FRIENDS

I have been so fortunate to have been Blessed with so many TRUE friends. You know – people who stay with you through the good and the bad. People who expect nothing from you except for your friendship in return. People who you might not talk to for years and then, when you do, you feel like you spent time with them yesterday. You do not get to keep your friends just because you made them years ago. You have to earn your friendships every day. That is a privilege. My friendships have given me the strength to continue to fight and beat MS. This goes hand in hand with the positivity that we have talked about for years. Chose to be around people that lift you up and do not tear you down. As hard as it may be, remove people from your life that are not real, true, genuine friends or limit your exposure to them to the extent that you can. It truly makes a huge difference. KEEP DREAMING OUT LOUD- -Trace

LIMITATIONS

Wednesday nights in the Spring and Fall are my favorite nights of the week. I get to kayak Lake Conroe during the FSR IronMan practice swim. It gives me time to think and reflect in an amazing setting. Last night I was thinking about a movie. I love the movie The Internship with Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. There is a line in it that we should all apply to our lives. “If you fight for your limitations, you get to keep them.” True, huh?! One of my best friends just took an incredible new job. He got out of school about 4 years ago, has been recruited heavily to various jobs, each time better than the previous one. Compared to the job he began in, in four short years he has now exceeded it many times in terms of salary, prestige of firms and responsibility, making a path for himself for a meteoric future. He refuses to fight for his limitations. Had he stayed with his original employer, he surely would have withered on the vine as that firm is now doing. Shouldn’t we all handle MS or really any of life’s challenges that way? Don’t fight for our limitations. Fight to leave them behind. Fight to better ourselves in every aspect that we possibly can. Fight for a better life. Good to talk to you again and KEEP DREAMING OUT LOUD! -Trace

NEVER STOP TRYING

Okay boys and girls. It has been a really long time since I posted anything. I have always tried not to just say the same old things as I have said before and, well, I have been kind of stale. In the last year with that crazy thing called life, I have not been working out as much as I had been. As much as I should. As much as I MUST. Shame on me, right? Well, I am happy to report that I am back to it and there has been a vast improvement already. I would love to say that this has been some kind of carefully planned experiment, but that would be a lie. But enough about me … kind of. Last night I was once again given the invaluable opportunity by Tom Gonzalez and Biogen Idec to speak to a group of MS patients and their families. The people that I meet and hopefully encourage at these talks is truly mind boggling. Last night was no different. I was Blessed to spend a great deal of time with a man whose wife not only has MS, but who recently underwent a quadruple bypass. He was desperate to help her get more active and more healthy. She is confined to a wheelchair … right now. Through our conversations of her dreams, she wants to get out of the wheelchair. We talked about the extremely small steps that she needs to take and the fact that it just does not matter how long it takes to achieve her dreams. She wins, she beats her MS by trying … EVERY DAY. Earth to Trace! Last night was so important to me. I have been slacking. Without an excuse. Last night removed my excuse to have a pity party for myself and get my butt back to work. Sometimes we do not even have to look very hard to be reminded that there is always someone with a greater obstacle to overcome than us. If they are willing to try, shouldn’t we?! Get rid of your excuses and, KEEP DREAMING OUT LOUD! -Trace

THE IMPORTANCE OF VITAMINS/SUPPLEMENTS

We have previously talked about things that I have found that help me. We have not talked a lot about nutrition or vitamins/supplements. That is because that is one area that I have been significantly poor at understanding. Until now. I wanted to tell you about some new supplements that I have found that are really making a difference for me. Before the triathlon, I tried to take supplements and vitamins that were pure and that would help. Well, many of the things that I was taking really did not help or were not pure. Jim and another friend have recently started taking AdvoCare supplements as a part of their crazy Ironman and running training. Before changing from the many products he had used for years in his Ironman training, Jim spent the time necessary to do extensive research on the AdvoCare line. He has noticed a HUGE difference so I started taking them. HOLY COW! Gone are the days where I had a hard time keeping my eyes open after 8! I strongly suggest that you give them a try. I found that they have made such a huge difference to me that I became a distributor to get my own products at a discount. You may wish to consider doing the same but regardless, give them a try and see if they help you! You can check them out at www.advocare.com. I take Coreplex (a multivitamin/mineral supplement) Probiotic Restore Ultra and Immuno Guard. I also drink 2 to 3 Sparks (an energy drink) a day. Most products nowadays have many artificial fillers with high levels of sugar in them and most people do not know what they are actually putting into their bodies. With AdvoCare, you get the highest quality products and don’t have to wonder about what’s going in your body. With 20 years of focus on wellness, lifestyle, scientific excellence and exemplary standards, AdvoCare has created pure supplements that have made a difference to many folks seeking a healthier lifestyle, weight loss, athletes and even those suffering illnesses like Multiple Sclerosis and Autism. What got my attention was the endorsement of really major athletes and Olympians but what impressed me was when I experienced the personal improvement. Check out the website (www.AdvoCare.com). It is pretty amazing. Part of becoming healthier is monitoring what you put in your body. We all should be taking at the very least a good multivitamin. Go to the web site and check out all the products! If you decide you want to try some products, go to “contact a distributor” then “I already know a distributor” and enter distributor code “130640525”. My goal is to help others and when I find something that makes a difference I need to let you know. KEEP DREAMING OUT LOUD! -Trace

JUST MOVE AND GET OUT OF THE WAY

I was once again honored and humbled to be asked by Brooke McKinney, Tom Gonzalez’s teammate at Biogen Idec, to speak at a PEP event in San Antonio, Texas, last night. PEP stands for Patient EMPOWERMENT Program. What an awesome name! AND what a huge responsibility for the speaker! I am happy to report that when asked, EVERY person in the room became empowered when they shared their dream out loud with someone else and started their own amazing journey. And after the program, so many folks inspired me as they shared their dreams with me on the way out. What an incredible night. Mission: Empowerment. Mission SO accomplished! On the trip back home, I reflected on the incredible events of the last three years. Why have I been so crazily Blessed? The answer slapped me across the face ... hard. Because I just moved and got out of the way and let things happen. I am not saying that you should not plan for your future or plan your life. Just be prepared to go off-road, throw away the map, and re-plot your course when a phenomenal opportunity presents itself. As we have said on here: Do not regret yesterday. Learn from it. Do not over plan tomorrow. If you do either, you miss the beauty that is today. Oh. And KEEP DREAMING OUT LOUD! -Trace

IT AIN’T ALWAYS PURTY

Over the last couple of months, some things have happened to keep me humble. That is a good thing. I went to Galveston to watch Jim and some other friends compete in a half IronMan competition. However, I was not smart about how I did it. Despite the fact that I knew that it would be hot and sunny eventually, I wore black. I did not stay hydrated because I did not want to have to constantly find and walk to a bathroom. To make a long story short, I ended up in the medical tent after getting overheated. Then a couple of weeks later, I went with Dorie Brannigan (Because We Can Ron Brannigan’s wife) and rode around LaGrange in a golf cart at the halfway point of the MS 150 shaking hands and kissing babies. (I knew I was okay because I did not confuse it and shake babies and kiss hands!) I woke up at 4 in the morning Saturday and had an awesome day, shocking myself that I did not crater at all during the very active day. We went to the finish line in Austin on Sunday. I had not slept well the night before in a tent in LaGrange. Again, I did not properly hydrate or eat. I was just fine in Austin. Really, I was. Until noon. Then I cratered in a big bad ugly way. Last weekend, though, I was smart. Jim, Scott and I participated in the Cinco de Miler 5 mile run in Dallas. Well, Jim and Scott did. I rode for 5 miles in a wheelbarrow pushed by Jim! I had been having some trouble with my walking lately and just did not want to put myself in a position of embarrassing myself by starting a 5 mile walk that I would not be able to finish in time. I had resolved myself that I would be at the finish line to cheer my friends on. When Jim offered to push me all 5 miles in a wheelbarrow, who was I to deprive him of that pleasure! The point of all of this is to remind you of many things we have learned and talked abut here. Be smart! Prepare yourself for and think carefully about whatever you are doing. But most importantly, GET OUT THERE AND DO IT. Over the past three years, there have been many times when it would have been easier to stay and home and avoid the various bad situations I put myself in. But that is NOT living. Plan, be smart and LIVE. Oh, and for goodness sake, KEEP DREAMING OUT LOUD! -Trace

THE UNMISTAKABLE LOOK OF HOPE

I am truly honored and humbled to have been given an opportunity by Tom Gonzalez and the folks at Biogen Idec to speak at a program in Clear Lake last night. When I started this great adventure three years ago (HOLY COW! IT’S BEEN THREE YEARS), my goal was to complete a triathlon without killing myself. Little did I know what amazing things were in store for me. Last night is a perfect example. Although the experience is really universal, I will talk about one person. When she got to the event, she used her walker and the best way that I can describe the way she looked is by using the words tired and on empty. I mean absolutely no disrespect with this description. We have all been there, done that, bought THAT t-shirt. When she came to say goodbye to me before she left, there was an obvious and unmistakable look of hope on her face. That beautiful glint was in her eye. The quality of her life had already, instantly, improved. Mind boggling. This is where the importance of Dreaming Out Loud is so apparent. Think of it as starting a campfire. I mean the old fashioned way and not with a gallon of lighter fluid. It starts with a spark and then, as you fan the flame, move the kindling and work with it, it becomes a full fledged fire. If you just create the spark and leave it untended, the fire will most assuredly never start and the spark will just go out. The gleam of hope in someone’s eye requires work. Not just by the person who is fostering the dream, but by everyone who learns of it. Foster and nurture the dream through positive encouragement. Share in the creation of a beautiful fire. It has been a while since I posted a blog. I have not wanted to rehash old ideas. I wanted to share something new and exciting. That unmistakable look of hope was pretty freakin new and exciting. Just sayin. KEEP DREAMING OUT LOUD! -Trace