Being asked to be a speaker for a TED Talk used to be one of my biggest dreams ... it ranked right up there with being on The Ellen Show (just in case you're reading, Ellen, being a TED Talk speaker is definitely second to being on your show ... just sayin'). I say giving a TED Talk used to be one of my biggest dreams because I used to believe that being a public speaker was my calling, my destiny, what I was born to do ... and maybe the real truth behind those words is that I used to believe in myself way more than I do now. People who are asked to be TED Talk speakers have their acts together ... they aren't afraid to stand and speak what's on their hearts in front of the world ... they possess within themselves an ability to inspire, encourage and motivate others to become better people than they were before. That's why my dear friend Nate Phelps was asked to be a TED Talk speaker ... because he is that kind of person.
If you know Nate personally, you know that he was a nervous wreck all week before he took to the stage yesterday in front of the cameras and an audience of 1,500 people. But his big old case of nerves melted right away when he started speaking and he wowed everyone ... I'm pretty sure he stayed calm because I told him to picture everyone in the audience wearing tutus. Seriously ... tutus calm anyone's nerves, and you know it as well as I do. There's another thing those of us who know Nate personally know about him ... he's one of the most humble, down-to-earth guys you'll ever meet. And that's why I laughed until I cried last night when Nate replied to my message telling him what a great job he did at his TED Talk yesterday with, "Yeah ... chicks dig me now."
I've mentioned previously about all the construction that's taking place along the trail where Ollie and I walk ... so much construction, in fact, that a good stretch of the trail has been closed. Normally by the time my little hound and I head out for our evening walk, the construction guys have finished for the day and all we see are the empty excavators, trucks and bulldozers. But last night when we neared the end of the trail, both the workers and the machines were still going strong ... and loud ... boy, oh, boy, were they loud. I'm not sure how long Ollie and I stood there watching the smaller excavator dig and stack the dirt to the side of the hole while the larger excavator perched up top on the edge scooped the dirt into its massive claw-like bucket and carefully placed it into the waiting dump truck. I do know that I was completely fascinated by the process ... actually, what really grabbed my attention most was the teamwork I witnessed among the workers. They worked together flawlessly and carefully to accomplish what seemed to me to be a truly monumental task. Even when the ledge on the opposite side of the area began to tumble down into the pit, the men worked as a team to overcome the unexpected obstacle that came their way.
See, here's the thing ... I've been thinking all day about those workers and those machines and the huge lesson I learned last night. The truth is that sometimes I'm at the bottom of a big old pit with dirt caving in all around me. By myself, I'd never be able to dig my way out ... but with my team of family and friends working together in harmony with the gigantic machines of love and compassion and accountability and understanding and encouragement and support ... go ahead and tell me there's not a gigantic, enormous, overwhelming life lesson there. I think we all need to ponder that one for a while ... we surely, surely do indeed. We should all dig each other, you know ... we should dig deeply when it comes to loving each other ... we should dig deeply when it comes to holding each other accountable ... we should dig deeply when it comes to helping each other.
Think about that one for a while, friends ... think about it for a good long while.
P.S. If you haven't already, click here to visit our Kickstarter page ... watch the trailer, and then make a pledge to help us tell Nate's story. It would be a great way to let him know it's not just the chicks who dig him. :)
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