What's In a Name

 The most important word in the universe is a person's Name. 

Why? 

When you think about it for a moment that single person is the most important person in the world.  When you call someone by their name you validate them, you acknowledge them, you see them as valuable.  And you connect with them on a personal even friendship level. 

Each of us is unique with a Divine Spirit.  We have a one of a kind voice, fingerprint, and DNA. 

A simple act of Kindness that we can all do is to just simply call a person by their Name.

God Bless. 

With Love

Coach K

Tommy - A Love Story

Tommy

I met a wonderful woman while walking our dog Shay in the park the other day.  We were coming up the road, and a woman was standing next to her dog that was just sitting there watching the birds. 

Getting closer, I thought she was a dog trainer working on the sit command.   Our beautiful little Cavalier, Shay, could use a little training. We said hello and I asked about why her dog was just sitting there, she answered that since she was 14 years old she could do what she wanted.  I smiled in agreement. 

She went on to tell me that the lab/pit mix was named after her husband Tom.  I said you must really like your husband and she responded Tommy was named in honor of his passing 14 years ago (insert foot in mouth here). 

Tommy was a rescue dog that helped this nice woman through her grief and became a companion to replace the love of her life.  She went on to tell me how Tommy was now not in the best health, but it was clear from their long friendship....

that both of them had been rescued. 

With Love,

Tom Kaufmann

Coach K

CoachKaufmann.com

Love and Kindness

Two of the most powerful forces to counteract the cynicism and negativity we encounter in our world today are love and kindness.  When you finish rolling your eyes, hear me out.  We just finished the presidential election and we all were bombarded with the negative ads.  This low energy washes over us and depletes us.  The antidote is love and kindness.

When we start from a place of love and kindness towards ourselves and others, we keep ourselves upbeat, expectant, and positive.  We move from being reactionary, which is responding to anything that we encounter in a negative manner, and we live from the higher energy of proactivity.  We can respond with kindness when life hands us a challenging moment.

Instead of responding and reacting to every event that we encounter in our daily lives, we can choose to be proactive. We communicate that we expect good things in our lives and will overcome any obstacles or challenges that come our way.  We when treat others both friends and strangers with the love and kindness that they deserve, we exhibit that divine energy that we all possess.

Start by trying to be more proactive with yourself, limit the negative self talk and stop beating yourself up.  Limit your exposure to negativity whether it is the television, radio, or from your circle of family and friends. Next, start praising yourself and expressing gratitude for every little thing that shows up in your life. Surround yourself with people that empower you, that encourage you, that build you up.

Choose to live in the light. Fill your life with sunshine. Let this sunshine wash over you and embrace you, bask in the light. And shine this light on everyone you encounter.

With Love and Kindness,

Tom Kaufmann
Coach K

My Friend Dave - Running Safety

With the Giants winning an exciting championship game against the 49ers and headed to another Superbowl against the Patriots, my thoughts turned to one of my best friends Dave Rothbloom.

Dave was the biggest Giants fan in the world, one of his many passions.  He was from NJ and I being from Philly would naturally talk sports and bust each others chops about the games and our teams. The Giants are very successful having won several championships while the Eagles fans continue to wallow in futility. He would come to the office after a game and ramble on about "Big Blue" this and "Big Blue" that and I sat there and took it with a big smile on my face. That was 10 years ago and I remember the times we spent together as some of the best times and I treasure his friendship.

Dave passed away in his early 30's while he was out running one snowy morning several years back.  He was a marathoner that would run 50 miles per week and was out on the road constantly. The snow was falling that day and the driver never saw Dave. I got the call that he was hit by a car and in the hospital, thinking he just broke a leg, I just shook my head and then the words came, "Tom, Dave is in really bad shape we don't know if he's going to make it".  Before I could get in the car and go the hospital two hours away, I got the news that Dave was gone. I stood looking out the window in disbelief not knowing what to feel or what to do. I was stunned and I stood there and just sobbed. I cried for Dave and his lovely wife and two young children, and I cried for selfish reasons too, I just lost my best buddy.

What was so ironic, is that he was a fitness and health NUT! He would eat only the healthiest foods. He was considered heavy for marathon racing, so he changed his diet, and dropped 20 pounds to improve his times.   He had a passion for running and would run and train daily. He inspired me and others to start running and to  train and eat better. I'm happy to say that I completed a marathon because of Dave, something I thought I could never do. You know how men are, especially friends, they rarely express their emotions. I never told Dave how much I loved him, how much he meant to me, and how much I miss him.

In honor of my friend Dave, please be careful when running or biking on the road especially in today's world of texting and distracted driving. Better to go to a track or train off road. And more importantly tell everyone in your life how important they are to you and how much you love and appreciate them. You never know when you'll get the chance again.

Dave once said, "Tom if you knew what went into a hot dog, you would never eat it".  In memory of him I have not had a hot dog in over 15 years. As the Giants and Patriots prepare for the superbowl, I think of Dave smiling down from heaven at me and saying "Go Big Blue"

All the Best,

Coach K
Tom Kaufmann

A Love Letter - True Love

Maureen, Reeno, a friend of mine passed on Saturday night, she was much too young at the age of 56. Reeno is a generous, kind, selfless person, and a great lover of children. She taught me

How to be a Lover, to love something bigger than yourself
How to be a Giver, even when you think you don't have much to give
How to be a Server, even when there's nothing in it for you
How to be Kind, to help someone at the moment they need you
How to be Selfless, always putting someone else in front of yourself

Reeno never had children of her own, but every time I talked to her she was raising another child in need. She helped raise over 20 children in her home all with limited means! When I tried to talk about financial matters or put the focus back on her, she always pushed me away. She had more important things to do.

Jimmy her husband and lover for over forty years never questioned her, he learned that her mission and his was to help these kids survive and thrive.  It was several months before we last spoke, she called me last week and we talked. She wasn't feeling well. I told her how much she meant to me, thanked her, and let her how much I loved her. We were planning to get together when I learned of her passing. She passed in Jimmy's arms on Sunday night.

Reeno taught me about unconditional love. She loved me and her other children unconditionally. She was one of those people that would do anything for you. She never had a lot of money, a nice car, or a nice home but Reeno and Jim would always share whatever they had. It always amazed me that they had so little yet gave so much.  Some day I hope to be as rich as Reeno. We all should be as wealthy.

Farewell my Love. And thank you I hope you know how much you mean to me and to so many others.

Tell someone how much you love them today and give them a nice big hug.  In honor of Reeno, please remember to help that child.

All the Best and Continued Success.

Much Love,

Tom Kaufmann
Coach K
http://www.tkaufmanncoaching.com/