Living His Passion – Dave Greulich (also known as Santa)

The itch to play Santa is in Dave Greulich’s blood. His chef father played Santa, visiting three families every Christmas for thirty years. Still, Dave didn’t have an interest in transforming into Santa as he began a diverse career that included working as a restaurant consultant, running a BBQ restaurant, and working in Racing Chemistry (testing greyhounds and horses that raced at pari-mutuel tracks) at Iowa State University. But sixteen years ago when Dave was in his early fifties, after a family member suggested that he put his home-grown beard to good use, Dave decided to apply for a Santa job at the local mall. On his first day, Dave didn’t make it from the parking lot to inside the mall before he heard a tiny voice crying, “Santa! Santa!” After turning around, he noticed a girl break away from her father. As he got down on one knee and opened his arms, she ran full speed toward him and melted into his arms. Dave says he knew right then that he would be playing Santa for as long as he was able. “That feeling was unlike anything I can accurately explain,” he adds.

After attending Santa School, Dave first worked in the local mall, and then traveled to Torrance, California, Omaha, Nebraska, Orlando, Florida, and then Redmond, Washington, before finally settling into the title he now holds as Santa Ames. Dave says the best piece of advice he received when he decided to play Santa is that he must believe in himself. “Every Santa knows not to get too wrapped up in themselves or the character,” he states. “After all, I am not Santa. I am a helper; a Santa performer.”

There are many qualities that make up a good Santa. “He must love children and enjoy talking and listening to them,” Dave adds. “He must be real, kind and gentle, humble, smart, and quick with answers.” The children that sit on his lap often bring both amusing and heartbreaking stories with them. One little girl wanted a real Harry Potter wand so she secretly could turn her mother into a pig. Another girl asked for make-up for Christmas. When Dave asked her why, she stated that everyone had told her she was ugly and that she felt make-up would make her more beautiful. Dave said that after he buoyed her spirits and told her she was naturally beautiful, she hugged him tightly and skipped away. It is experiences like that one that remind Dave every day that both children and adults look up to him and that it’s important not to betray that trust.

Photo by Jenn Hoffman Photography

Dave says that Santa imparts many valuable lessons to all ages that include, “Be kind to one another, don’t take things so seriously, it’s better to give than to receive, and it takes so little to make a difference.” No one is too old to visit Santa. Many times, college students stop by and tell Dave it’s a tradition that they have a photo taken with Santa and give it as a gift to their mother. Another time, a couple—ages 102 and 96—brought a group of at least twenty-five family members to witness their visit with him.

Every holiday season, Dave decorates his yard with lights and at least fifteen inflatables, a sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer. A few nights each season, Dave sits in the sleigh and invites everyone to his yard to have their photo taken with him. In return, he asks for a donation for the local food bank. Last year, he donated nearly one thousand pounds of food and several hundred dollars.

This time of year, Santa is very busy. In October, he begins contacting clients in the Des Moines/Ames, Iowa, area, ensures his background checks are completed, his liability insurance is renewed, his suits are clean, and that he has a fresh supply of candy canes on hand. When he is not preparing for a chaotic holiday season, Dave cares for his beloved wife who has ALS.

He advises anyone who wants to pursue their passion in life to “Go for it. Don’t be afraid of setbacks or to ask for advice, help, or for a mentor. Remember, you don’t know everything. No matter how much you have learned over the years or how many years you have done it, there is always someone who knows more and can help you somehow.”

Charles W. Howard once said, “Santa Claus does not enter through the chimney. He enters through the heart.” Every Christmas when Dave dons his red suit, black belt, and boots and gives a hearty “Ho! Ho! Ho!” to girls and boys of all ages, he does just that, helping all of us believe in the miracle of giving.

To book Santa for a future event, visit http://santaames.com/.

Vicky DeCoster is a Certified Life Coach based in Omaha, Nebraska, who specializes in helping her clients both locally and nationwide to move past obstacles, create a plan for happiness, and cross the bridge of transition to find a new and fulfilling direction in life. To read more about her and her practice, visit her at crossthebridgecoaching.com.

Living His Passion - Brad Dickson

Brad Dickson, Comedy Writer

Brad Dickson’s parents would have preferred that he do pretty much anything other than become a comedy writer. But instead, twenty-two-year-old Brad shunned his original dream of heading to law school, packed his common sense and knowledge gained from earning a degree in history from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, and headed for Los Angeles to pursue his dream of performing stand-up.

A year later after performing his original material in Hollywood at the Comedy Store, Brad gave new meaning to the phrase “starving writer” and returned home to Omaha. Not discouraged despite well-meaning Omahans who advised him not to pursue a career writing jokes, Brad worked in telemarketing and sent jokes to Joan Rivers, who to his shock and awe, decided to buy a few. Later, Brad wrote for Rodney Dangerfield and other comedians who paid him $10 to $50 dollars per joke. While Brad kept himself busy writing screenplays that garnered little interest, Jay Leno began hosting for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show on Monday nights. After Brad sent a few jokes to Jay in care of NBC in Burbank, he called Brad to give him his fax number. “I was officially earning a living writing for the first time,” Brad says. “I think I was 29.” A couple of weeks after the Leno call, Brad received a call from an agent who eventually sold his screenplay, “Honeymoon” to Universal Studios. “I am reasonably certain I was the only guy living in Maple Village with a movie deal,” jokes Brad. After seven years of struggle, Brad’s career turned around over the course of a few weeks.

As his life’s journey led him back to Los Angeles for seventeen years, Brad became one of about a dozen writers at The Tonight Show who scanned the news and then cranked out 100+ jokes a day until the show’s taping at 5:00 p.m. Back then, the show garnered approximately six million viewers each night.

Because of his role at The Tonight Show, Brad was lucky enough to see and/or meet nearly every celebrity that appeared on the show, including his favorite comedian, Steve Martin. Brad, who feels very lucky he was able to land a gig in late-night television, compares joke-writing to the Haiku-poetry writing process. “Both are equally challenging,” he jests. Later, Brad would land a columnist gig with the Omaha World-Herald, whose editors found him based on several columns he wrote for The Los Angeles Times. While at the World-Herald, Brad states the most famous person he ever saw was Tom Shatel, who he says is no Robert De Niro. His column at the newspaper involved writing topical material about the news of the day, but from a local perspective. His favorite columns to write were his humorous Q&As with political candidates. Somewhere in between all the jokes and columns, Brad co-write two books with Martha Bolton titled, Maybe Life’s Just Not That Into You (a parody of self-help books) and Race You to the Fountain of Youth (a parody of all the crazy things people do to stay young).

Today Brad is actively blogging at braddicksononline.com where he writes about both humorous and serious topics. The Huskers, their fans, and coach are some of his favorite subjects (he’d love to interview Scott Frost, who is rumored to have a great sense of humor). He has also blogged about playing one last round of golf with his father when he knew he was dying, and a scathing column about Omaha’s snow removal plan, which seems to basically amount to waiting for spring. Brad is also dabbling with writing theatrical plays and is mulling the idea of writing another book. His girlfriend, Michele, reads and enjoys everything he writes—or so she says.

Brad’s favorite part of writing humor is churning out funny-yet-critical material about sanctimonious political figures. Now that he’s no longer working in an office, Brad says he’s looking forward to finally getting the neck tattoo he’s always wanted. He states that today, people are nicer to him than when he lived in his parents’ basement and hitchhiked around Omaha during the pre-serial killer age. “Having a creative outlet has given me a measure of contentment,” he adds. The biggest lesson he has learned in pursuing his passion is persistence pays off.

He advises those desiring to pursue their passion in life to not listen to the so-called experts when they reject you. “There are many, many people in positions of power—supervisors, producers, coaches, and bosses—who don’t know what they are doing. Make sure you’re pursuing something you’re very good at and then ignore the naysayers,” Brad says.

To read Brad’s popular blog (or, if you’re Scott Frost, to inquire about an interview), visit braddicksononline.com.

“I did it again today—I honked at a Student Driver car for absolutely no reason.

My new hobby is really warped.”

—Brad Dickson

Vicky DeCoster is a Certified Life Coach based in Omaha, Nebraska, who specializes in helping her clients both locally and nationwide to move past obstacles, create a plan for happiness, and cross the bridge of transition to find a new and fulfilling direction in life. To read more about her and her practice, visit her at crossthebridgecoaching.com.

Living Her Passion - Loli Pop Dah Clown

Loli Pop Dah Clown

Kathleen Scofield considered herself lucky while growing up in a Christian family and visiting circuses and parades where the clowns were always her favorite. After the family later migrated from Hastings to Bellevue, Nebraska, Kathleen attended school and met her future husband. After marrying Rick, she eventually became a dental assistant and later a team lead while raising three wonderful children. But while attending church one day with her mother, Kathleen had no idea that, at age fifty-four, her somewhat ordinary yet blessed life was about to become extraordinarily fun.

After a fellow church-goer asked Kathleen if she had ever considered attending clown college and becoming a clown, Kathleen doesn’t remember her response, but does recall her mother’s who said, “Why would she need to be a clown? She’s been a clown her whole life and sometimes I think she’s lost her marbles!” Life in Christ Clown College was beginning in two weeks. On a wing and a prayer, Kathleen enrolled and graduated in November 2008 with only one regret. “I should have started clowning long before I did,” she states.

Students at Life in Christ Clown College, founded by a Lutheran minister and a Christian clown, attend classes taught by clown graduates. During the sixteen-week program, Kathleen not only learned how to apply makeup, create balloon animals, paint faces, and perform in hospitals, but also was encouraged to reflect on her life’s journey to find inspiration to write and present a skit for her final project. Once she graduated, Kathleen was invited to join The Life in Christ Circus. Kathleen says the best advice she received when she decided to pursue clowning was, “Never forget clowning begins with your heart. Keep your heart in everything you do, and not just when clowning.”

Today Kathleen, who is now retired from her career, is known as the very popular Loli Pop Dah Clown. She is active in three clown troupes in Omaha, Nebraska, who are called to churches, Christian retreats, senior living centers, daycares, libraries, and various benefits to share giggles, grins, and their big hearts. A typical day includes cleaning and restocking her face paint and glitter tattoo art kits as well as her balloon twisting cart, sending out emails, studying upcoming jobs and associated requests, and of course, attending events.

Preparing for an event takes around an hour now that Loli Pop has years of experience under her belt. After she applies her makeup, she inserts hair bows and earrings, adds a bow tie, suspenders, or humorous badges to her outfit, loads her pockets with fun items to pull out when needed, and dons her BIG clown shoes. Only one time did Loli Pop walk out the door without her red clown nose. Thankfully, she was able to paint her nose on that day, but now always remembers to check twice before leaving for an event.

Children sometimes ask her if she is a real clown. Her answer is always, “Yes, I am. Are you a real girl or boy?” Their indignant responses always tickle Loli Pop, “Yes, I am a real girl or boy!” (as if they are questioning themselves).

The biggest lesson she has learned from being a clown is to walk carefully in her big clown shoes after accidentally falling and injuring her shoulder. She also learned early in clowning that not everyone is a fan of clowns. Loli Pop respects and understands their fears while reminding them that the scary imposters do not have the heart of a clown.

These days, Loli Pop still considers herself blessed, just in different ways than her younger years. This year, she learned to play “Happy Birthday” on her harmonica and will be taking lessons this fall to learn how to play more songs.

Loli Pop advises anyone wanting to pursue their passion in life to get after it. “You’re never too old. Life is too short to waste, so love yourself, love what you do, and be choosy who you spend your precious time with,” she adds.

Sage advice from someone who is confidently and faithfully walking in her BIG clown shoes every day to bring joy and happiness to anyone who believes, just as Groucho Marx did that “Clowns work as well as aspirin, but twice as fast.” 

To book Loli Pop for an event, visit her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/lolipopdahclown/.

Loli Pop Dah Clown loves to provide laughs wherever she goes!

Vicky DeCoster is a Certified Life Coach based in Omaha, Nebraska, who specializes in helping her clients both locally and nationwide to move past obstacles, create a plan for happiness, and cross the bridge of transition to find a new and fulfilling direction in life. To read more about her and her practice, visit her at crossthebridgecoaching.com.

Living Her Passion - Dawn Beckler, Kurinji Gifts

Dawn Beckler and a few of the handmade journals

As a little girl, Dawn Beckler became accustomed to change. While growing up within a military and then missionary family, she lived in many different places that included the Philippines where she spent most of her childhood. While embracing and loving what she never thought of anything but a normal life, Dawn learned to appreciate different people and cultures. After attending college in the United States, marrying her husband, Scott, and teaching second grade for five years, Dawn decided to stay home with her three children without any idea that eventually her life’s journey would lead her in a direction she never imagined.

After Dawn’s brother and his family moved to India to work with an organization that rescues girls from sex trafficking, they formed a friendship with Priya, the general manager of Love Calcutta Arts. Dawn, who became intrigued with Priya’s work with the female victims of sex trafficking, soon fell in love with the beautiful products they were creating that carried a meaningful message of hope. When her brother and sister-in-law presented Dawn with the idea of partnering with Priya, she was excited. Still unsure whether to proceed, Dawn took several weeks to pray, listen, and search within her soul for the answers. In 2018, Dawn took the plunge and began the process of founding the nonprofit, Kurinji Gifts.

Handcrafting one of the beautiful journals

The name was inspired by the Kurinji, a small flower native only to India that blooms en masse once every twelve years. “The flower is a reminder that God truly makes everything beautiful in its time,” says Dawn. The mission of Kurinji Gifts is to enrich the women’s lives by providing a way to sell handmade journals, pocket journals, blankets, and cards that, in turn, provide them with a fresh start, a renewed sense of dignity and worth, and a freedom that otherwise could not have been imagined.

Each daughter of Calcutta carefully crafts the journals by hand using recycled materials. The hand-bound pages are made with reclaimed cotton fabrics and woolen blankets. The journals are covered with three layers of vintage sari material, the traditional garment of Indian women. Included inside each journal is a handwritten note to the recipient, presented in her native language of Bengali. The cards are handmade with layers of recycled paper or sari scraps and accentuated with beadwork. The blankets are hand-stitched with two layers of vintage sari material, embellished with a running kantha stitch. They are reversible, each side unique and beautiful.

Dawn says her biggest support group has been her brother and sister-in-law, whose advice and help has been invaluable, as well as her husband and family. “Their prayers and belief in me have been such an encouragement,” she adds. Her initial challenges were deciding on a name, creating a logo, building the web site, and filling out the paperwork for a 501(c)(3). Now nearly a year later, Dawn says her favorite part of running a nonprofit is knowing that God brought her to this point and gifted her with the blessing of making a real difference in lives. No two days are alike for Dawn these days. In addition to raising her children and running Kurinji Gifts, she also works two days a week as a school receptionist and occasionally substitute teaches.

Cuddle Blanket - Cotton Sari

Throughout the last year, Dawn has learned to trust that she is in the right place at the right time, and thoroughly enjoys helping others understand the mission behind Kurinji Gifts. Dawn has inspiring advice for anyone wanting to pursue their passion in life, “Don’t give up. Don’t believe the naysayers. Choose carefully and wisely who you listen to. Don’t wait to live until something better happens or comes along. Your life is today. Live it!”

For more about Kurinji Gifts and its important mission or to order any of its products, visit https://kurinjigifts.org/.

Vicky DeCoster is a Certified Life Coach based in Omaha, Nebraska, who specializes in helping her clients both locally and nationwide to move past obstacles, create a plan for happiness, and cross the bridge of transition to find a new and fulfilling direction in life. To read more about her and her practice, visit her at crossthebridgecoaching.com.

Living Her Passion – Kim Shaw, Photo Artist

Kim Shaw working on a photo art creation.

Creativity is in Kim Shaw’s blood. Ever since she was a little girl, she has enjoyed taking photographs, drawing, and painting. As she matured and ventured out on her own, she was encouraged to find a career that offered stability and a predictable salary. While married, working in a variety of corporate roles and as a nanny, and raising her daughter, Brianne, Kim began photographing weddings, portraits, and even school photos. As her job as a nanny took her around the world, Kim captured beautiful scenes and landscapes from many of her trips. Later after learning her great-grandfather was a photographer and digging through his vintage images, Kim began contemplating how she could enhance and restore those images and ultimately transform them into artwork. “A photograph is frozen in time,” Kim says, “I want to know what they were going through in their lives at that very moment.”

Everything changed in 2010 when divorce set Kim on a path of healing where she eventually met with a life coach who guided her to explore new mediums that included acrylic painting on photographs. After taking a couple of classes and receiving a gentle push from a friend, Kim began painting—first for family who asked her to paint as gifts and then for a gallery owner who asked her to paint in her gallery “live” on Saturdays. It wasn’t long before her business, PhotoArt by Kim, was founded and she was on her way to pursuing her passion.

Kim’s award-winning artwork.

Kim’s photo painting process begins with an image in any condition. “If it’s not in digital form, I’ll scan it digitally and then print it on canvas,” she adds. “Then I prepare the surface of the canvas with a matte medium and begin painting with acrylic, following either her intuition or the customer’s guidance.” Kim says that most of her commissions are inspired by the clients, as they generally have a vision of what they want. After the painting has dried, each piece is varnished with UVA protective coating.

Kim’s art niche is in gift giving. Her clients possess vintage and classic images from every walk of life—grandpa and his first car; grandma in her twenties, the father a customer never met; a family homestead in the 1950s, and beloved pets. Since 2012, Kim has completed over 50 commissions. Her customers find her at art shows and other events where they enjoy viewing her completed pieces and hearing all the stories surrounding her artwork. “I’ve found that most people want to meet the artist before they invest in artwork,” she adds. Her favorite part of creating art is seeing the reactions of her clients when they see their artwork for the first time. “Usually we cry together because the photo image means so much to them. When they see where I was able to take the photograph, it becomes a healing experience.”

Her parents are her biggest supporters. Her mother, who is in her late seventies, is now taking oil painting classes for the first time in her life. Kim proclaims she has gained complete fulfillment by pursuing her passion. “The joy I have when a client cries over their completed artwork is very spiritual,” she adds. Today Kim keeps busy with a new creative group she has formed and with exploring other mediums like abstract painting. Her advice to anyone wanting to pursue their passion is, “If you love it, then do it! Love is your fuel. Be your own customer first.”

Kim with a happy client.

Angel Haze once said, “True artistic expression lies in conveying emotion.” Kim Shaw offers her customers the inspirational gift of artfully recapturing moments in the lives of their ancestors, their friends, and themselves and providing them with a keepsake that draws emotions to the surface and keeps those moments alive for the next generation to appreciate. Through the pursuit of her artistic passions that provide others with so much happiness, Kim is leaving a legacy that will last long beyond her time here on Earth.

For more about her artwork or to reach out to Kim about a commission piece, visit https://www.facebook.com/photoartbykim/.

Vicky DeCoster is a Certified Life Coach who specializes in helping her clients move past obstacles, create a plan for happiness, and cross the bridge of transition to find a new and fulfilling direction in life. To read more about her and her practice, visit her at crossthebridgecoaching.com.

Who Are You Surrounding Yourself With?

Some people call it a tribe. Others call it a support system or board of directors. No matter what you title it, we all need a trustworthy and loyal group of people surrounding us who unconditionally care for us; listen intently when we share ideas, thoughts, and feelings; keep our secrets; and believe that we can achieve our dreams, even when we are feeling uncertain about our path forward.

So what are some of the main characteristics of a true supporter?

A true supporter has your best interest in mind. This person asks you the right kinds of questions when you are contemplating change in your life. They may ask you honest, introspective questions like, “What are you getting out of this decision?” or “What is going to make you truly happy right now?” They do not think of themselves and what they are going to receive personally from your decision. In short, they are placing your happiness above their own.

A true supporter is not envious of your success. The people in your inner circle should be your biggest cheerleaders. When the rest of the world is booing, they should be rooting you on from the sidelines. A true supporter believes in you, in your talents, and in making the kinds of adjustments in your life that instigate positive change. When everyone else says, “Good luck with that,” a true supporter says, “What can I do to help?” or “Let me make a phone call.” And when you do achieve what you believe to be success, a true supporter is not afraid to let you and everyone they know how great you are.

A true supporter speaks the truth in a gentle, nonconfrontational way. This person knows that deep inside, you want the truth. But you don’t want to receive the truth in a way that is hurtful, brash, or self-serving. You want the truth delivered with a calmness that is encouraging yet honest. This person often speaks the truth while offering other options to consider that do not leave you wanting more, but instead believing that you can still achieve your goals, just in a different way.

A true supporter forgives you for your missteps. A true supporter believes that in forgiving others, they set themselves free. This person forgives you for sometimes speaking from pain, guilt, grief, or anger while reminding you that we are all imperfect. A true supporter releases resentment and replaces it with understanding. This person never holds a grudge and encourages others in your inner circle to follow their lead.

A true supporter helps you see a way forward. When we become immersed in the messiness of daily life, it can sometimes be difficult to see a way out. A true supporter reminds us that tomorrow is a new day filled with fresh opportunities to become better versions of ourselves. This person not only helps you move forward, but also provides support every step of the way, especially when you are feeling afraid, lost, or alone.

Surrounding yourself with a positive, supportive inner circle is the best thing you can do for you. Always remember that you deserve it. And then pay it forward and be that person for someone else. 

“It doesn't matter how many people you meet in your life; you just need the real ones who accept you for who you are and help you become who you should be.” ― Roy T. Bennett

Vicky DeCoster is a Certified Life Coach who specializes in helping her clients move past obstacles, create a plan for happiness, and cross the bridge of transition to find a new and fulfilling direction in life. To read more about her and her practice, visit her at crossthebridgecoaching.com.

Living His Passion - Jason Gilbreath, Reclaimed Enterprises

Jason Gilbreath, Founder and Owner of Reclaimed Enterprises

Jason Gilbreath was living a full life nearly five years ago. He had been working for First National Bank of Omaha for ten years in leadership roles where he was provided tremendous opportunities to learn and challenge himself. While he and his wife, Jenny, raised their four children, Jason served on boards, coached Little League, and spent as much time as possible with family and friends. Still, Jason dreamed of one day opening his own business.

As a home remodeling project led Jason to build a table with reclaimed wood in his garage, he began brainstorming about starting a business that would provide the same kind of wood to others on a larger scale that would positively impact the community by sourcing sustainable materials, performing value-added processing, and ultimately providing high quality reclaimed products. In July 2014 when a bank reorganization led Jason to contemplate a new beginning, he could no longer ignore his long-held dream of starting his own business. And so, Reclaimed Enterprises was born.

Jason said the best piece of advice he received when starting his business was to “Keep moving, fail fast, and find focus.” Through trial and error and several business model transformations, Jason admits that the process of creating and understanding his brand was painful, stressful, and even discouraging at times. He adds, “We just kept moving to find our place. Now we have expertise, focus, good partners, and a business we are proud of. We are getting closer every day to where we want to be.”

Today, Reclaimed Enterprises is focused on facilitating the use of locally reclaimed materials in design and furniture products to reduce blight and divert waste in Omaha and the surrounding area. His past work has included deconstruction projects for establishments like Habitat for Humanity and leaders at Creighton University who asked for his help promoting the reuse of flooring from the original on-campus gymnasium built in 1915. “Most of our early sales were driven by custom designs and builds,” says Jason. “We are now working to expand our sales channels and footprint while continuing to demonstrate our expertise and consistently provide high quality materials and products.”

His support group includes his wife, Jenny, as well as a group of loyal family, friends, partners, vendors, and customers who Jason says help the company grow and become better every day. His favorite part of owning a business is helping others and winning together. His biggest unforeseen challenges have included warranty and employee issues as well as Mother Nature’s unpredictable disposition. Jason candidly describes a typical day as, “Wake up. Try to take care of yourself and your loved ones a bit. Look at short-term items to complete. Sell. Sell. Sell. Take a call. Fix a problem. Get help. Get something done. Do something different. Take a breath. Think about the future. Get some sleep. Repeat.”

The one thing he can do today that he couldn’t a year ago is see a path to long-term success. “It may change,” he adds, “but it is much clearer than it once was.” He has learned many lessons along the way that include asking for help sooner than he thinks he needs it and finding a thought partner he can trust who is beside him through every battle. Through the pursuit of his passion, Jason has gained the sense of accomplishment that comes with building something from nothing that has value to others. Today he is grateful for everything that has come his way, everything he has worked for, and everything that awaits him in his future.

His advice to others who want to pursue their dreams is practical. “Spend time finding those who value your passion before you pursue it. Those people may include customers, partners, vendors, employees, friends, family, and trusted advisers. If you build it, they won’t always come, so find out where they are and what they want from you. Then go and build that.”

Mother Teresa once said, “I only feel angry when I see waste. When I see people throwing away things we could use.” Through his eyes and a creative vision, Jason saw a way to take the Earth’s waste and transform it into beautiful pieces that help keep our land pristine for future generations. Through his impact, Jason Gilbreath is making a difference, one piece of wood at a time.

For more information on Jason and Reclaimed Enterprises, visit http://www.reclaimedenterprises.com/.

Vicky DeCoster is a Certified Life Coach who specializes in helping her clients move past obstacles, create a plan for happiness, and cross the bridge of transition to find a new and fulfilling direction in life. To read more about her and her practice, visit her at crossthebridgecoaching.com.

What We Can All Learn from a Lifelong Adventurer

I first met Dr. John Davis in 2001 when I was assigned to write a feature story about him and his siblings after they traveled across Nebraska on a tour that had been on their family’s bucket list for many years. John and his brother, Herb, wanted to take their sister, Petie, a long-time Boston resident, back to their family ranch in Cody, Nebraska, while also touring the rest of the Sand Hills. As I profiled John and his siblings, I soon learned he was the author of Too Tough to Die, a fictional account of life in a small town in the Nebraska Sand Hills, inspired by the town of Cody. John and I had a love of writing in common—and as it turned out, we were more alike than not in many more ways.

After the article was published in the Omaha newspaper, John offered to take me to lunch to thank me. I was thrilled to meet him in person. By the time our paths crossed, he was in his late seventies and I was in my late thirties. As we conversed over lunch, I learned that John graduated from Yale, served in the Navy as a captain of a ship during World War II, practiced general surgery for years with his father, and owned a golf course/tennis center. He was madly in love with his wife of fifty-plus years, and adored his children and grandchildren. He was an avid horseman, golfer, tennis player, painter, and hunter. But more than that, John was an adventurer. We were kindred spirits.

As our friendship developed, John and I stayed in contact through emails, a letter every year on my birthday, and an annual lunch. When his brother (and best friend) passed away, John told me how much he missed him. When his beloved wife died, he grieved once again. After he eventually found love with another wonderful woman, he proudly introduced her to me. As we grew to become close friends, we exchanged lively stories of our adventures. I told him of the time I backpacked down the side of a mountain in a blizzard, helped rescue a man who collapsed on a Minnesota trail, and bravely confronted my fears of grizzly bears while hiking in Montana. As he aged, he continued to ride horses, hunt, and golf. He often delighted in proudly announcing, “I’m the oldest person on the golf course!” In Nebraska, John looked forward to hunting season as much as he did when he was a boy. While wintering at his home in California, John loved four-wheeling in his Hummer. One day a few years ago, I received a letter from John confessing a terrible mistake. He and three friends had gone four-wheeling in his Hummer in the desert. After a wrong turn led John, who was by now in his early 90s, to realize they were lost, he and his friends huddled together on the cold desert floor all night in an effort to keep warm. When the sun rose, a rescue helicopter arrived to save the group. Finally after much persuasion, he reluctantly agreed to trade in the Hummer for a more practical mode of transportation. Still, he golfed and joyfully reminisced about his past adventures whenever he had the chance.

This year, I didn’t receive a letter on my birthday. I began having a nagging feeling that something was wrong. Just a few days after Thanksgiving, I learned John had died at the age of ninety-six. He left behind his sister, Petie, his second wife, Marlene, seven grandchildren, fourteen great-grandchildren, and of course, many friends just like me.

John was many things: a loyal friend; a talented horseman, hunter, and writer; a loving husband, father, and grandfather; and the kind of surgeon who, when holding the scalpel, treated every one of his patients like he would a member of his own family. But John was also an adventurer who lived life. He welcomed opportunities to meet new people, step outside his comfort zone, and grow personally—even well into his nineties.

I know Dr. John Davis would be thrilled that I am profiling him once again. But he would be even more thrilled if he knew this profile had somehow encouraged each one of you to pursue adventure, to live life with gusto, and to love each other like there is no tomorrow.

As you look forward into a new year, take John’s enthusiasm for life and pass it on to everyone you come in contact with on a daily basis as well as your children, family, and friends. Age well. Embrace adventure. Pursue your dreams. Climb a mountain. Go four-wheeling. Golf until they have to carry you off the course. Be a good person. Because I promise that when the end comes, none of us will ever regret a life well lived.

Vicky DeCoster is a Certified Life Coach who specializes in helping her clients move past obstacles, create a plan for happiness, and cross the bridge of transition to find a new and fulfilling direction in life. To read more about her and her practice, visit her at crossthebridgecoaching.com.

Living Her Passion – Allison Borji

Allison Borji has always considered herself a “creative.” Despite a challenging childhood that sadly included the traumatic loss of her father to suicide when she was just five and her own battle with severe depression, Allison always had a pen in hand and, as a self-professed hopeless romantic, loved writing poetry. After graduating magna cum laude from college with a degree in history, marrying her college sweetheart, and moving around the country as a military spouse, Allison began searching for a hobby that would help her become more reliant on herself and her abilities as she stepped outside her comfort zone.

By researching various types of art techniques and materials that appealed to her, Allison discovered she had a knack for combining colors to create beautiful artwork. As she began painting on a regular basis, Allison quickly realized the therapeutic benefits of creating art. The way the paint swirled and the ink spread on the canvas helped take her mind to a quiet place. After thoroughly studying a variety of mediums, Allison finally settled on fluid acrylic, watercolors, and alcohol inks.

When she begins painting, Allison rarely has a vision in mind of what she wants to create. Instead, she chooses a color palette that reflects her mood or the seasons and guides her to start the process creating abstract art. After reminding herself to let go of control, Allison lets her medium do the deciding. “That helps take the stress out of deciding what to paint,” she adds. Once she creates a piece, she lets it sit overnight and comes back to it after a day or two. Allison finds that extremely useful in helping her create art pieces that she loves. After about a week of assessing the piece, she adds varnish to ensure its longevity and vibrancy. Because of a harsh inner-critic she is always attempting to tame, Allison generally places one out of five pieces on her Etsy site to sell.

An Allison Borji original

When Allison decided to open a shop on Etsy, she received heartfelt advice to “just do it.” Additionally, she was encouraged to take things at her own pace. “I knew if I opened a shop, I would feel pressure to consistently create more art. I have to remind myself daily that I am doing this because I love it, not because I have to,” says Allison. When a customer purchases a piece because they are going through the same emotional challenges as Allison, she is thrilled that her art is supporting their healing process. Her challenges have included learning how to photograph her art and size it properly to fit Etsy’s standards. “The way I see colors and the sheen on a canvas can greatly affect the photo,” Allison states. Another challenge she has battled is turning down commission work. “Learning to say no to commissions is essential to maintaining my love for making art. Because my whole philosophy revolves around ‘therapy through art’, the pressure and deadlines that come with commission work takes away the love I have for the art process,” adds Allison.

Supported by her family, friends, co-workers, and most of all, her husband Omar, Allison has come to realize that it is a gift to have found a passion that helps heal her soul, bring her peace of mind, and help others realize they are not alone. Today, she is better at motivating herself to take risks, growing comfortable with her identity, and becoming bolder in her decision making. Although each year comes with its own set of obstacles, she is learning how to breathe through them, finding humor in many situations, and adapting easier to change. “I am comfortable calling myself a different person than I was ten years ago,” Allison says, “Creating art has provided me a haven and coping mechanism that allows me to reduce the stigma of mental illness while providing hope to anyone battling personal challenges.”

Allison advises anyone ready to pursue their passion to just do it and don’t look back. “Stay true to yourself. Go with your instincts. Life is fragile and short. We can often get too caught up in what we need to do. Find your passion and make time for it. Life is hard, embracing your passion will only help make it more enjoyable and fulfilling.”

Henri Matisse once said, “Creativity takes courage.” Every day that Allison Borji steps into her art studio and lets inspiration take control, she is proving to herself—and all her customers—that anything is possible if we just trust in the process and believe we can.

An Allison Borji original

To view and/or purchase Allison’s artwork, visit her shop “Ink & Bear It: Abstract Artworks by Allison Borji” at www.etsy.com/shop/inkandbearit.

A Look Back at 2018: Why the Failures Are Just as Important as the Wins

Photo by Jean Gerber

Although December is generally a very busy month for the majority of us, it is also a great time to step away from the holiday parties, shopping, and buffet table to reflect on everything—the good, bad, and ugly—about the past year. Unfortunately, we often avoid reflecting on the bad and the ugly because, quite frankly, it stings and reminds us of things we’d rather forget.

In a 2018 blog profile, one of my interviewees stated that when she was considering opening her own business, she decided to study businesses that failed. When asked why, she added that she felt it was important to learn why businesses closed their doors, not just why they succeeded. Today her business is thriving because she took the time to face her fears, explore all options, and learn.

Failures are equally as important as successes in teaching life lessons.

Although we’d rather not think or talk about our failures in life, it is valuable to our personal growth to ask ourselves questions at the end of each year that prompt self-reflection and provide an opportunity to learn more about ourselves, what we want, and how we can move forward and transform a negative experience into a positive one.

For example, on September 20, 2018, the Cleveland Browns beat the New York Jets for their first win since December 24, 2016. In less than two years, they managed to turn a series of heartbreaking losses into an unyielding determination to prove their critics wrong.

Lessons extracted from failures can be transformed into positive energy
that fuels the achievement of future goals.

In job interviews, hiring manager sometimes ask candidates to discuss a time when they failed. It can be an agonizing moment in the interview for candidates. After all, we are trained in life to focus only on our successes. But the hiring manager has a reason behind the question. He/she wants to know if you are willing to take risks and, more importantly, if you are willing to learn from your mistakes.

 Failure provides an opportunity to learn from mistakes.

So when thinking about what you have achieved and not achieved in the last year, it is important to ask yourself a well-rounded set of questions that not only explore your wins and losses, but also help you find a direction forward:

What have I accomplished this year that I am most proud of?

What have I done that I wish I could take back?

What is the one constructive criticism I would like to work on and why?

Who in my life is holding me back from pursuing my dreams?

What is the one thing I wish I could have achieved this year that I didn’t?

How committed am I to learning from my mistakes? (Very, not so much, not at all)

How willing am I to take a risk in the next year? (Very, not so much, not at all)

What does failure mean to me?

What does success mean to me?

Once you have formulated and reviewed your answers to all of these questions, take some time to reflect. If you failed, why? Were you committed to your goals? Did someone stand in your way (or did you stand in your own way)? What are three lessons you learned from each failure?

 Reflecting on an entire year can be enlightening in many ways. Although it is scary at first, it is an important step in growing as a person, stepping outside your comfort zone, and learning lessons that you can carry forward into the future to better yourself and the world around you.

Vicky DeCoster is a Certified Life Coach who specializes in helping her clients move past obstacles, create a plan for happiness, and cross the bridge of transition to find a new and fulfilling direction in life. To read more about her and her practice, visit her at crossthebridgecoaching.com.