Memorial Day Plus

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	Business and Life Coaching (970) 259-4847 info@magellangj.com

Building Blocks

June, 2004
Volume 7, Issue 2

While always grateful for the holiday at the start of summer, Memorial Day is always very sobering to me. I have the honor of playing “Taps” for the Viet Nam veterans’ Memorial Day service each year here in Durango, Colorado, for the past seven years. These men remember fiercely what was lost during their generation, and also in other generations. It’s a service where those in attendance call out the names of those lost at war, and many tears are shed. After the traditional 21-gun salute, I play “Taps” as the Animas River rushes by, as life rushes by.

It set me wondering today, why we don’t honor those who have gone before more often, and with more weight. Not just soldiers, but everyone who has had impact on our lives. Funerals and other services give us some closure, so that we can look forward and carry on, but it can also be
good to occasionally pause, remember and honor people who have helped us be where we are.

As a Business and Life Coach, one of the precepts in my work with clients is that of moving forward. But perhaps one of the best ways to move forward effectively is to notice what has helped propel us forward by leaps before. Sometimes the catalyst for these leaps is a person who encouraged us or modeled for us what was possible. When I think of those people, even if they’re no longer on this earth, it also reminds me of the person I want to be. I would not want to disappoint someone who had believed in me, but rather want to surpass his or her wildest expectations. This inspires me to dig deeper for the best in me.

Who are the people in your life that you want to remember, honor and thank? If you’re lucky, many of them are still here, and you can let them know now, in the living years. For those who are gone, you can help their spirit continue in the world by telling their stories, and embodying what you most admired about them.

Try this exercise – it’s powerful. In just 30 minutes (a train commute?), write down 5-10 people who you’d like to honor. Write down each person’s name, and one sentence about how they helped your life move forward. Put an asterisk by those people who are still living. Commit to sharing that one sentence with them in the next week, in person, by phone, by
email or by letter. Commit to sharing the one sentence about those who have passed on with someone else in your life who might benefit.

Finally, write down 5 ways you think you can positively impact someone’s life this week. Commit to making each of those things happen. Maybe you’ll make someone else’s “Memorial Day List” next year by the action you take this week.

Here is an example, a portion of my list:

Those I Honor:

1. Mr. Hamel	My trumpet teacher who told me I could be a great trumpet player if I worked hard; encouraged me yet pushed me.
2. My parents	Reassured me I could be loved, no matter what.
3. Harry Reuell	My step-grandfather who fought in WWII, and made the world safer for all of us.
4. JRR Tolkien	His “Lord of the Rings” trilogy fostered a passion for reading in me at a very young age, as well as the values of friendship, courage and honor.
5. My first dog	Showed me every single day for 16 years what loyal friendship means.
6. My Aunt Mimi	Has always made me feel very special in this world.
7. Benjamin Zander	Inspires me again and again with his passion for life, music and possibility.

My Commitments for this week:

To inspire each of my coaching clients to reach deeper for the best in themselves.

To make time for the children in my neighborhood when I see them – to tell them that they’re special, and to foster their love of dogs through my two.

To hopefully touch each of your lives in a small way, through this article.

To connect with my friends in a way that makes them feel bigger, and very, very valued.

To reach out to at least two strangers that I encounter, and thus make the world a little bit friendlier.

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