This special episode is from another project I worked on called "Design Your Exceptional Life". The information here is so packed of value that I want to share on this platform. 

In today’s episode, we have Jeffrey Hartman as a guest. We are looking into key components in life; gratitude and discipline. Jeffrey tells us about their work in Honduras and the change they are trying to make. 

Jeffrey is the president and board member of the CareLink foundation, which is a faith-based non-profit organization. CareLink is aimed at helping individuals in third world countries start their businesses, as well as providing free water filters to eliminate illnesses. 

 

Are you a professional geek? (1:55)

• Jeffrey jokingly answers that he is not a geek by nature, but he has been smart enough to know that he needs to surround himself with a lot of smart geeks. 
• He knew, as the owner of a tech company, that he needed to surround himself with a lot of smart people who could control the bits and the bytes, and he could oversee the whole operation. 
• He created a digital forensic firm about 20 years ago. He spent the early years of his career working for a big tech company. 
• Around the year 2000, he decided to start his own digital forensics firm. He sold the company to his business partner around a year ago and has since been in retirement. 

 

How did you get connected with Bob Buford and Halftime? (4:32)

• Jeffrey says Halftime was recommended to him several years ago, and he knew right away that it was a book filled with knowledge. 
• The book describes the first half of your life as the part where you essentially live for profit. 
• The second part of Halftime is about the significance of your life. Jeffrey says he wasn’t ready for that chapter, so he put the book away, and filed it in his brain. 
• When he sold his business, he dusted the book off and has been trying to live by the principles ever since. These principles include using your gifts and refocusing your energy and resources to do something of significance; something that matters. 

 

You’re making a difference with water filter distribution, explain that? (6:38)

• Jeffrey explains that there are two components to their work; the first being microfinance lending. This entails going into third world countries and providing small business loans to individuals who want to start up a small business. 
• The idea around this notion is to provide hard-working individuals with the training and capital to start a small business, allowing them to make a difference in their communities. 
• The second component is distributing free water filters to families in countries like Honduras where water is such a big problem. 
• 29% of children in Honduras suffer from waterborne illnesses, so they provide free water filters to help reduce human suffering and improve the health of the individuals living in these conditions. 

 

Do you find that your past made an impact on your current need to make a change? (10:56)

• Jeffrey says he believes that his past made a big difference. One of the primary drivers in his life is gratitude. 
• He had a good foundation in life. He grew up in a blue-collar home; his parents were poor, but he didn’t know it, which is the way he normally describes it to people. 
• He grew up with a feeling of gratitude, which allowed him to become more successful in the business world. 
• Along with his success and the capital that came from the success, it was also his Christian faith that motivated him to help those who aren’t as blessed as he is.

 

 How do you make gratitude a key part of your life and the way you operate? (12:13)

• Jeffrey says gratitude is not to be taken lightly; you have to believe that it is an essential component of your life and how you live it. 
• Gratitude is the fuel that allows your engine to run, and he has been determined to make it part of his life daily.
• Just as oral hygiene is essential for your overall health, gratitude is essential for your overall mental health.
• He starts every single day by taking 45 minutes to pray, meditate and reflect on the things he has to be grateful for. Regardless of whether he is on vacation, traveling or at home, these 45 minutes have become a ritual. 
• This is the only way to move forward in life with any success and with discipline.

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