Fine Tune Your Life

February 28, 2025 by Leave a Comment

Day 59: 18.3 miles/1:11

“Eliminate the chatter and noise that distract you from your mission.”

I spent a couple hours yesterday cleaning my bike. The bike was getting dirty, the chain was a little gummy, and there were some rattles and creaks that were starting to bug me. There is nothing more distracting to me than squeaks and vibrations on my ride.

With a clean and finely tuned bike, today’s ride was blissfully quiet-nothing but the sound of the tires on the road and a little wind noise. It is simply the way a very early morning ride should be.

The same can be said about the negative and distracting chatter of others when it comes to our mission. Not everyone shares your passion to your commitment. Not everyone is aware of the importance of your maintaining focus as you work toward accomplishing your goals. And, not everyone is as energized by the mission as you are. It is this crowd that you need to learn to tune out of your daily activities. They are the ones that will interrupt your progress if you let them.

We simply do not have time to be distracted by those who do not share our commitment. These are the people who do not understand or embrace the challenge of establishing and working toward a goal. Or, they are the people who rather complain about what is than be accountable for changing or improving it. Or, those who would tell you that it can’t be done or doing it simply is not worth it. Or, they resent or fear the outcome of you being successful. Whatever it is, their distractions are not a needed aspect of your journey.

Fine tune your life. Clean up the grit and the grime and the clutter of those that would distract your from what is most important—your mission. Surround yourself with people who can embrace, engage, and support you. The only sound you need to hear on a daily basis is the sound of you making progress as you travel on your journey. Anything that is a negative distraction needs to be eliminated. Anything that brings energy, joy and peace needs to be embraced and enjoyed.

Filed Under: Inspirational Perspectives, Maintaining Focus, Uncategorized

Success on Those Hard Days

February 27, 2025 by Leave a Comment

Day 58: 22.1 miles/1:23

“Detours and road closures cannot stop you from getting to your committed destination.”

Today’s ride was one of those physical and mental battles to simply get through the ride. From the first crank of the pedals to the moment when I was finally off my bike, this ride was hard. It was not a long ride. The course was not that difficult. The distance and time were actually slightly below my average. Yet, I was battling the entire ride to get it done and put it behind me. I have had very few rides like this on my 100 Pedals journey. In fact, I think this was one of the more challenging rides simply because it was so hard in the craziest of ways.

Not every day is going to be an easy one. Today’s ride, in contrast to yesterday’s ride, was one of those moments. Sore, tired, cold, and not very inspired would be a great summary of today’s emotions. Committed and accountable were the drivers that made today happen anyway. The internalized and passionate commitment of 100 Pedals is going to drive me to ride every day, even on the days when I have nothing to offer.

This is the challenge and the opportunity the establishment of any goal provides us. There will always be a day, or days, that test our resolve. Not every day is going to be easy. Not every day will provide us clear inspiration to be awesome. However, every day that we honor, fulfill, and celebrate our commitment is another day we made progress toward it. It is the days where the going is toughest are the days that we need to be more committed than ever to our success.

I did not get off the bike today and do a happy dance to celebrate my accomplishment. Emotionally I was so disengaged to the ride that I was merely relieved to be able to put it behind me. Today, I feel little celebration toward another step toward my goal. None of this is wrong or bad or worrisome. Not every day is going to be a great day. Despite my ambivalence to today’s ride, today was still and will be seen as a successful day. Today was a day that I stayed on my journey despite the obstacles the existed to make it difficult.

When you have a day like this—and you will—remember to do something to make progress on your journey and your commitment. It does not have to be anything significant or exceptional; but, it needs to be something that you can point to and say I kept things moving today. On my ride, I changed to and easier gear and slowed down my pace. I knew I didn’t have it. The same goes for you on those off days. Doing something to keep everything in motion is better than doing nothing at all or moving backward. The going may be slow, the task a little challenging, and the inspiration lacking. Remember your commitments to your goal and find something to make your day successful anyway. It will be worth it down the road.

Filed Under: Inspirational Perspectives, Maintaining Focus, Make A Commitment, Uncategorized

Simply Be Your Best

February 26, 2025 by Leave a Comment

Day 57: 25.9 miles/1:28

“To do a common thing, uncommonly well, brings success.” ~ H. J. Heinz

Since today’s ride was number 57, I couldn’t resist the desire to find a quote from the originator of the most familiar “57”, H.J. Heinz himself. Considering the basic nature of his most famous product, Ketchup, there is little surprise that this quote is also pretty basic.

When you really think about it being awesome does not require much. It simply involves a commitment to do what we do best, at our best. After all, we have been given a set of unique talents, skills, and abilities that enable us to be the best at who we are. And, it is our passion and our purpose that needs to drive us every day. We do not need to be the next great [fill in the blank], all we need to focus on doing is being the best us we can be.

Over the past few years as I struggled to find footing relative to my passion and purpose, I continued to try to invent or create something that would elicit high praise from my fans, contacts and friends. I spent more time complicating my passions with something that sounded, looked, and felt awesome. After every iteration I was still limited by the feeling that it was not enough. I was struggling with creating something unique from outside of my being. Once I discovered that being awesome existed within me, I began to feel empowered to do what I do best – be myself in the most sincere, authentic, and giving way. I am still learning in this regard; however, the difference it has made in my ability to be the best me has taken enormous pressure off of creating something special.

I have conversations with people all the time who underestimate the power and strength of their “common” uniqueness. How we leverage our simple, but powerful, skills in concert with our passion and purpose defines our success. When I would talk to Brandon about writing his music or sharing his songs, he often struggled with his perceived normalness of it. He had this fear-based self-talk that it wasn’t unique, special, or big enough. How did he know? It was his. He owned it, designed it, created it. It was music that lived within him and was his passion. How bad could it be? Success is defined by how passionately we embrace our skills and abilities to do what we do best. His music cannot be bad because he made the commitment to make it great because he was great.

It reminds me of a blog I wrote about Susan Boyle entitled “She Didn’t Know She Was Supposed to Fail.” She went on stage with all her energy, passion, and commitment to a desire to sing and perform. No one expected her to be successful when she walked on stage, nonetheless become an iconic pop star. All she desired to do was do a common thing—perform a song-uncommonly well. Look what happened. What was unpredictable became an inspirational success story.

Realizing success is not very complicated. We often make it far too complex and difficult. Simply do what you do best, very well, and you will realize your mission. Get busy on being your best – the rest is simply details!

Filed Under: Live With Passion, Living Your Purpose, Maintaining Focus, Uncategorized

The Obstacle of Your Ego

February 25, 2025 by Leave a Comment

Day 56: 24.3 miles/1:27

“The ego would rather re-arrange furniture in a burning living room than leave the house.” ~ unknown

The one thing that I learned about ego is that it is our ultimate survival tool. The more pressures, challenges and threats we face, the more likely we are to rely on the survival skills of our ego to save us. The problem is that our ego is the one thing that prevents us from effectively sharing and engaging in a way that may actually save us from our distress.

I have been reminded more than once about my strong ego. I confused that observation as a compliment. The message that was being sent and not heard, is that “you have a very strong ego which is preventing me from engaging with you at a level that we both can enjoy and benefit from.”

If survival is your goal, your ego can probably protect you to a point. However, if you are looking to succeed and thrive in the face of a monumental personal or professional challenge your ego will likely destroy you. I struggled with the attitudes of others when, faced with a calamitous experience, they weren’t receptive to the ideas, solutions, and insights of others. These people seemed determined that they could find a way out of their mess on their terms. What was getting in their way was their ego and their sense that others didn’t really understand what was going on. Instead, they were relying on their survival skills to hang in there – in essence going nowhere despite all the opportunities to engage and flee disaster.

Especially under pressure, your ego and your survival skills are not your friend. They are the programs in your head that will keep you in a burning house despite all the pleas for you to exit the building. I have learned and continue to discover that being receptive, open, honest, authentic and humble provides me access to people, ideas, resources, and gifts never before realized. The reason that I am enjoying these gifts is that I realized the role my ego was playing in my life at times of greatest stress and pressure. While I believed it was the only way I could survive what I was going through, I have now discovered that my ego was actually preventing me from leaving the building and finding new resources and solutions to my very challenging issues.

If your house is on fire, leave the building and your ego behind. There are plenty of great resources, ideas, and opportunities to not only survive but to forge ahead to greatness.

Filed Under: Learning From Experience, Uncategorized

Dave Cooke

February 24, 2025 by Leave a Comment

When Dave is not riding his bike in honor of his commitment to 100 Pedals™ he is working with businesses, organizations and individuals to help them overcome the real and perceived obstacles to their success. Dave is a nationally recognized speaker, author, trainer and growth expert who leverages his 25 years sales and marketing experience to create and implement strategic initiatives and develop educational programs resulting in incredible outcomes.

Dave takes pride in his experience with turbulent and chaotic work environments. Having taken the lead in multiple corporate turnaround projects and post merger transitions, Dave understands the challenges organizations face in challenging and difficult times. It is these experiences that shape his commitment to team, relationships, communication, leadership, and a cohesive, collaborative strategy for revenue growth. Despite the adversity of his work environments, he has shown the way with a consistent record of 20% improvement in revenues.

Dave’s approach brings refreshing insight and enthusiasm to the current trends and complexities of today’s business environment. He is passionate that focused goal setting, commitment, leadership, communication, and team oriented activities are the keys to incredible outcomes. It is his personal mission to help transform dreams and goals into productive reality for those committed to getting there.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

The Fork in the Road

February 24, 2025 by Leave a Comment

Day 55: 29.5 miles/1:49

“When it comes to the forks in the road, there are no right and wrong decisions. All we can do is make intelligent, conscious choices based on our commitment to our mission and values.”

I have spent the last few days trying to understand how my son could have been so close to taking a huge step forward and instead make a decision to fall off the grid. Attempting to understand the mind of an addict is an exercise for the insane; but, as a parent, I am still trying to figure it out.

Life’s decisions can be hard. For some decisions, the choices and the options are easy. Other times, there is not much clarity. And, there is always someone who has decided for us that the “right” decision is so obvious. News flash – there is no right decision for every situation. It only seems “right” to the outside observer because they don’t have as much skin, risk, pain, or fear in the outcome.

The choices we make are important. The choices we make as it relates to our purpose, our calling, our mission and our values keep us on our path. It is this criterion that we need to utilize when we are attempting to navigate a fork in the road. For it is this intelligence that helps us determine the best course of action for our lives as we struggle with key and significant decisions.

Everything we decide and everything we do defines the path of our journey. We are here today because of these choices. In retrospect, some of those choices were not necessarily our best choices. However, it is impossible to say they were wrong choices because we made them with the information we had at the time. Hindset always allows us the option to analyze the effectiveness of any decision. There is nothing to say these were good or bad choices. It may be effective to say I could have made a better choice.

The task at hand for any of us is to recognize the keys to maintaining our values, our commitment and our mission. It is that focus that will provide clarity to our decision making process and provide us with the guidance we need to make intelligent decisions at our forks in the road. Even then, not every decision or action is going to turn out the way we may have envisioned; but, we can move forward in the knowledge and comfort that we made these decisions with the best of intentions and with an eye on our goals.

Avoid having anyone tell you what you need to do. Trust your influencers to advise you on your choices. Only you know how your decisions and your choices can guide you and support you towards your goals and your purpose. Ultimately, it is up to you to make the intelligent and committed choices that support your mission without the added pressures of worrying about making right and wrong decisions.

Filed Under: Focusing On Your Vision, Living Your Purpose, Maintaining Focus, Seizing Opportunity, Uncategorized

The Reality of Your Destiny

February 23, 2025 by Leave a Comment

Day 54: 22.7 miles/1:28

“Sometimes a man meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.” ~ “The International (movie)

The first time I heard this line in the movie, I was blown away by it. It is such a powerful statement. Who we are meant to be is, in many cases, unavoidable. That doesn’t mean everyone succeeds in embracing their passion and their purpose. If so, there wouldn’t be as many lost and hurting people in the world as there are.

What this quote means to me is that for those who are enlightened enough to recognize their calling in life or identify the road they need to travel to realize their dreams and goals, the journey is unavoidable. You cannot escape what you know to be your path. You can run, but you cannot hide.

I was thinking about this before my ride today as I was dealing with the pain and disappointment of Brandon’s abrupt disappearance. He had worked through a challenge and had taken all the necessary steps to go down the road he has been avoiding. Suddenly, he is off the grid and off his path. Unfortunately, this part of his journey is inevitable. In order for him to clean up his life and realize his promise -going through rehab and dealing with the courts- are part of the process. The more he fights it, the more likely he will have to deal with some aspects of it on someone else’s terms.

There are aspects of our life that we would rather not deal with. You cannot avoid what you know you need to do or be. Awareness means accountability. Once you recognize your responsibility to be present in some aspect of your life your destiny to engage is unavoidable. Not engaging means not reaching your goal. There are no shortcuts and there are no detours.

I am living proof of this truth. For some time I have been committed to helping others discover and remove the obstacles that exist in their life so they are able to accomplish their goals. However, I wanted to do it on my terms—with ego, without authenticity and with me in control. I didn’t want to do the dirty part — allowing myself to be vulnerable, humble, and sincerely generous. Here I am, living the experience of authenticity and humility in a very real, life altering way.

This is the most important part of my journey and it was always my destiny. I discovered what I knew to be important in a way that has enriched my life. And, it is an aspect of the growth curve that I spent a lifetime avoiding because I was determined I could and because I knew how hard it would be. Now that I have embraced the destiny of this journey, my ability to live my passion and purpose has been enhanced significantly. Now, I am able to be the person I was always destined to be.

Once you are aware of the path of your destiny, avoiding it only assures that you will face somewhere else. Move forward with confidence and commitment; embrace your purpose and your passion. The journey is not always easy, but it is unavoidable and rewarding.

Filed Under: Inspirational Perspectives, Learning From Experience, Live With Passion, Make A Commitment, Uncategorized

Celebrate Your Life

February 22, 2025 by Leave a Comment

Day 53: 22.9 miles/1:24

“Celebrate the life you were given. Use your skills, talents, and abilities as a testament to that gift.”

I woke up this morning to the news that, among other things, my son failed to report to his rehab program yesterday. Once again, he is out on the street. Again, so close to making a significant breakthrough in his personal journey, he falls back into a hole. Each time he falls, the hole gets deeper. The disappointing component of this fall is that last week he actually built a ladder out of a hole and avoided a huge setback. Then, as he is on his way to making and taking a huge step forward, he is back where he started, or worse.

The above quote was the last thing I said as I went out the door. The gift of my commitment is that is forces me to keep moving. I have structured for myself something that keeps me focused on celebrating the gifts I have been given. Today’s ride was a little more teary eyed than ever before. And, I know I said a prayer or two out loud for Brandon. But, I still was able to go out there, get on my bike, focus on my commitment, and keep moving in a positive direction.

We cannot control or manage everything that goes on in our lives. When it comes to the actions and decisions of others, we have even less control. The path and course for our life has been defined and determined. There is little we can do to really change it. What we can do is embrace the passion of our purpose and the experience of this journey and utilize the gifts we have been given to be at our best in it.

It is a tall order when your emotions take a beating, or your hopes are dashed, or a loved one suffers; however, that is when we need to be at our best. That is when we need to celebrate the life we have been given and move forward with commitment and passion. For that is when we find our way in the life we have. I cannot live or define Brandon’s life. His life is a significant part of mine. But, my life and my journey are not dependent upon his ongoing presence or participation. Success in my life is measured by my effectiveness in utilizing all my skills, talents, and abilities through all aspects of my journey, including the hardest parts of it.

I celebrate the gift that 100 Pedals has given me and the gift I could share with Brandon when, and if, he wants it. This gift keeps me moving, gives me energy, inspires me to be present, and enables me to use my skills through every part of this journey. It is the gift that drives me forward when everything could be pushing against me. Find your passion, find your purpose, embrace your gifts, and celebrate the life you have been given! It will be your driving force in the toughest and most challenging of times.

Filed Under: Live With Passion, Living Your Purpose, Maintaining Focus, Make A Commitment, Uncategorized

It’s Simply a Matter of Perspective

February 21, 2025 by Leave a Comment

Day 52: 20.1 miles/1:12

“Everyone’s perspective is valid from where they stand.”

I was enjoying coffee with good and intelligent friend, Lon Safko this morning. We were discussing all things critical to the saving of the world – social media, communication, understanding addiction, 100 Pedals, sales, etc.

During the course of our conversation, I was explaining to Lon that one of the toughest challenges for me as it relates to my son’s struggle is understanding addiction in the first place. When it comes to anything – a goal, a commitment, a decision to quit an abusive habit – my narrow perspective has been that it starts with a decision to make it so and the rest is merely about focus. Over the past year, I have painfully learned that it is not that easy.

At the end of our conversation, Lon shared a very powerful story that reminded me of the power of perspective and how a lack of perspective can cloud our vision. Hoping Lon won’t mind, the story is about a hike he and his daughter, then around 8, were on. The hike, while not super hard, featured a long climb to a higher elevation. Well into the walk, his daughter started to repeatedly inquire as to “how much farther?” and “are we there yet?” Finally, Lon looked into the horizon and pointed to a gigantic rock very close to where the destination was and said “we are going to that big rock.” His daughter said, “I don’t see the rock.” Lon tried several different times to try to help point out the location of the rock. Each time his daughter said “daddy, I don’t the rock.” Finally, he was so exasperated he kneeled down next to her to point out the rock – he couldn’t see it. There was just enough of a change in the slope of the landscape that the rock was not visible from his daughter’s perspective. Everyone’s perspective is valid from where they stand.

I have struggled, at times, understanding my son’s inability to simply commit and stop using. I couldn’t figure it out. From my perspective, it was about simply making a commitment and honoring it.

Business owners often get frustrated by their teams’ inability to simply engage, be motivate and get things done. They don’t have any understanding of the perspective of the challenge from their employees’ perspective.

If you want to inspire, lead, and guide people to accomplish great things or to simply keep them moving, you need to understand their perspective as much as you would desire and expect them to understand yours. Everyone comes to an opportunity, a challenge, a mission, or a project with a perspective on where they are and what they need. Until you get down to their level and understand what that is, chances are your progress will be slower than you had expected because you don’t have the whole picture.

The more I understand and delve into addiction, the more I can support Brandon and help myself. The added perspective has changed my original view significantly. I can see so much more and, as a result, be more productive in the entire recovery and parenting process. Remember, all perspectives matter.

Filed Under: Focusing On Your Vision, Inspirational Perspectives, Learning From Experience, Maintaining Focus, Uncategorized

Enjoy Every Sandwich

February 20, 2025 by Leave a Comment

Day 51: 22.2 miles/1:21

“Enjoy every sandwich.” ~ Warren Zevon

I am not sure how many of you have heard of Warren Zevon. As a musician, his most famous song was “Werewolves of London.” He had a very eclectic musical style and his career featured very unique songs and lyrics. David Letterman was a gigantic fan and Warren sometimes subbed as the director of the band on The Letterman Show. The last time he was on Letterman, Warren Zevon was Dave’s only guest for the entire show. Warren Zevon passed away from cancer in 2003. Faced with the reality of his terminal illness he was often quoted, especially on Letterman, with the above saying, “enjoy every sandwich.”

I was touched by the Warren Zevon story. I loved his music. His personality and his style were simply and bravely authentic. He was a real character and I found him so entertaining. And, his attitude about his life and his impending death, succinctly summarized how live and celebrate the life we have been given – “enjoy every sandwich.”

I have so many friends who go through life with a smile on their face. Their energy is contagious. I know they feel stress and pressure. I know for a fact that not everything is always easy; however, every time I see them they have that happy, peaceful look in their eyes and on their face. I always am energized by their joy and their laughter and the ease with which they shrug things off.

Enjoying life is a mindset. You don’t need to be crazy or zany like Warren Zevon; but you do need to celebrate the life that you have been given. It is the celebration of your life that gives you energy, provides you peace, and engages others around you to enjoy what you are sharing. The gift of your joy goes a long way in your relationship with others.

I am at peace today on my journey because I am doing what I do best and enjoying the rest. This does not mean everything is perfect in my world, it means that I have found a reason to celebrate and enjoy the life I have been given. Like Warren, I am simply commit to “enjoy every sandwich.” I hope you can, too!

Filed Under: Celebrating Accomplishment, Inspirational Perspectives, Maintaining Focus, Uncategorized
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