MOTOR…being uncommon

4.0 in both undergraduate and graduate school….that was my GPA. When people find that out, they frequently say, “You must be smart.” My response has always been: “Not so much, just dedicated.” (My-blog-reading-peeps, I’m not just being modest. I really mean it. Although I try to keep this pretty top-secret because I feel like I’m frequently surrounded by a lot of smart people, I submit to you Exhibit A: my 18 on the ACT. That’s like the equivalent of a C. I’m average.)

I truly think that we can do amazing things out of pure determination. Does innate talent play a role? Does opportunity? Absolutely. I’m always amazed by those people who are just gifted at something….just b/c it’s in them. However, not all things great come so easily or just happen. Determination, endurance, dedication,  uncommon effort and other positive character traits can also be key ingredients to great things. That’s the reason I’m drawn to the Andy Dufresne character in Shawshank Redemption. That’s the reason I like the movie, Rudy. It’s the reason I’m watching the OU Sooner’s walk-on running back, Dominique Whaley, who broke an OU walk-on record with his four touchdowns in their season opener.   It’s the reason I love reading and studying about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other influencer of the Civil Rights Movement. I admire those who face something difficult yet overcome because of character. I admire people who set goals and work beyond measure to reach them. I admire those who make change step by step. MOTOR is a organization that admires those things, too.

MOTOR is still in its pilot stage, and was started by a football coach, Tom Reber. It’s based on a concept sometimes used in football. I’ve never played football. However, I’ve been to a few football games, I’m from a football lovin’ state (Go Sooners!), and I do love a good football movie (e.g., the previously mentioned-Rudy, Remember the Titans, Radio, The Blind Side, etc). So, maybe, that’s the reason I like the concept. I really like that MOTOR-ing can be applied to so many different goals from a physical/sports type goal to a career/academic/knowledge goal to a spiritual goal to an emotional well-being goal. It’s about pushing through those obstacles that might seem impossible but yet if worked on consistently can be taken down. It’s about a stream of water carving out a canyon. It’s about going from nothing to something wonderful because of what you’re willing to put in it. What is great is we all have that potential. We might need others to help us MOTOR at certain times in our lives…to cheer us on…to coach us…to lend us wisdom from their experiences, but it’s something we all can do.

What are you MOTORing for?

Triple Threat Mentoring

 

I love when people are willing to sew into the lives of others, spurring them on to the greatness that might be hidden but is there within them. Empowerment is a an amazing gift. It can pivot a life from what feels static and just drifting to one that feels dynamic and destined for greatness. Triple Threat Mentoring aims to do just that.

Triple Threat is a non-profit located in Chicago and Aurora, IL. They focus on mentoring in three different areas: Athletics, Academics and Arts. They strive ‘to help urban youth realize their potential, to inspire high school and college students to develop a passion for serving under-resourced communities and to encourage adults to become personally involved in urban community development.’  In short, they engage and empower. They engage and empower lives of urban youth, but they also engage and empower volunteers, schools, organizations and communities to take that journey with them. It’s an art of positive influence, and I’m inspired by that.

We all need people in our lives that recognize our strengths. We need those people that can see, and help us see, beyond our current circumstances to what can be. We need those people in our lives that will expect great things from us….push us, encourage us, believe in us, celebrate us, mentor us. We also need to be that person for someone else. Our gifts and dreams are important to the world. It’s important we share them.

 “Get a good education. Decide what you want to do. Whatever you like to do best is exactly the thing you are fitted for . . . be diligent and decent . . . don’t begrudge the fact that you have to work for what you get. The greatest rewards in living come from living outside and beyond one’s self . . . the greatest qualities a man can have are simplicity and humility.” -Judge Alfred P. Murrah

E.S.T.E.A.M.

Up next: E.S.T.E.A.M. and founder Dawn Schiller. Nothing is more inspiring to me than a life of past pain and confusion created into something beautiful…a life into a dynamic, developing piece of art. Life is just hard and sometimes simply difficult to survive. Some people have been or are in horrible life-situations in which no one should have to be. However, past pain can point to a place of purpose in life. It allows us a unique experience from which we can speak into other’s circumstances…that’s when the beauty and artistry begin to occur. Dawn gets that.

 She allows her past full of pain, abuse, mistakes, hurt and the seemingly impossible-to-survive moments as a “throwaway teen” to become a life designed for something beyond herself. The Road Through Wonderland is a portion of her story. However, the story really doesn’t end at the last page of her book…it continues. In fact, it’s the part of the story I love the most; it’s the life art that I’m watching and admiring. Dawn has leveraged and not wasted those very difficult life moments. All the insight, all the character, all the spirit of survival, and all the other gains are being used as a voice for the voices of  other throwaway teens that are often judged but go unheard…unnoticed…unvalued. Dawn speaks nationwide and pours herself into E.S.T.E.A.M., a non-profit raising awareness and education about throwaway teens that are still journeying through their painful moments. She knows that there is value in the broken. She knows the value of a second chance and the true beauty of grace in unexpected places. She knows what a small glimmer of hope…of love can mean to someone completely surrounded by darkness. She has experienced it, and she extends it.

My soundtrack for writing this post: Shuree’s ‘Broken is Beautiful.’ Here’s a behind the music video: