VISION INSPIRES CALL TO ACTION

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is post No. 5 in a week-long blogging initiative.

I wanted to share an inspirational article from my recent edition of Runner's World. It is about an amazing vision of one Philadelphia woman who decided to make a difference in her city's homeless community.

All through the power of running.

THE STORY: On an early morning run past a Philladelphia homeless shelter – one she had run past many times – a simple idea stopped Anne Mahlum in her tracks. She decided to form a running club for the city's homeless.

Back on My Feet was born.

Mahlum's life was changed forever – and there was about to be a significant ripple effect through the streets of Philadelphia.

On her non-profit's web site, Mahlum wrote: "Running is such a beautiful metaphor for life. Life is about choosing different roads and our program teaches the importance of choosing roads filled with opportunity, hope and happiness.”

Here is a news clip out of Baltimore, the second city to launch a BOMF chapter:

THE CALL TO ACTION: After reading the Runner's World article, watching the videos, and spending most of my work day looking at the organization's web site, I felt inspired to do something.

Here is an e-mail that I sent Anne Mahlum:

Anne,

Greetings from Fort Worth, Texas.

My prayer is that this e-mail is not lost in the chaos – because there isn’t a doubt in my mind that you are being bombarded with messages after the recent article in Runner’s World. Especially, if other people were impacted like me. (Your organization and its dedication to helping the homeless has consumed me for two straight days.)

I am a regular volunteer at Fort Worth’s largest homeless shelter (every Tuesday night) and an avid runner. To say that the RW article spoke directly to me, is a HUGE understatement.

Instead of writing a novel of an e-mail, I’m going to fire off a few bullet points (hopefully serving as a catalyst for future dialogue.)

• I want to bring your incredible organization to Fort Worth and help the approximately 4,000 homeless in our city.

• I’m aware of your organization’s mission of “growing smartly” to new cities across the country – I applaud and admire your dedication to that vision of sustained excellence.

• But I’m also aware Back on My Feet is considering expansion to more cities by the end of 2009. (At least one following the March launch in Baltimore.)

• Question: What can be done to get Fort Worth on your radar?

• Question: Are there any newsletters, articles, press releases etc. that lay out the timeline and the decision-making process surrounding expansion into Baltimore? (I’m very intrigued how the conversation started and how the ball got rolling.)

• Question: Is there a difference between “starting a team” and forming a chapter?

Just a little more about me:
• In May 2008, I quit my job as Director of Communications at Texas Christian University to start a new business that puts an emphasis on giving back. We facilitate online donations for significant life events (birthdays, graduations, weddings, memorials, etc.) My web site, which launched in December 2008: www.epartnersingiving.com

• At the same time, I decided that I needed to “walk the walk” in regards to giving back. That’s when I began my volunteer efforts at Presbyterian Night Shelter. (I’m also heavily involved with Big Brother Big Sisters, and The WARM Place – a local non-profit that counsels and mentors children who lost a loved one.)

• I have run in two marathons (Fort Worth’s Cowtown Marathon both times) and I’m currently training for Nashville’s Country Music Marathon in April.

I have copied several people on this e-mail to reinforce my seriousness and dedication to make this mission of bringing BOMF to Fort Worth a reality. (Some of these people are Presbyterian Night Shelter administrators and board members, city leaders – including Mayor Mike Moncrief, community supporters, and friends in the Fort Worth running community.)

I appreciate your time and I hope this e-mail is the start of long and beneficial conversation.

Take care and never stop giving back,

Drew Myers
President / CEO

e-Partners in Giving

I decided to share this letter with you for the same reason I copied Fort Worth's mayor and some significant community supporters.

I AM DEDICATED AND DETERMINED

TO BRING THIS INCREDIBLE PROGRAM TO FORT WORTH!

I'M STILL COMMITTED TO 'ATTACKING LIFE'

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is post No. 4 in a week-long blogging initiative.

Someone asked me the other day:

 “Are you still doing that list thingy?”

I responded with as much sarcasm as I could muster: “Nope…I decided to quit! I figured since there were only 850 days remaining, I didn’t have a fighting chance.”

COME ON!

Reminder: If I say I'm going to do something … 

I’m going to do it.

His question did provide a reminder, though. I need to keep people updated on my progress and continuously direct/link them to my 101 List (complete list click here).

I definitely missed out on some opportunities through December, like No. 36 (Make Christmas cookies for my neighbors). There’s always next year, right? I guess that’s why it’s not 101 things in 365 days.

My biggest missed opportunity recently was No. 88 (Be the mascot at a college football game). I was approached by a former co-worker at TCU, who is familiar with my list, and asked if I wanted to suit up for the Frogs’ last home game of 2008. I had already promised my Little Brother, Anthony, I would take him to the game.

Again…there’s always next year, right? 

(I can only hope that rational applies in this case.)

I’m steadily progressing on some tasks: No. 27 (Accumulate 1,000 volunteer hours) and No. 93 (Read 200 books). I have 139 community service hours and I just finished book No. 11 with No. 12, 13, and 14 already started.

Here is a quick list of tasks that should be completed by the end of April:

• No. 5 (Go camping with my wife): I’ve started thinking about a road trip to see my buddy Greg in Arkansas. Instead of holing up in some cheap hotel room along the way – a night under the stars might be an option.

• No. 41 (Break 4-hour mark in a marathon): I’m running Nashville’s Country Music Marathon on April 25th.

• No. 55 (Sell something on Craig’s List): I have a cast-iron sink in my garage that has Craig’s List written ALL over it.

• No. 64 (Host a dinner party): This Christmas my mom gave me a gift certificate (right) for her and a friend of hers to clean my house. I refuse to let a VERY clean house go to waste – the dinner party would be the next day.

• No. 92 (Complete one Home Depot “Do It Yourself” workshop): Tanya and I are discussing a minor renovation of our bathroom.

There is one significant task coming down the tracks in October – not to mention several other tasks that probably should be marked off before then.

On October 18th, I’m going to participate in the Longhorn Half Ironman Triathlon in Austin. (No. 39 – Complete a half Ironman Triathlon).

Before that, I have to accomplish No. 42 (Purchase my own road bike) and marking off  No. 37 (Hire a personal trainer) probably wouldn’t hurt.

There are still a couple tasks that I HAVE to make significant progress on in 2009, specifically:

• No. 21 (Post revenue 

of $1 million)

• No. 80 (Eat a hot dog 

& drink a beer in every American League ballpark)

• No. 81 (Take a self portrait in every National Park)

QUITTING? 

DON’T ASK ME ABOUT QUITTING! 

(These three tasks alone are going to make it one heck of a story when it’s all said and done.)

There is one task that I’ve already marked off, but I hope I can add to it:

No. 32 (Inspire someone else to do 101 things).

I have three friends who have forwarded me their lists and said thanks for motivating me to do this. I’ve had a dozen friends and family members who’ve said, “I’ve started my list, but I can’t think of 101 things.”

If you've started a list, are considering it, or even dead set against it, I encourage you to read my blog, “ ‘THE LIST' HAS OPENED MY EYES.”

Another great site is the home base for the phenomenon. I encourage you to check out that site as well. (click here to visit that site)

MY RESOLUTION FOR 2009: Make Resolutions

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is post No. 3 in a week-long blogging initiative.

I’m not a big New Year’s resolution guy. 

I’ve always been a believer, if you need to make a lifestyle change or kick a bad habit…just do it! Does it really matter if you do it in April, June, or September?

If I had to wait until January 

every year to switch things up, 

my life would be a mess for AT LEAST 355 days of the year.

So while Britney Spears (right) tries to “stop worrying…and stop biting her nails” in 2009, 

I feel somewhat inclined to do something different, too.

(FYI: If you want to see other celebs’ resolutions – click here. The headline captures 

it perfectly… ‘Just as boring as yours.’)

I’ve got two areas of emphasis: 

Running cramps and energy conservation.

RUNNING CRAMPS
In both of my marathons, I have experienced severe cramping – specifically in my calves.

As I stare down the barrel of the Country Music Marathon in April – not to mention a 4-hour finishing time in mind – I’m taking extra precautions starting NOW!

My “resolution recipe” for maximum hydration throughout my training and especially on race day 

is pretty simple:

RESOLUTION No. I: Do not drink a drop of coffee after 10 a.m. (Recently I’ve been throwing back the Java into the early afternoon, which took away precious moments when I could be drinking water AND impacting my sleep patterns that next night.)

BENEFITS: Allows me to meet my goal of drinking 85 to 100 ounces of water a day.

DRAWBACKS: I pee ALL THE TIME.

RESOLUTION No. IA (may be a little tougher): Alternate beer and water. Whenever I'm throwing back a few cold ones or having a cocktail, I’m going to drink 8 to 10 ounces of water between each one.

BENEFITS: Will help prevent dehydration and it should help negate the threat of a potential bender.

DRAWBACKS: Shiner Bock tastes a lot better than water, and I'll have to pee ALL THE TIME.

ENERGY CONSERVATION
Tanya and I are trying to be conscious with our money – and a great place to start is with the electricity we use in the house.

RESOLUTION No. II: Switch all of our light bulbs to energy efficient ones – Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs – by the end of March. (NOTE: These bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.*)

BENEFITS: Will save money in the long run. (We will save about $30 or more in electricity costs over each bulb’s lifetime.*)

DRAWBACK: Small investment out of the gate – the long-lasting bulbs are NOT cheap. (Four incandescent bulbs will run you $2.79, while one long-lasting fluorescent are around $9.99**)

RESOLUTION No. IIA: I have proposed an incentive package for my wife to help remind her to turn off a light – or all the lights – when she is not using them. I will give her $175 a month to go shopping, BUT we subtract the amount of our electric bill from that monetary allotment. (If our bill is over $175, there is no penalty – except there’s no shopping.)

BENEFITS: Saves money and reduces our carbon footprint.

DRAWBACKS: My wife could be released into the mall each month with money to spend.

I would love to hear YOUR resolutions 

for 2009 – whether they're boring or not.

*SOURCE: Energy Star

** SOURCE: Westminster College Research Project

JOIN THE CLUB, GET 'GLORIOUSLY RUINED'

I am working diligently on being “gloriously ruined.”

I want to wake up one morning and have my life

turned upside down – ruined from top to bottom,

inside and out.

Why?

I firmly believe that’s when I’ll start truly making a difference through giving back.

I was introduced to the phrase, “gloriously ruined,” when reading “Dangerous Surrender” by Kay Warren. She is an advocate for women and children affected by HIV/AIDS, and she was ruined when she visited Africa, the frontline of the AIDS epidemic.

Here is an excerpt from her book:

“If very little in my life had prepared me for what I experienced in Africa, nothing had prepared me to try to pick up my life again in affluent Orange County, California. Everything looked different; everyone seemed strange. I looked at my possessions differently. Suddenly a full refrigerator was an insult. The crowded grocery store shelves were excessive. The displays of fashion at the mall were trivial. Television was disgusting and moronic. Politics made me sick. Church was superficial. I was a mess.”

She went on to write, “I’m simply not the same person…I’ve been shaped by these new experiences, and I will never be the same. Moreover, I don’t want to be the same. I can’t have seen what I’ve seen, met the people I’ve met, experienced what I’ve experienced, only to turn away and return to life as usual. I now look at life through a different set of lenses.”

WOW! I LOVE IT!

In those two paragraphs, Mrs. Warren provided me a metaphorical slap to the face.

A few pages later, she talked about “joining the ranks of the ruined.” As she leads small groups interested in giving back, she says that she asks each person to become members of the “Seriously Disturbed, Gloriously Ruined Club.”

When these groups of people finally get it, she wrote, “they are no longer content to live with the focus of their lives being on their world – themselves, their problems, their family, their career. Their eyes have been opened to new realities. They have seen how the suffering world lives, and it is not real. They cannot ignore the suffering or pretend it doesn’t exist. They are compelled to do something about it.”

LOVE IT! LOVE IT! LOVE IT!

Personally, I’m still searching

for that “ruined” moment.

As I drive down the streets near the homeless shelter, I get a small taste. As I talk to my little brother about his family’s struggles, I can see glimpses of getting ruined.

But I’ve never prayed with a homeless woman in Africa dying from AIDS, and I’ve never held the hand of a woman who was infected with HIV because her husband contracted the virus from his mistress and brought the disease home.

Kay Warren has. These two women helped ruin her.

The point of this blog post is not to push Mrs. Warren’s book (even though it is an excellent and motivational read), I’m delivering a call to action:

I am asking you to join the

“Seriously Disturbed, Gloriously Ruined Club.”

Here is your chance

(you knew I had one, didn't you?):

The Tarrant County Homeless Coalition is looking for 500 volunteers to help conduct a count and brief survey of unsheltered homeless people living in the Tarrant and Parker County area.

It is a two- to three-hour time commitment, starting at 8 p.m. on January 29th.

Volunteers will be broken up into groups of three or four, trained by the Coalition, and escorted by a police officer.

In the e-mail I received about the volunteer opportunity, it said: “This is truly an eye-opening experience…”

This could be my chance – and YOUR chance – to be "gloriously ruined."

Through my company,

it's my goal to put together

25 teams of four people.

If you are interested in joining one of the teams, please let me know and I will forward your name and contact information on to the proper people. Share this blog with others. Invite your friends, your family members, your neighbors, and your co-workers.

If you need more information, please visit Tarrant County Homeless Coalition’s web site by clicking here.

HOLIDAYS CHEERS AND JEERS COMPLETE CHAOS

EDITOR'S NOTE: I've decided to start my first-ever week 

of blogging – small nuggets posted everyday for seven straight days. I will start today, looking back at the Christmas holidays, and finish up next Monday.

Some of the posts will be fun and light-hearted – like today's glimpse at my "Christmas Chaos" – while others have the potential to be a little more poignant. 

I will definitely stick to the theme of my blog, though: My big adventure in life and business.

g g g

cha·os \ káy òss \ n 1: disorder 

2: earliest condition of universe 3: apparent disorder 4: Drew's annual Christmas holidays, usually from Dec. 10th to Jan. 2nd or 3rd

Everybody has their own holiday stories – each one with their own special flavor of chaos. 

These stories usually involve a significant amount of driving, distant relatives you barely know, one or two random gift exchanges, tons of food and beverage, and a lot of snapshots....

Here is my "Christmas Chaos" captured 

through those very photos:

DECEMBER 10th: 

Big Brothers Big Sisters 

event at Great Wolf Lodge

HIGHLIGHTS: Anthony, my little brother, and I were part of the corporate partnership announcement at the Grapevine Resort ... we were first inside the indoor water park (for photo op – Star Telegram photos below) ... had a T-shirt made with a huge picture of us on the back.

DECEMBER 12th: 

"Ugly Christmas Sweater Party" 

(hosted by Chris Stacey)

HIGHLIGHTS: My sister Allison made the photo backdrop (big hit) ... there ended up being A LOT of pictures of me when all was said and done (very weird) ... Tanya's "ugly sweater" actually belongs to my grandmother ... some lady let me wear her velvet red pants towards the end of the night.

DECEMBER 13th: 

Birthday party 

for my buddy Hatton (no pictures)

DECEMBER 20th I: 

Extended family Christmas 

at "Brazos House" (my grandmother's house)

HIGHLIGHTS: This event is ALWAYS a mad house, but love and family ALWAYS win out in the end ... we had an amazing steak dinner 

(I manned the grill) ... theme of gift exchange: "Trash to Treasure" (Instructions from my mom: "Go through your closet, attic, cedar chest and find something that you don't use any more, or it doesn't match your new decor, or you are tired of it, or someone gave it to you and you have never used it, or you used it a lot - but now you are too old, too tired, too fat, etc. I'm not talking "white elephant" gifts, or gag gifts, or old junk... but if you think someone else could use it or would like it - wrap it up.") ... photos by Ted Kieffer.

DECEMBER 25th II:

Cowboys vs. Ravens 

(last game at Texas Stadium)

HIGHLIGHTS: Received tickets through BBBS (thanks Cheryl) ... sat on Row B, which is in front of Row 1 ... even though Anthony was battling strep throat (didn't know it at the time), he pushed through ... temperature dropped to below freezing by the fourth quarter ... sat next to Big Black, star of MTV's "Rob and Big" (I had NO clue) ... Cowboys forgot how to play defense and got whipped.

DECEMBER 22nd:
First Annual Safe Haven 

Christmas Extravaganza (original blog post)

HIGHLIGHTS: Thanks to the help of 20 sponsors – including Rosa's Cafe – e-Partners in Giving made Christmas extremely special for a handful of Fort Worth's homeless ... each Safe Haven client received a stocking ... e-Partners purchased a computer for the entire complex ... "party food" was served.

DECEMBER 23rd I: 

Gift Exchange 

with Anthony (no pictures)

HIGHLIGHTS: Anthony got me a greeting card with his recorded voice, "...I've really had an awesome time hanging out with you the last couple of months. I hope you have a merry Christmas..." ... Tanya gave him a Brett Favre figurine, while I made him a book of every Division I college football logo (example below).

DECEMBER 23rd II:

TCU Bowl Game Watch Party

HIGHLIGHTS: Hosted by friends Mike and DeeDee ... TCU rallied to defeat Boise State, 17-16 ... GO FROGS!

DECEMBER 24th: 

Baptism of Baby Jake (nephew)

HIGHLIGHTS: Tanya and I were proud, honored, and excited to be Jake's God parents and be a part of his initial spiritual journey ... baptism incorporated into Christmas Eve mass at Incarnation in Dallas ... had family dinner afterwards ... only wished it wouldn't have been held the morning after "TCU Bowl Game Watch Party" (see above).

DECEMBER 24th and 25th:

Volunteered at 

Presbyterian Night Shelter (no pictures)

DECEMBER 26th:

Myers Family Christmas

at my Mom and Dad's

HIGHLIGHTS: 10th year to celebrate homemade Christmas gifts 

(blog post) ... other traditions (photo at the top of the stairs, etc.) continued as well ... spent entire day at Mom and Dad's, instead of running 18 different directions ... watched all 3 1/2 hours of "Doctor Zhivago" ... were only missing John and KoKo (brother and sister-in-law) and Karla and Tom (friends).

DECEMBER 27th:

Riley Family Christmas 

(Tanya's extended family)

HIGHLIGHTS: Held in San Antonio at Tanya's aunt Carolyn's house ... typical "Dirty Santa" gift exchange ... Tanya and I made out with a great fire pit for the backyard (thanks to her cousin-in-law Patrick) ... drove to Houston afterwards.

DECEMBER 28th:

Kalinec Family Christmas 

(Tanya's immediate family – no pictures)

HIGHLIGHTS: Held outside Houston at Tanya's brother house ... drew names for gift exchange ... fried a turkey ... played one round of "Rock Band" (I sang "Say It Ain't So" by Weezer and was named "Top Performer" with a score of 97 percent. I ROCK!)

DECEMBER 29th:

Bowling Birthday Celebration 

(for Tanya and my sisters)

HIGHLIGHTS: Bowled at 300 in Addison ... I finished No. 2 and No. 1 in the two matches (I RULE!)

DECEMBER 31st:

New Year's Eve Celebrations

HIGHLIGHTS: Started the evening at neighbors house, enjoying gourmet nachos and playing Taboo ... brought in 2009 with friends Paul and Jessica around their fire pit.

JANUARY 4th:

40th Birthday Celebration 

(for Tanya's brother and sister-in-law)

HIGHLIGHTS: Held in Waller (outside of Houston) at Tanya's Mom and Dad's house ... complete with DJ, dancing, and a lot of good food ... Tanya did the Chicken Dance.

It was ALL wonderfully great, 

but I'm wonderfully thankful it's over.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!