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Be BOLD

Quit overthinking. Quit overanalyzing. Quit hashing it over and over.

Be BOLD. Do “it”, whatever “it” is. You’ll learn more from doing “it”, than analyzing “it”.

For example, I recently decided to be BOLD in a few areas of my life, and it is working. If you want to sell something, sell it. If you want a raise, ask for it. If you want to stop drinking as much or reduce your sugar intake, then stop it. If you want to stretch and lift more, then schedule it and do it.

Be BOLD. It’s your life. And at the end of your life, what will you regret? Will you regret being too conservative? Or, will you relive the unique and bold moments? If God gives me the chance at the end of life, I hope that I’m smiling and grinning about the times that I bet on myself, and was BOLD.

Be BOLD.

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From A to Z, What I Learned During a Global Pandemic

In early March 2020, life changed as we knew it. We were dealt the card of immediately living life during a global pandemic. Most people on the planet had never faced anything like this, since the Pandemic of 1918. In late February 2020, I had read about COVID-19 starting to afflict people in the Northwest USA. When I went to the dentist on Feb. 27, 2020, I asked my dental assistant for a mask. She quietly gave me one, tucked in my bag with dental floss, tooth brush and paste. After spending the weekend with my mom in Carmel, IN, on March 1st, I flew from Indianapolis to Palm Beach…with my mask ON. Asked to pinch hit for another speaker, on March 3 I flew to Houston to speak. When I walked in to the large, hotel conference room, there were more bottles of sanitizer on the tables than there were seats/people in the room. At that moment, I knew something was extremely different. As soon as I completed my speech on March 4, we wrapped up the work conference, and ALL meetings with travel were cancelled. I flew back from Houston to Palm Beach on March 4, and didn’t get on an airplane again for over a year.

Felt it would be wise to capture, “What I learned During A Global Pandemic?” And, let’s do it with the simplicity of “From A to Z”.

Here we go…

A: Always be ahead. We were always thinking ahead. At the beginning of the pandemic, we went grocery shopping very early in the morning, when less people were there. Then we switched to having the groceries delivered via Shipt. We drove north to get our COVID vaccine in early March 2021, when our age group just kept waiting in Florida. We were “all in it together.” Again and again, we stayed ahead, whether it was double masking before the CDC recommended it, or ordering N95 and KN95 masks. In late October 2021, we got our booster shot as soon as it was approved by both the FDA and CDC.

B: Bikes and electronic bikes became all the range. Since the country shut down in March and April 2020, and employers encouraged many of their employees to work from home, cars and trucks were driven less…and so we started biking more to get outside, away from the house and get some exercise. Bike shops were slammed, as people were cleaning out their garages, pulling out their bikes that hadn’t been ridden in years.

C: Care for yourself. And if that means have 3X to 5X the vitamin C that you normally have, then do it. Early on during the pandemic, I intentionally met with two natural health doctors, and they provided a list of things that could be done to help increase immune response. Sauerkraut, pickles, vitamin D, garlic, walking, sunshine, get and wear an Oura ring to measure activity and sleep, etc. I continue to consume more garlic and Vitamin D & C over a year and a half later. New cooks were born, as cooking at home and on grills drastically increased, while restaurant spending dropped substantially. The quarantine reminded us of the importance of our kitchens and backyard grill and smoker.

D: Daily devotionals were implemented, as I found not one but two devotional books given to me years ago from my sister in law (Candy) and my high school best friend (Suzanne). These devotionals helped center me, knowing that if I did get COVID, I’d be ok…heading to heaven. How did I find these devotional books? Going thru every box that I had in the house and under the beds. And during this quarantine, the DOGS definitely won; they loved that their owners were home…all the time…being walked and well fed, and many had new homes.

E: Educate yourself. We read more than just the news. We just kept saying, “we’re in a pandemic, so stay educated.” We watched the case count closely, the of deaths, and which age brackets were dying, and why. Then in 2021, we had extreme focus on reading the various vaccine results (that were approved for the three vaccines), which then migrated to who was getting vaccinated, and then watching the break-through cases closely. Education for our kids and college students changed substantially; kids were trying to learn thru Zoom classrooms…ultimately fell behind. College students graduated early, as the college experience dissipated in to thin air, or didn’t return to campus. Many Americans didn’t have an “Emergency Fund“, and now millions of people realize they need one for the future. So many people lost their jobs within days of mid-March 2020, and had nothing in reserves. Oh, and did I mention that eating at home soared. We ate at home ALOT. And actually enjoyed it.

F: Fraud was alive and well. With the abundance of gov’t aid that was made available in the Payroll Protection Program, people were tapping in to these forgivable loans. With so many people at home utilizing the internet for commerce, fraudsters were all about scamming any and everyone, including the elderly. Freedom took on a new meaning, as some Americans wanted the freedom not to wear a mask (in federally mandated areas like airports and airplanes) and to not get vaccinated. While other countries and global peoples were begging for life-saving vaccines, our freedoms in America were killing people here, even though the vaccines were free and masks were widely available.

G: Gratefulness was something that we embraced, as we were able to do some things at home that we hadn’t planned to do (organize every box in the home, go thru photos and greeting cards). Gardening spiked, as people realized that if they were home, why not start a garden with some herbs, vegetables, etc. Gun sales skyrocketed; many people deep down were scared, unsettled, and felt the need to care for themselves, especially with the 2020 Presidential election and the Jan 6, 2021 insurrection at The Capitol.

H: Home was our fortress. Worked from home. Exercised at home. Remodeled our homes in FL and IN. Stayed home and didn’t travel. Now more than ever, people realized that health mattered; many COVID patients who ultimately died were obese, older, inactive, diabetic, or had pre-existing conditions. We all learned the importance of taking care of our health.

I: Don’t be an idiot. We wore our masks. We kept our distance. We used sanitizer. We wore gloves in stores and when we pumped gas. We didn’t bring up our stance in public; we just did what we needed to do to remain healthy, and be respectful of others. Adjustments were made to our auto insurance. Why? Because we were driving less. Crazy, who would’ve thought we would have ever gotten an insurance credit during a pandemic? We became much more aware of our immune systems, asking frequently what could we do to improve our immune strength. ICU units were slammed with intubated patients in the summer of 2021, with unvaccinated patients. Doctors became weary, tired, and disgusted. Vaccines were proven and free, yet millions weren’t getting vaccinated.

J: Unlike the Pandemic of 1918, this COVID pandemic did not attack young adults and juveniles. COVID was especially hard on our seniors. It was my priority to send masks to my parents, keep my distance when around them in 2020 during their 60th anniversary party outside of their home and for a quick visit inside their home in Kentland, IN. Job losses were quick and vast in March thru June 2020; and thousands of those jobs will never return. And employees now view “jobs” and “work” differently; employees want to be paid fairly, and they want flexibility. I have realized that I don’t need to travel for all my coaching work, and yet I can still be quite successful and helpful to those that I coach.

K: Pandemics can kill 100’s of thousands of people very quickly. Many had underlying conditions, but COVID killed them. They could no longer breathe, their lungs were filled with COVID. Kids missed proms and homecoming, athletic events, singing auditions, theater performances, as schools were mostly operating virtually.

L: Longing set in quickly. Longing to go to a restaurant, a sporting event, or even a wedding. The longing started to dissipate once the vaccines were approved and available in early to mid 2021, and people became more confident to travel via airplanes, instead of safely in their own car, like I did during multiple trips back and forth from Indiana to Florida. Leadership lacked. And leaders lied about the seriousness of COVID early on; they knew it was an airborne disease.

M: Masked up, and during late 2020 and early 2021, we double masked up. And wore two masks when we were on airplanes in 2021. Masks were darn near free, fancy ones costs no more than $10 each. Masks that wouldn’t fog up my glasses were a premium.

N: Nursing homes were infected quickly, from the aids and nurses who were actually caring for the patients in early 2020. Nursing homes had COVID outbreaks, and 1,000’s of seniors died in the early months of COVID due to a lack of understanding and also a lack of quality control. Nurses in the ICU units, in the winter of 2020-2021 were our heroes. By the summer of 2021 with the surge of the COVID Delta variant, nurses and doctors were exhausted, taking care of people who chose not to get vaccinated. Meanwhile at home, Netflix viewership increased, as we were at home, binging on all types of films and series.

O: We kept our opinions to ourselves, mostly, and only shared them with very trusted friends and a few in our family. Online usage skyrocketed, from working online to shopping online to teaching online to trading online. Who knew that people would start online trading accounts, and put their money to work in the stock market?

P: Never dreamed that a pandemic would be so polarizing, and so political. But it was. We persevered, and did what we needed to do to stay healthy and safe. We were patient, as the pandemic didn’t go away in two weeks if everyone stayed home. The campaign of “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” worked in March and early April, but then business owners started pushing the limits, opening up, and serving customers again. And people became eager and cranky to get back to their normal routines in life, at the expense of risking their own life, or the lives of others in their own household.

Q: Qanon and conspiracy theorists became a new “word” and a group of people. Never had ever heard of them. Hope to never hear from them again either, but sadly, they are here to stay.

R: The real estate market sputtered in March and April 2020; appraisers didn’t know how to value homes in this pandemic. Then, in June 2020, the real estate market took off, prices rose, people had been in their homes for 2-3 months straight, and found that they either didn’t like their home, or wanted a new home, or wanted to relocate, or remodel the one they were in. Routines are important in every human’s life. And those routines were completely disrupted. Lastly, RV sales and usage took off. People realized that they could work from anywhere, so why not travel, see the country, and work during the day via Zoom meetings and conf calls…as long as you had internet access.

S: Realized that I just needed more sleep. Pandemics and changes in our routines are exhausting. I slept more during the week, and I could because I didn’t have to get dressed up for and then commute to “work”. People saved money. They were getting stimulus checks from the Fed Government, and then not spending on restaurants and travel. Savings rates soared! In the future, if you’re sick, stay home. If you have the flu or the sniffles, stay home!

T: Togetherness was in full force. Whatever unit of people was in your home at the beginning of the pandemic, you were together. As we all became more comfortable in the summer and Fall 2020 and learning how to live with the pandemic, we would eat outside, keep our distance, and enjoy others. Tik Tok became so popular, that even nurses in COVID units were making time to rehearse, video and release their gigs on Tik Tok. Air travel, train travel, subway, Uber and bus travel all declined drastically, as people weren’t comfortable being in close proximity to others, prior to the vaccines being available. Travel picked back up, once vaccines were being put in arms. Technology thrived; stay on your tech game. Don’t fall behind with tech, ever. And always trust yourself, after taking time to educate yourself on what to do.

U: Up, stock up! Who knew that toilet paper and ammunition would be hoarded? But indeed, that’s what happened. Me on the other hand, I wanted peanut butter and crackers, because I knew I could live on that for a very long time. Utilize everything in your cabinets, from spices to canned goods to utensils and appliances that had been under-utilized.

V: Vaccines were wanted, and we got three approved for use in the USA. And then when we got them, millions of Americans chose not to get vaccinated. Meanwhile, around the globe, fellow humans were begging for them. Domestic violence increased, as family members were quarantined at home and were forced to deal with other. Violence has continued to soar, especially gun violence, as the pandemic appears to affected many people with depression, anxiety, and stress. Some vax-resistors have also been violent to flight attendants on planes. Who would have ever predicted that we would get violent toward a flight attendant, all because of a $3 mask…and yet these same people just went thru TSA pre-check, put on their seat belt on the plane, and agreed to not smoke on the plane.

W: Washed our hands, and indeed we do still, alot. We sanitized our hands. We washed our clothes after being out and about. Walk, walk, and more walking. I realized that walking was the key to my sanity during the entire pandemic. It got me moving, enjoying the outdoors, clearing my head, and allowed me to listen to audible books or give a phone call to family and friends.

X: XRays and optional, non-priority medical procedures were delayed, cancelled, and postponed for months. Diseases went undetected. Cancers metastasized. Mammograms, dental cleaning, and eye checkups didn’t happen for a year or more.

Y: You, Yourself, and I. Only you can take care of you. I really learned and appreciated the value of good physical, emotional, and spiritual well being.

Z: Zoom became a one word brand that everyone knew what it was: remote and virtual business meetings, which then turned in to happy hours, conferences, family gathering, etc. As the pandemic loomed on, well into 2021, Zoom fatigue happened. People were tired of staring in to a screen, and faking like they were paying attention. Keep your zeal for life, and your zest to learn, adapt routines, and become a better human being during a pandemic.

Jen Wilfong 10/24/2021

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Cookies For My Dying Neighbor

My neighbor, Larry, just died of stage 4 aggressive cancer. It ate him up in just a handful of months. Larry was a tenant in a home that I owned, just two doors away. Then, Larry became a neighbor. He really became a friend and someone that I could talk to about business, trends, family, and overall spiritual growth.

Last Sunday, Oct. 3, was the last time we communicated. I texted him, “Hey there. You feeling ok? I have some cookies for ya…from some friends.” He responded, “I’ve got nurses here. Not feeling great. I’ll have to take a rain check.”

On Wednesday evening, Sept 29, I dropped off some Whole Foods chocolate chip cookies. He sent me back a text with the prayer hands.

On Monday evening, Sept. 27, I texted him, “Do you need anything? smooth foods? Gatorade?” He responded, “You’re awesome. No ma’am. Thank you.”

On Saturday evening, Sept 25, texted him, “How ya feeling? How is Luke (his youngest son) doing?” Larry responded, “Terrible.” “Luke is doing awesome. Thank you for checking in.”

On Sunday, Sept 19, we had some donuts and peanut butter cookies left over from our tailgate. I asked him if he wanted any, he said, “No thank you. I appreciate it!”

In mid September, Larry had his gas utility turned off. Something happened, bills were slipping past due, and not being paid. We did get him approved thru rental assistance to receive $1,800 for his October rent; thank goodness, in hindsight, that was helpful and will be helpful giving his family some time to go thru his things here in October. As we filled out all the paperwork for that rental assistance, he said, “And I’m a cheap bastard…I can’t help myself, I like free stuff…Don’t judge.”

On Sept 10, Larry paid his rent in cash. And while backing out of the drive, he sideswapped my mailbox. He was embarrassed, and said he would fix it. I knew he couldn’t and wouldn’t, so I just straightened it up, no problem. It was at this point, one month before he died, that Larry just wasn’t Larry anymore. He was falling behind. He was trying, but struggling. But I just kept offering him cookies. To help soothe whatever pain he was in.

On Sept. 9 he texted me…”I have cash…I had cash yesterday & today. I always have cash. That isn’t ever a problem. I’ll skin ya in the a.m. (pay you) Big Mamma…I’m confused easy these days-if it isn’t about work or hustlin’…I didn’t pay my water bill for three months, unbeknownst to me.”

While we were in northern Michigan for Labor Day weekend, I texted Larry, “Can I bring you something specific?” He responded: “Blueberries Jam. Please!! Any kind of jam! PB & J’s all day for me!” Think about that for a minute. You’re 46 years old, struggling with cancer, and you’re excited about PB&J’s. So when we arrived from our Michigan road trip, I took over his blueberry jam, and also gave him a blueberry cream cheese danish. He responded with a text, “Ohhhh my gooooodness!! Dude…Since having cancer, I’ve been obsessed with food, and I had a great day today, I made some good money, today was an entire blessing. But, it pales in comparison to this damn danish…You are so kind to me and I appreciate you guys so much. Thank you. Thank you.” And then he went on…”I’ve been kicked in the head by everybody that supposedly loved me…dealing with this all alone, ain’t easy…I’ve had so many people close to me do me dirty since I’ve been sick. It would absolutely blow your mind. I’ve got just a handful of people, who are new to me, within the last five or six years – who have been more precious than people that I’ve known for years… Thank you.”

Homemade punkin pie for Larry before Labor Day? He loved it, and I was on a smooth food diet too, and he didn’t even know that nor why. His son just started at UIndy, and it was their first football game in Chicago. Larry didn’t go, because Luke didn’t dress for the game.

Cookies again on Sunday, August 29, and then on August 31. Larry visited a buddy at IU Health, who had cancer, convincing him to take his pain meds and do chemotherapy. Then he came over, I made him an old fashion drink, and we sat on my back patio from 745pm til 900pm, talking about going in to business together, with the explosive opportunity in electric vehicle charging stations. He was convinced there was opportunity in one-EV charging station, that could have double spot charging. He texted me, after our convo, “You, Ms. Wilfong! Are gonna be a big deal!! YOU!!”

On Saturday, Aug. 28, Larry couldn’t get off the couch, not feeling well. He wanted to drive my new Tesla, that I picked up on Friday, August 27. He had an idea for me, not him, but for me.

Cookies again on Aug. 19, as Larry just couldn’t make it to my birthday party on Aug. 21. As he texted, “…I can’t be around people, a hamster fart would literally kill me right now…I have no immune system, no white blood cells…”

Even on August 4, cookies were the answer. I texted Larry that I’d swap him cookies for rent. He responded, “NO!! Just give me the damn cookies!!”

And more cookies on July 31. Sugar cookies this time. And July 27, he sent me a video. “You wouldn’t understand completely the dialogue but this is the video I just sent my sons-my soldiers…Thank you very much I appreciate you checking on me. Refuse to die, I need to live.”

On July 22, just a few days after I had a small bowel attack on July 19, I made punkin pies. Gave one to Larry, and also made another batch of cookies for him. On Monday, July 12, dropped off more cookies, and some cherries. As he explained, he was getting sick and tired of those shakes and pudding.

On July 7, I finally told Larry, a colon cancer patient, that I didn’t have a colon (lost it in 2000). He texted back, “Ohh wow!! I didn’t know that. You’re my inspiration!”

On July 4, Larry shared results of 2nd and 3rd opinions, “it’s advanced stage for colon cancer. That has metastasized pretty much everywhere, encompassing all major organs, mid to lower GI regions. However, my heart, my lungs, my brain, and central nervous system are intact and strong.” I was sending him my daily devotionals in early July and he loved it, was grateful and kept reinforcing, “you are a blessing to me daily.”

On June 29, Larry shared with me his prognosis. “You’re my dear friend, whether you like it or not. So, I feel completely comfortable telling you this…hold onto your hat because it’s a doozy. And I’m at complete peace with the information I’m going to disclose to you. The fight has not even begun!! So here is the prognosis: I have incurable squamous cell carncinoa stage 4. It is a very fluid, active and rapidly spreading cander. It is considered untreatable, because the advanced stage 4…the care will be Palliative Care.”

In mid-May, I saw neighbor Larry, who had lost a lot of weight. Not having any idea what was going on, I gave him a compliment and then picked him up a couple pair on new shorts, that would fit him a bit better. He said on May 31, “they fit excellently. Thank you!”

That’s all I knew to do: offer him cookies, comfort foods like donuts, punkin pies, and a blueberry danish. I didn’t know anything else to do. Just offer him cookies. And nearly every time, over the course of July, August, and September, he gobbled them up with gratitude.

What are you doing with those who may be dying with cancer? I sure don’t have the answers, but I do know that Larry loved those cookies. Feed ’em cookies 🙂 And regularly let them know you are thinking of them. Check in on them.

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Struggle with your Mother Daughter Relationship?

For a decade or more, my mother (Barbara Janice Hughes Wilfong) and I have realized that we have something really special. We get along really, really well. A true lifelong blessing. And many of my friends, all of them from now all the way back to grade school friends, just love my “Mom Barb.” They ask about her, want to see her, admire her fashion and jewelry, want to receive a hand-written note with her lovely hand-writing, spend time with her, listen to her, share their story or issue with her, eat her delicious home-cooking, hug her, ride in the car and talk with her…the list goes on. You get the point!

During the COVID pandemic, Mom Barb and I took the opportunity to do a few projects, intentionally. The first project was pulling together all of my old t-shirts, and some of her t-shirts, and we then designed a t-shirt quilt. Mom Barb found an online group of quiltmakers, and got it done and delivered in August 2020. Then Mom Barb went thru her jewelry, and her mother’s jewelry, and she shared some pieces with me that she knew that I would willingly wear now. Today, I’m wearing some pearl studs. The third project had been started, stood in standstill, and then renewed itself again after we both were vaccinated in Spring 2021: drafting a book, highlighting the A-Zs on having an outstanding Mother Daughter Relationship.

So get ready to laugh, to cry, to think, to reflect, to take action, to love, to forgive, to make the extra effort, to stay quiet, to be supportive, to listen, to learn from, to help, to teach, to support, and on and on. And we will deliver it in an easy to grasp, from “A to Z” format.

Stay tuned. If you have a great story about your mother daughter relationship, please share it. If you’re struggling with this important relationship, I pray that our series of blogs/articles will help you and others.

Jen Wilfong, Sept 21, 2021

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Spectacular SpaceX

Tonight, I witnessed the most spectacular thing that I have ever witnessed: four American citizens, who are not trained astronauts, buckled up and headed to space for three days. Yes, three days. And they will travel beyond the international space station. Beyond it!

In July 2021, Jeff Bezos and three fellow citizens were on his initial Blue Origin flight that orbited up and back in approximately 11 minutes, reaching approximately 100 kilometers above earth. Richard Branson’s initial Virgin Atlantic trip in early July 2021 reached about the same distance above earth, with his five colleagues, and they were in flight for more than an hour.

Billionaires in previous centuries changed our lives. Rockefeller did it with Standard Oil. Vanderbilt did it with steam engines and shipping, and then railroads. Carnegie did it with steel and steel rolls, which helped build the infrastructure of the USA. Ford did it with the Model T and the assembly line.

Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, TESLA, and Starlink, is an execution genius, with the mind-boggling strategic combination of four inventors: Steve Jobs (Apple), Henry Ford (automobiles with gas engines), Albert Einstein (genius), and John Glenn (first American astronaut to orbit earth three times in 1962).

Elon Musk and his SpaceX

Jeff Bezos and his Blue Origin

Richard Branson and his Virgin Atlantic

What is happening right now, in 2021, during a global pandemic, is spectacular. It’s far-reaching, futuristic strategy, that is being executed brilliantly and safely. Don’t miss it! Wake up, look up, be amazed, as we are all living in sensational times.

Jen Wilfong, Sept. 15, 2021

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Learning From Centenarians

We all have life goals. One of my top life goals is to remain active, healthy, and really embrace wellness throughout life. Recently finished a few books about Centenarians, because I want to gain their insights and wisdom regarding what they did to hit 100+!

These 100+ year old people have always made me smile, but so many of these stories had me taking notes, crying, sharing the story out loud with others, and wanting to find more books to keep reading and learning.

What are some of the common traits that help them live to 100? My handwritten notes inside the front covers of all three books, that obviously impacted me the most, highlighted these areas of life:

Faith: Worship and believe. In something. And a willingness to give and be charitable.

Connection: Being around friends, family, and remaining social, as well as connected to a purpose. If that means making tortillas daily, and walking to the market to sell them, then so be it. That gave them the connection needed to keep going, at their pace.

Consistently physically active: Many of the children and grandchildren mentioned that their centenarian father or grandfather probably lived a long time, because they were always staying active on the farm, gardening, walking, traveling, or attending exercise classes.

Moderation: These centenarians really embraced the phrase, “all things in moderation”, especially with food, alcohol, (no)smoking, mood swings, etc. A bit of wine daily worked for some.

Sense of Humor: Many loved to laugh, and sought out being fun, funny, memorable, and unique. Being happy! And having a positive outlook, living peacefully with others.

Easy Going/Embrace Change: They understood the natural flow of life. The highs, the lows, and how to be resilient, as well as having the foresight to embrace change to forge ahead.

Water: They drank water, and ate from their own land. And were located near water, where it’s warm.

Lifelong Learner: Many of the stories focused on how they had to learn new skills, to handle job changes, relocations, and new things being introduced at rapid rates in the 1900’s.

Bottom line: keep one foot in front of the other, head up, living with no regrets, and moving forward in moderation. How are you doing with these? If you aren’t really focused on them, what do you want to focus on that’ll make you happy? In my future, I foresee myself interviewing centenarians, to share their incredibly resilient stories…and continuing to learn from their wisdom.

Jen Wilfong, Sept. 2, 2021

sources: If I Live to Be 100, by Paul Mobley; The Blue Zones, by Dan Buettner; Aging Gracefully, by Karsten Thormaehlen

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That word, “Belief”

When Helio Castroneves won his fourth Indy 500 in May 2021, he thanked his new team owner and crew for “believing in me.” He’s only won the Indy 500 four times, and yet, he is thanking people for that word, Belief.

When Giannis Antetokounmpo was thanking and acknowledging the team, ownership, and fans when his Milwaukee Bucks won the 2021 NBA Championship, he was grateful for all those that believed in him. As a kid, who sold watches in the streets of Athens, Greece. And years later, he and his brothers are NBA champions. Whoever believed in him deserves a serious shout out.

Another key member of that Bucks’ 2021 Championship team is Jrue Holiday. He is one of the best defenders in the League; he was traded from New Orleans to the Bucks around Thanksgiving 2020. Fast forward, as he was celebrating the Bucks’ NBA championship, he too thanked his teammates and the organization for believing in him. Both Jrue and Giannis are All-Stars, heck, Giannis is a two-time NBA league MVP. And yet, they quickly commented that they were truly grateful that someone or some organization really, truly believed in them.

A young, seasoned and skilled athletic director at a small high school in Indiana texted me the a couple weeks ago to share that he was having a very important interview. He wanted me to know, because I had always believed in him, and told him that he would reach much higher heights in managing athletics. I believed in him. Yes, me, I believed in him. Although he was not selected for the job, he quickly let me know after he got the bad news. And guess what, I still believe in him and reinforced the message of “it’s not a no, its just not right now.”

Who do you believe in? Have you told them recently why you believe in them? If you haven’t done that, do it. And do it soon. Every single person on this planet needs someone in their corner, that ray of sunshine, a listening ear, the gentle or intentional hard nudge when necessary, and who will take a late night or early morning call when doubt sets in. They need that word, BELIEF. Be the change. Bring BELIEF to others.

Jen Wilfong

August 8, 2021

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Everybody Has Something. Everyone.

If you think that everyone else is perfect in their world, well, it isn’t. Everyone is facing something. Everyone. In the last couple weeks, here are a few things that have happened with people very close to me:

My Neighbors

My next door neighbors recently were informed that BOTH of their 80+ year old mothers have bone cancer and multiple masses.

The guy who lives two doors down received horrible news by two different oncologists that he has stage four cancer, all over his body.  His mind and heart are good though, and he presses on with faith.

My Work

Multiple people in South Florida that I coach mentioned that they had some connection to a few of the people who went missing and were killed during the Surfside condo collapse in the early morning of June 24, 2021.

One of our contractors just lost his mother; he sat by her bedside for nearly two weeks.  And once she passed, his father quickly changed, started going to the casino and spending money like a crazy man.  

My Family

My own mother is making multiple trips to the doctor to understand why is she so short of breath, fatigued, and frustrated. Thank goodness that I can join her on these appointments.

My father bought a wonderful mare (horse) a couple years ago, to have future race horses. However, this week, the mare got extremely ill, and had to be put down due to severe colitis. And another race horse broke its leg, and another mare got her leg wrapped up in a neighbor’s wire fence. Yes, thank goodness for vets who cared for two of the three horses, but the loss of the good mare hurts.

My niece just recently was divorced, after a 17-year marriage.

My Friends

My best guy friend has been helping care for his parents for the last 3 years, and his mother passed away last week. 

A girlfriend from high school texted me late last evening, as her husband just was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer.

Our Ohio friends both are helping tend to their mothers’ well being, as both of their fathers have already passed.

Me

In the last month, I have faced a battle with shingles, and the aftermath of all the meds to treat the shingles.  And then, I got tangled up in some poison oak while gardening. Intense rash on my body now over the last month. Grateful for my healthcare, but geez, really don’t even want to go see the doc.

Life throws us challenges, and of course, many opportunities.  Although life may look all rosy and fun, most are facing something.  How are you truly understanding what people are going through? Are you showing patience, or jumping to conclusions? How are you offering to provide support, or are you? What happens when you need someone or something?

Please remember, everyone has something.  Everyone.

Jen Wilfong, July 13, 2021

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Cousins Staying Connected

My cousin, a smart and savvy 28 year old, and me, at 56 years old, have really connected since hanging by Lake Wawasee for my 50th birthday (in August 2014). She came to the lake again the following couple years.  And then, we connected up again during COVID, in January 2021, at our home in Lake Worth Beach, FL. 

My cousin? She makes the effort.  She communicates well with adults, older adults and older cousins.  She makes trips to see us.  She takes business trips to further her career with a sports tech start-up.  She takes trips with friends to discover the world.  And, she remembers.

During a couple of our “cousin convos”, I had mentioned that I would charter a jet and bring friends to see Coldplay or KYGO if they were to ever perform at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado.  Well, sure enough.  In early June 2021, one of her work colleagues let her know that KYGO was coming to Red Rocks.  She confirmed it, and texted me immediately. She remembered our “cousin convo”.  She remembered!

We quickly bought four tickets to KYGO, on row 5, then started booking airfare.  I invited another friend, but he couldn’t make it.  Invited my niece, and she first declined, but then decided to make the trip, too. Bottom line: we had five of us, ranging in age from 28 to 76 on row 5 at the KYGO concert on June 24, 2021.  What a blast, a memory of a lifetime.  And my cousin made it happen, because she remembered our conversation about a bucket list concert.

Are you staying connected with loved ones? Are you asking unique questions? Are you listening, and remembering their answers? If YES, way to go and keep doing it.  If NO, then ask yourself, “if you aren’t staying connected, asking questions, and listening for answers, then WHEN will you do it?”

Don’t wait.  Life is short.

Jen Wilfong

6/26/2021

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Re-thinking Something? Nearly Everyone Is Doing It.

In every single conversation that I am having, nearly everyone is re-thinking something. Everyone is doing it. Everyone.

Up to 40% of Americans working right now are re-thinking things about their job. They are thinking about quitting their job. Many liked the flexible work from home (WFH) model during the pandemic, and may now actually prefer a hybrid work week of WFH and in the office. Others are ready to re-educate themselves, and start a new career. This may be due to losing a loved one during the pandemic, and realizing that life is indeed, short. The phrase “do what you love, love what you do” is in high gear right now.

Up to 50% of Americans over the age of 55 are re-thinking how they want to live the next phase of their lives. My partner has owned not one, but three RV’s in the last three years. She sold one to a 65 year old entrepreneur who just sold his company, and has a sick wife. He said, “if we don’t travel now, when are we going to travel?” She sold her older RV to a confident millennial, who is trekking cross country in it, while working remotely.

Many veterinarians are re-thinking if they want to just be a vet, or really run and operate a vet clinic. A colleague of mine just bought three vet practices TODAY, yes, TODAY. And intends to buy 100 more vet practices by yearend 2021. Why? Vet practices are slammed, after many Americans bought a new pet or added a pet during the COVID pandemic. Families are re-thinking their own households, and adding pets.

Mothers, fathers, and couples are re-thinking when to have children, and how many, or if any at all. The US birth rate recently fell another four percent, to its lowest point since 1979. Countless couples are traveling locally and globally, working remotely, and living the life now, all while delaying and/or reducing the amount of child births….instead of the former thought of work, kids, work, and more work, then retire and die.

One of my work colleagues recently shared with me that his son, a professional baseball prospect and a high school student, is re-thinking how he gets his high school diploma. Instead of sitting in class or virtual classes from 8am to 3pm, his son will be improving his baseball skills from 9am to 4pm, and then do virtual learning in the evening via another state’s high school education program. Yes, another state.

Young adults are now re-thinking the cost vs. value of going to college. Enrollment has dropped, as young adults are making decisions to learn online, work full-time, hustle with a few gigs, etc. and employers are realizing that many entry level jobs no longer need a college degree as a pre-requirement.

A couple of our friends in Texas just sold their home, retired from teaching, and are going to travel and live in their travel trailer. They are completely re-thinking how to travel, how to live after retirement, and are taking their sweet time to figure out “where” they will retire.

The average size of home sold in the last 12-15 months is 33 sq. feet larger than the previous year. People are re-thinking their homes, how they use them, and are wanting more space for “flex”, i.e. work from home, exercise room, virtual learning area.

Google and YouTube have seen a 16X spike in “electric vehicles” searches in the last few months. Drivers and car owners are re-thinking their fuel costs, or maybe their own personal carbon footprint, or simply embracing the latest technology.

During the pandemic, millions who stayed home started reading “Reddit”, and learning how to invest on Robinhood. They now are re-thinking how they can invest, and increase their returns. Many of these millions of online investors had never been involved in investing just two years ago.

As a coach, an important question that I’ll be asking this summer: Leaders, what do you suppose your employees are re-thinking? Leaders, are you ready for a potential exit of some of your talent? Leaders, are you really ready to listen to your employees’ needs and wants, and then respond with a win – win solution? Leaders, are you ready to hire new talent that has different career aspirations? Leaders, are you ready for employees to want an EV plug-in dedicated area in your company’s parking garage? Bottom line: be ready, because everyone is re-thinking something. And if you think they aren’t, then you might just be out of touch.

Jen Wilfong, June 2021