Ordinary guy doing best to LIVE extraordinary life. Speaker. Author 7 books. Created "Extra Mile Day" (513 cities 11/1/23). Walked across 9 countries since '14.
Feeling OLD?
I'm aware my age is pushing into the higher numbers... but that doesn't stop me one minute from being brilliant in my goals & effort.
On a door at home, I've posted:
Grow old.
Don't BE old.
We only fade away if we let society think we've faded.
@OprahDaily
Shawn Anderson.
He justย walked across his 9th country since 2014.
Why?
โMy Words Lack Heart If I Donโt Live Them.โ
"If I were to write and speak about creating the most passionate and purposeful life I can dream and then fail to live my own words...I would simply be a talker."โฆ
Any day that ends with these
three words was a good day:
"Day well lived."
Chances are strong that if I DID...
1. Something for my bigger purpose.
2. Something for someone else.
3. Something for my health.
I get to say them.
Gratitude for reading...
S.
* How about a doseโฆ
#ClapForSomeone
...
Rory McCarty.
Rory shared videos of 82-year-old Walmart employee Butch Marion talking about life. They went viral. Rory, a caring customer, then created a GoFundMe page to help the Navy vet.
$143K was raised.
He retired.
Clapping for Butch.
AND Rory.
S.
#ClapForSomeone
...
DREAMS
I love Indiana Jones' movies...and a favorite character is Indy's sidekick: "Short Round."
But as the kid actor grew, roles didn't. He quit acting. But at 50, he was inspired to act AGAIN.
NOW...
Ke Huy Quan owns an Oscar.
DON'T let dreams die.
S.
Want Your Audience to Think, Do and Be...EXTRA?
Bring in the Speaker Who Is.
Shawn Anderson
Lifetime entrepreneur. Author 7 books. Walked across 8 countries. Pedaled across U.S....twice. Created a day celebrating volunteerism that 500+ cities declare.
He's the Extra Mile Guy.
#ClapForSomeone
...
199,703,329.
That's how many books
@DollyParton
&
@dollyslibrary
have given to kids.
โ(My Daddy) was the smartest man I've ever known but I know in my heart his inability to read probably kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams."
Inspiring stuff.
S.
For my OLDER friends...
who think success has passed them by:
We only fade away if we let Society think we're faded.
Yes...people look at me different as I age, but that doesn't stop me from being brilliant in my goals & effort.
Grow old.
Don't BE old.
@PointsofLight
#ClapForSomeone
...
"Blossom."
Her partner, Bud, died. A kind soul not wanting her to be alone posted an Ad:
"Lovely widowed goose looking for life partner for companionship & occasional shenanigans.โ
Enter "Frankie" who needed a new home.
They are now inseparable.
S.
Listen to "๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐ ๐ถ๐น๐ฒ ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ฒ."ย
Episode
#4
: "๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐"
One short minute of empowerment. One short minute to add energy to your day.ย ย
Gratitude... S.
I
DID
IT.
I just walked across my 9th country.
Scotland.
135 miles.
Coast-to-coast.
Helensburgh to Dunbar.
Initially...
I was intimidated by the Scottish
weather even before starting this thing.
You know...
The Rain.
The Wind.
The Whatever...Whenever.
Scotland's weatherโฆ
Each day, every day...
There are TWO miles we can walk.
The FIRST mile.
The EXTRA mile.
Theย FIRSTย mile is the 5,280 feet that life requires us to walk - as parents, friends, spouses, partners, employees, bosses, bill payers and pet owners...and in checking off the items on ourโฆ
#ClapForSomeone
...
No Rhinos Killed!
In 2022 (for the first time since 1977) no rhinos in India were killed by cruel poachers! Vigilance by patrols, drones & sophisticated night visual equipment kept 2,895 rhinos ALIVE...and poachers away!
That makes my heart feel great.
S.
I finished Day
#5
...
of my 135-mile WALK across Scotland.
My HEAD and FEET each whined a bit today...
but my HEART kept each moving FORWARD.
When we wear passionate HEARTS...
we can always go further than our feet (or others!) think we CAN.
Grow old.
Never BE old.
S.โฆ
I finished Day
#6
...
of my WALK across Scotland.
The morning's cold required ALL my warmest clothes, but the walk from Bo'Ness to Queensferry was brilliant. Iโve been privileged to walk lots of magical walks in life.
Today was ONE.
I walked listening to the sound of the wavesโฆ
I finished Day
#9
...
of my WALK across Scotland.
Today...was a short walk with LOTS of time
in North Berwick before I could check in.
I focused on PEOPLE.
I said "Hi"...
and met a proud dad who told me about his son Jeremy's golf game.
I said "Hi"...
and met Tom. His 60thโฆ
This is Day
#3
...
of my coast-to-coast WALK across Scotland.
I just walked...
17 miles carrying 27 pounds on my back.
I spent nine hours on my feet.
I'm feeling...
Freakin' ass TIRED.
My feet and legs HURT.
BUT I'm also feeling...
Elated I just DID what I DID.
We ALWAYSโฆ
LIFE is an unstoppable bullet train.
The OLDER my age.
The LARGER my goals.
The FASTER it goes.
It doesn't wait.
NOT for me to decide, get my act together or make sure my itinerary is perfect.
It's moving.
NOW.
Do what you want to do.
NOW.
Listen to "๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐ ๐ถ๐น๐ฒ ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ฒ."ย
Episode
#6
: "๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ป๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฃ๐๐ฟ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ"
One short minute of empowerment. One short minute to add energy to your day.ย ย
Gratitude... S.
#ClapForSomeone
...
People Coming Together.
For 4 days, a lost dolphin tried to escape a Florida canal. 28 biologists created a physical/audio wall to guide the dolphin to the Bay...saving him from living in an aquarium the rest of his life.
Together we make a difference.
S.
I finished Day
#4
...
of my WALK across Scotland.
So far...
I've walked around 55 miles. My night's bed is not always on the route... so that requires an extra couple miles (or SEVEN!) walking off the route to FIND it.
Today...
I met cold.
I met rain.
I met wind.
But noโฆ
On 8/4...
I start walking across my 9th country: Scotland. The walk is short (134 miles)...yet it may feel long in the cold, wind & rain.
Before a long-distance trek, my anxiety climbs. BUT when I make the ADVENTURE bigger than my FEAR...I succeed.
S.
#ClapForSomeone
...
Dog Lovers.
Dr. Robert Moore turned 100. He's an avid dog lover...so for his big birthday, Robert's family organized a parade.
Of dogs.
It was expected 30 dogs might show.
Almost 200 came to the celebration.
Robert pet them all.
S.
* The world is richโฆ
#ClapForSomeone
...
Edna Clyne-Rekhy
MILLIONS who've lost a pet know the poem "The Rainbow Bridge." We just didn't know the author.
Now we do.
At age 19, Edna (now 82) wrote the words for "Major." Little did she know, she wrote the words for millions of other pets, too.
- S.
#ClapForSomeone
...
The Shropshire Cat Rescue in Shrewsbury, England.
It's a cool retirement village for older cats. The magical cat community is a group of mini-cottages where OLD "kitties" are loved hard and taken care of well.
Time for cat lovers to smile and clap.
S.
#ClapForSomeone
...
Drew Maggi.
For 13 years, Drew's played baseball in the MINORS. He's never stopped dreaming of the MAJORS.
After 1,155 games, the 33 year-old finally got THE call.
"I always believed this moment would come."
FORTITUDE.
May you and I wear the same.
S.
I finished Day
#8
...
of my WALK across Scotland.
A long 19 miles.
Carrying a heavy 27 pounds.
Brutal winds that staggered my feet.
One of the hardest walking days of my life.
TODAY...is not a walk I'd want to walk again.
BUT...I'm proud to have walked it once.
We've got MOREโฆ
#ClapForSomeone
...
GIANT HEARTS.
An extra awesome firefighter (and human being!) was working the overnight shift in Ocala, Florida. The station alarm went off. The Safe Haven Baby Box had been activated.
He went outside and found a baby girl.
โShe had a little bottle with herโฆ
I finished Day
#7
...
of my WALK across Scotland.
After walking about 95 miles...
My feet & legs ache.
But the route could care less how tired I am.
Tomorrow I walk my longest day...19 miles.
BIG goals require BIG efforts.
Tomorrow gets one from me.
May your BIGGEST goals...โฆ
#ClapForSomeone
...
THREE people with BIG hearts for stray KITTENS.
#1
. Meet Sarah Bohan...she was running the Chicago Marathon and looking to record her best time ever. But at Mile 21, she saw a small fluffy animal seemingly lost.
It was a kitten!
โDirty, scared andโฆ
#ClapForSomeone
...
To those who find the time & energy to VOLUNTEER.
It's not easy with life's demands...but THANK YOU to all who find even an hour to volunteer for a favorite cause.
November 1 is "Extra Mile Day."
On 11/1, 500+ cities will have joined the mission toโฆ
#ClapForSomeone
...
YOU.
For the times you've...
Adopted an abandoned pet.
Jumped in and volunteered.
Inspired a struggling friend.
Picked litter off the street.
Helped a lost stranger.
Mowed a neighbor's lawn.
Let another driver merge.
Said "Good morning!" to fellow dogโฆ
#ClapForSomeone
...
Coach Dawn Staley.
In a crucial game where a LOSS meant the season ends,
@DawnStaley
saw a player on the OTHER team hurt. She called a timeout to make sure the player was okay.
Class.
Character.
Compassion.
Dawn teaches MORE than winning.
S.
@GamecockWBB
#ClapForSomeone
...
Hilary Oxley.
She just had her 90th birthday.
To celebrate...she JUMPED out of a plane with two granddaughters.
SHE went FIRST.
It's was her 2nd time skydiving.
The 1st time was after turning 80.
Grow old.
Don't LIVE old.
S.
#ClapForSomeone
...
Pet Rescuer, Jason Card.
When fires hit Canada, towns were told to EVACUATE. But Jason headed TO the fire zone...his truck loaded with pet crates.
He rescued 30+ dogs and cats.
Jason Card lives with his full heart.
S.
* The world is rich withโฆ
#ClapForSomeone
...
A sailor and a dog who refused to give up.
For THREE months, Timothy Shaddock and "Bella" were lost in the Pacific Ocean. Bad weather had crippled their boat's electronics, and it became a fight for survival.
Surviving on rain water and raw fish, the twoโฆ
DO YOU LOVE...
Travel?
Walking?
Adventure?
Then you'll appreciate THIS.
At this moment...
I'm on Day
#2
of walking 135 miles coast-to-coast across Scotland.
This is the 9th country I've walked across since 2014.
I got lucky today and finished a 16-mile walk...
just beforeโฆ
#ClapForSomeone
...
Huynh Tieu Huong.
Called Mother Theresa of Vietnam...she started life left on a doorstep. Sexual predators adopted her; caring people helped her escape.
At 19, a baby was left on HER doorstep. The baby became her daughter. The kind gesture started a seriesโฆ
#ClapForSomeone
...
Ghost.
An all-white dog who went missing in the desert for 7 months, Ghost found a way to survive with a new adopted family of...coyotes. When seen injured, he was captured. An ultra-friendly guy, he's back with his people family.
Way to survive, Ghost!
S.
THREE areas we FULLY control...
FULLY control the QUALITY of our lives.
1. How we think.
2. What we say.
3. What we do.
Want better?
Do 1, 2 and 3.
BETTER.
S.
(Photo by Elena_G )
#ClapForSomeone
...
511 towns and cities.
That's how many city leaders declared 11/1 as Extra Mile Day...and recognized the impact of volunteers in their community โgoing the extra mileโย in heart and effort.
And to the millions of volunteers in ALL cities who giveโฆ
#ClapForSomeone
Unicorn Believers.
Marcia Mayeda leads
@LACoAnimalCare
. A 7-year-old asked for permission to keep a unicorn...if she found one.
Marcia approved the license...as long as the unicorn had access to moonbeams & rainbows.
โค๏ธ for extra kind Unicorn Believers.
S.
NEVER...
Do I let my worst days cement me.
I let them grow me.
S.
(Would a once-a-week spark of inspiration add a LIFT to your week? Sign up for "Extra Mile Thursday" at . It's FREE, it's short...and I pour my soul into each blog.)
@realDonaldTrump
Politicians have zero credibility when they run from obvious truth & choose "make believe." As a 40-year "R," I'm ashamed that few "R" leaders stood up against a man of such INCREDIBLE dishonor. I might disagree with Biden policies...but I'm glad Honor is coming back to America.
#ClapForSomeone
...
Lostwithiel, England (pop. 3,070).
The local doc retired. For SIX months the town had no success finding a replacement.
Desperation kicked creativity into gear.
A singing and dancing video was created.
500 locals played a role making it.
It went viral.โฆ
#ClapForSomeone
...
People with HUGE hearts.
This story has a TERRIBLE start.
But it carries a TERRIFIC ending.
TWO six-month-old white huskies were shockingly tossed over the fence into an animal shelter in Jackson, Michigan. The brother & sister should've weighed 25+ pounds.โฆ
#ClapForSomeone
...
Spike.
At age 23, this awesome chihuahua mix has been named the "Worldโs Oldest Living Dog" by Guinness World Records.
And although he IS a celebrity...Spike's a regular guy who loves his family & other animals on the farm.
AND...
He's a rescue.
S.
#dogs
YOUR life MATTERS.
Do something that MATTERS with it.
Not sure what to do?
THEN how about this...
Walk in KINDNESS and GRATITUDE every day.
Do THAT...
And you'll have mattered greatly EVERY DAY.
S.
Feeling UNINSPIRED?
Don't point fingers.
Unless it's in a MIRROR.
We choose the THOUGHTS we put in our heads.
We choose the PEOPLE we hang out with.
If we want to feel MORE inspiration...
Perhaps we need to choose BETTER.
S.
(Image by Med Ahabchane)
#ClapForSomeone
...
Japanese Sports Fans.
After July 4th, I was shocked to see images of 8,500 pounds of TRASH rudely left on Lake Tahoe's beautiful beaches. That's why I'm clapping extra loud for Japanese World Cup Soccer fans who stay behind after their team's matches to pickโฆ
#ClapForSomeone
Rose Zhang.
She just played her FIRST
#LPGA
golf tournament..and WON!
(That hasn't happened in 72 years!)
Over the final 18 holes, she could've folded under pressure.
But Rose...ROSE!
S.
* The world is rich with inspiration. Each Wednesday, I highlight one.
#ClapForSomeone
...
"Mutual Respect."
Night cameras in Kenya discovered a porcupine, hyena & warthog sharing the same burrow.
Despite differences in quills, teeth & tusks...the odd roommates co-exist. Observers call it a โhealthy respect" for each other.
If only...right?
S.
Life breathes adventure when life is lived as a safari.
So today...
I write.
I read.
I see.
I hear.
I share.
I listen.
I think.
I feel.
I learn.
Because when you're on a safari...
You find them all.
S.
#ClapForSomeone
...
Everett Kalin.
He was looking to celebrate his 93rd birthday by doing something adventurous. He climbed Half Dome.
I KNOW Yosemite's Half Dome.
I climbed it in my 30's (not at age 93!)...
and it IS the most terrifying adventure I've ever done!
It's aโฆ
STRUGGLING?
Here's a mirror post for you:
"The life I LIVED is no longer the life I LIVE."
CHOICES.
They're ours to change every day.
S.
PS: For 583+ Thursdays, I've written Extra Mile Thursday. It's a FREE...quick & difference-making read. Sign-up at
#ClapForSomeone
...
Zach Cross.
The first time hiking Stone Mountain THREE years ago, he took 80 minutes. Doing the climb daily since, he does it now in 20 minutes.
When he started...
He weighed 400 lbs.
Now he weighs 200 lbs.
"It's made me the happiest I've ever been."
S.
#ClapForSomone
...
Mr. and Mrs. Pickles.
Mr. Pickles is a spry 90-year-old living at the Houston Zoo. Mrs. Pickles, younger at 53, doesn't worry about their age difference. The two just became parents to three Baby Pickles: Dill, Gherkin & Jalapeรฑo.
Gotta' love the Pickles!
S.
#ClapForSomeone
...
Ruben..."The World's Loneliest Lion."
The private zoo in Armenia closed.
The other animals were relocated.
But Ruben wasn't.
He was left behind in a tiny concrete cell.
For FIVE years.
But thank God for people who pour their hearts and ACTIONS intoโฆ
#ClapForSomeone
...
Paige Bueckers...The Inspiration Sensation.
Paige plays basketball for the UConn Huskies.
She wears
#5
.
As a freshman, she was the first player to EVER win ALL three of college basketball's Player-of-the-Year awards.
BUT...
Paige has proven to be farโฆ
There are FOUR dream-shattering words that have buried a BILLION dreams. Read "Sipping Tea with Confucius" to discover the four words...and meet again one of history's MOST profound thinkers: Confucius. - S.
Click ->
LIFE.
It passes us by when we take a
permanent seat on the bus bench.
S.
(Need a weekly spark of motivation? Sign-up for "Extra Mile Thursday." It's a powerful freebie written to rejuvenate. Sign-up at the link above.)
#ClapForSomeone
@RehanStaton
His single dad worked 3 jobs...still poverty hit. Hungry in class with no food, heat or electricity at home, young Rehan did poorly in school. Rejected by colleges, he became a garbage man. Yet he persisted.
He just graduated from Harvard Law.
S.
PERHAPS...
There's been a crazy amount of
bad "stuff" happening in YOUR life.
TOMORROW...
Could be the day your ACTIONS
start shouting to all that "bad stuff":
"You're my past...not my FUTURE!"
Make it so.
- S.
(Inspiring image by Eilis Garvey.)
#ClapForSomeone
...
Teachers Ms. McCrady & Ms. Arriaga.
The duo from Albuquerque's Polk Middle School got creative in assigning a difference-making project. In partnering with an animal shelter, students crafted endearing "resumes" for hard-to-place dogs.
SIX were adopted.
S.
Listen to "๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐ ๐ถ๐น๐ฒ ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ฒ."
Episode
#4
: "๐ช๐ต๐ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐๐?"
One short minute of empowerment. One short minute to add energy to your day.
Gratitude... S.
@huskiesw25
I LOVE how Geno has thrown his heart into coaching, leading and building some of the GREATEST athletes in the world...who just happen to be WOMEN.
I madly follow
@UConnWBB
...&
@ncaawomen
because not only are the athletes crazy GREAT, but their love of the game is EXTRA pure.
S.
@UConnWBB
@KamoreaArnold
@AshlynnShade
@IsunehBrady
@QadenceS
THIS team...
It has an inside game.
It has an outside game.
It has bigs.
It has scorers.
It has ball handlers.
It has defenders.
THIS team...
It has the puzzle pieces to hang
#12
.
1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009,
2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2024
Be GREAT this year,โฆ
#ClapForSomeone
...
Alessandro Biancardi.
The fisherman caught a monster-sized catfish from Italy's River Po. But what makes this fish story MAGICAL is the kind fisherman RELEASED the GIANT back into the water.
10 witnesses measured the Catch-and-Release record: 9 feet 4โฆ
How Do You Create a Great Day?
THREE themes guide me daily:
1. Do what I love.
2. Step outside my comfort zone.
3. Say โHi!โ to people I donโt know.
May YOU create 1,000s of GREAT days.
Gratitude...
S.
* Have you signed up for Extra Mile Thursday?
If we don't find ways to REFRESH ourselves...
eventually we end up living with a DEPLETED self.
Create time daily...
To show YOURSELF kindness.
S.
#MondayMotivation
#Motivation
#selfcare
AGING.
I'm not denying it hasn't changed me. I am denying that my life has to become less because I am.
Feeling OLDER?
Read this week's: "Hello, Oprah."
With gratitude for reading...
S.
Click -->
How Do I Succeed?
1. It's not small GOALS.
2. It's not big ABILITY.
3. It's not unrelenting WILLPOWER.
4. It's because of...THIS.
Read The Pilot Who Pushed Me
May you FIND the inspiration you NEED.
May you BE the inspiration you CAN.
Gratitude...
S.โฆ
Recently...I was phenomenally lucky to hang out with THOUSANDS of inspiring people. It was the kind of inspiring atmosphere I wish life always offered. Intrigued? Read "How to Get Rich."
-->
Gratitude for being a kindred spirit...
S.
#ClapForSomeone
...
Animal rescuers.
In Bristol, England, a dog fell 30 feet down a sheer cliff. Miraculously, he landed on a perch.
Using a drone for guidance, a firefighter rappelled down the cliff and rescued the NOW broken legged, tail-wagging pup.
Thank you!
S.
e
In 2014...
I'd just heard of the Camino de Santiago. Within 2 months, I was walking 520 miles from St. Jean, France to Finisterre, Spain.
I've now walked across 8 countries.
Every day
#INSPIRATION
surrounds us.
We just need to be open to seeing it.
@PointsofLight
#life
#hope
ONCE...
I focused on leaving FOOTPRINTS
for 1,000,000 to see.
NOW...
I focus on leaving a FINGERPRINT
each day that ONE positively feels.
1,000,000 was ego.
ONE is difference making.
S.
Is it "freakin' delusional" to walk through life with optimism? One recent blog reader thought..."YES!" But I disagreed. Read my response in this week's "They Don't Show Their Faces." Create a successful day...and thank you for reading. Gratitude... - S.
On August 2nd...
I start my next country-crossing adventure.
Scotland will be the 9th country I've crossed by foot.
Wonder what goes into walking across a country?
Read "Sneaky Awesome" ->
May you find the magic of "getting your walk on."
S.โฆ
Listen to "๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐ ๐ถ๐น๐ฒ ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ฒ."
Episode
#3
: "๐ฆ๐๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ข๐๐๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ง๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐"
One short minute of empowerment.
One short minute to add energy to your day.
Gratitude...
S.
@BaylorWBB
@NickiCollen
@MarchMadnessWBB
@NickiCollen
...
In sharing up front...I bleed Huskie Blue. BUT after watching your post-game conference...YOU are one of the MOST impressive coaches in the NCAA. YOU are 100% 1st Class...and ANY recruit thinking about Baylor...SHOULD. Coach Collen is...A+.
Appreciation...
S.