So I’m in the lobby of my orthopedic doctor’s office yesterday to be evaluated for surgery on my left knee.  They called my name and I responded to the appropriate area.  Then the cute little medical assistant says, “Follow me,” and takes off walking bristly down the hall as if I didn’t have a problem with my knee.

I was initially going to scream out “Slow down please,” (with a smile of course) but I thought I’d just wait to see how long it would take for her to realize that I wasn’t behind her.  Two corners later it finally happened for her and she came back for me with a big smile and full of apologies.  🙂

Her name is Marissa and this was her first week on the job so I cut her a little bit of slack.  After reaching the room we had a nice little conversation about her journey to this point in her life.  She’s a young single mother of two feeling like she can finally breathe a little bit easier now knowing that her hard work and perseverance through her struggle phase of life was finally starting to show signs of paying off and being worth it all.

Bright eyes with a bright shirt and shoes to match, she was definitely a breath of fresh air in an area that definitely needed her smiling spirit.  Being raised in a dysfunctional family life and being forced to grow up early and become a surrogate mother to her younger siblings at a young age took its toll on her mentally and physically.  But, that was just the beginning of her story not the end.

She eventually put a period at the end of that chapter in her life and turned the page then took out a new ball-point pen and started to write out some new goals for the new and improved version of herself.  “I knew that I had to do something different and not continue down that road in my life…” she said with a smile.  “…and now I’m soooo glad I did.”

When asked what advice would she give others who are experiencing similar things in their life, she said, “Don’t allow your bad past or present experiences today to determine your tomorrow.”  “WOW!” I said, “that sounds like something I would say.”  We both laughed and shared a few more words and niceties.

Then I gave her a copy of my book, “Bread Crumbs to Making it GREAT” and told her that there is no better companion to ride shotgun with her on her journey through her days of struggle ahead.  I also told her that I would be including a snap-shot of her story in one of my upcoming book series.  Her face then lit up as if she’d just won the lottery.  Then I happily sent her off with a high-five and a “Make it GREAT!”

Yes, Marissa’s story is sure to inspire others no doubt.  The reality is that many of us have similar stories that are sure to inspire others if only we would make an effort to share them.  But the tragedy is most of us don’t share them for one reason or another.

So a good question today is, “What’s your story?”  Are you making an effort to share it so that it might inspire others?  I believe someone is quietly waiting to hear your story so that they may be inspired to believe that they too can overcome and become something special.  So, don’t let them down.  Not today.

Now get-on out there and tell your story and Make it GREAT!!!  They’ll be glad you did…  It sure is refreshing to see how inspiring stories can come out of some of the simplest conversations in the simplest places.  😉

www.MrBreadCrumb.com

My Book:   www.MakeItGreatNOW.com

So I was working out for the first time at my friend, Jennifer Wright’s Crossfit Box/Gym today.  This was my first introduction to Crossfit and to top it off, I hadn’t worked out in almost two months so needless-to-say I was feeling a bit out of shape.

I arrived a little bit early to get a feel for the place and had a chance to get debriefed a bit by Jennifer so I wouldn’t look like a complete fool.  After being there for about 15 minutes or so, people eventually started to show up for the 3^rd of the 5 sessions they have per day.

I scanned the room for a head count and counted 15 women and just me and another guy named Lonnie.  I immediately approached him for a little male support and advice and he was happy to oblige me.  I must admit that I came to compete but I have to say those ladies were looking pretty fit and ready for action.

So now the stage was set and the anticipation was rising and I was mentally preparing for a ferocious butt-kicking and that’s exactly what I got.

It was 35 minutes of a barrage of several different intense exercises and challenges back-to-back-to-back.  They called it the “Filthy Fifty” but since it was my first day, they gave me a reprieve and I was allowed to do the “Dirty Thirty”.  And, oh yes my old friend Pain managed to show up right on queue.  My enemy better-known-as my “inner-me” also showed up and started trying to talk me out of trying to finish before the allotted time.  “Take it easy, it’s just your first day.”  He said, but I had to yell back at my “inner-me” and let it know that I wasn’t having it.

While my body was going through the fire, my ego was also taking a pounding too when every time one of the ladies said, “Come on Cedric keep moving, you can do it!”  Ughhh!!!  Now, I’m usually the motivator but the tables were definitely turned and now I was the one being motivated by a bunch of feisty, kick-butt, childbearing Mama’s.  LOL…

So, eventually I whispered to myself, “I have five minutes left to complete my last challenge of 30 reps of 24 inch box-jumps.  I can do that with no problem.”  But as I got to rep #5, it became painfully obvious that I’d made the mistake of speaking too soon and this was going to be a lot harder to complete than I thought.  Sweating like a maniac, suffering in pain and feeling faint, 25 reps is going to be impossible without passing out.

Then suddenly my inner competitive voice whispered, “Don’t do 25 reps, just do 1 rep, then another, then another…”  So, reluctantly I did one, then two, then three and before I knew it I could feel a little surge of adrenaline that took me to completion in 34 minutes flat.

YEAH BABY!!!  TAKE THAT Mr. PAIN!!!  Uhhh!!!  I didn’t say those words out loud but I sure thought them.  LOL…  Mission accomplished.

This whole experience reminded me that “Pain” is just one of the many faces and forms of Adversity and it only shows up to make us stronger. That’s why I commonly refer to it as my “Old Friend.”  Yep, the old phrase “No Pain No Gain,” remains evergreen and timeless in its meaning and “Gain” I did today.

Oh…  And Jennifer Wright and Shara Benson!  I’ll be there again tomorrow morning ready to Make it GREAT again.

So what face or form of Adversity are you facing lately?  Hmmm…  I encourage you to dig deep inside and pull out that inner guy or gal that’s designed to help you make great things possible.  Hang in there and squeeze the juice out of your best “you” as you push past the point of pain to Make it GREAT!

www.MakeItGreatNOW.com

I was up late again, or early some might say, last night.  As I was checking out some of my messages and emails I bumped into another dream-driven, passion-pursuer who had just sent me a “friend request” online.  After a brief chat-encounter, I suddenly realized the following:

The heights and success great men and women gain and sustain is never achieved by sudden flight or overnight, but while their companions, comrades and competition are sleeping they’re regularly working and toiling upward during the night.

That’s right folks, working in an area of your “true” passion can frequently get you out of bed before the crack of dawn and keep you up late burning the midnight oil because inspiration knows no bounds and recognizes no clock or time zone.

As such, I have oftentimes found myself writing out some of my thoughts by moonlight and thinking that some of the greatest writers in the history of the planet no doubt wrote some of their greatest pieces of work under the same moonlight that I frequently write under.  Hmmm…  What a sobering, refreshing thought.

So, a good question for you today is, have you found your passion yet?  Does it frequently wake you up early or keep you up late?  Are you serving it up for the benefit of those who share this great planet with you?  Chew on this breadcrumb for a while and I hope your honest answer makes you smile with genuine, passion-produced joy.  🙂

It’s never too late to find that passion of yours and start making it GREAT!   Psss…  Someone is quietly waiting and counting on you to inspire them in your area of passion, so don’t let’em down.  Not today.  Choose to make it GREAT for their sake.

My Blog:   www.MrBreadCrumb.com

My Website:   www.CedricCrawford.com

My Book:   www.MakeItGreatNOW.com

16 years ago today I “Jumped the Broom” and married my Karen Ice.  With a last name like “Ice” she had me caught cold.  Our union busted the myth that “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.”  Yes we met in Vegas 19 years ago, but we didn’t stay in Vegas.

A friendship that grew into a Family-ship and it really is getting better and better every year.  The smiles are real and I wouldn’t change the hand I have for nothing in the world. The Good, Bad, Happy, Sad, Ups, Downs, Highs and the Low’s is just the way it goes, but the Good definitely outways the Bad everyday of the week and twice on Sundays.

Yes, Mr. BreadCrumb has a big cool-aid smile on his face right about now and I’m planning to continue in my efforts to make this marriage thing GREAT! Hope you’re doing the same. Happy Anniversary Ms. Ice. Let’s keep Making it GREAT!

My Book:   www.MakeItGreatNOW.com

My Website:   www.CedricCrawford.com