The year was 1989 I had recently joined The Coral Springs Jaycees and I was sitting in a meeting where they were discussing cancelling the annual holiday shopping spree for disadvantaged youth. I stood up and I said I have an idea why don’t we go to local businesses and ask them to sponsor kids. They answered we have never done that before. In my unique JDOGG way I answered why not. They didn’t have an answer. It was at this time that I realized that sometimes you simply have to do your thing and make things happen. I went out and started to ask people that I had done business with to support the effort. At the next meeting I stood up and presented the Coral Springs Jaycees with just over $2000 to take 40 children on a holiday shopping spree. Over the next few weeks I set up several fundraisers including standing outside the KMART where we would hold the shopping spree. When the shopping spree arrived I had helped to raise enough money to take 64 children holiday shopping. Over the next 18 years I would be the Chairperson for The Spreading The Joy Program with The Coral Springs Jaycees and we would feed over 360 families for Thanksgiving and take over 900 children holiday shopping. Unfortunately The Coral Springs Jaycees no longer exist however the lessons I learned as a member and chapter president serve me today as I continue to grow personally, professionally, and spiritually.
I took my teachings about the brotherhood of man transcending the sovereignty of nations to The Philippines as a member of The U.S. Peace Corps where I served in The English Language Assistance Program where I taught at- risk youth English, Math, and Livelihood Skills at a Regional Rehabilitation Center For Youth in Bauaung, La Union. I served from July 2002 until February 2003. In those 6 months I became more and more spiritually aware and awake as I immersed myself into a culture that I was always intrigued by. It was in those 6 months that I came to understand what Mahatma Gandhi meant went he said the way to find yourself is to lose yourself in service. Upon arriving home in February 2003 I found myself less concerned with materialistic things and more concerned with being of service and value to others. I guess you can call this new found awareness a spiritual awakening of sorts as I found myself less focused on the big house, the fancy car, and the expensive clothes and more focused on empowering and inspiring others. In continuing on my spiritual journey I have come to draw from my experiences as a Jaycees member and a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer to make a mind, body, soul connection and to continue to show the world that one man can make a difference by doing his thing and not worrying about what other people think.
I have been told that I am an out of the box thinker and sometimes my ideas simply overwhelm people as they can not wrap their head around a new concept because they have not been programmed that way. This is why I continue to do my thing and make things happen. I am always amazed to see a concept I came up being adopted by others and thinking I thought of that years ago and you are first doing that now. In 1990 I was one of the 1st people to hold a Spirit Night For Charity with a local restaurant. Today Give Back Nights have been adopted by many restaurants across the nation because they strengthen their brand and increase their revenue. I have always been a bit ahead of the curve as I have tapped into my inner divinity that allows me to use my creativity to make a difference in the communities where I live, work, and play. I remember the first time I did Shout Out For A Cure at a little league football game and raised nearly $100 for The American Cancer Society and people said what a great idea. Today many leagues use shout outs as fundraisers. As I reflect back over the last 40 plus years of being involved in charitable endeavors I realize that this has been my purpose all along as I have been sent to help other people excel by doing my thing.
As I continue to do my thing I have developed a program Beanie Babies For The Cure which raises funds to attack cancer from every angle by funding research, education, advocacy, and services. This concept came to me back in May of 2018 when a friend gave me Beanie Babies and I started to give them to cancer patients. Then I brought them out to The Antique Fair at The Festival Marketplace to raise funds for The American Cancer Society Relay For Life and as a result Beanie Babies For The Cure was born. When you are connected to GOD and you head GOD’S Messages you are able to do your thing and make a positive impact on the world around you. It doesn’t matter who the president is, who is in congress, or who is on the supreme court as you have the power to do your own thing and thus be of service and value to others. As you continue on your path toward enlightenment you will encounter doubters, haters, and naysayers do not listen to them and continue to do your thing for at the end of the day the only things that matter are if you lived your life in joy and if your life brought joy to others. That $500,000 home, that $80,000 car, and the $2,000 suit well you can’t take them with you. When GOD calls you home you will either be buried or cremated and all those materialistic things will be left behind. So continue to do your thing and remember that you are simply dust in the wind.
I sat in reflection after a successful Strike Out Cancer Day with The Sunrise Sharks Travel Baseball Team and I couldn’t get the song Dust In The Wind Out of my head. I remembered a spiritual teaching that we came into the world as dust and in we will leave this world as dust so cherish all we have and embrace the chance to be a lifter for it is when we lift others that we are lifted. As you continue along your spiritual path do your thing and stay focused, centered, and grounded as you answer your calling. Namaste!!!
Today (8/23/2018) is a great example of coming out of the shadows as I took some of the beanie babies that are usually in the trunk of my car and brought them into Starbucks with me one of the baristas liked one and asked me how much they were. I told her I normally get a donation for The American Cancer Society Relay For Life Of Sunrise but she could have one. She took one and said she was going to give $2 next time she saw me. In coming out of the shadows and putting myself out there I have gained some support and am grateful especially to those who have taken the time to do things old school and send cards to 9141 Sunrise Lakes Boulevard #102 Sunrise, FL 33322. One person even bought me 2 brand new suits so that I could give off a professional image and come out of the shadows to get back to being of service and value to others. It is my hope that the sharing of my spiritual journey fraught with the ups and downs will empower and inspire the reader to come out the shadows and to take action on following their passion thus finding success. As you come out of the shadows don’t fear the reaper stand up and know that GOD has great plans for you.