Word for the Week

Recently, The Greatest Generations Foundation brought a group of WW2 and Vietnam War veterans to the island of Oahu to observe the 80th Anniversary of the Pearl Harbor Attack.

I was fortunate enough to meet these veterans at the Navy Hale Keiki School who has a close relationship with the Foundation. The students welcomed them as heroes and sang patriotic songs in honor of their service.

After the program, these veterans were kind enough to share their stories for this podcast.

War Stories is a collection of conversations with Servicemembers who share the memories that helped define their service. This collection is designed to preserve the legacy of military service, and honor the memory of those who served.

Recently, The Greatest Generations Foundation brought a group of WW2 and Vietnam War veterans to the island of Oahu to observe the 80th Anniversary of the Pearl Harbor Attack.

I was fortunate enough to meet these veterans at the Navy Hale Keiki School who has a close relationship with the Foundation. The students welcomed them as heroes and sang patriotic songs in honor of their service.

After the program, these veterans were kind enough to share their stories for this podcast.

Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Huynh's father fought for the South Vietnamese Army during the Viet Nam War. After the war, he was captured and imprisoned in a communist re-education camp. He was finally released after enduring years of abuse and torture. CSM Huynh's father eventually escaped from Viet Nam, and he took CSM Huynh and several other refugees with him. CSM Huynh shares his incredible story of survival, endurance and pure grit as he made his way to the USA, grew up in a rural Iowa community, and eventually enlisted in the Army.

Cheri Hogrefe is never content with average and loves challenges. She's a wife, a mother of three, and serves as the children's curriculum developer at her church. Cheri enjoys drawing from her passion and experience as a college athlete, physical education teacher and coach not only to write curriculum, but to face the challenges of life.

I grew up with Cheri and learned first hand how much she loves life and those around her. And if there's anything I appreciate as much as her infectious laughter, it's the fact that she's my cousin. You're going to enjoy this conversation as she shares three thoughts that have been on her mind during this current global crisis.

1. Finding purpose is essential
2. Liking who you are makes life easier
3. Mental health is as important as physical health

Jason Forte and I deployed to Iraq together from 2009-2010. I quickly learned how passionate he is about serving Soldiers and their families, and we've been good friends ever since.

I've learned a lot from Jason about intentional leadership and serving others. His example has made a big impact on my life. Recently, I asked Jason to share several of his thoughts regarding the current crisis our nation is facing. One of the big themes he's experiencing has to do with the opportunity he sees to invest in family. Here are those three thoughts. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

1. Devotional time with my own family
2. Reconnecting with extended family
3. Ending the day well with family

There is a fascinating dimension in the mind that has incredible power to determine how we perform—in our professional and in our personal lives. That space is the sweet spot where Dr. Mary Rose Blank loves to operate. Mary Rose (or "M.R." as her clients affectionately call her) is a mental performance coach specializing in sport and performance psychology. Her passion for excellence fuels her work with professional athletes and warriors to optimize their performance. I always enjoy sharing conversations with her exploring the space where mind, body and soul overlaps. In this conversation, M.R. shares her 3 thoughts on the current crisis challenging us today. You can check her out at: www.tier1mindset.com. Here are her "3 thoughts." Enjoy!

1. Perception of the situation
2. Be mindful of our sphere of influence—Controlling what you can control (what you can control, what you can influence, what is outside your control)
3. Work-life balance—pause to recover

You can hear previous conversations with Mary Rose at the following links:

#40: Mental Performance: The Negativity Bias-Pt. 1 [Interview with Dr. Mary Rose Blank]

#41: Mental Performance: The Negativity Bias-Pt. 2 [Interview with MPO, Dr. Mary Rose Blank]

#42: Mental Performance-The Pervasive Magnitude of Gratitude [Interview with MPO, Dr. Mary Rose Blank]

#44: Mental Performance-Active Constructive Responding [Interview with MPO Dr. Mary Rose Blank]

#48: Practicing Compassionate Awareness [Mental Performance with Dr. M.R. Blank]

James Evans founded the Nashville-based nonprofit, Benchmark Adventure Ministries (www.benchmark.org), because of his passion to use outdoor adventure to foster experiential learning.

James designs adventure programs that are specifically tailored for different teams and uses his programs to enhance building teamwork and resilience, and to generate self assessment. I've gotten to know James through his work with the military and have enjoyed seeing him in action. You'll see why in our conversation as he shares his three thoughts on the current crisis. Enjoy!

Here are James's three thoughts:

1. Honestly assess where you're at and take responsibility for it
2. 15 minutes
3. Blame less, be more content

One of the great privileges of serving in the military is getting to know and work alongside others who see the world from different perspectives than my own, while at the same time partnering with them to serve others. I have come to respect and admire John Christian for his passion to help others through his work as a psychologist, and while there are ways we do see the world differently, we share a mutual appreciation for how our professional disciplines intersect for the good of those around us. I've had so many wonderful conversations with John about how faith and psychology intersect for good in people's lives. I'm glad we finally got to record one of those conversations. I hope you enjoy listening to the three thoughts that have been on his mind during this global crisis.

1. We need a struggle to engage
2. Action leads to a change in attitude (behavioral activation)
3. Human beings are meant for connection

Whether talking sports, current events, classic literature or theology, conversations with Jay Outen never disappoint. In this conversation Jay shares three thoughts that have been shaping his perspective as he observes our culture in the current Covid crisis:

1) The control we have in our lives is just an illusion

2) What is my comfort?

3) How can I capitalize on this time?

We also dive into the classics and a little pop culture and discuss Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, the Netflix documentary, "Tiger King," and ESPN's documentary, "The Last Dance."

Here's a song that Jay has been listening to:

https://youtu.be/h-xQDm-KZw8

"Three Thoughts" is a series of podcasts I'm producing to offer fresh perspective in this difficult time, and to offer help and hope for the challenges we are facing. I hope these "3 thoughts" episodes with a range of people from diverse disciplines and backgrounds offers encouragement for you today.

Success by Mixaund | https://mixaund.bandcamp.com; Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com

Chip Satterlee shares three thoughts that have been shaping his perspective over the last few months, and talks about a couple books that have been influencing his mind and heart amidst the Covid-19 crisis.

1. This, too, shall pass—there' a season for everything
2. Use this as an opportunity to grow
3. God is with us...Matthew 1:24