Timothy Roback is a 7th grader at East Jordan Middle School in East Jordan, Michigan and is the activity coordinator for a club at his school called The Shoe Club. The club is designed to inspire students to work hard, set goals, dream big and to give back to other people. I asked him to be a guest blogger on my blog and share his experience of being a part of such an important project. Also, check out the cool video by his great teacher Matt Hamilton who gives you an inside look at The Shoe Club.

“In our life there are two types of people; good role models, and bad role models. The “Shoe Club” is a club to teach kids how to be a good role model and inspire people themselves, just like their role models before them. One motto we have is, invest in yourself and invest in others. This means to always be helpful. But don’t go too far, as in when you have no time for yourself or just trying to please someone else. The Shoe Club has taught me a ton of stuff on being a better person, always doing the right thing and dreaming big! I would like to share some of those things with you. First and foremost, some members of the Shoe Club went on a trip to Chicago in February. During this trip I had quite a bit of fun, but that isn’t the main thing I took out of that trip. The two main things I did take out of that trip are; 1.) I met some amazing people from around the Country that were very good at sharing their ideas with me and all of my peers. 2.) The new leadership and community service ideas I got from it. I would never think I could have that much fun while learning new stuff! It was nothing like I had expected! Another thing we do in the Shoe Club is to go to our local care facility, Grandvue Medical Center. We go there to keep all of the residents company. There are many people there that fight a battle everyday and most people don’t know about it. I really enjoyed going there to visit with the older folks, playing bingo with them and hearing some great stories about their past. Both of these trips have taught me a lot about leadership from two different standpoints; a leading one and a caring form of leadership. This is why I joined the club, to learn. I like learning and this club has made it a fun experience, just like in Chicago.

Right now we are planning a custodian appreciation day. This is a day where we try to make it special for the custodians of our school by making their job easier throughout the day. I really do believe that the Shoe Club impacts the lives of all the students engaged with it. Some day, I hope it will impact the world, and I think it has the ability to do so! “ – Timothy Roback

Here is The Shoe Club video

Shoe Club Inspiration is a post from: Copyright 2010 Ed Gerety's Dream Big Blog

Last week I had the opportunity to speak at Keene High School in Keene, New Hampshire. The main focus of my school-wide assembly is on respect, responsibility, and gratitude. I talked with the students and teachers about how important it is to appreciate the people in your life and to let those close to you know how much you love them.

That evening I received an e-mail from one of the teachers. I was so moved by her story and what she shared with me that I went back to the school the next day to thank her. I gave her a hug and let her know how touched I was by her words and her attitude on the incredible loss she and her children had to recently face.

I asked her if I could share with you what she wrote to me on my blog. She agreed. I hope that you are reminded, as I was, about how important it is to appreciate everyday and say I love you.

Here is her e-mail.

Dear Ed,

I have been teaching at KHS for 18 years.  Today, I was lucky enough to accompany my senior Women’s Literature class to your presentation.  It turned into the perfect segue to a service project we’re doing, but more than that, it brought up a lot for me.

It was hard hearing some of the words about loss and never knowing when, because tomorrow will be eight months from the date the a police officer showed up at my door, telling my two elementary-aged kids and myself that my husband died in a winter-related car accident on the way to work.

The thing is, I have always been so very grateful for that last weekend we spent together.  Two days before was our 17th wedding anniversary, and we spent it at a wonderful love-filled couples’ party.  The day before was family day, with a trip to an IMAX movie and a family game of laser tag.

Most importantly, however, is that because it was Martin Luther King Day and the kids and I were home from school, that morning we all kissed goodbye, ALL exchanged I Love Yous.  My kids and I do not have to fear he didn’t know or wish we said it.

I hope all of those kids (and the teachers in the audience too) take your message to heart.  Not only should they pay it forward, not bully, stick up for others, and in essence make the world a better place, but they should shout their I Love Yous from the rooftops.  Maybe, because of your words today, some of them will.

Blessings and Gratitude,

Kim Dowd
Keene High School English teacher

Shout, “I Love You” From The Rooftops! is a post from: Copyright 2010 Ed Gerety's Dream Big Blog

My 5 year old son Ryan learned to ride his bike without training wheels this past weekend. I am not sure if he will remember the moment, but it is one that my wife Suzanne and I will never forget.

The morning of the big event I asked Ryan, “Is today the day you are ready to take the training wheels off of your bike?” His reply was “Yeah, I think so, I am five-and-a-half now.” After that reply he then followed up with a series of questions.

“Dad, what if I fall down?”

I answered, “Ryan, if you fall that’s okay because we all fall down when we try something new, the important thing is to get back up and try it again.”

“Will you and mom be behind me?” he asked.

“Yes, we will be right behind you but at some point we will have to let you go and you have to trust that you will find your balance.”

“How fast will I be able to go?” he said.

“You will want to take it slow at first but as you get more confident and more experience you can go as fast as you want.”

As we watched him pedal down the driveway with his new found freedom I realized that finding your balance in life is not always easy and you can learn a lot from teaching a little boy how to find it on a bicycle for the first time.

Finding your Balance is a post from: Copyright 2010 Ed Gerety's Dream Big Blog

On a recent flight from Boston to Phoenix I sat next to this amazing person. I did not know it at first, as is often the case on an airplane the person next to you is a stranger. We exchanged hellos when she first sat down and that was it until about 30 minutes into the flight I asked her if Phoenix was her final destination. She said no, and that she was flying to LA to go to the Grammy Awards as her partner had been nominated for one.

“How cool is that!” I said to her and then I asked if she was excited, and for what category he was nominated. The pleasant conversation continued from there.

It turned out that the woman I was talking with was the best-selling author of the book The Art of Possibility – a great book about transforming your entire world and living your life in the universe of possibility.

Rosamund Stone Zander and I had an amazing conversation and it made the 4.5 hour flight to Phoenix a short one.

What if I had never bothered to say hello to her when she first sat down next to me? What if I never asked her a question? What if I just ignored her, put on my iPod, and read my book?

I would never have made that connection and I would have missed out on an opportunity to learn from her experiences and life lessons. It’s easy to mind your own business when you are traveling, to just talk on your cell phone and text away as if there is no one around you. When we do that we miss out on meeting someone that could help us personally or professionally. We miss out on making a connection with perhaps a new friend.

If you are one of those people who are shy about meeting new people. Here are three things that you can do to improve your social skills.

1. Smile- It’s the one universal thing that we can do to let another know that you are friendly.

2. Be Present- Really listen to the other person so they know you care about what they are saying. Ask them questions about what they are passionate about.

3. Don’t complain- There is nothing worse than meeting someone for the first time and listen to them complain and whine about something. People want to be around people that are positive and upbeat.

The next time you find yourself in an opportunity to meet new people, take a positive risk. Smile. Say hello. You never know who is sitting next to you.

Who is Sitting Next to You? is a post from: Copyright 2010 Ed Gerety's Dream Big Blog

One of my passions is reading great books on leadership and peak performance. I love to learn about how individuals and organizations are able to overcome challenges and produce extraordinary results. My new favorite book is by Steve Zaffron and Dave Logan titled, The Three Laws of Performance: Rewriting the Future of Your Organization and Your Life (J-B Warren Bennis Series) The book is inspiring and well – just awesome. Here’s why. What makes this book unique is that it does not give you steps, strategies, or secret tips about success. It is a hands-on practical approach to living an extraordinary life with real life examples.

A key insight in the book is that it is so easy to get caught up in the game of trying to fix the things that are not working in your life and the more that you try to fix them the more concrete and fixed they become. This pattern becomes a “probable predictable future” that leaves you frustrated and operating at a performance level way below your potential.

In my keynote presentations one of the messages I share is how important it is to focus on the positive and what’s possible. That what we think about, we become. Whether you call it the “law of attraction”, “manifesting your destiny”, or “the secret” it is a universal principle about focus and energy. What this book does a great job of doing is taking this point to a higher level of understanding and a deeper meaning. In the book the authors talk about how what you “resist in life persists” meaning the more you avoid or suppress something the more energy and attention you give to it. Thus, leading to more of what you don’t want.

Another great insight in the book is that our access to power, freedom, and true self expression lies in creating a new future that is filled with possibility. This possibility is created through understanding and having compassion for how the world “occurs” to the people around us. It is this compassion along with using “generative language” that leads to us creating a new future at a level of performance that may have never before seemed possible.

How do you create that compassion? I believe that compassion comes from remembering that we don’t know everything about anyone. Real compassion comes from listening, understanding, and respecting what makes us different. It is at the heart of not only a new level performance but an extraordinary life.

A New Level of Performance is a post from: Copyright 2010 Ed Gerety's Dream Big Blog