In the days leading up to the wedding, we were all wondering if it would work out okay. While there was no doubt that Debbie & Jason would begin their married lives together on Saturday, we were concerned if the weather was going to allow it to take place outdoors. In our facebook cousin group (yes, we have one), Debbie provided regular weather updates. I also checked, trying to insure that my suit would still be a good match for the ceremony. For quite sometime it looked like it was going to rain during the ceremony. There was an indoor plan B, but we were all hoping for outdoors. Even 2-3 days before the event, it looked like it was going to rain.

And then the winds came.

Huge, crazy winds.

Winds that shutdown the LAX airport and caused travel to be rerouted. Winds that toppled trees.

HUGE, CRAZY WINDS!

When we arrived in Pasadena on Friday night, we were surprised to see so many crews fixing traffic lights, moving trees, clearing downed power poles. At breakfast the next day, I heard many hotel guests discussing how they were hoping power would be restored to their home that day. On the drive to the ceremony, I counted 6 downed trees and many sidewalks and bike lanes lined with branches and debris.

The church itself had huge clumps of pine needles and branches in the parking lot.

But then we walked to where the ceremony was…

…and it was gorgeous.

Apparently, volunteers had helped clear the ceremony site of its storm debris. It was absolutely stunning.

The HUGE, CRAZY WINDS had cleared the sky of any clouds.

And so… my cousin, Debbie, and her husband, Jason, had the most beautiful outdoor ceremony.

Far too often in life, we stress out about things we can’t control. We have our own impending “rainstorms” that we worry will ruin our days, or we see the “winds” come into our lives, and worry about how they will destroy things.

But sometimes life is just beautiful and things work out.

There were still a few hiccups in the wedding–all weddings have them–but it still remained beautiful. During the ceremony and reception, it was so obvious that Debbie & Jason could handle the twists and turns the outside world was going to throw at them. They were enjoying the beauty of the moment and their time together.

Let’s try to do the same.

“CHARITY” HIGHLIGHT

As I mentioned in my Advent Conspiracy entry, I want to highlight some of the great charities out there. My first highlight isn’t for a charity, but rather a business that functions as one. Yes, we’ve all heard of TOMS shoes (which I love), but I want to highlight PAIX Clothiers. A few of my friends just started this company. Proceeds from the sale of clothes will help clean drinking water projects throughout the world. The clothes even have a cool interaction part with QR Codes on each item showing how the money is helping people. These clothes are a very cool idea for a Christmas gift. I’ll do a longer blog entry about them down the road, but in the meantime, I encourage you all to check out PAIX Clothiers

“To infinity… and beyond!”- Buzz Lightyear

It seems to me to be the perfect quote to describe Steve Jobs. Without him, there would be no Buzz Lightyear. Without him, I wouldn’t be typing this blog up as easily on my MacBook Pro with iTunes playing in the background.

You may call it sentimental, but there is something truly remarkable about a man when his death is talked about and mourned by the company he founded, the founders of his rival companies, the heads of Disney, and the President of the United States.

I’ve been trying since his I first learned about his passing to put some thoughts down, and it’s been difficult. No, I did not personally know him–my closest interaction with him took place while I was visiting a friend of mine at Apple and saw Steve Jobs waiting in line in the cafeteria ultimately taking a seat a few tables away. But even that spoke volumes to me, to see such a successful person waiting in line.

So where do I begin to thank Steve Jobs for his impact on my life?

Is it the Apple IIe I first learned to type on in elementary school?
Is it the iPod providing the soundtrack for so many cross country trips?
Is it the Pixar movies that have made me laugh with friends?
Is it the iChat and FaceTime software that allows me to connect with others while I’m away?

It could be any one of these. I even attempted to do another one of those biography pieces that so many have written remembering this remarkable man. I agree that he was the Edison of our time.

But what I think is even remarkable about Steve Jobs is his failure and how it motivated him.

Here is a guy who bucks the rules for success and yet still totally achieved it.

Yes, he helped found Apple. Yes, he helped create the first Macintosh and launch the famous 1984 Super Bowl ad.

But he is also the guy who was fired by the company that he created. The people he brought it to help the company succeed moved him out.

Did he quite striving? No.

He went on to found another company which Apple would purchase years later. Yep, a decade later Apple would purchase his next creation and return him to the position of CEO. Oh yeah, and that technology would provide the building blocks for the Apple Store & iTunes software.

If that wasn’t enough, he also purchased another company. He invested a great deal of his own money into it, helping transition this hardware company into an animation company. We now know it at Pixar. For years, he lost millions of dollars in Pixar (a failure by most standards), but he was passionate about what they can do and this passion allowed the creative freedom Pixar needed to bring so beloved characters to life.

When he finally returned to Apple, he wasn’t bitter, he was driven. Soon we had the iMac and then years later the iPod.

And then he changed the game.

When I finally purchased my own MacBook in 2005, I remarked to my friends how easy it was to use and how much I wish that Apple would just make a cell phone.

My thought? A cell phone made by Apple. Same design as my Nokia–just made by Apple.

But Jobs never thought like that. He is always five steps ahead.

It wasn’t just a music player, it was the ease in purchasing that music. It was his ability to go to bat for the consumer experience.

He was a true innovator.

It allowed Apple to create the iPhone and the iPad.
It allowed Apple to set the pace.

And yet, he did this all with grace and humility.

Yes, there are stories about his temper, his standards, and his bluntness, but while he was tough, he was incredibly respected by his employees (at least those that I personally know).

He was known for his long sleeve t-shirt, his jeans, and his running shoes. He didn’t have an inflated CEO salary, just stock options. He would often still eat in the Apple cafeteria (where I saw him that one day). He used his money to invest in projects he believed in.

He would sit with old rivals and have incredible discussions (seriously, find any interview with him & Bill Gates–truly phenomenal conversations with the two of them).

And he looked to the future.

One of his last public presentations was to the Cupertino City Council about the new Apple Headquarters. It presented a whole new way of thinking about an office building and it remained in the town in which he grew up.

He was loyal.

There is much to say about Steve Jobs and I’m not doing the best here. I posted a link to this last night, and I want to post it again. I think he said it best during his Commencement Speech at Stanford University in 2005. I encourage you to take a few moments and watch it if you haven’t yet.

And here’s one more video. An earlier version of a 1997 ad where Steve Jobs actually does the voiceover that Richard Dreyfuss ultimately provided in the aired version.

Steve Jobs will be missed.

Special Note: I got the idea for the title of this from an illustration my friend and fellow speaker, Jason Kotecki, did on his blog. I encourage you to read it as well.

It’s possible that Netflix will weather this storm and Qwikster will rise to the top, but I don’t believe that will happen. Full admission: I was a Netflix user for close to a decade, but cancelled my account in July when Netflix announced the change to the plan. I now use other services. While Netflix deals with movies and rentals, I believe we can learn from Netflix’s recent mistakes and help prevent ourselves from making the first mistake in our own organizations.

1) Failure to Communicate

Today’s blog entry is too little too late. Rather than initially communicating the price change to existing customers, Hastings announced it via press releases. As customers complained (me included) Hasting and some phone tech people failed to acknowledge the frustration of customers. I was told to just give up two Starbucks a month and the money wouldn’t be a big deal. It was arrogant and it was flippant from a customer service representative. I recognize I live a privileged life, but the tone of the communication was arrogant. Hastings acknowledged this today, but by that point over a million customers had already left. Had he taken a more humble tone initially talking about the rising costs of leading both business and recognizing that all customers couldn’t afford the shift, he might have at least kept some more loyalty. There would have been frustration, but loyalty would have shined through.

Our tone with our own members is incredibly important. Member loyalty is one of the most important thing we have and while we may have to make changes, honest and upfront communication is key.

Years ago, I saw a friend of mine make a mistake while putting on a youth convention. While the mistake wasn’t entirely his fault, he took to the stage at the end of the session and told everyone where he would be if they wanted to talk about it. For over an hour people yelled and him and complained, but he listened and validated their concerns. His humble approach went far in keeping attendees loyal to the event even though that one year wasn’t 100% perfect.

We can do the same if we authentically communicate and keep our arrogance dialed down.

2) Failure to Understand Their Core Advantage

Netflix had an incredible catalog of movies. When it first launched, you could find more movies there than you could ever find at your local video stores including several older films. As Netflix entered streaming, their search interface became more difficult to use. Streaming also lacked consistent quality and selection. While many purchased devices to watch on their home TVs, Netflix rarely offered hit movies via streaming. Now that the Starz deal is over and other studios are going to bat against Netflix, that selection appears to decline. With rising costs, many customers say it isn’t worth the rising cost.

Netflix describes incredible research and surveys, but I know of no friend who ever received one. Had they looked beyond simple dollars and cents they would see the specific advantages they had over Redbox, Hulu, or Amazon streaming. Yet Netflix didn’t take the time to be curious.

As we implement changes, we need to be incredibly curious about what our membership values. We must make sure those major values are still addressed and/or met in major changes. If we change a core value for membership, we need to spend some time to really address this and we can’t simply say “it’s to turn a profit.” Starbucks has done well in addressing these shifts over the years.

3) Failure to Plot Out a Timelime

It’s obvious with today’s announcement that this was Netflix’s plan for several months. The rapid change is too quick for their loyal customers. Several friends of mine feel like there was a bait and switch. Had Netflix initially announced this change as well, the shift might make a bit more sense, but just about one month after the first major change ANOTHER major change has taken place. Customers now have a sense of uncertainty as the timeline has been too rapid. Netflix could have gradually phased this in over the course of a year or just been more upfront from the get go (see communication).

As we make changes to our organizations, we must figure out how we announce these shifts and communicate it to membership. Gradual implementation over time can work best or sometimes we have to tear off the bandaid.  We need to spend some time thinking about how it feels on the other end. Obviously, Netflix wanted to quickly offload the DVD portion of its business, but it didn’t take the time to consider how this might feel like a bait and switch to customers who had been loyal from the beginning.

Let me be clear: I do not doubt that Netflix had to change its business model. I admire the company for thinking 5-10 years down the road, rather than just in the immediate future. Their name, Netflix, was perfect as it allowed them the chance to transition into streaming seamlessly. It’s the recent mistakes that I question. Netflix could have handled this whole transition much better. Due to their arrogance, their lack of communication, their failure to listen to customers, and their failure to look at a timeline from the customer perspective, I am honestly not sure if the company will survive long-term.

Let’s make sure our organizations don’t make the same mistakes.

I travel a lot. It’s the nature of my work. Last year, I took just under 150 flights. That’s 150 takeoffs and 150 landings. I hit 1K on United and I’ve easily been an A-List member on Southwest for years. While the travel can get a bit exhausting, I enjoy the perks of being an “elite” member of these frequent flyer programs. I wait in shorter lines, I never pay for bags, and I earn a bunch of free tickets that I share with family and friends or redeem for a fun vacation for me.

I’ll also admit that I spend more time than I should reading up on the frequent flyer programs and calculating what I can do with my free tickets in the following year.

So I was really surprised when I woke up last Thursday with an email from Southwest describing their “All New Rapid Rewards.” If you’re unfamiliar with the “old” Rapid Rewards, it was perhaps the most simple award frequent flyer program out there. Fly 16 times in a two years and you get a free ticket to anywhere Southwest flies. Yes, there were some flights that filled up, but for the most part you could redeem it. It was easy. It was simple. It was a regular winner of the best frequent flyer program out there. To be honest, it was the major reason I still flew Southwest after I earned a higher status on United.

And then came the “new” program. Southwest touted the “no blackout dates,” “no point expiration,” and “every seat is an award seat,” but I noticed other factors.

1) Flights didn’t matter as much anymore. What really mattered? How much you spent.

2) The style of ticket mattered much more, multiplying the points per dollar by 6, 10, or 12 points.

3) It was incredibly complex. Redemptions were also based on dollar amount and a factor of 60, 100, or 120 points per dollar.

If you’re confused, you’re not alone. You literally need a calculator to figure out if and when you earn an award ticket and even then it depends on whether or not the ticket is in your price range.

Immediately there was backlash. The Southwest Facebook page quickly filled up with angry complaints from patrons in Rapid Rewards so much so that Southwest began deleting negative posts earlier this week. A blog response from Southwest about the program also featured several negative complaints. Eventually, some media organizations began to cover the backlash.

The basic complaints:

1) Southwest has changed their egalitarian model by developing three tiers of service.

2) It takes longer to earn a flight

3) The new program “penalizes” short haul fliers

4) Southwest’s response to these concerns has been patronizing at best

Before I go any further, I must be fair to Southwest. They still do not charge for bags or change fees. I find their actual flight staff to be some of the friendliest in the business. I respect their need to make money. They have run one of the most generous frequent flyer programs out there. They are trying to recruit the business traveler and increase their revenue. I can’t fault them for that, but it’s their implementation of these changes that has been awful. Some WILL benefit from the new program. If you’re a business traveler who spends MORE on a ticket, you can earn free flights significantly faster.

I don’t fall into that category, and there are several other Southwest frequent flyers just like me who are quite upset.

While I could understand if Southwest had to increase the number of flights for a free ticket, I found the direct connection to dollar amount and the poor customer communication outlying the program to be upsetting.

I have elite status on United, but it isn’t based on the money I spent, it’s based on how much I flew. Southwest demonstrated that my financial relationship with them was more important than my loyalty toward their airline.

When I voiced my concerns with the program, I got the same generic reply that Southwest continues to give out, “Just use the calculator and you’ll see how great the program is.”

I did the math and the program is SIGNIFICANTLY worse for me. I won’t get anywhere near as many award tickets based on the way I travel. Southwest failed to acknowledge these concerns and instead to treat its customers as if they simply didn’t know how to do math. Southwest, known for making each customer feel special, began to feel a lot more like every other airline, not recognizing customer concerns. On the official Southwest blog, Brian Lusk replied to any positive question about the new program, but continued to fail to acknowledge or address the setbacks or drawbacks many had voiced.

Several customers said if Southwest simply said, “We are a business and we need to increase our bottom line. As upsetting as it is, we need to increase the amount each passenger needs to spend in order to earn an award ticket,” it still would have been disappointing, but it would have felt honest. It would have felt like Southwest. Instead, Southwest continued to state, “you’ll love the new program” when it was obvious that many did not.

This past week, as I mentioned earlier, Southwest began to delete opposition to the program on their facebook page, and continued to tout how much their flyers have been ASKING for this new program (a common complaint on the page: “when did you ask us if we actually wanted this?”). Many are comparing the shift to New Coke and highlighting the poor customer relations on Southwest’s part.

And that’s what brings us to our leadership lesson…

Southwest had one of the most LOYAL customer base out of any airlines. Their passengers regularly raved about the Southwest experience. The company has remained profitable while most of the industry has struggled. Still Southwest felt the need to recruit the coveted BUSINESS TRAVELER who tends to spend more on a ticket. The new Rapid Rewards program may to do exactly that, but the question becomes, “at what expense?”

While Southwest may increase their income, they’ve hurt–at least in the immediate future–their reputation. They were know for being different, for treating each customer the same, for keeping things simple, and for keeping things fun and honest. Now, many of their loyal fans now say “they are just like the other guys.” Southwest, in an attempt to reach one goal, sacrificed so many of the things that kept them profoundly unique and made them special.

Not only that, but then they failed to listen and at least acknowledge the concerns of a customer base that truly felt betrayed. Instead, they simply said, “it’s better” when most of their customers could plainly see, it was not–at least for them.

I’ve seen this happen to other groups who have tried to hit the same level as another organization and lose the core of what makes them unique in the process. They fold and fail.  I don’t think this will necessarily be the case for Southwest, but I have trouble believing they will be able to maintain such a loyal following.

As leaders, we do need to evolve. We do need to make changes, but we also need to ask if those changes sacrifice who we are at a core, and if they truly benefit those that we serve. Southwest had built a reputation by being an airline with affordable tickets, and yet in their press release, the CEO of the company was quoted saying that he thinks the new program will get people to pay more money for tickets

Have you ever done the same thing in your organization? I’ve seen some schools spend so much money on making a prom “so amazing” (because they heard what another school did) that the price of a ticket exceeds the amount that many students can pay, ultimately hurting attendance and changing the prom experience.

I’ve seen other schools complain about student apathy at events, but fail to really listen to the feedback from their peers, dismissing any critique as someone “who just doesn’t get it.”

I’m interested to see what happens with the Southwest situation in the coming weeks. I won’t say I will never fly with them again, but I’ll be honest and say that if the new program remains unchanged, they will lose a great deal of my business as it works in my favor to fly another airline now.

As we lead, as we serve, we must remember that there is never a guarantee that anyone will work with us or attend what we plan. We must all have customer service in the forefront of our minds. We must find the ways to benefit our constituents. We won’t always make everyone happy, but we must also find the ways to be real with them when we’ve upset them. It builds a better relationship in the long run. It builds loyalty. It builds advocates.

Before we headed into the park, I spent a bit of additional time hanging out with my cousins’ six month old son (in all honesty, my brother and I “borrowed” him and walked him around the hotel for a bit, eventually ending up in our room). All of my cousins have super cute kids. I’ve mentioned this fact on a regular basis. As I hung out with the newest addition to the family, I was fascinated.

He was on the verge of crawling.

But he wasn’t crawling yet. Seriously, he is so close. I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts crawling moments after I post this blog, but on Sunday, he still wasn’t there.

He was almost there.

It was a sight to see. There he was, using every ounce of strength to lift himself up, or try to pull himself forward, or try to kick his legs as hard as he could–it just wasn’t all coordinated yet.

He could move a little bit forward, occasionally grabbing a desired object, but only occasionally. He’d sometimes roll to get to some place, but he still couldn’t quite crawl…

…yet.

We would all encourage him, and for a minute or so, he’d give it everything he got, until he final gave up in frustration or minor exhaustion. He might try again thirty minutes later, but he still couldn’t do it (yet).

So I sat there, watching him, and thinking about effort.

I saw him truly give it everything, and I honestly couldn’t think of a time in recent memory where I pushed myself to that degree. I couldn’t think of a time in recent memory where I pushed myself so hard that I truly grew in the process.

Yes, I’ve taken on challenges. Yes, I’ve reached new goals.

But I don’t think I’ve pushed myself to that level.

I read an article a few years ago about the development that takes place in that first year of life. We learn a new language. We build new relationships. We identify objects. We go through massive amounts of strength building. It’s really incredible. The article described the development as the equivalent of training for a 100+ mile run, increasing your weight lifting 4-5 times over, and becoming fluent in 2-3 languages while reading a novel a day (I may be slightly off in my statistics, but you get the idea). All of this happens in a very limited period of time.

And then we grow up.

And sadly, we get a little too comfortable.

So today, I want to challenge you to crawl forward again.

Pick up a new goal this year. Pick up a new challenge. Push yourself to do something extreme.

I’m going to think about this for a bit, and hopefully announce a cool challenge that I’ll take on. Let me know what you decide to do even though you might not have accomplished it…

…yet.

bills, ASU Alumni magazine, coupons for the store…

…and a special mailing from Bath & Body Works talking about their new DARK KISS line to help me seduce “him?”

It’s addressed to me, Patrick Maurer.

First, I’m not a gay man. Still, I’m basically 100% positive that even my gay friends would never wear this line. It’s a line obviously designed for females and they are sending it to me, a male.

Bath & Body Works isn’t the first to do this. On a recent trip to Ulta to buy some hair product, face soap, and a men’s grooming kit, I was asked to provide my email address. I did, but now I’m bombarded with messages for makeup, lip gloss, and fragrances. I’ve tried to customize the email messages, so I only get emails about “men’s products,” but the computer doesn’t seem to recognize it, so I’ve removed myself from the mailing list.

Of course none of these are as fun as what my dad received last year. Luckily my sisters also happened to be in town so we could watch our dad open up his special package from Kotex especially for him (apparently they thought my dad, proud father of four adult children, would be the perfect person to market their U by Kotex product to). We all had a good laugh at this one.

The problem? It’s a generic message sent to the masses.

Bath & Body Works and Ulta DO have products for males–it’s why I’ve shopped at those places in the first place, but it seems to be too difficult to try to develop communication for their male audiences. I even went to Hallmark last week, but had difficulty finding Thank You cards that didn’t look like they came from the nursery of a 3 year old girl–and people wonder why men don’t send many handwritten notes.

I’m not attempting a rant companies treatment of male. Not at all. I get the idea of product demand. Still, I wonder if some of these companies could make some simply modifications that would encourage a more diverse customer base–especially since they already have products for those customers.

And it also got me thinking about our schools and our organizations.

How often are we sending out one generic message to the masses and failing to truly communicate with out own diverse customer bases? Are we regularly neglecting people simply by trying a one size fits all?

I’m very well aware that this blog does that almost every time I type since the audience is students and teachers, students from diverse organizations, students from different countries, different states, different ages, etc. But I do try to make that conscious effort to reach my diverse audience by addressing different ideas.

Are you?

Go beyond a mail merge and learn about your real audience.

I’m trying.

(but please let me know how I can do better)

The Trust Walk is nothing new. Many organizations do it, and I’m a huge advocate of this taking place at night. Bishop Manogue has a gorgeous two story indoor campus, allowing some great opportunities for the activity. Since there was an odd number of participants, I took part in the walk as well, pairing up with a student.

During the first part, I was the “eyes,” providing relevant details about our location on campus, the upcoming obstacles, and reassuring safety measures. I keep calm. I continue to talk to let the person know I’m nearby. I reassure. I’ve lead the activity several times over the years, so I know what (most people) like to hear during the time in which their eyes are closed. I’m biased–I did a good job.

But then it was my turn to close my eyes. To be honest, I hadn’t done THIS part since high school. Okay, I’ve done it a bit, but in a large gym during a mini-walk at a leadership day. Now I was on the second floor of a building I barely knew with an understanding that I’d soon be walking six or so minutes back across the campus and also down a staircase.

I don’t want to fault my partner. She actually did an INCREDIBLE job of providing specific instructions. She kept calm. I didn’t bump into anything. I didn’t get hurt. I didn’t fall I knew where the stairs were (and she even counted steps down to the floor for me). But I have to admit, I was still a little scared. When I was the eyes, I was able to provide details about the campus, naming specific artwork or room names. She did the same, but I don’t know the campus, and so I really didn’t know where I was (even though she was giving really good directions).

So I walked slower. I was more hesitant.

And it made me think about beginning something new.

First, I think that if we are the more “experienced” people are on campuses, it’s time for us to step up and get ready for all of the new students to join us. What can we do to welcome them in? How do we welcome them in? How can we help them open their eyes? I’m a huge fan of schools that utilize Link Crew for their high school or WEB for their middle school. Both of these programs are excellent “eyes” for new students and empower leaders to truly mentor new students.

Second, I think if we recognize our eyes are closed, we need to be open to trust. It took me quite some time, but when we finally got to the last hallway or so, I picked up my pace just a bit and trusted. I didn’t know exactly where I was (or perhaps as well as my partner who regularly walked the hallways), but I began to realize she wasn’t going to let me fail. Even then though, if I had failed, the worst thing that would have happened would be that I’d walk into a wall (the stairwell was way behind me). At this point, it’s a matter of me being willing to walk. In other words, don’t delay your success simply because you might have a minor failure.

Just some quick thoughts. I hope you all are able to open your eyes this year and help others see their possibility!

(ps–many thanks to the student leaders at Bishop Manogue)

It’s known as The Code. If you owned the original Nintendo, you knew it. You may not own the game Contra, but you knew The Code. My cousin taught it to me. At first I didn’t believe him. How could a series of buttons during a title sequence affect so much?

But it did.

Once you knew it, you shared it with others. The result was always the same.

“You’re lying.”
“No. Seriously, it works.”
“Prove it.”
“No way. That’s AWESOME!”

I have played Contra only once without using the code. I’ve heard rumors of friends of friends who’ve beaten the game without using the code, but to this day still know of no one personally. The 3 lives just make it seem impossible, but with 30 (which is what the code provides), the game was beatable. You could take that riskier move, take the bolder shot, and really approach the game with a confidence. For the first time in a video game, Nintendo allowed the player to think “when” not simply “if.”

Keep in mind, this was huge at the time. Sure today’s games have multiple player profiles with unlocked levels and progress saved every few moments. Most of the games in the 80’s didn’t have those features. If you wanted to beat Contra, you sat down and played until you defeated Red Falcon and called it a day. A few games perpetuated this lack of a save feature continued longer than they should. I remember a friend of mine playing Jurassic Park the video game for three solid days in college, putting the game on pause for hours at a time while he went to class, until he ultimately finished at 2am one night (I’ll admit I was bummed as I definitely watched hours of playing time, but not the final victory screen). Contra didn’t require this type of time dedication, but the lives were limited and why would you play with only three, when with a few extra button clicks, you could have thirty.

It was the code and it brought us confidence.

The irony is that although I was raised in the code world, few of us actually experience the code in our daily lives. Most of us probably feel like we enter into new opportunities with a deficit rather than an advantage. Many graduating from college this weekend will enter into a volatile job market with huge debt, not a huge savings account. They’ll likely feel the pinch of the economy, the pinch of an entry-level position, and the pinch of doubt.

Many in high school still approach their days as if they are lacking. They are afraid to take on that new challenge, afraid to join that organization or run for that office, afraid of asking out that special person. Quite simply, they worry about how much rejection or failure they can take.

And yet, what if we lived our lives like we had The Code?

In Contra, you still died. You still lost lives, but you always knew that you had another shot–not an infinite amount so you’d be completely reckless, but enough to finish the task.

In these difficult times, let’s make The Code happen again. Let’s not live lives of deficiency, but rather lives of abundance and hope. No, this doesn’t mean we are irresponsible with money or dangerous with our decisions, but it means that live with a certain level of confidence that asks again “when” we will achieve, “when” we will serve, “when” we will lead, rather than “if” we ever can.

Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start

The elliptical I used today was in perfect view of the Kids Club at my gym. I find it to be a hilarious scene, often times with the biggest, toughest guys in the gym transforming into their “daddy” roles, or a gaggle of kids emerging with an exhausted mom who probably enjoyed her only “me” time of the day. Today, one of the little guys caught my eye.

He couldn’t have been more than one and a half. He was small, wearing those funny baby pants that would be shorts on any normal human being, but fit babies perfectly. He stood at the door. His dad was in the process of checking him out of the club, but seemed to be having a conversation with the babysitters. The little guy wanted out.

Over the course of five minutes, he attempted over and over again to open up the door. He’d stand on his tippy-toes, grab the handle, and bring it down, only to be confused by what to do next. He looked directly at me a few times, apparently in hopes of getting a clue, but I didn’t think assisting in an escape was my best option. After every attempt, he’d look back at his dad–not to get sympathy, but to check if anyone was watching–and then try again. A few times he almost lost his balance, but he never fell down. He just grabbed that handle and released the door, unable to physically push it open.

Halfway through this, the other kids in the room, saw what he was doing. They moved closer to the baby gate, not even attempt to grab its handle. I imagine if they could talk it would sound like that scene from The Waterboy, but they were too young, and so instead they looked at him, eyes filled with hope.

I was surprised by the little guy’s disposition. He never cried, never whined, and never gave up.

Failure.

Tippy-toes, grab handle, release door latch, and…

Failure.

Tippy-toes, grab handle, release door latch, and…

Failure.

Finally, his dad picked up his gym bag, turned around, picked up the little guy with one arm, and carried him out of the gym.

I still had some more time left on the elliptical, providing me a moment to think.

I wonder if we are still really attempting to open up the doors in our life. Sure, there are the easy ones we walk through, but are we really problem solving anymore or pushing ourselves? When was the last time you attempted something in life that required you to get on your tippy-toes, only to fail again? When you did fail, did you turn around and look for sympathy, or did you try again?

I’m not saying I’m perfect at this. To be honest, I think I’ve been waiting for some to open doors for me, but part of me isn’t satisfied with that. Part of me wants to step up and try something tougher.

What about you?