artist and computer scientist who uses the Internet to tell and connect stories of the human condition.

TED Day 19: "Saints of Somalia"

2011-02-18T10:51:00.004-05:00

On the nineteenth day of TED... It's Friday, and I was thinking about featuring a TED talk with a little more fun and frivolity to it...because...you know...it's the weekend. But, on the TED homepage, this one talk has been evading me all week, and I just couldn't ignore it any longer.Doctor Hawa Abdi and her daughter Deqo Mohamed manage a medical clinic in Somalia. They live

TED Day 18: Meshing

2011-02-17T20:26:00.003-05:00

On the eighteenth day of TED... Like many people, my wife and I made many adjustments due to the economic downturn of the past few years. One of the major areas has been in the realm of "stuff." Now, I don't want to pretend that I have turned into a gypsy who walks the planet in one outfit without any material possessions (is that even what a gypsy does?) - but my wife and I

TED Day 17: Total Immersion

2011-02-16T16:21:00.003-05:00

On the seventeenth day of TED... There are few things that move me more than talking about passion and purpose. I read books on it, attend workshops and conferences, and I obviously decided to life-coach, which for me is all about allowing people to connect with their inherent purpose and passion.There is not much I need to say about Jacqueline Novogratz's talk on total

TED Day 16: The Balancing Act

2011-02-15T14:25:00.004-05:00

On the sixteenth day of TED... Have you ever stopped to wonder why we have big buildings where everyone leaves their homes, commutes sometimes long distances, and then sits in divided cubicles for hours upon hours - and then get back in our cars, commute home, spend a few hours with the most important people in our lives - and then get up the next morning and do it again?Yeah

TED Day 15: Compassion in Action!

2011-02-14T15:52:00.004-05:00

On the fifteenth day of TED... Wouldn't it be great if we could tweak the promotion Valentine's Day so that it lost its romantic/relationship focus, and instead just became a day where people went out of their way to be loving and compassionate?I know many of you already do. Working at a school with high school boys, where hormones run wild in thinking of the opposite sex, I

TED Day 14: Fear if your Friend

2011-02-11T15:36:00.002-05:00

On the fourteenth day of TED... I was recently talking to a friend who told me that he was for the first time in his life really going at his fears, and understanding that there was a tremendous amount of growth to be found behind those fears. This is easier said than done. Most of us are programmed to run as far away from your fears as possible, and then do everything we can