A beautiful ripple effect

Last Saturday  was the grand finale for the 2013 Man and Woman of the Year campaign for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

One year earlier, I had the honor of being a part of Cassandra Perkins Woman of the Year campaign and it is a memory that I will always treasure.

I couldn't have possible written a better ending than the one that unfolded.

My son Adam and I sat at the table with Dr. Jeff Matous and his daughter Catherine.  Catherine ran as a woman of the year candidate in 2011 during her freshmen year in high school.

Catherine's ripple effect inspired me to nominate Cassie to run the following year during her freshman year in high school.  Cassie to became the youngest person in the state of Colorado to run as a candiate for this campaign.

At the kickoff event last year Cassie met a young man, Michael Guglielmi who ran for Man of the year in 2013.

Cassie, Ralph and Michael at 2012 MWOY Kickoff

Michael ran in honor of his Dad, Ralph Guglielmi who is a blood cancer survivor.  Ralph is a former Man of the year winner from our chapter so Michael was indeed following in his father's footsteps.

The entire audience was thrilled when Michael was announced as this years winner.  Michael is 17 years old.

I had written last year, that Michael's decision to run was part of the ripple effect that Cassie created during her campaign.

It is the great mystery of our lives as we never know how what we do might touch and change the life of another person.

So from Catherine, to Cassie and now Michael, the seeds you have planted are taking root.  The beautiful ripple effect you are creating is inspiring others to take action and live unbound.

In love and gratitude to these three young and inspirational people.

2013 Man of the Year with Laurie Maeves

Tweet

Behind the Mask with Cassandra Perkins

I had the honor last week of being a guest on Cassandra Perkins radio show(Behind the Mask)  last week along with an all star cast of guests,  Woody Roseland, Brittany Ross and Christa Black.

It was my first time on the radio.   I was a bit nervous at the start, but once we got going I had a great time.

Cassie's first guest was Woody Roseland who is a five time cancer survivor, stand up comedian and inspirational speaker who is currently running for Man of the Year for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Woody lost his leg to bone cancer and he has not let that stop him or define him. You are not your cancer!   He rides his bike across the country in an effort to raise money for cancer research.

Brittany Ross shared her story of being diagnosed with A.M.L at the age of 15 and was given three weeks to live.  Brittany is now 28 and will be getting married in September of this year.

Christa Black shared a very powerful story. You can read more about Christa by clicking here. 

What was really cool about the radio show, was every speaker shared a story of hope.

If you are interested you can listen to the  entire podcast by clicking here.    Be sure and check out Cassie's show and follow this young woman who continues to inspire me as she makes a difference in the world.

I love this young woman for who she is in the world, for what she stands for. She is a champion of hope.

Check out Cassie's Tedx talk she gave last year. WOW!!!

Tweet

Slaying the Dragon

I attended a breaking through fear workshop last weekend.  80 people took a leap of faith, made commitments to break through their fears, to be done, to walk to the person they were born to be.

The first speaker of the day, Aaron Huey totally rocked the room and set the tone for the day, for the entire weekend.  Aaron walked away from a life of addiction and now lives a life of service running a program for for teenage boys  that are dealing with substance abuse. "You have to be done, really be done with something before you can create something new."   He asked us again and again, "Are you done?"   "Are you really done?" We would all respond, yes.  We are are done.  Aaron would reply, "We'll see, we'll see.

One of the exercises we did on the first day was on the three C's.  Confidence, Courage, Commitment.  For each word on a scale from 1-10, rate where you are.  My word was confidence. Whichever word was ranked the lowest we we then gathered in a circle with a group of people that had also chosen that word.

We were given instructions to look each person that was in the circle in the eye and say "I will ---."  They are to respond "Yes, you will." and then we are to respond with "Thank you, I will."

There were about 15 people in my circle and just like so many times in my life, I found myself to be that last person to share.  I hoped no one would notice that I hadn't shared. I tried to shrink and make myself invisible.    I am a very good ghost.   It is my winning hand....

I stepped out into the circle.  I made eye contact.  I made my declaration.

"I will be unstoppable in my efforts to help create a world without blood cancers."  15 times, I made eye contact, shared my commitment.  15 times the other people in the group affirmed my commitment.  "Yes, you will.".   "Thank you, I will", I echoed back.

At the end of the first day, we all broke boards.  Smashing through fear.  Smashing through something that we wanted to leave behind.  What was it costing us?  I declared I was done.  I broke the board.  Am I done?  We'll see....

At the end of the second day we walked on fire, a bed of coals.  Fifteen feet, 1,250 degrees.  Leaving behind what we said we were done with, walking towards something.

Slaying the dragon.  The dragon that takes me out of the game, the dragon that keeps me small.   The dragon whose sole purpose and existence is based on his survival.  The dragon who also exists to serve and protect, to keep me safe.  Is the dragon a monster or a friend?

In preparation for the fire walk we were asked to write a letter to what we were done with.  What had it cost me?  What had it cost the world?  What was the payoff?  What had I gained from it?

What would I leave behind and walk towards?  We were given a couple of minutes to write.  We then walked to the fire where we were told to crumple our letters, hold onto them and then throw them into the fire and watch the letter ignite and then walk away.

Back to the room we went for our final instructions.  There was talk about creating a state change, having a power move, an anchor.

State your name, what you are done with and what you are walking towards.  Once the declaration was invoked in a powerful way the sentinel's at the start of the fire walk would lower their arms and we would walk begin to walk on fire.  Fifteen feet to be done with whatever we were leaving behind, fifteen feet to walk with purpose and intention to something else.

I ran over to my car before getting in the line.  I knew what my anchor's were.  I knew I would feel grounded.  I would be safe.  I knew who I wanted to share this journey with me as I left behind what I was done with and walked towards what I want to embrace in my life.

I waited my turn.  I felt incredibly calm, grounded.  I knew I could do this and I was unafraid.  I have run 17 marathons.  How hard could it be to walk fifteen feet?

The instructions were changed as the supply of coal was running low.  Just say what you are walking to.

It was my turn.

I said it loud, I said it proud.  No ghost today.

"My name is Ross Kinney and I am walking towards a life of  risking my significance and a world without blood cancer."

And I was off.  I hugged the volunteer at the end of the walk and wiped my feet off on the cool moss to keep my feet from burning.  It was over.  I had walked on fire.  What else is possible?

Inspiration for walking on fire and other things in life!

So many times in my life it was Kelly who inspired me to do things I never thought I could, whether it was running a marathon or doing something really scary like talking in front of a room full of people.

And now I have this wonderful opportunity to do something great with Cassandra, be inspired, play full out as we walk towards a world without cancer together for Kelly, for Laiken, for so many.

I turned back in time to watch my wife Sue walk to leave her something behind and to walk towards what she wants to create in her life.

I told her later that the fire walk for me was easy.  It was the exercise the day before that was so much harder for me.  Sharing my voice, being playful, dancing.   That  is the dragon totally stops me, takes me off  the court.

Sue asked me, "What if sharing your voice, being playful and silly and dancing is what the world really needs?"  "What if that is the one thing you need to do for the world  What if that makes the difference?"

I hate it when she asks me questions like that...

I told her the what I am done with that I didn't get to say before the fire walk.  "I am done playing small."

Am I done?  Am I done playing small?  Am I ready to risk my significance?  We'll see, we'll see...

Tweet

On the right path

I attended a seminar this morning called "The Art of Story Telling."  I almost didn't go.  It snowed last night and I really thought about not going.

I went and squeezed in a short workout at 24 HR Fitness before the seminar.  I knew I would have to go in the morning or I most likely wouldn't be able to get my workout in and that would ruin my streak of having worked out at 24 HR Fitness for 60 straight days.

One of the reasons that I decided to go was that I hoped to maybe pick up an idea  or two that would help connect people to Cassandra's  LLS Woman of the Year campaign as we begin to tell this story.

When I arrived at The Journey For Conscious Living center I noticed a familiar face on the cover of a magazine.  

On the front counter there was a small display of BYOU(Be Your Own You) merchandise.   Cassandra is a spokes person for this organization.  BYOU focuses on empowering young women and improving  their self esteem.

I almost didn't go to this seminar, decided at the last minute it would be worth the effort if I could come away with an idea to benefit Cassandra's campaign and here I found Cassandra at the the Journey for Conscious Living.

Tweet

Say Yes!

This weeks writing class is about igniting our passion.

I love this reading from Andrea Gibson.  Watch her come alive.  Very powerful.

So here is to saying YES to life.

Saying yes to life like Kelly did.  Choosing the life you have.

Saying yes to making a difference to somebody, somewhere in the world as Cassie is doing in her life every day.

"never go a second hushing the percussion of your heart
play loud."~Andrea Gibson

How are you saying yes to your life?  What will you do to play loud?

Say Yes by Andrea Gibson

when two violins are placed in a room
if a chord on one violin is struck
the other violin will sound the note
if this is your definition of hope
this is for you
the ones who know how powerful we are
who know we can sound the music in the people around us
simply by playing our own strings
for the ones who sing life into broken wings
open their chests and offer their breath
as wind on a still day when nothing seems to be moving
spare those intent on proving god is dead
for you when your fingers are red
from clutching your heart
so it will beat faster
for the time you mastered the art of giving yourself for the sake of someone else
for the ones who have felt what it is to crush the lies
and lift truth so high the steeples bow to the sky
this is for you
this is also for the people who wake early to watch flowers bloom
who notice the moon at noon on a day when the world
has slapped them in the face with its lack of light
for the mothers who feed their children first
and thirst for nothing when they’re full

this is for women
and for the men who taught me only women bleed with the moon
but there are men who cry when women bleed
men who bleed from women’s wounds
and this is for that moon
on the nights she seems hung by a noose
for the people who cut her loose
and for the people still waiting for the rope to burn
about to learn they have scissors in their hands

this is for the man who showed me
the hardest thing about having nothing
is having nothing to give
who said the only reason to live is to give ourselves away
so this is for the day we’ll quit or jobs and work for something real
we’ll feel for sunshine in the shadows
look for sunrays in the shade
this is for the people who rattle the cage that slave wage built
and for the ones who didn’t know the filth until tonight
but right now are beginning songs that sound something like
people turning their porch lights on and calling the homeless back home

this is for all the shit we own
and for the day we’ll learn how much we have
when we learn to give that shit away
this is for doubt becoming faith
for falling from grace and climbing back up
for trading our silver platters for something that matters
like the gold that shines from our hands when we hold each other

this is for the grandmother who walked a thousand miles on broken glass
to find that single patch of grass to plant a family tree
where the fruit would grow to laugh
for the ones who know the math of war
has always been subtraction
so they live like an action of addition
for you when you give like every star is wishing on you
and for the people still wishing on stars
this is for you too

this is for the times you went through hell so someone else wouldn’t have to
for the time you taught a 14 year old girl she was powerful
this is for the time you taught a 14 year old boy he was beautiful
for the radical anarchist asking a republican to dance
cause what’s the chance of everyone moving from right to left
if the only moves they see are NBC and CBS
this is for the no becoming yes
for scars becoming breath
for saying i love you to people who will never say it to us
for scraping away the rust and remembering how to shine
for the dime you gave away when you didn’t have a penny
for the many beautiful things we do
for every song we’ve ever sung
for refusing to believe in miracles
because miracles are the impossible coming true
and everything is possible

this is for the possibility that guides us
and for the possibilities still waiting to sing
and spread their wings inside us
cause tonight saturn is on his knees
proposing with all of his ten thousand rings
that whatever song we’ve been singing we sing even more
the world needs us right now more than it ever has before
pull all your strings
play every chord
if you’re writing letters to the prisoners
start tearing down the bars
if you’re handing our flashlights in the dark
start handing our stars
never go a second hushing the percussion of your heart
play loud
play like you know the clouds have left too many people cold and broken
and you’re their last chance for sun
play like there’s no time for hoping brighter days will come
play like the apocalypse is only 4…3…2
but you have a drum in your chest that could save us
you have a song like a breath that could raise us
like the sunrise into a dark sky that cries to be blue
play like you know we won’t survive if you don’t
but we will if you do
play like saturn is on his knees
proposing with all of his ten thousand rings
that we give every single breath
this is for saying–yes

this is for saying–yes

Tweet

When in doubt, love

Dear Kelly,

Four years have passed since the last time I saw you, four years from the last time I hugged you.

I posted my memories of that day here.  I am so glad that I wrote about our time together that day.  It is a treasured memory like so many others I have about you.  Tucked safely away in my heart.

I think often about not only how you lived the last 37 days of your life, but how you lived your life.

.Many times you had to face your doubts as your cancer returned.  Such a persistent cancer.  I am sure you had to have doubts, how can this happen again?   How can I move forward, how do I live my life?

And I watched you choose love above your doubts.  You chose your life,cherished your time with your family and friends.

Through any doubts, throughout your cancer journey,throughout your life, you chose love.

Wow, wow and WOW!

Did I tell you that I wrote an article about you for a book?  It has been published.  A copy of the book came  last night.  It is a story about us.

I am working with a young woman who is running as a woman of the year candidate for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  I am sure you would love Cassie.  She is a lot like you.  She has a kind and loving heart, she is courageous, she is a Denver Bronco fan.  Cassie shares a birthday with you.  She is fighting for a world without cancer, standing for your life.

I love you Kelly.  I am forever grateful for the gift of your life and for the gentle nudges you still send me to remind me of your love.

There are many things of that I am not sure of in my life.  The one thing I never doubt is who you are to me in the world.

Love.

No doubt!

Tweet

Synchronicity

Monday was the 23rd anniversary of Kelly's birthday.

When I got home Monday I opened a package that had come in the mail.

1/9/2012

 I participated in a virtual run last month to support a friend of mine who is training for the Tinkerbell 1/2 marathon and raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

I was so amazed that of all days this would have come in the mail on Kelly's birthday.

I think it is my favorite medal ever.  I love the words on the medal.

Share love-Give Life.

Kelly shared her life and gave us her love.  Share life, give love.

Even now, I think Kelly knows when I need a little nudge, some encouragement.  A reminder of her love and the connection we shared with one another.

I remember her first birthday in heaven, a glimpse of a sunrise.

1/9/2009

I want to introduce you to a young woman who I will be writing quite a bit about in the coming months.

Tebowing, perfect form!

A Tebow fan!

I met Cassie earlier this summer through an organization called Youth for Parker.  Cassie is an amazing young woman and someone that I really admire for all of the great work she is doing in the world.

I had the honor of nominating Cassie to run as a candidate in the Leukemia and Lymphoma's Society Man/Woman of the year campaign.   Cassie was my top choice, hands down and I knew if she accepted she would be all in.  When I first talked with the campaign manager for the Man/Woman of the year, Caitlin told me that one of the candidates from last year was the youngest person to ever run in this national campaign.  Catherine was 15 years old.  I knew Cassie was 14 at the time when I nominated her and I wondered if she would now be the youngest person to ever run as a woman of the year candidate.  I was blown away when I found out that Cassie was born on January 9.  She shares a birthday with Kelly.  I had goosebumps when I saw that.  I knew I had to ask her.  This was not a random coincidence.  To me, this was synchronicity.

"People love mysterious things, and synchronicity is like magic happening to them," says Carolyn North, author of Synchronicity: The Anatomy of Coincidence (Regent Press). "It gives us a sense of hope, a sense that something bigger is happening out there than what we can see, which is especially important in times like this when there are so many reasons for despair."


Cassie celebrated her 15th birthday on Monday.  Cassie has accepted the nomination.  She has joined the blood cancer freedom fighter revolution.  Cassie is standing for the possibility of a world where blood cancer can't exist.

Deeply honoring moments in my life.

1.  Asking Sue to marry me and having her say Yes :)
2.  Kelly inviting me to go to Disneyland in 2001 on what could have been their last trip as a family.
3.  Being asked to be a pall bearer for Kelly and help lay her body to rest.  This was a sacred honor.
4.  Cassie accepting the nomination to run as a woman of the year candidate, becoming a voice for blood cancer awareness, standing for Kelly's life.

In Cassie's words, "Look out Colorado, we are going to Rock the Rockies.!!!."

Tweet