As I headed across the Missouri state line on my journey to Detroit, the exits for Joplin, MO caught my attention. In May of last year Joplin was hit by one of the fiercest, deadliest tornadoes in history. Having heard and read the stories of the devastation and of the mindset of the community that this storm would not stop them, I decided to see what was going on in Joplin. When I first headed down the business route of I-40, I was...

“We honor ourselves by living in commitment to our beliefs, values, and behaviors toward those who come into our lives for whatever reason.” For those who didn’t catch the announcement on Facebook, I had a crash on my bike this past Saturday. A car unexpectedly made a right turn just in front of me and I couldn’t stop in time to avoid hitting him. Other than a scare, a scratch on the car, and a little twist to...

“You are never alone. There is always someone in your world looking to share their gifts and looking to discover those that you have to offer.” One of the most incredible realizations along my 100 Pedals journey was the number of people who entered my life during my greatest struggles, offering to help. And, because of the inward facing, self-determined nature of my being I was not able to receive and accept their gifts when they...

“Our ego builds walls to help us survive in troubling times; yet, they also prevent us from accessing what we need the most — the love, strength, wisdom, and experience of others.” In my darkest hours, I came to believe my greatest source of survival was my inner strength and my inner will. In the heat of battle, I called on my internal forces to guide me, sustain me, and push me forward no matter how much I struggled with the...