223 S 61st, Tacoma, WA | Powered by Postlets

223 S 61st, Tacoma, WA | Powered by Postlets

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Please help us support Climb for Kids!

My good climbing buddy Matt Kowalczyk formed the non profit organization "Climb for Kids" in 2007 shortly before loosing one of his twin babies (Emma) to twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS).


Since that time, Matt has been organizing and leading a variety of climbs all over the world in an effort to raise awareness and money for Fetal Syndrome research so that other families would not have to suffer the same agony and loss that he and his wife Ellen endured.


Earlier this year, I was honored to be asked by Matt to lead a climb for his organization up Ruth Mountain. Located in the North Cascades, Ruth Mountain is a climb that can be easily accomplished in a single day. The climb will provide an opportunity to use your crampons as well as ice axe, and depending on the snow, there may be small rock scrambling as well. This is one of the more spectacular climbs in the North Cascades area, and climbers of all abilities can participate and enjoy this unforgettable experience.

The climb is going to take place on July 11th 2009 and if you're ready to take on the challenge, please sign up now! If you can't make this climb, but are still interested, there are plenty of other climbs to choose from including Colorado 14'er, Mont Blanc or Mount Rainier.

If you have any questions about the climb or would like to learn more, please feel free to leave a comment and I'll get back to you ASAP.

Looking forward to seeing you then!

Saved in the nick of time

This past week has brought some great news in amongst all of the bad. I was offered a position that I believe will be an amazing opportunity on a number of levels and am incredibly excited! In short, I will be working on improving technologies for people with disabilities and gaining consensus from companies around the globe in order to standardize on the platform from which accessible technologies are built. Not sure if that makes sense, but think of it as a huge sandbox where a lot of kids are building different castles and we're trying to convince all the kids that if we worked together, we could build the biggest and most awesome sandcastle ever! Well, in our opinion anyway :)

I've been reflecting on what the past couple of months of stress and turmoil have taught me, and although the lessons are still coming, I think the part that stands out the clearest is how much of our precious lives we spend (waste?) on 'working for the man'. Who came up with this silly rule that we have to work all of our lives? Sure we need money for food and luxuries, but why does it have to be that way? Look around at how we're controlled by our work. Look at what happens to us when we stop working. Everything falls to hell (or at least appears to). Everything that we've known as secure and fulfilling disappears and we're forced to return to the basics. Do I really need a big house with lots of things and all the latest clothes, or am I fulfilled in having a loving family that makes me smile every day? Do I need a job to feel those things? I guess part of me is bitter that we're raised to believe that we work to survive and that no one teaches us any differently and those who do are considered "outcasts" or the "fringe of society". I don't know....you think about all of the hours that you've spent creating something that, when your dead and gone, doesn't really matter. What if you spent your life doing something that REALLY MATTERED?

Oh yea, and what happens when you spend 30 years of your life working on something only to have to re invent yourself later because you're old and nobody wants you anymore? It scares me. What does a talented corporate manager do when they're not wanted anymore? Work at WalMart? Where does your pride go?

Sometimes I feel like life is the biggest joke. We do things without ever knowing why. We just do it because that's what everyone else is doing and it's acceptable. No one wants to be different. No one wants to be shunned. Maybe I've just been drinking the Kool Aid too long to realize that there are other options !?

There's a scene from the Dark Crystal that has come up for me a lot over the past few years. It feels indicative of everything I've spoken about above. Watch it, and you'll know why: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPaKNafdJ18

What it feels like to lose your job

In short, it sucks big fat smelly ass.

I've been at my place of employment since graduating college in 1998 and have felt very safe and taken care of there. Well...until today.

I suppose I shouldn't feel betrayed by the lack of 'corporate love', especially in today's economy, however I was lulled into thinking that a decade of high performing service would be a safeguard against something like this. Clearly it isn't, but it did buy me 60 days of extra time to look for something new within the company whereas many others were shown the door.

It's times like these where you are truly forced to stop and reflect on how much your identity is tied up with your place of employment. Who am I without a job? What am I without a title? What does it say about me if I'm unable to find work and/or no one will hire me? That really stings.

Today I feel like a failure. I feel incompetent and worthless. I'm unsure about my future despite everyone saying "It's going to be ok". I've worked hard for the life I have today and frankly, don't want to lose it without a fight. At what point do you get sick of fighting and simply give up?

There will be a lot of decisions to make in the next two months and although my instinct tells me that everything happens for a reason, I'm still scared.

Greetings 2009!!

This represents all of the different elements that have transpired in my life this past year (thanks to some much needed creative assistance from Wordle)

But, Instead of my normal tradition of listing out all the things that did and didnt go well in the preceding year as well as my wishes for the upcoming year, I'd like to keep it simple and wish that each and every one of you find happiness, health, wealth and inspiration in 2009.

What is my true purpose in life?

I read a fabulous article recently from Steve Pavlina called "How to discover your life Purpose in about 20 minutes". I !thought to myself, "Seriously?! I've been struggling to figure that out for like the past 30 years", but instead of being a skeptic, I sat down, followed the directions, and gave it a shot.

Here’s what to do:

1) Take out a blank sheet of paper or open up a word processor where you can type (I prefer the latter because it’s faster).

2) Write at the top, “What is my true purpose in life?”

3) Write an answer (any answer) that pops into your head. It doesnt have to be a complete sentence. A short phrase is fine.

4) Repeat step 3 until you write the answer that makes you cry. This is your purpose

___________________________________________________

Admittedly, I have not reached the point of tears....yet, but I'm still trying!

Here is my list (Items in bold are the ones that brought me the closest to tears):
Create change
Bring happiness into the world
Inspire people to go beyond their boundaries
To overcome obsticles
To see and experience all that life has to offer
To understand the point of it all
To develop a sense of purpose
To save every natural precious resource
To help dogs
To bring animals back to life
Embrace the elderly and recognize the wonderment of their lives
Help people die with dignity
Create a natural space for people to experience their last days with hope and dignity
To listen to the stories of our elders and learn from their experiences
Not forget who we are
Find a way to bring happiness into each and every life I touch
Bring inspiration to each and every life I touch
To understand the afterlife
Help innocent creatures find safety, love or a secure habitat to grow and thrive
Make a ton of money and live happily ever after
Develop a kinship with all forms of life and live in harmony without hatred, waste, violence, or destruction
To spread my wings and fly through the universe experiencing the vastness of the void
To embrace harmony in all forms
To push every known physical, emotional and spiritual boundary in order to have a better understanding about who we are, what we’re made of, why we’re here, and where we’re going
Use my dreams as metaphors for living life
Tread lightly
Impress people
Be the absolute best that I can be
Develop and share art across the world to develop a common language, understanding and kinship across mankind
To find a purpose
To bring happiness to those who don’t have a shred of hope
Help the forgotten elders of our society find hope, love, warmth and caring in someone who will listen, learn and care about their lives, experiences and gifts and provide a way for them to die in dignity feeling that they didn’t leave this place without touching someone or making an impact regardless of how they chose to live their lives.
Help us remember the forgotten, abandoned or discarded elders who need nothing more than a gentle touch or a caring word to help them feel loved and appreciated for the lives they’ve lived and are losing
Bring animals and elders together to share in innocent love and affection for one another
Live under an oak tree
Live in harmony with the land
Make people feel loved and cared for
Make people feel special
Recognize and celebrate the gifts that each and every person has to offer
Move people by recognizing their life gifts and reflecting that back to them.

As a result of creating this list, I've decided to look for volunteer opportunities to connect with seniors in the area. Let's see how it goes!

Who has.....

HAPPY FEET!




Who doesnt love happy feet?