Archive for November, 2007

Some moments in life grab hold of you. Sometimes these moments are life-changing, but for the most part they are simply reminders. Reminding us to be well, live life to its fullest, laugh just a little more and love each other.

A moment like this one had struck me in 2001. I was just finishing up my workout at a Health Club in downtown Minneapolis and felt energized with what I had accomplished that day. I was on my way to a better self.

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Where to begin….what story to tell…there are so many!! So I’ll share the first time I came into contact with the acronym EHFAR. It was January 13, 1999 and a big snow storm had hit the twin cities area on the first day of my first job after college with Lutheran Brotherhood (now Thrivent Financial). I lived with my sister (who also worked for LB) and we were car pooling together. We just couldn’t get moving any faster in the slow traffic so I was late to my first day of training with approx 12-15 other new people. In I walk, late and everyone turns to look at me…how embarrassing!! I sit and begin listening, learning, and meeting new friends. One of which consisted of Justin Pickar. As the day grew on and the training turned into weeks of being with the same people I learned more about the EHFAR philosophy. A philosophy I completed understood and agreed with in my own life. The year 1999 was one big EHFAR experience and here are some small stories of how EHFAR affected me…

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The phrase “Everything Happens for a Reason� has always played a big role in my life. As far back as I can remember, I have lived by this philosophy and have found that I tend to associate myself with those that also live by this motto. It was not until my freshman year of college that I really learned its true meaning, and the power behind such a simple phrase. You see, it was during my first year of college that I was experiencing some difficulties adjusting to the college lifestyle. I was a human tackling dummy for the varsity football team and as a student; I was spending many late nights in the library doing homework that never seemed to end. It was also during this time that my economics professor set me up with an interview with a local financial institution for an internship. The interview went well and I was to start as an intern for this company as soon as the school year was up. Before I knew it, the school year was over and I was heading off to what was referred to as “Intern University�, where I was going to learn the “ins and outs� of what it takes to succeed in the business world. Sessions started early and ended late, but still I had to find time to make it to the gym to stay in shape for the following football season. I would have never of thought that going to the gym to condition for that next football season would change my perspective on life forever.

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“Obstacles are challenges for winners and excuses for losers.”
-Gentlehands by M.E. Kerr

“It is a matter of spirit, not strength. It is a matter of doing your best each little moment. There’s never a break. You must have desire, a very intense desire to keep going.”
-Janet Guthrie

Thanks Rob A.

be4neXt is NOW,
and now is the time
for change, and
to love, to live and to laugh.
-Justin Pickar
 
www.be4next.com