Rick's Story
Whether as a business leader, life coach and mentor, or even as a younger mountaineering instructor, I personally strive to always encourage people to reach for the heights and to launch forth into the deep so it was intentional to choose “Provehito in Altum” as my motto, an unusual Latin phrase meaning both.
Everyone has a next step, a growth step, a fearless leap, the next right answer, the opportunity to choose again. These sayings have broadly and unfortunately become clichés, which saddens me. But not where I live. What is true is that everyone has the chance to reach for new heights, one step at a time, or pause, reflect and move to a deeper place. These are choices we each get to make, at home, the office, where we volunteer, in traffic, with our significant relationships, with a store clerk, a client, or someone who works for us. So what is your choice, "Provehito in Altum", or just get-r-done? This motto reminds me of my pledge to you and of a place where I would like to help you go.
Over our lives we begin to develop our own view of life. Some believe the glass is half empty – a point of view either learned or defacto adopted, built on the premise that there isn’t enough to go around, and our supply is limited. Others believe the glass is half full –the optimist, with the positive bias that things are good, gonna get better, and there is enough.
On September 11, 2001, I was attending a conference hosted by renown business guru and author, Stephen Covey. One premise he shared that day was that scarcity isn’t correct. Scarcity maintains there isn’t enough, so I must grab all I can and then guard it. That day, however, I learned in the wake of the horrific events of 9/11 that my half full view wasn’t really any better. What does it matter if I have plenty with buildings catching on fire and life interrupted without notice.
Since that experience, I’ve discovered that my glass is actually overflowing, and my mission is to splash this life on everyone I encounter. I do that with a zest for life, remaining curious about other people’s stories, recognizing significance in everyone and embracing every opportunity to affirm people in my daily encounters. This week that ranged from a conversation, piece of pizza, and bus fare for a homeless woman to discussing business development opportunities with people who have cognitive disabilities and directing them into more meaningful career paths.
Over the last decade I have grown in my offering to others, and I’ve learned to hold my gifts and talents more loosely, giving them away more generously. The crazy thing is as I’ve done this, my significance and purpose is revealed and affirmed more with each offering, right alongside those with whom I share my gifts. I want everyone to live this way, to have this same curious passion and to splash life onto the world around them.
