100 Pedals

Significant Outcomes in the Face of Adversity

## Turn off the label maker

November 4, 2025 by Dave Cooke Leave a Comment

In the midst of a conversation last week, the person I was sharing perspectives with changed the course of the conversation by asking me about my political/social ideology. Even though I did proceed to share my perspectives and values, I found the question frustrating and disappointing. This happens far too often in our society!!

I am a person not simply or easily labeled by my ideologies or beliefs. No one is!

Like everyone else, I have a unique set of experiences, perspectives, gifts, talents, beliefs, commitments, hopes, dreams, and aspirations!

It is way too easy to place someone into a bucket or clump them into a predefined group than to actually spend time getting to know, understand, respect, and empathize with their perspectives and life story. It is much simpler to discover how to categorize or define them — Christian, Muslim, Jew, Black, White, Hispanic, Affluent, Poor, Liberal or Conservative — so we can move on if and when their world view doesn’t comply or align with ours.

There is so much to be learned from another person’s perspective, story, reality, and beliefs. Relying on previous stereotypical experiences to dismiss or ignore the experience, insights, and uniqueness of another individual breeds ignorance and arrogance, not love and understanding.

When interacting with another person, take this approach:

- Discover what you have in common with them. Remember that every one you engage has at least one thing in common with you.
- Learn from their story. Like you, everyone has a unique story — hear it, learn from it, and appreciate it.
- Seek to understand before you are understood. Leave your judgments, criticisms, and predispositions out of the conversation. Make a commitment to understand, inquire, and challenge not dismiss, criticize, or stereotype. You can create much from listening, learning, and understanding.
- Be grateful. Every person that comes into your life is a gift, even those that can easily frustrate you. They are in your life for a reason — share your love, offer your gifts, and receive from them what they have to offer. You will be enriched by the interaction.

The challenges we face in our world today are monumental. There are no clear cut, easy answers. The path to these solutions require human interaction, engagement, and understanding. We each have an opportunity to make a difference. One of the critical steps to this process is to avoid labeling others, judging them, or cutting off the conversation because of what we believe we know about them. Remember, each and every one of us is unique, special, and talented. Discover and share that gift.

Filed Under: featured, Giving Love, Inspirational Perspectives Tagged With: arrogance, being grateful, breeding ignorance, gratitude, ignorance, learning, learning from others, love, predisposition, prejudice, stereotyping, story, understanding

## What’s Your Story?

September 26, 2025 by Dave Cooke Leave a Comment

“Every life story begins and ends exactly the same — the difference is what you do in between.”

Usually one of the first questions I ask people when I meet them is “what’s your story?” I find the simplicity of the question allows anyone I am talking with to share with me whatever they want - business, personal, a little of both. I open the door, invite them to share and I they to choose the topic. I have the pleasure of listening and learning.

Each of us has a story. Actually, there are two stories. The story you tell yourself and others while you are here on this earth and the stories others tell long after you are gone.

Every life story has three parts: birth, life, death. There is nothing really different in the beginning or the end. Each story begins and end exactly the same. There may be a special uniqueness about how we entered or left this world; but, that is only a small part of the story and it isn’t what most people will spend much time reflecting on.

How you live your life — who you loved, touched, inspired — is your story.

Years ago, my college swim coach reminded me that being the superstar athlete on the team was not going to be what people remembered. What they were going to remember was the experience of the interaction and how my life evolved following my college days. I didn’t get it at the time because I was too immature and self-absorbed about my superior athleticism (or so I thought) to grasp the power in the lesson.

I get it now. Each of us is living a story. It is the story of our life — who we are, how we lived, and what we did with the gifts we were given. I am not interested in creating or building a legacy because that is not the real purpose our existence. We are not here to build monuments as a testimony to our greatness.

I am interested in and committed to sharing the power of my gifts, experiences and love to those who need me and them most. It my quest that long after I am gone the gifts I shared are passed on to others in the same spirit of passion, joy and love.

That’s my story. What’s yours?

Filed Under: Live With Passion, Living Your Purpose, The Four Wheels of Personal Leadership Tagged With: commitment, gifts, honor, integrity, living your story, love, passion, story