Category: People

Reflection: Unleash Goodness And Hope

by billy, posted in People, Philanthropy, Reflection, Uncategorized

This past month has been filled with emotional turns in a way that I can’t recall anything similar. As the month started, like many people I was savoring and enjoying the exploits of the Olympics. Every time the Olympics return, I find myself encouraged and inspired by the stories of individuals overcoming incredible challenges to compete, by the examples of dedication and pursuit of excellence, and by the witnessing of athletes from around the world giving their best effort as the excel in the arena of sport. I watched many of the events each evening with my wife, four year old daughter, and two year old son. My daughter has been pretending to be Allyson Felix, Athing Mo, Katie Ledecky, and Simone Biles as she swims, runs and does acrobatics all over the house. The Olympics seem to be a celebration and reminder of goodness in the world. At least that is my perspective from watching on television. This year’s Olympics were even more special because we missed out on the event last year, and COVID seemed like it was going to prevent the games from happening entirely. In spite of all of the challenges, our world came together and rallied around athletes from around the globe as they brought their best to Tokyo.

Now, all of that hope, possibility, and enthusiasm seems to be waning and washing away. COVID cases are rising as well as COVID related deaths, particularly among those who are unable or unwilling to get vaccinated. Hospitals are surging in admissions and people are being confronted with the sobering truth that this pandemic is not behind us.

In addition, for the second time in eleven years, Haiti was hit with an earthquake above 7.0 in scale. This time, the earthquake followed quickly on the heels of the assassination of Haiti’s President just a little over a month ago, and has been quickly followed by tropical storms washing over the Caribbean island country and these storms are further slowing any rescue efforts for people trapped or injured by the collapse of buildings on the island. 

At nearly the same time, Halfway around the world, the US pulled its last remaining troops out of Afghanistan, and the Taliban quickly moved across the country to take it over. Millions of Afghanis, fearful for their lives, made their way to the city of Kabul only to find that their President had disappeared, their government had collapsed, and the Taliban insurgency is once again in control. Now, there are tens of thousands of Afghan allies and supporters who had helped the US military in their war against the Taliban who are now trapped in country. I can’t imagine what this news must feel like for every man and woman who served as part of coalition forces in Afghanistan over the last twenty years. 

The fact that so many people around the world have mobile devices that allow them to record video and take photos of what is happening around them also brings these tragedies around the globe into our lives in unprecedented ways. We witness the crowds gathering in Kabul trying to hold on to a cargo plane as it lifts off from the airport. We witness the collapse of buildings and hear the cries of people who are unsure of what to do. 

All of this news overwhelms and incites fear, anxiety, anger, sadness, and despair in visceral ways. Those are perfectly normal responses to these kinds of tragedy. In the middle of those emotions we can also become paralyzed from action, or devote our energy to an attempt to assign blame. Someone has to be responsible for this, right?! Even in the case of the virus and earthquake there is a sense that something could have been done to prevent the spread of COVID or that someone could have ensured buildings were built to be more safe and resilient to earthquakes and floods. What are we to do?

Not all of us are in a position to take action, and for that reason we can feel a bit helpless and hopeless. In times like these we each need to hold on to hope and ground ourselves in gratitude. We could could be suffering in the aftermath of an earthquake, a coup, or grieving the loss of a loved one from COVID. Hold fast to gratitude for the gifts in your life. Right now, what are five things you are grateful for? What is one thing that makes you hopeful? Stop what you are doing right now, and think about your response to those questions.

From this place, what is one action you can take? It is all too easy to come up with a laundry list of the things you are not able to do. Don’t start down that path. Whatever action you come up with might feel insignificant in the face of the size of some of the problems we are witnessing in the world right now. It is not insignificant–doing nothing is though. If you are having trouble thinking of something you can do, here are four options for starters.

1) Reach out to friends who may have a close connection to Afghanistan or Haiti (service members, humanitarian workers, refugees). A text or a phone call might be just what they need to be reminded that other people care about what they are going through.

2) Register to deploy or donate to an organization like Team Rubicon. Founded by veterans and launched initially in Haiti, this organization does incredible disaster response work, and even if you don’t travel to Haiti, you can find opportunities to serve near your home community.

3) Donate to an organization like Nuru International working to help some of the most vulnerable and marginalized communities to chart a pathway out of poverty and toward lasting hope. 

4) Write a letter to your elected representative. Let them know you want our country to do what we can to help those who are hurting and suffering right now. 

I can tell you that each of these actions matters. Too many of us are too worried and too paralyzed to take concrete action. Alone we cannot solve the massive challenges that our facing our world or even our local community, but together, when we each do our part, we can chart a better future together. What will you do to unleash goodness in our shared world today? Get started!

Remembering Jeff Giosi And Reflecting On Mortality

by billy, posted in Fitness, People, Reflection

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom
~Ancient Hebrew Prophet

Memento mori. (Remember that you must die.)
~Ancient Roman/Latin Proverb

“So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.
Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none.
When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.
When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.”
~Tecumseh, historic Shawnee leader

A little over a week ago, I learned that another friend of mine had died. The last five years of my life, it seems like I have witnessed a steady stream of friends near my age meeting with death at an earlier time than I would have ever anticipated; I don’t think I’m that old, but at the same time, I’m not a “spring chicken” either. Jeff Giosi is the latest one of these, and in many ways the most shocking to me and to all who knew him. As I write these words, like many others who have been writing and sharing online over the past week, I feel like the words fall short of all that is running through my mind.

I’ve known Jeff for over fifteen years. We served in the same faith communities, and we also shared many friends in other arenas, including several individuals who are from the athletic community in and around West Virginia University. In 2007, we even played on the same community league basketball team together. For anyone who knew Jeff, you know basketball was not his strongest suit, and you also know that we definitely had more fun on our team than any other in the league.

Jeff leading community league teammates through a pre-game warm up in 2007

The last two times I saw Jeff were at the local pool. He and I both were striving to learn how to swim and improve our technique, but for slightly different reasons. Both of us were trying to master a new skill, but for Jeff, he was mastering it as he prepared to compete at an elite level in a fitness competition this past summer.

Jeff is one of the strongest and most disciplined human beings I have ever known. He came to West Virginia University and Morgantown as a decathlete. He then moved on to serve as a strength and conditioning coach on multiple WVU athletic teams, and at the time of his death, he was leading a local CrossFit community and helping hundreds of other people in the community find a renewed sense of health, fitness, and self-discipline through exercise.

When I think about Jeff, I think of him of someone who gives 100% in everything he puts his mind to. He gives 100% to his faith, his family, his friendships, and his fitness. I see images of him in my mind striving to be his best and bring out the best in others. His life serves as an example of a heroic life lived as a warrior seeking the good of all.

I’ve been blessed to be surrounded by a community of incredibly disciplined people who, when I look to my right or left, remind me to keep pushing to be the best version of myself. One of Jeff’s additional strengths in this regard is that he seemed to be able to draw that kind of discipline out of others. Much like sculptors or painters who can envision the finished work of art as they paint and chisel away, Jeff seemed to have an innate sense of the potential of those around him, and he constantly challenged them to realize it.

Jeff chose to believe in many of those around him even when they didn’t believe in their own selves. That was one of Jeff’s amazing gifts to this world. Just imagine what the world would be like, or even your own life, if you chose to believe that you could be better than you are right now, and you began to work for it.

At 40, Jeff was young when he died, and his death has left thousands of people shocked. He was incredibly fit and healthy, at least by all appearances. But he also had a genetic weakness in the form of a weakened aorta that led to an aortal aneurysm. He knew about this weakened aorta—it was with him at birth. His entire life, he lived with the knowledge that death could come for him at any moment through an aortic aneurysm, that his death could very likely come abruptly in this form. His wife and family also knew. He died while exercising with his CrossFit community, and died in the midst of his daily regimen to make himself and those around him better.

While the first thing that comes to mind for most people is Jeff’s pursuit in the realm of fitness, he just lived all of his life with an intensity that is rare. If you were privileged to spend time with him, he thought deeply about life, he laughed heartily and reflected a life lived with a deep and abiding joy. If you knew him, you knew he was also one of your biggest fans. He believed in the possibility and potential living inside each and every person he met, and he longed to help others live a fuller life even as he strived to do the same.

He was fond of the latin phrase, Memento mori, “Remember your death” and he had even talked about this on a podcast (take a minute and give it a listen) approximately one year before he died. The world lost an incredible warrior and champion for good in Jeff Giosi. He lived as an example, to me and to a number of others, of what it looks like to live one’s life mindful of one’s mortality, and striving to bring out the best in one’s own self and in others.

Jeff is survived by his wife and two kids. Unfortunately, in the midst of all of the good Jeff was doing, he did not have life insurance in place for his family. A group of family friends have organized a Go Fund Me page for Jeff’s wife and kids. If you have the capacity to give in support of his wife Sarah and sons Arlen and Mackie, I have every confidence that these funds will be stewarded well, and would encourage you to give.

As I think about the events of the last few days, this statement from an ancient Christian writer, comes to mind. Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. I’ve probably been meditating on phrases like this more over the last five years than during my entire life. I don’t want to seem morbid in doing so. For me, contemplating my own mortality drives me to think about how I want to spend each day, not knowing if it is my last. I believe that when I do so, it helps me be more mindful of the impact and legacy I want to have when I’ve breathed my last breath.

For each of us, I believe there is a strength to be found in contemplating our own mortality. It helps us clarify a few things. How do I want to live? What do I want to be remembered for? What good can I be doing today? How can I best love and care for the person or people who are around me right now? How do I best care for my spouse and children? How do I best care for my co-workers and neighbors? What is the most loving thing I can do today for my friends? Where can I help and contribute to a better world? What can I do today in pursuit of becoming the best version of myself?

Around four years ago, Jamie and I found out we were going to have a child. Around two years ago, we found out we were going to have a second child. It led me to begin thinking about my own life on a longer horizon. None of us know how much time we have left on this earth. At the same time, I want to plan as though I could be here for a long time, and build habits that will help me be healthier and stronger than I would be otherwise in the future. There’s nothing to be lost in doing this. Just like Jeff pursued excellence every day, not knowing how long he had left, he did it with the vision of the kind of life he wanted to be living when his boys (who are roughly the same ages as my children) had grown to be adults. I think each of us should live daily mindful of the present and also looking ahead at two horizons, one that stretches to the end of our life, and the second horizon looking beyond this life.

What is it that you want to be true of your life today? What do you want to be true 30 years from now? What do you want to be your legacy? May we all live our lives mindful of the limited time we have to live in this life, and live it in pursuit of the best version of ourselves with a view to what we can do in service of others whether that be our family, our community, or the world at large.

My Coaching Company: Archegos, LLC

by billy, posted in Coaching, People, Reflection, Training

A few years ago, I began formal education and training to become a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach. After five years of benefitting from a leadership/executive coach with the same training and after multiple discussions with Jamie as well as a few close friends around the possibility of developing and refining this skill, I decided to invest in formal training. As part of my training and certification program, I was required to develop a roster of at least five paying clients, and so I figured I would formalize the process a bit by establishing a business. I talked to a few friends about how to go about doing something like this, and they counseled me through the steps. I also had the privilege of having nine clients sign on for my services as I was going through my own certification.

It has been an incredible learning process, with me learning everything from how to establish an LLC to what steps are necessary to open a business banking account. I chose the name Archegos after learning this Greek word from a friend. It means the chief leader, the author, one who takes the lead in anything, and thus affords an example, a pioneer. In the Bible, it is used to describe Jesus. As I thought about starting a coaching company to help others bring their very best into both work and life, it seemed appropriate to give it a name that incorporated my own love for writing and creating, my faith, and my own curiosity and desire to explore.

Over the last few years I have developed a solid roster of clients. These men and women come from a wide array of backgrounds. I’ve been privileged to coach individuals from the healthcare industry, as well as finance, technology, banking, and ministry and enable them to bring forth their very best to the world around them. I have been blessed so much by my clients, and as 2016 ended, they each took time to thank me for the transformative steps I helped them take in deepening learning and forwarding action in their lives. I’m so proud of all I witnessed them accomplish—from transitioning to a new job, to completing CPA and CFP accreditations, from addressing relationships with others to identifying and silencing their own inner critics, they have each taken incredible steps in leadership and life.

Currently, my client roster is full, but there may be an opening or two in the summer or fall of 2019. If you are interested in working with a formally credentialed coach, contact me now and we can see if it might make sense to work together toward your goals. If I am not available, or it doesn’t seem to make sense to work together, I can very likely point you to another coach or two that I trust as well.

Regardless, I’m excited for all of the learning that has come from launching this new means of serving others, and for all of the people who have believed in me, encouraged me, and spurred me onward to work to make a difference in this world. May we each develop and cultivate our gifts, skills, and talents for the good of others in this world of wonder.

CTI Certification

by billy, posted in Coaching, People, Reflection, Training

After a series of trainings on the Co-Active Model, I decided to take the next step of formal certification to be a Co-Active Coach and help others to live more authentic and enriching lives. I launched into this process last summer, and as part of the process I had to acquire a roster of at paid clients. This led me to formally establish a business centered on coaching called Archegos. I’ll be sharing more about Archegos soon, don’t worry!

In the meantime, I wanted to share a reflection and some of the personal learning and growth I’ve experienced as I ventured through this process. The entire process ended with both written and oral exams, and so it wasn’t a given that if I just signed up that I would end with a certification credential.

As much as I had learned in the earlier trainings with Coaches Training Institute (CTI), this certification program showed me just how much more I had to learn, and illuminated the fact that I don’t have to have it ALL figured out because I’ll be learning my whole life. In addition, it showed me just how much progress can come from spending the time learning, being, and doing.

This certification process commenced a very busy time for me, and required much more from me than I had originally considered. The requirements of the program demanded 10-15 hours each week over a six-month period, and included readings, recordings, group instruction, personal supervision, and over one hundred hours of coaching with clients. By itself, the program was a tall order.

But that wasn’t all that was going on in my world. In addition to my normal ‘routine’ of fighting extreme poverty together with Jamie, I was also moving forward on a few other projects. I started a coaching business. I began a program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. I trained to run my fourth Marine Corps Marathon. I remained actively engaged in my faith community. I mourned the loss of one of my previous mentors from my own tribal community. I supported Jamie and her family as they mourned the loss of one of her uncles. I learned how to swim freestyle. And, most importantly I walked alongside Jamie as her pregnancy came full term and I became a dad!!!

It’s a bit ironic when I think about it all. Had I given myself time to think about all that was going to be happening at that time, I might not have taken on the certification process. And, the irony of that is this…by walking through certification, I was not only moving toward the completion of formal training and skill-building to become a Co-Active Coach, but I was also being equipped with the skills I needed to be fully ‘in the moment’ for each of these major events. Not only was I facilitating the growth of a full roster of diverse clients, but I was also able to tap into why everything I was doing was important, and prioritize and execute through a very full season.

The training and certification program that CTI has put together provided me far more than I anticipated, and even if I chose to never coach another individual again (highly unlikely), I experienced so much personal growth that it was fully worthwhile. The skills and resources I have acquired access to are now flowing into my work at Nuru, my relationships with others (including Sylvia), and my own spiritual growth and development. I feel more fully alive and attuned to the good that I can bring into this world, and I hope that others who complete the journey experience something similar. May we all be more deeply awakened to our giftings and may we offer them for the good of others in this beautiful world!

CTI Coach Training: Synergy

by billy, posted in Coaching, People, Reflection, Training

This training marked the completion of the intermediate training for myself, and for the individuals who had started this regimen with me.  It was a turning point and a graduation of sorts. We had been part of several deep-dive trainings to move into a new arena of self-awareness as well as a new arena of evoking transformation in others. It was a very special moment.

The weekend was a bringing together of all that we had been learning, and for me, it was filled with additional deeper awakening moments. I had recently completed the process of establishing Archegos, and had begun to plot out the path toward a new chapter in my life with this new array of tools to unleash the potential in others.

The two biggest moments for me were centered around a meal and a morning run. One of my fellow Co-Active coaches-in-training had discovered an amazing Italian restaurant near our training facility and had invited all of us to enjoy a meal together to celebrate the milestone we had achieved together. When we gathered together, she leaned over to me and asked me to give some remarks to mark this moment and help us all to acknowledge and celebrate. I was reticent to speak, and I really felt overcome with doubts that I had anything to offer—I was in a room filled with incredible human beings who were not only overcoming and moving forward in their own lives in rich ways, but also charting a path to help others do the same. I deflected the opportunity, and then my classmate told me it would really mean a lot to her personally if I would share. I thought the world of this lady, and in that moment I realized that my life is not about me, but about what I am able to do for others for whom I deeply care. This lady is an incredibly gifted leader, and she had given me a two-fold gift by inviting me to give remarks and by reminding me that my remarks were less about ‘drawing attention to myself’ and more about drawing attention to how I could best serve others in drawing attention to the significance of the moment. I pray I never forget that lesson.

The second lesson for me as we practiced bringing it all together occurred during a morning run through DC with Jamie. I started thinking about all that might be possible with this whole coaching endeavor. I started thinking about the life that I might possibly be inviting current (and potentially future) children into. I started thinking about just how much this training I had received might mean for the end of extreme poverty and the ground that might be taken in eradicating other social ills (human trafficking, slavery, etc.). I shared this vision with my colleagues, and as I shared, the possibilities became more real. I am excited for the possible vision God has given me for how I can be a sign, a foretaste, and an instrument of His Kingdom come and as well as a vision of a more beautiful world for all.

When I think about all that happened with this small community of determined and courageous leaders, my heart overflows with gratitude. I’m grateful for the journey together, and I’m grateful for the skills and talents each of us discovered in that journey. At the same time, I have an expectant excitement when I think about what each of us has the opportunity to unleash in others as we move forward on our journey as coaches helping others to move forward in the battlefields of their lives.

CTI Coach Training: Process

by billy, posted in Coaching, People, Reflection, Training

My continued formal training to become a leadership/executive coach with the Co-Active Model brought me back to DC for this next stage of my development. It was a mini-reunion with many of the amazing people I had started this journey with, and an introduction to some new wonderful people who were on a similar journey. So much had changed in my life since the last time I had seen this group—a group that, although we were strangers a few weeks before, seemed like a community of life-long friends that were just enjoying a few days of deep and meaningful conversations, like all life-long friends do when they are able to spend time together.

I came into this training with the knowledge that I was going to be a father, and with a recent trip to visit Nuru’s growing work in developing servant leaders in Ethiopia. I had also visited Muir Woods during a recent visit to northern California and my mind was literally swirling with all of these experiences. During the weekend of training, I also slipped out for an early morning workout in the rain on Theodore Roosevelt Island. That morning workout with Teddy looking down at me helped ground me for making space for what was to come as well.

During the course of this particular weekend, another of the dear friends I had made along this journey helped me to (re)discover the joy of the present moment. I had been on the go so much, that as much as I like to think I take time to enjoy the moments as they are happening, I was not as fully present to all of the experiences that were before me because I was so focused on what was next.

How many moments have each of us missed out on because we were not “fully there” or in some form disengaged? How many times in our life have we stuffed away our emotions to move on to the next thing? What would happen if we allowed ourselves, and one-another to have the permission to engage with what was happening in the moment? I believe that a number of problems we see and experience might become less significant.

Since the time of my training, I have been incredibly grateful for the skills to not only be aware of the present for myself, but also witness the unleashing that has happened for several of my clients along the way. After completing this training, each of us students were given the opportunity (if we wanted) to register for a formal certification program with Coaches Training Institute (CTI) to become a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach. The program is accredited by the International Coach Federation (ICF), which is the governing accreditation body for professional coaches. As a preliminary preparation for my certification, I set up my first business, and began preparation for coaching individuals in a wide-array of career disciplines.

CTI Coach Training: Fulfillment

by billy, posted in Coaching, People, Reflection, Training

The second phase of my training as a Co-Active Coach commenced with a series of exercises and practices centered around fulfillment. This regimen had a mix of familiar faces along with new coaches in training who were joining in the journey. There was something really special about the group of people I was able to launch into this training with, and I was so glad to see so many of them continuing the journey and learning together.

One of the things that struck me about this group was that there were many people who had come from much longer distances to be part of this training. And, once again, the people participating in this training were coming from some top-notch roles in pretty well-known companies. I have really been impressed by the caliber and quality of leaders who have been participants in this program.

Out of this particular training, I became more deeply aware of my own unique life-purpose and the values that drive me toward achieving that purpose. Not only that, I became more aware of the resources available to me to see me (and others) through to living out the most authentic life I (and they) can possibly live.

What could be more rewarding, fulfilling, and empowering than to know what we are uniquely made for, and how we can move toward a more faithful living out of our unique calling as well as bringing a greater authenticity into all of our relationships. This training has left me wonderfully encouraged and deeply engaged to the things that matter most to me, and excited about helping others connect with those things that matter most to them as well.

May we all live faithful to the unique and diverse callings that have been given to each of us for the good of the world.

CTI Coach Training: Fundamentals

by billy, posted in Coaching, People, Reflection, Training, Wellness

As mentioned in another recent post, I launched into formal training approximately a three years ago to be a better Leadership/Executive Coach, and it has been quite an eye-opening journey. Thanks to the hospitality of dear friends and proximity of training locations, Jamie and I were able to travel together almost all of the weekends during which I was receiving formal training. Most of my trainings were in Washington DC, and so it was just a short journey to the nation’s capital—but a winter storm caused a last minute cancelation/delay of my first training “Fundamentals” by one week.

Making the trip to DC, I really didn’t know what to expect. Would the people be like me? What would the training be like? Would I think it was a total waste of a weekend? Would it just end up being a networking type event with a bunch of superficial “business-people” from the DC area? Honestly, I was shocked, blessed, and amazed by my experiences and the group of people I walked through that first weekend with. Most of the folks from the group came from the greater DC area, but there was a guy in the group who also made the journey from Pittsburgh to “test the waters” like me. Many people were sent from some pretty well known companies to get some training to bring back into their work, and their companies paid for their training. At the same time, there were some who, like me, were treating the training as a formal investment in their own development, and worked for organizations who just did not have the budget to cover this kind of professional development.

The purpose of the program was to provide an overview and introduction to the Coaches Training Institute’s (CTI) coaching model, and start each of us with some experience coaching. I was very quickly brought to awareness of a deep authenticity, transparency, and vulnerability emanating from each person in the room. In a world filled with posturing, sound bites, and superficiality, our time together was incredibly refreshing. I have rarely witnessed a group of diverse people move toward such incredible openness and championing of one another so quickly.

While the entire weekend was pretty epic, there were three key moments for me that left me with a sense of awe. The first was this. At one point we were each asked to think of a moment when everything was “perfect” in our world, a peak moment, or some crisp memory. My memory immediately went back to mine and Jamie’s wedding day. Everything about it was so rich and so clearly imprinted on my soul. After two minutes of reflection, a volunteer was asked to share. I had been fairly quiet for most of the training up to this point, but I just had to share this beautiful moment with this group of strangers. I was given one minute to share. Then, one of the instructors thanked me, and asked my classmates if they could identify what some of my core values were. This group of people was able to utterly nail many of my core values in a one-minute period. I was in awe of how much of what I really wanted to hold as important was so easy to see. We emanate our values, and to me that was a very beautiful learning.

The second moment was during a period of coaching in which each of us identified a ‘persona’ that would fall outside of our normal personality. Then we were paired up to coach from the perspective those personalities.  My partner and I both knew very little about the people who we were ‘labeled’ with, but both of us chose to trust and go ‘all-in’ to bring out aspects of our personalities that we both admitted to silencing in our past. It was a wonderful moment.

The third moment happened on the last day of our training. We were divided into groups, and we went around in a circle identifying traits that we saw in each other over the course of the weekend. Here again, a group of strangers started identifying things about me that I had not divulged. One woman even commented that she bet I drove a car that ran on veggie-oil. Those who know me know I have been driving a hybrid for about ten years. Unbelievable!

I was richly blessed by this training, and for the understanding that was imparted to me that the things that I held as most important were readily visible to others. I often find myself questioning and second-guessing myself and wondering how faithfully I am living out my values. I sometimes wonder if my values are identifiable by others. There was something really delightful about going deeper with this cadre of amazing individuals, and the time definitely had me hooked!

Reflection: My Goals For 2019

by billy, posted in Fitness, People, Reflection

Last week I shared a few of my goals for 2018 and how I fared on them, so I thought it might be cool to get a few of my goals for 2019 written down as well. One marked difference for me in 2019 is that I am laying out fewer goals. I feel like my goal-setting routine and regimen is a work in progress, and I tend to think this should be the case for anyone. Hopefully, each year as we set, achieve, and/or miss goals, we are able to fine tune what a realistic forward-looking goal should be for the next 365 days. Also, I am finding that my goals tend to be an outflow of my values and what I hold as important in my life. As a result, the goals listed are starting points for me, and are not meant to be exhaustive. Also, since having Sylvia, I think I have adjusted the time horizon for my goals, or at least the outcomes of my goals. I find myself thinking about the environment I want her to have growing up. I also think about my goals not just in terms of what I want to happen right now, but also in terms of where I would like these goals to take me 20 years from now.

Here we go…

Blog again. I say this because writing two blog posts during 2018 does not really seem “active” flow. I have been continuing the practice of maintaining a journal, but it is not the same as blogging. Conservatively, I’d like to write something at least once a month. Moving from two to twelve is a pretty steep increase. Why blog? I feel like the practice of blogging and writing online is good for my soul, it helps me remember and reflect, and I hope that what I write is of some encouragement to others as well.

Practice simplicity. This practice takes many forms, but I’d like to continue the process of getting rid of clothing, books, and objects that have been collected over a lifetime. I’d like to continue efforts to lower our footprint, and make our house more of a home. Wherever we can, I’d like to continue the practice of lowering our footprint, whether that be through driving fewer miles, or lowering our use of utilities. One move we made in the past was to switch to Arcadia Power and our electric bill is now based on 100% wind energy certificates. I’d also like to maintain a practice of meditation, silence, and prayer in my mornings.

Improve my fitness/health. I’m planning to run my seventh Marine Corps Marathon this year, and for me that is a bit hard to fathom. Back in 2013, I don’t think I had ever run more than eight or nine miles at once in my entire life, but I’m living proof that a person can go from zero to marathon in about six months. In addition to running and walking, I want to take additional steps to improve my diet. I have made adjustments each year to decrease junk food intake, but Jamie and I had the privilege of taking a six week plant-based nutrition course online last year through eCornell. I learned a ton through it that has made me more thoughtful about the foods I eat, but I’d like to continue to cultivate eating more greens and getting more fiber in my diet at the very least. Being on the road, and eating many meals with groups tends to limit one’s options, but rather than giving up entirely, I’m tending to look for healthier options more often. This is still a work in progress for me though. I’m also working to incorporate more calesthenics and bodyweight training into my fitness routines. Lastly, last year Jamie and I bought “cruiser” style bicycles after having a fun time riding with Sylvia in the Netherlands. I think we’d like to get out on those bikes a couple times each week in 2019 if we can.

So, that’s a few broad buckets of goals for me for 2019. These are not necessarily starting “new” things as much as they are maintaining and improving upon cultivated habits from the past few years. Maybe as the year progresses, I’ll identify a few more specific goals and milestones to be shooting for in 2019. Honestly, I prefer specific, measurable, attainable, results oriented and timely (SMART) goals, but for now, my bigger goal is to maintain and grow in these arenas. Perhaps in a future post I’ll be sharing a few of those SMART goals in relation to what I’ve laid out above.

Do you have some goals you are working toward in 2019? May they become reality as the year progresses, and may each of us be bringing our best selves forward into each new day!

A Labor Day Road Trip That I’ll Never Forget

by billy, posted in People

I had been in conversations with my friends John Hancox and Jake Harriman for a few months about this new organization they were planning to launch, an organization dedicated to the work of addressing extreme poverty in fragile rural communities. Jake had been in Kenya serving in an internship with another organization, and we had all been reading his blog posts about his experiences working in rural African farming communities. I had actually shared one of his posts with a number of friends. Jake and I had chatted about the idea a few times while he was in Africa, but we were finally going to meet and discuss things in person, on Labor Day in Morgantown, West Virginia, Jake, John, and myself.

We had planned to meet for an hour on Labor Day morning, but that quickly evolved into a road trip to Hancock, Maryland to meet up with another longtime friend, Andy Cogar, who had been working with Jake on the paperwork to get the organization, Nuru International, officially setup. During the day, we all reminisced about our undergraduate days and recalled conversations we had had even during our freshman year about how amazing it would be if that the reason we all ended up in the same residence hall at West Virginia University was to do something world-changing together later in life. And here we were, dreaming about working together to make a lasting impact in the lives of our global neighbors living in desperation. Each of us had independently concluded that extreme poverty was the greatest humanitarian crisis in our world, and that the desperation created by extreme poverty led to a whole host of other issues that have ripple effects across the globe from violent extremism and child soldiers to trafficking and slavery. And here we were, all together, talking about working together to do something to put an end to these injustices.

Looking back, I had no idea how much that one road trip would shape my life. There is something special about being able to launch an idea to reality with a group of friends, and that Labor Day road trip opened the door to seeing so much positive change in the world. Together, with a whole host of incredibly talented people from multiple continents, we have been able to see more than 100,000 people begin to lift themselves out of extreme poverty for good. We have seen what started as an idea become a reality and take shape in communities in Kenya and Ethiopia, and we have had the privilege of witnessing thousands of our friends and family members rally with us in the belief that a different kind of world is possible, a world where hope replaces desperation, where tools and knowledge create new opportunities, and where each of us is able to find a way to serve in making the world a little better and a little brighter.

In some ways it is only fitting that we were meeting on Labor Day. Each of us came from families who worked hard to ensure that we were able to have a future with more opportunities than our parents had. We were each richly blessed with gifts and talents and our upbringing served as a reminder that our gifts and talents are meant to be used in service to others. And, just like us, the people we eventually began working with starting in September 2008, were a lot like us and our parents. They were hard-working farmers who wanted to provide a better future for their children, and who wanted to live as good neighbors in their communities. Each of us was dreaming a big dream for seeing the end of extreme poverty in our lifetime. We had been inspired by the Bono’s and the Nelson Mandela’s of the world and wanted to work hard to do our part.

And today, eleven years after that labor day road trip, we are continuing to dream big dreams for making a difference in the lives of others, and we are working hard, together with you, to make those dreams a reality. May we each make the most of the limited number of days we have on this earth, and may we be ever attuned to faithfully living out our calling in meaningful service to others in this world.