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It's important I know my "Big Why". Why do I do what I do....every day, month and year.

My big why? To provide Freedom for my family by creating wealth in character, Christ, Business, health, finances and relationships. 
Freedom is my "Big Why" Everything I do is supposed to point ahead and support my "Big Why". If I discover that my actions don't support my big why it's important I change my actions.


My big why gets me up in the morning on my worst day.  My big why brings tears to my eyes....daily. My big why keeps me going when the energy is gone and fatigue has set in. My big why will be here after I am gone.  So, what is your big why?


 
Have you ever noticed "that" smell while cooking a store bought pork chop.  My wife and I use a large electric griddle for most of our cooking and when we cook store bought pork chops we have noticed they tend to smell like a feed lot. If you've ever driven through Amarillo TX you know "that" smell.... I really noticed the difference when my wife brought home fresh cuts of pork from a friend who had just butchered several family raised pigs.  The fat from this family raised pork, when rendered on the griddle was clear and there was ZERO odor coming from the cooking meat.  I've also noticed an iridescence to the store bought pork.  Usually on pork roast.  The appearance is similar to that of the inside of an oyster shell.  The family grown pork has no iridescence.  I'm convinced the store bought pork is not as beneficial for human consumption as I am being lead to believe.....
 
I am in sales in Oklahoma City.  I've worked for the same printing company for 16 years and 3 years ago I bagan a major life transformation.  The change came from my now 5 year old daughter who was born with moderate/severe asthma and severe allergies to more things than we can count.  The asthma and allergies seemed to be connected and my wife and I soon realized preservatives in the food we were feeding her contributed to the majority of her symptoms and health problems.  

The transformation came when my wife and I radically changed our diets for the benefit of our 5 year old, Grace.  We went through all of the food in our house and threw out anything and everything with ingredients we did not understand as well as those we knew affected respiratory function.  We were/are committed to only consuming minimally processed foods which are preservative free.

The result for my daughter Grace was instantaneous.  No longer did she require 1 allergy shot per week and 1 allergy pill per day but her asthma became manageable.  Two added benefits that were completely unexpected: our budget is not burdened any longer by the monthly $300 in medication and my wife and I started losing weight.  Over the course of that year my wife lost 30lbs and I lost 75lbs.  Keep in mind, we did not change our physical activity.  The weight loss was due solely to the change in our diet and aside from the addition of our 4th child, Jacob, we have kept the weight off.

Around the same time a local entrepreneur, Steven Vancauwenbergh, began feeding me books by the likes of Jim Rohn, Brian Tracy, Nepolean Hill and Stephen Covey...... Steven is now one of my closest friends.  I consumed the books with a hunger I've never known.  It was an awakening to say the least.  If you have seen the movie The Matrix starring Keanu Reeves the best way I can describe my transformation is being unplugged from the Matrix.  I will write more about this in a later post.

I have also been reaching out to those I aspire to be like. Tom Pace has been instrumental in my development.  His book, Mentor the kid and the CEO, found here mentorhope.com, is definitely worth reading.  Tom recently challenged me to go 10 days without complaining, gossiping or lying.  You can find out more about this here 3pointcommitment.org.  I'm proud to say I have gone 12 days and my new goal is 21.

Thanks to God, my wife, children, family and mentors I have matured more in the last 3 years than in all of my 37 years combined.

• Plan/Do/Review

 
I read recently that by changing the interior and emblem on a specific model of car the manufacturer will ask $20,000 to $30,000 more on the showroom floor.  By exercising more, eating healthier food and educating myself I am essentially making myself more valuable in the marketplace.  Now I know!

• Plan/Do/Review
 
I ran 1 mile in the rain yesterday afternoon.  It was the 1st of 3...1 mile runs for this week. I made the commitment and stuck with it because the exercise gives me energy and I feel better about myself overall.  Next week I'm committed to running 2 miles 3 times rain or shine.