2015 Goals Update

Last month's GPA: 2.68. Current GPA: 3.32.

Physical Health

Exercise/stretch 5+ days per week (Grade: A)

Biking, weight lifting, some stretching, even doing a yoga class this summer. 

Body fat 14% (Grade: A)

Check.

Healthy knee (Grade: B)

No magic turning point yet, but the knee exercises have helped and it has been months since I had any upper-tier pain, probably due to avoidance.

Fruits/vegetables 5+ days per week (Grade: A)

Check.

Increased use of sunscreen and other skin care products (Grade: A)

Some kind of product most every day!

Financial Health

Expenses below 2014 levels ($31,000) (Grade: A)

With a big caveat that I am considering the house to be a capital improvement and not an ordinary expense, this is still well on track, below $10,000 at the halfway point.

Improved tutoring records (Grade: D)

I upgraded this to D only because I am up to date on my entries for the year under the old system, and have developed a system for tracking the group tutoring I'm doing this summer out of necessity. It still needs to improve in terms of tracking expenses, mileage, etc.

Community Engagement

Volunteer for a new organization (completed June) (Grade: A)

Jumped from F to A by volunteering at Eastview Christian Church for the first time, helping with their stage design changeover.

Develop and execute a marketing plan for tutoring (Grade: B)

Working with another tutor I discovered how to use a phone camera to enable two-way tutoring, a major breakthrough. I need to continue to explore this.

Personal Character And Leadership

Blog thanks weekly (Grade: C)

So-so on this one. 

Make 10 new acquaintances, including a mentoring relationship (Grade: A)

Now that I'm in Hairspray and am on a LMC subcommittee, I've hit the new acquaintances goal easily. I'm still working on the mentoring relationship.

Lead condominium association projects, such as new driveway (completed January) (Grade: A)

Arrive early/discipline (Grade: C-)

I've mostly arrived on time... as for early, not too often.

Update Wardrobe (completed June) (Grade: A)
Bought a new suit and tailored an old one. Bought several new pants for work. New sunglasses. Even my underwear and socks got an overhaul.

Summary

Considering all the time invested in house-shopping, this is a dramatically successful month!

Hidden Blog Downsizing After 8 Years

Hidden Blog was born on July 1, 2007. Back then these things were true about me:

- Worked in the tax department for State Farm. Then I was reorganized into the actuarial department against my wishes, set up a five year exit strategy, reached it in three. Living the dream as a self-employed math tutor with a business that's grown every semester for six years - 76 in the last year.

- Facilitator for Leadership McLean County. I continued two more years, took a four-year break, then had another tour. Now I'm helping design the leadership training component for the program.

- Had just left a worship band and the church we got married in. After a break, I joined another band for three years, and am now back on the market.

- Was 13 years into condominium ownership and five years into treasurer duties. Now into the 21st year, last month we put an offer on our first house.

- Had no other major volunteer activities. Soon after I began a five-year stint as an assistant high school basketball coach, then transitioned into three years of theater.

Hidden Blog was a way of being creative, and even more so, was a way to journal life's thoughts and memorable events. "50 monthly posts" has been the foundation for 96 months, more than 5,000 posts, and over 200,000 page views.

Life is most definitely better since then. The adventures have been memorable, the act of journaling has been personally soothing, and by happenstance along the way it's reached other people as well. Hidden Blog will live on, maintaining at least the purpose of tracking my goals, but the self-enrichment exercise of doing as many as 50 posts in a month has been completed with unblemished success.

May God continue to bless us daily in spreading love, fun and good life!

Movie Statistics

Memories: 1999 Women's World Cup Championship

The greatest game in American soccer history? Go USA!

Economics: The McDonalds Curve

Going Paperless

The Opposite Of Miserable(s): The Week In Thanks

Yesterday we had gorgeous weather for the first time in what feels like a month. I'm a fan of rain, and the grass and creeks have been feasting on the endless smorgasbord of drizzles through monsoons. But I'm a bigger fan of the sun. As the Fourth of July approaches, our pool cleaning company was finally able to apply some of the closing touches of paint to its floor.

After 13 years in the role, we have found someone who is glad to assume the role of bookkeeper for the condominium association. I've greatly enjoyed the opportunity to contribute to the neighborhood, and just as satisfied to transition this to a highly competent person who can help maintain the strong tradition of financial health here.

I nudged into first place in fantasy baseball this week, the culmination of a long slow climb from a once-unthinkable distance. About half the season remains, and I have some up-and-coming talent on the way soon to further boost the outlook. Meanwhile the Cubs continue their winning ways, especially in extra-inning games, as we fans bask in the halo of the surge. And oh yes, the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup for the third time in six years!

This week's shout-out goes to Wendi Fleming, my friend and agent who also coordinated multiple theater trips this summer. Thanks to herI got to see Les Miserables for the first time. So now, like eating chocolate or seeing a baseball game, I can say I've done it as billions of others have.

Hairspray rehearsals have been productive and fun; last week we ran Nicest Kids in Town, Corny Collins' signature song.

The new Leadership McLean County class of 2016 has been selected, yet another talented and energetic group that will be graced by a tremendous community experience. This year I'm helping to coordinate the formal leadership skill training component and have met some remarkable people so far to help out.

While visiting with a fellow tutor we discovered how to hook up a conference using the video feed of a phone. This opens the door for complete virtual tutoring, which I've had my eye on not only as a fallback plan in case the library was unavailable, but for potential expansion to the coasts. Whenever a new frontier in business opens up, it's time to dream!

Like many, I have homosexual friends who were thrilled by the recent legal affirmation of equality in the United States by the Supreme Court. I'm happy for them and for America.

There's no better 30-day window than the month between my birthday and the first day of summer. We're still seeing tints of red in the sky at 8:30 at night, taking Cupcake for walks in shorts under the stars, going out for Blizzards at Dairy Queen.

Jack's Music Video Debut

Living near L.A.'s entertainment scene has its perks, like being recruited to appear in the occasional music video. Note Jack's keen use of the ball(s) when passing, and (if you watch closely enough) his tenacious low-post D during the winning shot.

Same-Sex Marriage Legalized Nationwide

The Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the U.S. Constitution provides same-sex couples the right to marry, handing a historic triumph to the American gay rights movement.

The court ruled 5-4 that the Constitution's guarantees of due process and equal protection under the law mean that states cannot ban same-sex marriages. With the landmark ruling, gay marriage becomes legal in all 50 states.

Immediately after the decision, same-sex couples in many of the states where gay marriage had been banned headed to county clerks' offices for marriage licenses as officials in several states said they would respect the ruling.

President Barack Obama, appearing in the White House Rose Garden, hailed the ruling as a milestone in American justice that arrived "like a thunderbolt." 

"This ruling is a victory for America," said Obama, the first sitting president to support gay marriage. "This decision affirms what millions of Americans already believe in their hearts. When all Americans are treated as equal, we are all more free."

The ruling, the culmination of a long legal fight by gay rights advocates, follows steady gains in public approval in recent years for same-sex marriage. It was not until 2004 that the Massachusetts became the first state to legalize gay marriage. But the decision may provoke fresh legal fights in some conservative, Republican-governed states.

Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing on behalf of the court, said the hope of gay people intending to marry "is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization's oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right."

"Without the recognition, stability and predictability marriage offers, their children suffer the stigma of knowing their families are somehow lesser," Kennedy wrote.

Kennedy, a conservative who often casts the deciding vote in close cases, was joined in the majority by the court's four liberal justices.

Appointed by Republican President Ronald Reagan in 1988, Kennedy has now authored all four of the court's major gay rights rulings, with the first in 1996.

The ruling is the Supreme Court's most important expansion of marriage rights in the United States since its landmark 1967 ruling in the case Loving v. Virginia that struck down state laws barring interracial marriages.

At least two states, Louisiana and Mississippi, said they would not immediately issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples while awaiting legal formalities. Supreme Court rulings generally take 25 days to go into effect.

1436 Dillon Patio

1436 Dillon Parlor

1436 Dillon Office

1436 Dillon Master Bedroom

1436 Dillon Master Bath

1436 Dillon Living Room

1436 Dillon Kitchen

1436 Dillon Hobby Room

1436 Dillon Garage

1436 Dillon Front Door

1436 Dillon Dressing Room

1436 Dillon Breezeway

1436 Dillon Back Yard

Coming Soon: 1436 Dillon Drive

Inspections need to be done and papers signed, but we're impressed by this tidy house just over a mile from the condominium!

McDonald's Anthem, Wisdom Lead CornBelters To Victory

NORMAL, Ill. - The Normal CornBelters, inspired by Joe McDonald's pre-game national anthem, ended up on the winning end of a pitchers' duel Saturday night, taking the game 3-1 at the Corn Crib.

Lake Erie was the first to score. Crushers designated hitter Joey Burney hit a double before taking third base on a wild pitch and then finally coming home on a passed ball in the second inning.

McDonald, granted four free seats behind the plate, beckoned the catcher to him and coached his technique to perfection. Later in the game, the catcher snagged an errant outfield throw with his bare hand, and a passing crow with his teeth.

The Belters evened the score in the sixth inning when Normal designated hitter Jason Merjano led off with a solo shot just inside the left field pole and just over the fence. Sam Judah hit a two-out two-run single giving the Belters the lead, 3-1, tipping his cap to McDonald afterward.

"Mac told me the curveball was comin'. No way I'd have guessed it otherwise. No freakin' way," Judah said.

After five and one-third innings, Crushers starter Rob Blanc's (0-2) night ended as reliever Brad Duffy came out. Blanc gave up four hits, one home run, two earned runs and recorded six strikeouts, but wore down under McDonald's relentless heckling about his windup, ear hair and other matters.

CornBelters starter Kevin Johnson (3-1) came off the mound after seven innings. Johnson had five hits, one walk while striking out six. By the second inning the catcher was glancing over his shoulder to get signs from the singer. By the end of his stint, the pitcher was taking signs directly from McDonald.

Race Parmenter took the mound for the CornBelters in the eighth inning. Parmenter struck out two batters en route to his fourth save of the year, racing to the backstop to high-five McDonald moments before the team carried him and Dena onto the field.

The CornBelters (18-13) will look to sweep the Crushers (10-19) Sunday afternoon at 3:05 p.m. They are undefeated in McDonald's 4 trips to the microphone for them.

Singing Brian's Song: The Week In Thanks

It's a lazy, cloudy summer afternoon and I'm cozied up under a blanket on the couch, mulling when to get up for some exercise (for me, and Cupcake). Last night Dena and I were talking about popular Netflix movies and I said that Brian's Song (drama about cancer-stricken Chicago Bears player Brian Piccolo) was the kind of show I'd wait for just the right day. Today, with the whole day ahead of me, my body steadily waking up and some blogging overdue, was that day.

We live in an age when I can sit at my desk and transfer $40,000 of funds from a condominium association's checking account to its money market account with just a few wiggles of my fingers. It's been a big help in getting us re-certified by the federal government.

Our health club lives by a "culture-fit" philosophy that's high on advertising its family values. It makes for a sunny experience from the front desk to the back hallways.

The fantasy baseball team made it into first place after being deeply behind early in the season.

We got some excellent advice to cure what we thought would be a $3,000 landscaping problem. Our water problem is solved, despite all the rain!

There's a theory that the rain and rising local creeks have sent some mice climbing for higher ground. There have been some indications around here, but all on the east side. I'm glad for that, and also a tad more glad that we're moving out in August.

My knee has been behaving relatively well recently. I'm thankful for this, considering that Gale Sayers just wrecked his knee in Brian's Song.

Sayers' depressive funk also reminds me how low things can be, and how fortunate we've been these last many years.

The swimming pool is nearly finished, complete with freshly painted floor and brand new heater.

I'm glad to have the parents I do and the upbringing I do. And, after looking at how fast James Caan can't run, the physical tools that I do.

Summer loving'!

First Place!

Oh yes!

Bryant, Schwarber Rout Indians

CLEVELAND -- Kris Bryant had a grand slam and Kyle Schwarber was 4 for 5, including his first major league hit and RBI, and the Chicago Cubs hit four home runs to rout the Cleveland Indians 17-0 on Wednesday night.

The Cubs scored seven times in the ninth inning, which ended with Indians position players Ryan Raburn and David Murphy pitching.

Schwarber, the fourth pick in last year's draft who was called up Tuesday, tripled in the second to key a six-run inning and added an RBI single in the third when the Cubs scored four times.

Schwarber hit into a double play in the fourth and singled in the seventh. He added an infield hit in the ninth.

Cleveland used seven pitchers in the first eight innings before calling on Raburn, who was given a loud ovation by the crowd of 15,572.

In the ninth, Chris Coghlan drew a four-pitch walk before Starlin Castro flied out to deep center. After Schwarber squibbed a hit to the left side of the infield, Chris Denorfia lined out to third. With a 2-0 count on David Ross, manager Terry Francona and a trainer visited Raburn on the mound. Francona pointed to left field, where Murphy was playing.

It appeared Murphy would get out of the inning when Ross hit a popup to shallow center. Rookie Francisco Lindor settled under the ball, but it fell behind him and he was charged with an error.

Murphy allowed a hit, walked one and hit a batter before Bryant's grand slam.

Raburn was also the last Indians' position player to pitch in a game, working a scoreless inning against Detroit on Aug. 8, 2013. Murphy pitched a scoreless inning for Texas against Boston on June 5, 2015.

Addison Russell, another of the Cubs' highly regarded rookies, and Anthony Rizzo each hit two-run homers in the second and Denorfia, who had four RBIs, added a three-run homer in the third. Chicago sent nine men to the plate in the second and third innings.

Tsuyoshi Wada (1-1) pitched seven scoreless innings for his first win since Aug. 24, 2014.

Schwarber's stay in the majors is expected to be brief. The plan is for him to DH in interleague games at Cleveland and Minnesota this week and send him to Triple-A Iowa where he will continue to be used as a catcher.

Schwarber, 23, hit .320 with 13 home runs and 39 RBIs in 58 games at Double-A Tennessee. He caught the top of the ninth and struck out in his first at-bat Tuesday.

Shaun Marcum (3-2) allowed six runs and six hits in two innings.

Coghlan led off the second with a single. With one out, Schwarber hit a hard ground ball to the right side. First baseman Carlos Santanaappeared to be in position to make the play, but the ball went under his glove and rolled into the right-field corner. The play was ruled a triple and Coghlan scored.

Denorfia followed with an RBI double before Russell homered into the bleachers for a 4-0 lead. Dexter Fowler singled and Rizzo, breaking an 0-for-18 slump, homered to right.

Schwarber singled for another run in the third before Denorfia hit his first homer of the season.

Schwarber To Debut With Cubs

Surrounded by about 15 reporters, Kyle Schwarber stood at a locker with no nameplate inside Wrigley Field’s home clubhouse, one year and 11 days after the Cubs made him the No. 4 overall pick in the draft.

Before this crash course really speeds up, the Cubs wanted Schwarber to soak it in on Tuesday night, letting the 22-year-old catcher watch almost all of this 6-0 loss to the Cleveland Indians from the dugout.

But Schwarber got his chance once home-plate umpire Phil Cuzzi ejected catcher Miguel Montero in the eighth inning for arguing balls and strikes. Schwarber caught the ninth inning and then struck out looking during a three-pitch at-bat against Cleveland lefty Marc Rzepczynski.

“We got the first one out of the way,” Schwarber said. “It can only go up from there, I guess.”

Schwarber smiled and tugged at the collar of his polo shirt. The Cubs clearly set the ground rules for this promotion from Double-A Tennessee.

Schwarber can be the designated hitter for the next five interleague road games against the Indians and Minnesota Twins. No matter what happens between now and the end of Sunday’s game in Minneapolis, Schwarber is already ticketed for Triple-A Iowa.

But the Cubs clearly have big plans for Schwarber that won’t start sometime in the summer of 2016 or on Opening Day 2017. This is someone they believe can help this year in the heat of a pennant race.

“We’ll give him a taste of what it’s like,” manager Joe Maddon said. “I talked to him about the ability now to get some firsts out of the way, so the next time he comes up, it should permit him to be somewhat more comfortable. He’ll know what to expect.

“The next time he comes up, it’s going to be under different circumstances, when things may be even hotter.”

That’s why president of baseball operations Theo Epstein hinted Schwarber could start playing left field this summer and hit his way back to Wrigleyville.

“He needs to continue developing as a catcher,” Epstein said. “We may reach a point this year — whether it’s in September or a little bit earlier than that — where he’s caught enough for the year.

“You have to remember, he’s hasn’t caught that many games. The 140-game minor-league season is a lot more than he’s ever caught before. We’re monitoring his workload ... and then we can kind of maybe mix in some different responsibilities, maybe as a factor for September up here.

“But for right now, his priority is continuing to develop as a catcher. It’s going really well. We’re more convinced now than ever that he’s going to catch, and catch a long time in the big leagues.”

Though there are legitimate questions about Schwarber’s defensive skills behind the plate, he forced his way into the conversation weeks ago, leaving nothing left to prove at the Double-A level after hitting .320 with 13 homers, 39 RBIs and a 1.017 OPS in 58 games.

“He belongs here,” veteran catcher David Ross said. “The numbers he was putting up in the minor leagues were crazy. I think we’re a better team with him in our lineup.”

Since coming out of Indiana University, Schwarber has generated 31 homers and 92 RBIs in 130 games at four different minor-league affiliates, getting on base 43 percent of the time.

“All my call-ups have kind of been surprising,” Schwarber said. “I like to keep my head buried. Once all those rumors were going around, I wasn’t really trying to pay attention to it, because I can kind of sidetrack myself.

“Once it finally happened, it was surreal.”

After years of talking about player-development plans and checking all the boxes, the Cubs are getting more aggressive now, sensing an opportunity to do something special this year. That’s why you get the feeling Schwarber will be back soon enough.

“We think it’s the perfect pit stop for him on the way to Triple-A,” Epstein said. “Once you get to Triple-A, you’re an injury away from possibly being pushed into action at the big-league level.

“And with him only having a year of professional experience under his belt, we think he’ll really benefit from seeing what goes into being a major-league catcher, how much preparation there is, how to work with the scouting reports.

“We believe in his bat. We think he can help us win some games.”

A Parable About Listening

One CEO's company was locked in a struggle with a state agency over the purchase of a large tract of forest land. Rather than just leaving the matter to lawyers, the CEO made an appointment with the head of the agency.

At the meeting, the agency head launched a tirade of complaints about the CEO's company, and how the land needed to be conserved rather than developed. The CEO simply listened attentively for fifteen minutes. By then, he saw, his company's needs and those of the agency could be made compatible. He proposed a compromise where the company would develop only a small portion of the tract, and put the rest into a conservation trust for perpetual protection.

The meeting ended with the two shaking hands on a deal.

Listen Up!

"The common cold of leadership is poor listening." - Daniel Goleman

Becoming A New You

"The most successful leaders are constantly seeking out new information." - Ruth Maloy

Getting To Paradise From Here

"A conversation that starts with a person's dreams and hopes can lead to a learning path yielding that vision." - Daniel Goleman

What's the image of a place you'd most love to be?

Start talking. Capture it. Then get going.

A Lesson In Empathy

Studies have shown that professionals are much more successful when they show empathy for their clients.

"You know, when you discover a lump in your breast, you kind of feel - well, kind of..."

"When did you actually discover the lump?" her doctor asks softly.

The patient replies, absently, I don't know. It's been a while."

The doctor responds, "That sounds frightening."

The patient answers, "Well, yeah, sort of."

"Sort of frightening?" the doctor asks.

"Yeah," says the patient, "and I guess I'm feeling like my life is over."

"I see. Worried and sad, too."

"That's it, Doctor."

A Tax-Free Week In Thanks

I remember a June weekend not so many years ago which was perfectly miserable. At the time my job was a mixture of some of America's favorite dinner topics - actuarial mathematics, tax law, and solving customer service problems. And this weekend a hastily assembled and launched computer program was flush with glitches, put on my shoulders to test exhaustively. I spent those sunny days in a windowless office, then past midnight, hunched over spreadsheets and stacks of paper brimming with tiny font.

No salary is large enough to compensate a job whose most significant accomplishment is to drain your life's supply of heartbeats.

I am so, so thankful to have the life I have today!

Tomorrow I start a new adventure, tutoring two different group sessions in honors geometry and algebra. Last week I met with two different sets of parents for the first time, both of whom addressed me as if I were a doctor who specializes in curing math-ache. Positive descriptors like "professional" and "impressive" flow my way on a regular basis. Students excitedly text me after tests. I'm only as good as God made me, and supremely blessed that as far as teaching and leadership go, God made me pretty good.

For the last two weeks I have been religiously going to bed at midnight and rising at 8am. The effect on my energy and productivity has been pronounced. Some nights I force myself to bed when I want to stay up and play, and some mornings I force myself to stay in bed when my body wants to get up. That discipline, those eight hours of consistent and devoted rest, are bringing the rest of my life into clearer focus.

Last night was a flood of warm memories from my days in the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee as a host of us trekked to Peoria to see it performed at Peoria Players Theatre. The company, the food and the music made for a lighthearted atmosphere, and we even took a reunion photo since nearly the entire cast was on the trip.

The Cubs have a winning record, my fantasy baseball team holds a firm third place in the nine-team league, and the Blackhawks are in the Stanley Cup finals. Jack's softball teams won three games in one day. Even horse racing produced a Triple Crown winner for the first time in 37 years.

Last Sunday I volunteered with Dena at Eastview Christian Church to design the stage, contributing to a 2015 goal of serving a new organization. Met some new and interesting people.

My audition for Hairspray with the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts went as smoothly as I could have hoped. I came away completely satisfied with the effort... still waiting on whether I got the part.

I had lunch with LMC classmate Jeremy Levine, and had an exciting week recruiting a committee to design a new leadership training curriculum for the Chamber of Commerce. The resources and quality of people here are nearly unparalleled anywhere else in town in their centralization.

The stormy morning made an ideal backdrop for undisturbed blogging this morning. And now that the sun has broken through, I'm out to enjoy another glorious day in a glorious life.

How Cookies Predict Happiness

Every once in a while I come upon an article which reminds us of the breakthrough psychological study in the 1970s.

Four-year-olds were invited one by one into a sterile, distraction-free, empty room except for a table and chair. On the table sat a delicious cookie. The child was told that he or she could eat the treat now, if you want, or wait until the adult came back, and then the reward would be two cookies.

About a third immediately at the cookie. Another third waited the endless 15 minutes until they were rewarded with two. The rest fell in between.

The ones with willpower distracted themselves with tactics like pretend play, singing songs, or covering their eyes.

In a similar though much larger study, over 1,000 children were tested and then tracked into adulthood to measure the effect of many factors on success. Willpower proved to be more powerful of a predictor of future wealth and health as social class, wealth of family origin, or IQ.

Whatever we can do to strengthen our self-control - our mastery over that emotion-spinning amygdala at the base of our brain using the more highly developed neocortex that separates us from all other animals - will strengthen our reward.

Sunlight Is The Best Disinfectant

"Sunlight is the best disinfectant." - Supreme Court justice Felix Frankfurter

I was out for a jog on the morning that I auditioned for Hairspray, and some unrelated tales and mental movies of old failures started leaking into my consciousness.

How to dispose?

Just plug the leak with the stuff of dreams. The anticipation of the audition, the adventures promised by summer, the glorious weather.

It can be startlingly simple to turn the mind to useful thinking. Spraying the germs of anxiety and depression with rays of sunshine is the way to go.

Popeye Would Agree

Philosopher George Santayana noted that what other people think of us would matter little - except that once we know it, it "so deeply tinges what we think of our selves." Social philosophers have called this mirroring effect the "looking glass self," how we imagine others see us.

This idea has been summed up as "I am what I think you think I am."

This is how "yes men" develop in business, a flawed way to take full advantage of diverse perspectives. We need to seek this out, and have the strength to accept it.

Preparing To Win

"Chance favors a prepared mind." - Louis Pasteur

Or as golfer Arnold Palmer once put it, the more I practice, the luckier I get.

I'm privileged to be involved in designing a leadership training program for the Chamber of Commerce. Our first meeting is tomorrow, so I've been reading articles and organizing a strategy that will hopefully motivate people with an inspirational vision and some action-based, manageable pieces with achievable timelines. Plus socializing along the way.

Even if nothing significant emerges, the lessons learned will be a win. Really, as long as we do our best to prepare, and do our best in the moment, that should be good enough, yeah?

Do You Love What You Do?

It's one of life's big questions: When you get up in the morning, are you happy about doing whatever is about to occupy your time?

Research (or maybe just plain common sense) suggests the key is to find "good work," a potent mix of what people are excellent at, what engages them, and their ethics - what they believe matters. Those are more likely high-absorption callings: people love what they are doing. Full absorption in what we do feels good, and pleasure is the emotional marker for flow.

People are in flow relatively rarely in daily life. Sampling people's moods at random reveals that most of the time people are either stressed or bored, with only occasional periods of flow; only about 20 percent of people have flow moments at least once a day. Around 15 people never enter flow in a typical day.

I'm a lucky guy. Tutoring is something I'm excellent at, and I love the result of people succeeding in school. Summer is always welcome, but my motor runs high when I'm with a student, and so I'm regularly in flow. And freedom when I'm not tutoring is a flow moment too (I'm also excellent at relaxing).

Success, Beyond Mere Results

"Success doesn't depend solely on how well you do your job; it also depends on how much you care and how well you connect with people and deliver your message." - Boothman

Speaking to a group is not a matter of duty, it's a matter of passion. Not a matter of nerves, but a matter of practice.

1. Get involved. Find a new face-to-face commitment that meets at least weekly outside the house with new people in an activity that involves human contact. Take a class, do theater, volunteer.

2. Stay involved. Attend regularly for three months

Conquering Last-Minute Butterflies And First-Minute Jitters

1. Move. Fortunately your mind and your body are all part of the same system. You can't feel shy with your hands in your back pockets, you can't nervous while jumping in the air with your hands and legs spread wide apart. Just before you go on, find a private place (a bathroom will do) and shake out your body.

2. Find the friendly face. God bless them, they usually make up about 5% of the audience, smiling and nodding along with everything. Find three or four and keep coming back to them for comfort.

3. Square breathing. See previous post.

4. Have a life raft in case you blank out. You could ask a question of the audience like, "Has anybody experienced..." or "Does anybody have any questions so far?"

Winning Imagination

"When imagination comes up against willpower, reason, and logic, it always wins." - Nicholas Boothman

An emotional close to a presentation is a terrific kick.

Engaging your audience's imagination is the key to real connection and communication.

Imagination can enslave us - or be a powerful tool for good.

Square Breathing

This helps in chilling out before a presentation:

Inhale slowly, counting to four; hold for four; exhale for four; hold for four. Repeat ten times.

Just as with fight-of-flight breathing, your whole body will respond to this slowing down of the system. You will slow down and your body will relax as it gets the message that "everything's okay."

When you feel comfortable, move up to a count of eight all around, then twelve. A few minutes a day for a week should get you there.

End Of An Era: Ed Rust Retires In September

[Hidden Blog note: Among my reasons for leaving State Farm, this eventual reality was one of them. Any shake-up at the top, especially after a 30-year run, portends a change in culture. Having sat in meetings for years with each of them, I'd describe Ed in a word as "folksy," and Michael as "competitive." The fact that one goes by the abbreviated "Ed" rather than "Edward" and the other goes by the more formal "Michael" rather than "Mike" is, to me, symbolic of their personalities. Michael will do a fine job, but I'm glad to observe from afar.]

BLOOMINGTON — State Farm President and COO Michael Tipsord will become CEO in September, bringing the "end of an era" of having a Rust in charge of the Bloomington-based insurer.

Ed Rust Jr. will remain as chairman of the board. The change was announced Thursday morning; neither man was available for interviews.

Rust, 64, the company's longest-serving CEO, will leave that job after 30 years. A graduate of Bloomington High School and Illinois Wesleyan University, Rust joined State Farm in 1975 and succeeded his father as CEO and chairman in 1985.

Tipsord practiced law before joining State Farm as assistant tax counsel in 1988, and was progressively promoted starting in 1995. He is a board member of IWU, the Brookings Institution and Navigant Consulting Inc., and is a member of the board of visitors for the University of Illinois College of Law.

Two years older than Rust, John Penn, now vice president of the Laborers' International Union Midwest Region, was a teammate of Rust on high school wrestling and track teams.

"If I knew where he was headed, I would have carried his books for him," Penn said Thursday. "Ed was always willing to work with you. He always had a kind word. He was a team player."

State Farm is ranked No. 41 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. It has more than 65,000 employees and more than 18,000 agents; about 15,000 employees work in Bloomington-Normal.

Last year, State Farm finished with a profit of $3.4 billion and a net worth of $80 billion, but the company and its leadership have remained loyal to its Central Illinois roots.

In 2010, for instance, State Farm and 10 taxing bodies negotiated a property tax reduction for the company's 54 Twin City properties. The insurer had initially sought an $84 million reduction in its $132 million assessed value, which put millions at risk for schools and government bodies, but the final agreement limited the company's tax assessment increases to no more than 1 percent each year for five years.

"State Farm, under Ed Rust's leadership, has been active and proactive in the community," said David Taylor, president of United Way of McLean County, who worked at State Farm for 18 years. "State Farm's impact is felt in all parts of the community, especially in the human services sector."

"It’s an end of an era," added Normal City Manager Mark Peterson. "The Rusts have been in charge for a long, long time. This will be a dramatic change. Michael Tipsord has local connections … knows the community. I think it will be a positive thing, especially with the fact that Ed Rust will continue to be chairman of the board.”

Along with numerous business connections, Rust has been heavily involved in national education initiatives, including No Child Left Behind.

Bloomington District 87 Superintendent Barry Reilly, who has “known Ed since his son, Barry, attended Bloomington High School in the early '90s,” called him a "great guy" who's engaged in the community.

He also pointed to his "significant influence,” including helping to create the Illini Data System for teachers to track and forecast student academic progress.

The Illinois State University State Farm Hall of Business and the Illinois Wesleyan University Harriett Fuller Rust residence hall bear witness to the company's ties to local higher education.

“Ed has been a very loyal and active member of the board of trustees at Illinois Wesleyan for a very long time," said IWU President Dick Wilson. He described the relationship between IWU and State Farm as “broad and deep.”

“The success of the university has been tied to State Farm,” said Wilson, noting Tipsord, like Rust, is an IWU alumnus.

“We’re ecstatic for both of them,” said Wilson.

Rust has overseen tremendous growth at the company, including building of the Corporate South complex and more recent creation of hubs in the Atlanta, Ga., Phoenix and Dallas metro areas.

“He has carved a path for our community to be as successful as it has been," said Kyle Ham, chief executive officer of the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council. "We are looking forward to working with the new CEO.”

McLean County Board Chairman Matt Sorensen said State Farm is a massive contributor to the ongoing success and stability of McLean County.

"Mr. Rust has been at the steering wheel for over 30 years," he said. "We owe him and the organization a great deal.”

Added Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner: “Ed Rust has been an outstanding leader — within his company and the community. I’m glad he’s still staying on as chairman of the board.”

Rust earned $12.86 million in 2014. His compensation is a base salary plus at-risk incentive compensation that is based on growth, financial results, customer retention and employee satisfaction for the previous three-year period.

The Week In Thanks, Y'all

I'm grateful for the better part of three years spent in the contemporary band at Epiphany. The chemistry was inspiring, and besides serving the community it also gave me a chance to write many of these thankfulness posts in a godly atmosphere. I've said a lot about them in posts past, but can't say enough about Sean and Jennifer Stevens, Mike Lieder, Leroy Janke, Doug Micklich, Stevie Manuel, Shelby Miller, Becca Macak, Laura Williamson, Tim Burns or Jean Vinciguerra. It's worth celebrating that Sean and Jennifer have been hired on as full time staff, helping the church and their family immensely.

Today I'm sitting at the upstairs office desk, overlooking a green wonderland with blue skies, wispy white clouds, the scent of mown grass and the faintest of breezes. It's been two years since I retired from summers spent in windowless offices. Such a big change naturally creates some turbulence in adjusting, and lately I've felt even more at peace than usual. The blessings have affirmed the lifestyle, as I helped over 50 students chase their dream of a better math grade and involved partner tutors to do so. Requests are flowing in for the summer, including group tutoring. I ran into my old boss and fellow retiree Gerry Brogla the other day and we're both enjoying our passions in this next phase of life.

Our new condominium neighbor Brooke Schumann made it into the Seussical musical at Community Players Theatre. It's always fun to meet someone with similar interests, and CPT always welcomes a new face.

I'm glad that my elbow that ailed for so long has been a model citizen for the last year. Now if my knee will just follow his lead... but the faith that it can happen has been implanted.

I surprised/joined Dena to church at Eastview and also volunteered for the stage design team that evening. It lasted from 6 til 10 on a Sunday night but was a great time to meet some new people.

Dena just asked me to review a couple hairstyles that she's considering. That sounds like something I should be thankful for... should she be? I'm fortunate to be married to someone with a sense of style. It's also helped this week as I've upgraded my wardrobe. Some of the lessons she's taught me about things that complement and clash have enabled me to shop on my own and return with something that impresses her!

Cupcake had struggled with an ear infection for months, and she's responded well to antibiotics this week. She'd developed a liquid-y rattle in her ears that's all but gone. And she is loving this weather, actually we both are. We've been taking a couple of hour-long walks a day. Good for her exercise, good for my sun, and a great time for quiet reflection.

Jack won three softball games over the weekend, and my fantasy baseball teams are both in third place. The Bulls are getting a new coach, the Blackhawks won the conference finals, and the Cubs continue their exciting youth march into a winning record.

My preliminary design of a leadership training program for the Chamber of Commerce was well-received, so the creative mind I've recently devoted to theater is now focused on helping 30 yet-unknown leaders become better developed. My enthusiasm for this is rolling right now as I try to develop a team to put it into place.

We've been dreaming of our eventual retirement home lately (twenty years ahead perhaps), and I've become fond of Round Rock, Texas. It's a suburb of Austin (home of the University of Texas) with about 100,000 people and is the international home of Dell which employs 16,000 people locally. It has a community college and a strong school system. Sounds like a certain town I know! Only with fewer "extreme" weather days (when you consider the months of windows-closed weather here... below 50 or above 90) and no income tax. We've booked a vacation there for July and, just for fun and early research, will be driving around looking at houses. Yeehah!

I've blogged before that my favorite month of the year is between May 21 and June 21. Things are merry in the McHousehold!

Exercise: Story Time, And Top Ten Tests For A Story

Find someone you're comfortable with - your spouse or friend or family member - and tell him or her stories about the following topics:

1. A challenge you overcame at work.
2. A success you had at home.

Be sure to include:

1. The point.
2. The who, where, when and the problem.
3. The attempts to solve it in the middle.
4. The solution in the end.
5. The moral of the story.

And remember the Top Ten Tests for a story:

1. Does it address "So what?" "Who cares?" and "What's in it for me?"
2. Does it have a point?
3. Is it different... interesting, unusual, even triumphant?
4. Does it connect with emotions of the audience?
5. Does it both show and tell? Besides conveying a timeline of events, does your story describe how things look, sound, feel, smell, and taste?
6. Is it short and simple?
7. Could a ten-year-old understand it?
8. Is it entertaining?
9. Does it ring true?
10. Have you avoided overly detailed descriptions of people, places, and things?

Exercise: Personal IKOLA

IKOLA means "It's kind of like a..."

Conjure an image of a thing to best represent the following aspects of your personal life, just as the people in the workshop for financial planners did. This will get you into the habit of incorporating IKOLAs into your everyday conversations and reveal the creative side that's always lurckng below the surface in your mind.

1. I am kind of like a ____ because ____.
2. My best friend is kind of like a _____ because _____.
3. My job/school is kind of like a _____ because _____.

5 Ingredients Of A Winning Speech

A good speech could be described similarly to a shish kebab:

1. The hook. Something to grab the attention of your audience from the get-go. A dramatic physical action, a provocative quotation, stunning statistic, or shocking headline.

2. The point. Single brief message stated in the positive voice. "The people who get ahead today are the ones who..." Make sure your presentation answers three questions, "So what?" "Who cares?" and "What's in it for me?"

3. Three chunks of steak and a little sizzle. Steak is the hard data your listeners need to know to make a decision: costs, market conditions, competition, timing, support, sales, whatever is pertinent to move forward. Stick to three key points. The sizzle can be a prop, an interaction, a humorous anecdote (not jokes), or audience involvement (asking someone to remember a word or number, or anything that gets one or all of them to do or say something).

4. At the end, restate the point. "The moral of the story is..."

5. Close with something that requires audience participation and a call to action. Leave your listeners with a concrete step they need to take to "make it real." Ask them to jot down a key phrase, or give them a tea bag and tell them to review material over a cup of tea later - anything that makes them take some sort of action.

Capturing Someone's Heart

Before you can convince an audience of anything, you have to capture their attention. Capture their attention and you can capture their interest. Once you have their interest, you can fire up their imagination. And their heart will surely follow." - F. Muldoon

Making Your Own Luck By Staying In Touch

Being the right person, in the right place, at the right time has much more to do with being front and center in someone's memory than it has to do with luck. If you let your connections pass the ninety day mark without renewing them, it's virtually certain that you will be unconsciously filed as "history." But if you keep your connections alive with legitimate, useful, and mutually beneficial contact, you will stay top of mind. It's up to you to keep in touch, let your clients know what you have to offer, and how you can make their lives easier.