Wednesday, Lafayette Indiana

The remarkable Brett Favre, legendary quarterback of the Green Bay Packers announced his retirement from football. He is among those great athletes who transcends sports with his name recognized by virtually every American. He was the league’s Most valuable Player three times and is a god in Wisconsin. His durability is without peer. In 16 seasons he only missed starting a game three times!

Although there is great sadness among sports fans that his great career is over, there is a sweetness to its end. Many though he would leave the game two years ago after a losing season and a rocky performance. But Brett came back to have an incredible final year, leading his team to a 13 & 3 record and a return to the Pro Bowl. He exits with deserved pride.

It is a strange phenomenon to think about an individual retiring after a great career and they are only 38 years old. How strange to live out an entire working career that peaks and sinks less than halfway though a normal lifespan. For another half century Brett Favre will be a man renown for what happened in his past. For most of us, the period of memory about our work life lasts a few decades, and those are our elderly years.

This is not to say that his life experience are over. But typically someone in his position spends their time making appearances based on what they had already done. How does someone redefine their mission identity when their primary career has peaked and completed? What’s next. My hope is that Mr. Favre joins other great quarterback colleagues like Dan Marino and Phil Simms to lend his perspective to football broadcasts. It will be enjoyable to hear Brett talk about the game he mastered.

It makes me wonder about the career path for others. Even though your line of work may have you in the game through your fifties or later, do you still have passion for what you do? Do you take pride in your mastery? Are you still competing or are you just marking time and mailing it in? If you were subjected to the same media glare and scrutiny, what would the analysts say about your effort?

Whether you are scheduled to retire at 35 or 65, the admiration we hold for folks like Brett Favre is their dedication to excelling at their work right through the end. This is why we watch the games and this is the lesson to be taken from their effort.

Tuesday, Lafayette Indiana

Today is surely a big day in the Presidential primary process. As it rumbles along toward the final candidate selections many of the issues have been made clear. Americans are eager to hear each party’s plans for matters like health care, the economy and, of course, the war in the Middle East.

Each of these matters gives Americans pause, wondering who is best suited to manage these complex issues. Health care costs continue to climb out of control, the economy is either teetering on recession or already sunk into one, and the war in Iraq continues to be a intractable mess. And hanging over all of our heads is the ongoing fear of Islamic terrorism. It’s enough to give us indigestion.

Is it any wonder that Americans lead the developed world in stress related disorders? We are, quite frankly an emotional mess. How are you handling it all? Some of us ignore these weighty matters, focusing instead on the narrow concerns of daily life. Others embrace the uncertainty with a sense of resignation, acknowledging that in the end, we cannot individually control such events. But for those who are unable to shut it out of their mind or come to terms with the fragile nature of human life, these times are debilitating.

Perhaps you or someone you know struggles with what mental health professionals call Panic Disorder.

Can you relate to these symptoms:

Panic Disorder

Symptoms: A discrete period of intense fear or discomfort, in which four or more of the following symptoms develop abruptly and reach a peak within ten minutes:

1. Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate:
– Your heart rate is so fast, rabbits approach you without fear.
– You can only tolerate listening to music whose percussion is in time with your heartbeat.

2. Sweating:
– After exercising at the gym, the staff must mop up your areas.
– You must launder your clothing at least twice each day.

3. Trembling or Shaking:
– In order to focus your eyes to read, you must lean against a solid object.
– Unbeknownst to those you meet, your vigorous handshake requires no energy on your part.

4. Sensations of shortness of breath or smothering:
– You can only fall asleep without covers.
– When listening to your breathing through the phone, others suspect that your dog is nearby.

5. Fears of choking:
– You are terrified of eating chicken or fish.
– Activities such as scratching your face or trying to apply lipstick triggers your gag response.

6. Feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint:
– Even while standing perfectly still. You weave from side to side.
– You pass out into unconsciousness at least seven times each week.

7. Derealization (feelings of unreality) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself):
– You don’t always really know it’s you in the mirror.
– You often have a strong desire to step aside away from yourself.

8. Fear of losing control or going crazy:
– You only feel completely secure when you are physically attached to a solid object or another person.
– Even though you do not have panic disorder, this test is causing you to develop the illness.

9. Fear of dying:
– Your funeral arrangements have been made and prepaid since you were 20 years old.
– You spend every free moment of spare time sitting still in a chair in your basement.

10. Paresthesias (numbness or tingling sensation):
– In order to lift something, you must look at your hand to insure that it is really grasping.
– Every few minutes you make a little jump and cry "Wooo."

Monday, Lafayette Indiana

It was on this day in 1887 that Anne Sullivan began tutoring six-year-old Helen Keller. Little Helen was blind, deaf and without speech! Her behavior was out of control as she struggled against the unimaginable frustration of not being able to communicate in any way as a little girl. Sullivan took on the challenge of trying to reach her.

The famed tutor’s first breakthrough was teaching Helen how to communicate through the language of hand signing when she spelled out the word "water" while at an outdoor pump. And from this humble beginning Anne continued to teach Helen.

Helen Keller grew up and eventually graduated from Radcliffe College with honors! She went on to become a prolific author and activist who learned four languages! Now get your brain around all that? No vision, no hearing and consequently no speech. And yet she graduated from an Ivy League School with honors!

Obviously Helen Keller became a symbol of overcoming for individuals struggling against physical challenges. She represents the capacity of a human being, even one with great odds stacked against them, to accomplish greatness in life.

By comparison, when I think about my life and its alleged challenges, the word that comes to mind is SLACKER! Or maybe the word is WHINER!!

The point is this: the only way to gain perspective and recover hope and confidence when we are facing daunting odds is to seriously reflect on the far more significant challenges that others have faced with hope, courage and determination. And such people are all around us.

They are the woman cleaning my room at the hotel;
The cab driver who took me to deliver my speech;
The guy waiting to get on my plane to clean it for the next passengers;
The lady who took my toll money on the New Jersey Turnpike;
My grandson Henry in a wheelchair with cerebral palsey.

I can’t know what their attitude on life is, except they are facing it with a lot less resources than me. So I will pay attention to their presence and remember that self pity is a choice - and an obnoxious and immature choice at that.

Think you’re having a bad day?
What about a bad week?
Bad life?

I have two words for all of us:

Helen Flippin’ Keller!