My Next Chapter starts Monday with Skinny Souping.

To all former colleagues,

Five years ago, Peter Testa gave me an opportunity that I will always be grateful for. He gave me an opportunity to be entrepreneurial and make meaningful contributions to this organization. We have had some great successes as a company and we have moved on from business that was not successful.  We have all worked with some challenging individuals in this industry, such as chefs and purchasing directors, all that tested our professionalism and character. I can honestly say that I am a better person in business today than I was when I started working here. Every interaction has provided me with an opportunity to learn and grow.

 

Personally and professionally, I have learned a great deal from working at Testa. I have created friendships that will last for many years I hope. I have learned the ins and outs of produce food service distribution. Running an organization with 200+ employees and so many moving parts is not an easy task and Peter Testa works so hard every day to support this organization. His dedication and passion for this business is something you do not see often.

 

I believe that Testa Produce will continue to be a leader in the produce food service distribution business in Chicago. I am confident that our paths will cross again as this industry and city are both very small.  I wish nothing but the best for all the hard-working employees here and value you greatly. Please remember that I am always a big fan and supporter of the blue truck, Greener by nature Greener by choice.

 

Thanks and see you around!
Peter

 

Reactive or Proactive

Good morning,
I hope you are all doing well.  Today the sun is shining and the temperature is going to reach 68 degrees.  The Cubs won 13-5 yesterday and baseball season is in full swing.  Yesterday I went to a cool event at one of my new customer’s places.   They are in my neighborhood and they have had batting cages in their bar/restaurant for 30 plus years.  They recently redid their batting cage and partnered up with Kris Bryant of the Cubs and Redbull.  It was really cool to see the Cubs players out at the event and creating more buzz in the neighborhood at local businesses.

After the event, I was listening to a new book in the car which I read back in College.  I spend a lot of time driving in the car, so I’ve been listening to a lot of books on Audible.  I feel that this is really a good use of my time more than listening to music. The section which I really liked was about being reactive vs proactive.   I think for the longest time the past several years I have been more reactive than productive.  The constant learning is helping me see things in a better light.   I really enjoy learning about things that help people succeed.   Everyone can learn something new every day that will help them be better at interacting with others.    I’m trying to be the best I can be and leave a mark on every day and everybody I interact with.   Are you willing to do the same?

Opening day in Chicago.

Good morning,
As the Cubs get ready to play their first home game at Wrigley today a day after they were supposed too.  today I look out the window and I see the sun shining and the sky is blue.   What a difference a day makes!!!   Yesterday was April 9th and the weather was cold and snowy.    Today is a different day!   You can feel the excitement building in our neighborhood this morning.  I have a lot of new customers in our neighborhood around the ballpark.  Yesterday I visited a lot of them during the afternoon and it was awesome to see how many people were out and enjoying themselves even though the baseball game got rescheduled.  You can not replicate the vibrant atmosphere of our neighborhood anywhere in the city of Chicago.  It’s really a great place to live.  We are constantly asked why we don’t want to move to burbs.  The answer is the energy of our neighborhood is unreal.  Yes its busy during the baseball season, but the hustle and bustle is life.

The players yesterday were out on the field playing in the snow and enjoying the time together.  It looked like it was a nice change of pace for them.  We all need a change of pace in our lives.   Today smile more and don’t let the unexpected plan get in the way of your true happiness.  SMILE!!!!

Spring break is over, back to work!

This morning the kids are back to school and it feels like we are back to reality.    My reality is I need to find more time in my day to do things that are important to me.  Blogging every day might not be possible with everything that is going on with life, but maybe I can find a couple days a week to do it.  Last Thursday night while the kids were staying with my parent in the suburbs.  My wife and I went out to dinner with one of her co-workers and her fiance.  Prior to dinner, we met up at a new restaurant by her office to have some time together.   It’s so important to do that and we need to be better at doing that.   I want to make us a priority again which is very hard when you have two working parents trying to raise small children.  I’m sure a lot of you can relate to this dilemma.

As we were leaving I noticed someone I might a couple times in the past through work and networking event, it was a gentleman that worked in the Chicago Police department, who was on the mayor’s detail.  I quickly told my wife I was going to go talk to him and walked over to him to say hello.  I told him I was with my wife and he joined us for a couple minutes to chat.  It turns out he now runs his own security consulting company.   I told him how I’m getting involved with my kid’s School in regards to safety and security.  I told him I wanted to chat with him about how he could get involved and he said absolutely. We traded contact information and he told me to email him.  Friday I sent him an email and we are having lunch to discuss a couple things this Thursday.   I’m a believer in just going up to people and talking to them.  I believe in taking risks.  I believe that timing is everything.   I’m working on many new things, but most of all I’m excited to give my time to things that make a difference.   I’m making a difference that will bring more value than any business or paycheck.  What are you doing?

Today think about……

Will this pass?

Good morning,
Today I’m sitting here thinking about how my day will be.  I will make my day be filled with positivity.  The past couple days it’s been really hard to be positive because I’ve been tired, overwhelmed with life hurt physically and emotionally.     I really need to remember the saying this too shall pass.   I will get more rest by trying to get to bed earlier.  I will start prioritizing more on what is important in my life currently.   I will start asking for help were I need help from others.   Additionally, I’ve been running so much that I have hurt my foot and I really need to find a different way to release my stress.  I’ve also have been struggling with kind communication with others, especially with loved ones.   The past couple of weeks I haven’t thought about the things that I am grateful for.   I really have been wondering around feeling filled with too much noise and inner monologue that is negative.   I haven’t been as kind and positive as I have been in the past.  I have been slow to move forward and get past things.  I’ve been failing at the things have provided me with the progress that I first made. I feel burnt out.  Since October I have been working on changing a lot of aspects of my life and I feel like I have made a lot of great progress but I still have a lot of work to do.  I need to be better at expressing myself in person.  I can’t just express myself on here or on paper, I need to be better at expressing my feelings in person.  I think we all have something that we can work on to make our lives better.   I’m constantly working on trying to pause and be thoughtful about how I communicate with others.  When my feelings are hurt I struggle with communicating in a productive way.  I really need to work on this aspect of my life not only for myself but to improve all my relationships.   Half the problem is knowing the mistakes you have made and knowing what you need to do.

I’m planning on regaining my positive mindfulness. 

The past two nights I have started to meditate longer which I feel is a good start to create more space for my thoughts and my clarity.

Every morning I will create a list of gratitude to empower me.

I will practice being kind to everyone no matter how they treat me.  Killing them with kindness is a practice that I will make part of my being.

I will not judge people.

I will go back to being dry because I found that the absence of alcohol has provided me with clarity and more calmness.

I will continue avoiding screen time from mobile devices at night.

I will be patient with people of all ages and backgrounds.

I will read books, listen to music and exercise my spirituality through mind and body.

Today is the day I am putting in the work to be better and continue on improving me.

What will you do today? 

Hopefully, at the end of the road, there is some light.

Too much time has passed.

Good morning,

It’s been 11 days since the last time I wrote something. I feel the effects of not being able to share my feelings. It’s like I’ve been keeping them bottled up and I’m almost to at a complete system overload. I know that life is alway so busy, but I really need to find time to do the things that make me better for myself and everyone around me. I have to be honest I feel overwhelmed with everything and I haven’t done a great job in the past week and a half at creating space for me to be mindful. Last night I decided that I needed to regain my clarity. Two weekends ago my kids turned six and had two separate parties and had family staying with us. Then last Monday and Tuesday our son woke up in the middle of the night. Wednesday and Thursday were late nights followed with early mornings. I’m not saying boo who poor me, but maybe it’s time for a vacation from the controlled madness of life. On top of the madness Saturday at 3 am a drunk driver crashed into three cars in front of our building and I got woken up to the noise. I witnessed three people get out of the car, throw liquor bottles in the trunk and make a run for it. I called the police and made sure to speak to the police. This kind of thing scares me that people still don’t do things that are responsible and don’t care about themselves or others. Sunday night was my breaking point. I’m overwhelmed with everything that I have on my plate. Today I’m going to try to unwind my mind and create space. I need to regain my positivity, I need to find my balance today.

I’ve made great strides but I need to do so much better. I need to handle the shit better and control my feelings better. I can’t let my passion and my past control my today!

Look around.

Today we get to go read a book in my daughters class. She is the star of the week and what a special week it’s been. The week of my kids turning six. We celebrate milestones. Everyday should be a celebration in your life. Our days are not given and we should never take them for granted. I try to live my days to their fullest. Sometimes it’s easier than others, but I make a real effort. We hear stories of tragedy and it’s a scary world we live in, but I try not to let fear hold me back in living. Today don’t let fear hold you back. The sun is shining and the sky is blue. Take a deep breath and notice how you are alive. Stop and feel life in you and around you. We go and go and at times we forget to feel and see the beauty of life. Today remember you get to live and experience life. Yes sometimes it’s hard but without hardships their can’t be growth. Flower start off ugly and they become beautiful.

Focus on the positive!

Today I continue to send President Trump tweets. I will not stop until their is some kind of response. Please help. This is for our future as a society.

Celebrating the good!

Today is such a special day. Our loves Lanie and Griffin my twins turn 6. 6 years ago today our kid arrived 11 weeks early. My wife was 29 weeks and 5 day. My daughter spent 11 weeks in the hospital and my son spent 10 weeks in the hospital. We spent every day in the hospital from morning to night being there with our kids. The hardest part was leaving our new borns in a hospital while you go home to bed. We made it through that tough journey because we found the strength and the courage. We also had amazing doctors and nurses throughout the journey. We still keep in touch with our primary nurse that took care of our kids at the hospital. She was our support and was one of the heroes that was there for us in our journey.

Today for my kids birthday present I’m donating to the March of Dimes.

Life is about getting through the toughest times and coming out on the other side and being able to see the beauty. The beauty is my amazing healthy, loving, smart and playful kids.

About March of Dimes:

March of Dimes leads the fight for the health of all moms and babies. We believe that every baby deserves the best possible start. Unfortunately, not all babies get one. We are changing that.

For 80 years, March of Dimes has helped millions of babies survive and thrive. Now we’re building on that legacy to level the playing field for all moms and babies, no matter their age, socio-economic background or demographics. We support moms throughout their pregnancy, even when everything doesn’t go according to plan. We advocate for policies that prioritize their health. We support radical improvements to the care they receive. And we pioneer research to find solutions to the biggest health threats to moms and babies.

What began with President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s personal struggle with polio led to the creation of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, better known as March of Dimes, and ultimately a cure for the disease. With that success behind us, we began to focus on fighting birth defects, premature birth and infant death with innovations like newborn screenings and surfactant therapy; education for medical professionals and the public about best practices; and lifesaving research. We provided comfort and support to families in NICUs and advocated for those who needed us most, moms and babies.

Time!

Good morning,

Today is the last day of February and the weather outside is delightful. Tomorrow our kids turn 6. It’s amazing how time flies so fast. I remember growing up I wanted to be older. Everyone used to tell me don’t wish away your youth. I wish I actually listened. Today I’m actually listening more to people. I’m noticing things that are improving with me daily. I’m letting things go and not holding on to things. These new formed habits in are helping me with my overall being. I’m getting more involved with humanity and being present with things that need more attention in society. I hope my new and improved me continues to make strides. Recently I’ve been hurt. I’ve run so much the past couple weeks I’ve experienced some pain. The past couple of days I’ve taken some time off to recoup and rest. Rest is sometimes important but I’m starting to feel the effects of not working out. Today I will attempt to do something to ease back into it. I’m not going to make excuses. I’m going to make things happen today to feel balanced.

I’m looking forward to the rest of this week. We as a family have a lot to celebrate, I get to celebrate my beautiful children tomorrow. Make time to celebrate the beautiful people in your life.

I’ve continued to send tweets to Donald Trump and I will make sure to do it until something drastic changes. I have made this vow to myself and everyone who reads this.