Happy LABOR Day!

Ever since we started this blog last May, we have repeatedly talked about the importance of taking baby steps. Who cares how long it takes you to become more active to a point where you can definitely notice the difference? I am not likely to ever compete with the uber athletes that support me. Nor am I trying to. I am competing with one person…ME! Every day is a little better and for someone who is terminally impatient, I have learned to take one day at a time and enjoy every little success. I have also learned the importance of realizing my limits. Remember when we started this how I told you that I could barely ride a bike for a mile? Remember when I rode for about 10 miles that first time, my neighbors had to come to my driveway and pull the bike out from under me? Remember how after each ride I usually went right to the floor when I finally got into my house and had to drag myself around my house on my butt because I had a hard time standing? Yet, there was a silver lining to that. My floors were polished and clean!

The point of this you ask? Well, I am pleased to report that I have been keeping a log of my bike riding on the stationary bike and now the bike trainer in preparation for riding the MS 150 in April of 2012 with Team Inspiration Texas. Since 7/23/11, I have been able to log an amazing number of miles - 850!!!!!!! Now I am not bright enough to appreciate the significance of that, so I looked it up. By riding 850 miles, I rode my bike to St. Louis, Missouri! I can understand THAT. I constantly remind myself that I would not be here without adding a small distance to each successive attempt and finally I have learned that there are times that I just should not push myself any further. I am not at all bragging. It is my intense desire that people see that you can better yourself with a little bit of LABOR. Please take the first step and try!

Please remember that Team Inspiration Texas now has its own Facebook page. www.facebook.com/teaminspiration. We invite you to “like” us and we especially encourage you to post on our wall and tell us how you have been helped by us! You do not have to have a Facebook page to do this.

Happy LABOR Day!

Good luck, KEEP TRYING and my best,

-Trace

THE POWER OF WORDS

I have heard from a number of folks who read my last blog. I would like to follow up on it. We cannot even imagine how many words each of us speak in a day. I am often accused of talking FAR too much so multiply whatever a normal person uses by, say, 453. All too often, all of us speak without thinking of the power of the words we use. We use words that express love or joy. We also use words that cause hurt. When we hear words that hurt, distract or disappoint, the effect they have on those we speak them to can be devastating. The point is to choose your words wisely. I'd like to use one of the words that in the motto that Team Inspiration Texas has adopted for an example. Can’t (as in "Can't never did anything"). When someone tells me that I “can’t” do something because of my MS, it sets me back. I cringe when someone uses the word “loser” or when someone, out of their own sense of insecurity or paranoia uses words that undermine another person’s happiness. It is just wrong. We should strive everyday to choose words that uplift those around us. The power of our actions is exponentially greater. Our actions should be selected just as carefully.

Like so many other things that we have talked about here, you cannot imagine how using positive words and actions with those around you will come back to benefit you.

Good luck, KEEP TRYING and my best,

-Trace

DON’T BRING ME DOWN

Okay. It has been a crazy summer. First of all, I got my youngest ready to move to Austin for college and the nest is now officially empty. Despite my exterior presentation of toughness and bravado, I was a bit concerned with how I might handle things after I took him to Austin and came back to an empty house. Then I realized that it was not just an empty house. It was an empty, quiet and clean house! Being the “glass half full” kind of guy that I am, rather than miss both of my sons and get upset about not seeing them every day (cleaning up after them, doing their dishes, their laundry, etc.), I look forward to their trips home. Instead of sitting around the house moping, I take the opportunity to read and to ride my stationary bike. In fact, since July 23rd of this year, I have logged over 500 miles on that bike. This, in preparation for Team Inspiration Texas’ MS 150 experience next year. The point of this rambling is to take the opportunities that are presented to you, whatever they may be, and turn them into something positive and truly good and healthy for you.

That leads me to another topic. I do not know whether it is the obscene heat so many of us are suffering through or misalignment of the planets and stars or what, but so many of the people I deeply care about around me are being dragged down by the people around them. How truly sad that is. One of the most difficult things we face is balancing the negatives in our lives, and attempting to turn them into positives or, at the very least, turning them into a negative that can be used as a learning experience but which will not bring us down. Sometimes, when dealing with a job or relationship or health issue, we can easily be overwhelmed and allow the negativity of the people around us to drag us under. We must find a way to rise above those challenges and learn from them. We must find a way to discover the positives in our challenges. Think of the row of dominoes. Push one over and the whole line goes down. The way we deal with the personal issues in our life not only affects us but, like the dominoes, can have a ripple affect that brings down everyone around us. I am not for a moment suggesting bottling up the negatives. That is equally unhealthy. What we must do is find a way to constructively deal with the negatives in a way which does not destroy ourselves or others. I know. Easier said than done. But like we have said so many times on here, the key too this is to try and to take baby steps. When someone around me is being dragged down, I remind them to smile. There is at the very least one thing in each day that we can smile about. A song. A billboard. A child's laugh. It doesn't matter what it is. Find something.

I want to remind everyone that Team Inspiration Texas now has its own Facebook page. www.facebook.com/teaminspiration. We invite you to “like” us and we especially invite you to post on our wall and tell us how you have been helped by us!

Now that the nest is empty, you will hear from me more!

Good luck, KEEP TRYING and my best,

-Trace

TEAM INSPIRATION TEXAS HEADS TO SAIPAN!

I am so proud of the fine, selfless young men our super jocks are becoming. They all have amazing plans now that high school is over and I have to hope that their experience with Team Inspiration Texas has benefited them. One of our young men, Brandon Loughridge, is leaving Friday for Saipan, an island off the coast of China. He will spend a year as a mentor for kids, doing missionary work and teaching golf. What an amazing adventure he will be going on! I have truly been Blessed to have these young men in my life. Good luck and have fun on your incredible adventure Brandon and we look forward to your homecoming!!!

Good luck, KEEP TRYING and my best,

-Trace

IT’S YOUR TURN!

For the past year, you have listened to our ramblings without having a mechanism to tell us about you. Well, that has now changed. Team Inspiration Texas now has a Facebook URL which will allow folks with and without Facebook pages to write something on the Wall. We would love to hear YOUR story! Team Inspiration Texas is about encouraging folks with AND without MS, so please feel free to write away regardless of your condition!!! You never know how something that YOU say may reach someone else. To write your story, simple log onto www.facebook.com/teaminspiration. I hope that you will share with us and that it will, in turn, reach someone else!!!

Good luck, KEEP TRYING and my best,

-Trace

Your Legacy

We have all heard a message or at least pondered the thought of what is our legacy? At no time does this become more present than at a funeral which is where I found myself this week. This "Celebration of Life" was a bit different for me because I did not know the man personally but his wife is an avid marathoner and an active member of The Woodlands and Conroe tri groups so I have known her for years.

I think what caught my attention most was when the pastor said "What would you say at your funeral?" Think about that for a minute..... He went on to answer for the Doug (the deceased) with no doubt by saying that he would stand before us and proclaim he was a blessed man. Can each of us say the same?

As the service went on proclaiming the multi facets off his life, I thought about what I believe everyone does at some point in a funeral and that is who would be there for you? Then I brought it into the present and asked myself a better question and that is who have you been there for?

It should not take a funeral to get each of us to spend time thinking about how we can have a positive impact on others. Let's not waste the opportunity that we are each given. Life has unforeseeable and unpredictable events in it. Let's make sure we use what we have been given.

Have a great day and thank you Doug for the reminder!

Jim

IT JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER

It is with tremendous pride that I announce that Team Inspiration Texas now has its own Facebook page! Thanks to Brooklyn Bowman, we will now reach even more folks with the great hope that they will be inspired as I have. We have big plans for the MS 150 next year and our page will help attract sponsors who will work with us to inspire so many with MS and other challenges. I am overwhelmed and extremely humbled by the encouragement and support the Team has gotten since the CB&I. And I am honored that we can do things like share the super jock’s bikes with our area’s youth training to become triathletes. It amazes me that every time I turn around it seems that someone else has heard of the great work of Team Inspiration Texas and wants to become involved. Thank you all for allowing me to be a part of this amazing group!

Good luck, KEEP TRYING and my best,

-Trace