Cancer Steals Life – Research Saves Lives

Which is Why I Hope You Will Join Our Team

When David answered the door, he had no idea how his life was about to change. His doctor and friend had come to tell him he had chronic myelogenous leukemia and just 3-5 years to live. Click on the screenshot and hear about David’s remarkable cancer journey.

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Even if you can’t walk with us on October 1st, you can join the Leveraging Life Stick It 2 cancer team by making a donation of any amount. It all adds up and has the potential to save lives like you just saw in that video.

The 5 “F’s” – Friends

          FAMILY                              FINANCES      

 FAITH      

FITNESS                           FRIENDS 

  

Like family, Friends play a significant role and are a key factor in the 5 F’s, and there is no doubt what influence friends will have as I move into my Next 25. In two of my previous posts The Next 25 and part one of the 5 F’s – Family there are five elements to living my life differently now based on the life lessons learned.
 
 
 

Bob Balestri © istockphoto

 As I glance in my rear-view mirror covering my First 25 years since college, I see a guy who was blessed with great friends, some where the friendships go back over 3 decades. But I also see times where had I not been too proud to ask, advice would have been given which would have or could have influenced decisions and moved me in a different direction. Also see time when my conscious led me to seek advice, yet my ego led me to those whose advice mirrored what I wanted to hear and not what I needed to be told.

One glaring area was when I was at career crossroads and opened my company The Auto Source. While most assumed my motivation was to finally have my own business, something which had been a life-long ambition, had I solicited input from a few friends who already owned businesses I might have delayed or re-thought the real motivation for opening it at that time. Truth be told, after the company I ran was sold and the staff of 60+ people I had assembled was left with no say in our/my future, opening my company was my way of never letting that happen again. Even with a good business plan, faulty motivation and misguided mission will derail most businesses.

“your windshield is bigger than your rear-view mirror for a reason”

Jim Jurica © istockphoto

Moving forward into my Next 25, my focus will emphasize listening to and acting on the advice I’m given, solicited and unsolicited. Key friends have been assembled to form my circle of influence, or as Buckhead Churchcampus Pastor Jeff Henderson calls it, a personal advisory board. His thinking for his life is that if Coca Cola, Delta, and Home Depot think highly enough to utilize a board of advisers to influence and direct the course of their businesses, wouldn’t it be prudent and wise for an individual to do that as well. 

So in the midst of my transition into the Next 25 years since college, my circle of influence is in place and they have been given permission to speak into my life. They know my faults and weaknesses, my strengths and gifts, and have permission to speak into the times where and when they see faults and weaknesses manifesting themselves in my decision making process and when gifts are not being applied.

“Where there is no guidance the people fall,
But in abundance of counselors there is victory.”

Proverbs 11:14

Ultimately, we all have a choice of who and what has influence in our lives; but for me, glances into my rear view mirror of what a lack of influence cost me combined with this Bible verse has set the course for my Next 25 Years.

I highly suggest listening to Jeff’s message, A Word From The Coach, on the power of a personal advisor board especially if you happen to be questioning your purpose in life and or what should you do with your life from this point forward. If you answered yes to either question or if something resonated from what you’ve read here at Leveraging Life, I can’t think of a better way to kick off the New Year than making the time to listen to the entire Game Plan so Your game plan will be in place for 2011!

Next up is Finances and the role it plays in the 5F’s.

~Tom

trusting God period

If you are not doing so already, you might want to subscribe to Leveraging Life. (It’s free.) That way when I update you’ll be notified via email.

 

Cancer Life Lessons

No one issued me my cancer playbook when I got the news I had cancer. But I soon found out there were plenty of cancer life lessons to learn before my treatment season began.

cancer-life-lessons

Reactions vary when you get the news cancer has entered your world but most the reaction is some form of fight or flight. Those who lean toward flight can withdrawal or move into forms of denial as it takes time to process this news. Those lean toward fight can be using it to mask their denial. Either way you most process the news fully before moving forward in a healthy way. Looking back now, I know moved into the “fight” mode too quickly and did not process how the news of my diagnosis would impact my life. I simply thought I would beat it by powering through whatever cancer through at me. So much like preparing for a big football game, I said let’s do this…Game On!

Scouting

Most football teams have scouts who learn everything there is to know about the opponent with the hope of finding weaknesses that can be exploited. Research was my way of scouting merkel cell cancer (mcc), unfortunately there is little published about this relatively new type of cancer, and there is even less focus by the cancer community from an awareness and funding perspective due to the low number diagnosed each year. Despite the limited information, my scouting/research confirmed enough of what had already been discussed with the medical team I was assembling to move forward with my game plan of surgery, skin graft, sentinel node dissection, and 6 weeks of radiation.

 Team Meeting

Another component of my Game On involved those difficult conversations with family and friends who needed to be told. I approached those talks under the false belief, that if my attitude was positive and upbeat it might somehow lessen their concern and worry. In my eyes I did pretty well; as I had my facts together what mcc was and what the medical team planned to do about it, that was until I spoke with my brother Mike. As I was telling him the news in my best upbeat spiel, an image of my 3 nieces flashed in my mind followed by another image where I was missing their proms, graduations, and weddings. I’m not sure if he caught me starting to choke up, but I’d have to admit that was the shortest of all my Game On conversations.

Intangibles

Work was a different type of Game On, similar to a player trying to convince his coach that despite being at 80% he could still contribute to the win. For me it was important to reassure the owners of my company that I regarded this only as a bump in the road with minimal disruption at the dealership. But I knew it would open the door, and for the first time in my career, where my ability to do what they hired me to do would be evaluated not only on talent but also on availability, something I  had little say or control over.

Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast

leverage-your-life-now-andy-stanley-leadership

Most Fridays you will find a something posted here which is a favorite of mine or something recommended by a contributor to the Leveraging Life community. It’s the type of site you go back to over and over because it’s become a resource, a place you find inspiration, or just someplace you enjoy what they serve up. Give the Friday Favorite a look, read, or listen, and I hope you’ll share a few of your favorites for the rest of us as well…and who knows maybe your favorite will show up as a future Friday Favorite.

leveraging-life-now-andy-stanley-leadership-podcast

The Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast  (also can be download on iTunes)

Obviously I’m biased as Andy Stanley leads North Point Community Church and I attend North Point’s Buckhead Church Campus in Atlanta. Anyone who is part of  or is leading any type of organization regardless industry can benefit from the wisdom Andy shares each month on his podcast; “a conversation designed to help leaders grow further faster.” 

Don’t be overwhelmed by the amount of content, just dive in where you have an interest in a topic. Or if you want my recommendation can start with: Listening, Learning, and Leading. You will find so much useful information that will be of value now and in the future.

  • What and who you listen to will determine what your do.
  • Leaders are attracted to environments where their opinions are heard.
  • Leaders who refuse to listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing important to say.
  • You’re probably not the smartest person in the organization you are just the leader. 

Those were a few of my takeaways from Andy’s most recent podcast, Listening-Learning-Leading, please share what you found noteworthy in the comment section below.

~Tom

trusting God period!

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