Podcast
Coach Mahr - Godspeed and Guideposts for Your Journey
Hosted by Bob Mahr · EN
Coach Mahr here serving as God’s Huckleberry to provide some inspiration and guideposts along our journey from where we are to where we need to be. This podcast will share his 4 decades of life experiences as a business leader, multi-faceted sports coach, community volunteer, and father with his faith to share insights gained, lessons learned to demonstrate where God’s prominence is interwoven through everyday life.
This podcast will use winsome anecdotes and imagery to create “stickiness,” while meeting people where they are in life, inspire them to reflect on their situation and discern where they need to be. Coach recognizes he is in his "Final 1/3," so his emphasis is on building up others and fostering ‘eulogy virtues’ as opposed to ‘resume virtues;’ a focus on being and not just doing; and understanding it is a privilege to serve our neighbors.
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Peace
Jan 1400:08:32Tap to summarizeEvery year, the phrase, “Peace on Earth, good will toward men” shows up again and again on Christmas cards, banners, and in songs. Tt comes straight from Luke’s Gospel where the angels announce the birth of Jesus to shepherds in a dark field. But here’s the honest question, were the angels wrong?Why does the world still feel so loud? So divided? So anxious? We’ve got more technology than ever; more wealth than ever; and more comfort than most humans in history. And yet, peace feels scarce.When we hear “peace on earth,” we usually think big picture. No more wars; no more injustice; no more political division; and no more unrest. It’s the classic answer — “I want world peace.” The hard truth is: we are unlikely to see global peace. Why? Because by nature, we’re at war. Not just with each other, but with ourselves. And instead of addressing it from that point of view, we try shortcuts. We turn to pharmacology to numb it. Or technology to distract ourselves from it. But peace doesn’t come from escaping today’s world or discomfort. If your peace depends on everything going right, that’s not peace - that’s control.We keep looking for peace where it cannot live. Peace is not the absence of chaos. Peace is the presence of something deeper. Peace can exist in noise and chaos. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” The sun rises to displace darkness. Yet it doesn’t happen in an instant like throwing a light switch. It rises slowly. And darkness retreats. Infusing our world with peace is a similar process. Too many of us want to be able to just flip the switch.Jesus knew what was coming - betrayal, suffering, death - and yet still said: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” The Hebrew word He used, shalom, means more than calm. It means wholeness, restoration, and being put back together.Peace isn’t something you wish for. Robert Fulghum said it best: “Peace is something you make, something you do, something you are, something you give away.” We cannot give what we do not have. We cannot bring peace to the world if we ourselves are not peaceful. We cannot ‘do’ peace unless we are ‘at peace’. Take time to find peace, it is something we all long for, but rarely take the time and effort to obtain and grant.
Transcribe →Preparation
Dec 1000:11:52Tap to summarizePreparation is monumental. They say that “Proper preparation prevents poor performance.” Whether it is a sporting event, the workweek, or something as simple as weekend yardwork or household chores, we will not perform at a high level if we don’t go in prepared. The ratio of time that go into preparation as opposed to performance is staggering.Think about landing a plane under emergency circumstances in the Hudson River. Years of preparation for minutes of action. Think about high school football where the next season starts immediately after the previous season with months of effort is invested for two hours on a Friday night. Think about Jesus. Jesus spent his youth studying the scriptures of the Old Testament; then during his ministry he spent hours in prayer and 40 days in the wilderness all in preparation for his calling.The season between Thanksgiving and Christmas is Advent, the purpose of this season is preparation. It is a period of spiritual preparation for the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. It is also preparing for Christ’s return. Advent is a season of prayer, fasting, and repentance, followed by anticipation and joy. The word advent comes from the Latin term adventus meaning "coming," particularly the coming of something having great importance. Advent is asking us to create that favorable environment for Jesus to enter and operate in our lives as well as remove distraction so we can hear Him.We hear about the overnight sensations that come out of nowhere. Reality is, that rarely happens. There are years of work, practice, patience, growth, and persistence that define preparation. An overnight success that takes years to occur is about preparation. Ray Kroc of McDonalds fame said, “I was an overnight success all right, but 30 years is a long, long night.” Starbucks had been in business for decades before it leapt onto the national scene. Louis Pasteur, a French microbiologist and chemist who is best known for discovering pasteurization, fermentation, and vaccination said it best, “Chance favors the prepared mind." The better prepared and more knowledgeable we are, the more likely we are to take advantage of any chance opportunities or observations. A mindset of preparedness starts with continuous learning and curiosity. A great example is Alexander Fleming; he saw a bit of mold in one of his bacteria-laden petri dishes. He noticed that all around the mold there were no bacteria. He could have shrugged it off or worse, blamed the mold for contaminating his petri dishes. However, as he stated in his Nobel Speech in 1945: “... that penicillin started as a chance observation. My only merit is that I did not neglect the observation.”Our position at the very moment action starts can be critical, it matters. The instant it takes to lean forward or get in an athletic position could be the difference between success and failure in a fast-paced environment. A lot of life happens in the blink of an eye. These stances are also called ‘ready positions,’ the starting points for life’s movements and the ability to change direction or adapt. They require discipline and they must be intentional as they just don’t happen naturally. As Christian soldiers and competitors, we need to lean forward in our foxholes and be in an athletic position. Be ready to act on God's plan. Leaning forward is being prepared in our heart to share time, talent, and treasure as needed. It a very appropriate command for each of us as we live our daily lives. Lean forward and be prepared to engage apathy, injustice, hopelessness, hostility, envy, or whatever is challenging our spiritual walk. Lean forward and live our lives in readiness. An outcome of this readiness is peace and with peace, comes joyPreparation is significant. We cannot just wing it and risk performing poorly. Something having great importance is coming.
Transcribe →Being Thankful
Nov 700:13:22Tap to summarizeWe’ve been taught since we were old enough to talk, the importance of saying “thank you.” We teach our children from the time they could put a crayon to paper, the importance of a thank you note. There are times when saying or writing “thanks”, although important, isn’t enough. Being thankful by “doing” thanks is needed and essential. Let thanks be always on our lips and, more importantly, in our deeds. Being thankful by doing thanks is the best way of giving thanks.We can say thanks to those who help us, and we can also pay it forward by helping others. If we have good health, we can use that health to help someone who has failing health. If we are good with children, we can offer to babysit for a frazzled parent or coach a youth sports team. If we are blessed with a little extra time, we can welcome home our returning military at the airport and thank them for their service. If we have a good education, we can tutor a struggling student. If we have life experiences that we learned the hard way, we can share those experiences with others to help them on their paths. Are we looking for blessings to come into our life or are we looking to be a blessing in someone else's life? Nelson Mandela noted: “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” The concept of ‘Pay it Forward’ embodies the principle - be a blessing. It is responding to a person's kindness by being kind to someone else. Paying it forward and being blessings are forms of doing thanks. We control the choice to be a blessing to those we meet and be someone else's aide, support, encouragement, luck or godsend. CS Lewis said, “Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.” Remember the question is not “who is my neighbor?” but “who can I be neighbor to?”Doing Thanks and Being a Blessing can be as simple as showing Gratitude. Gratitude is not a feeling or an act; it needs to be a virtue and an attitude. It is a thankfulness for what we “have” as opposed to looking at what we “don’t have?” God gave us what we need to live the life He has in mind for us. Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough. It can turn chaos into order, confusion into clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Giving thanks is not only good, polite and a thoughtful gesture; giving thanks is necessary. We begin Mass by saying “It is right and just” to give God thanks. The priest continues by saying: “It is our duty and salvation always and everywhere to give you thanks.” Our duty and our salvation! We proclaim this every week, but do we mean it?Gratitude is a driving force for a life of service. Let me serve God by serving others; let me give what I have received. If we are thankful for what God has given us and for the blessings in our lives, we leave behind being wantful and become powerful.Let’s not allow Thanksgiving to be a once-a-year event but rather the beginning or refreshing of a daily ritual to be aware of who God made us to be and His gifts we were given. Thanksgiving is intentional, not accidental. Establish a deliberate set of thoughts and actions to recognize our gifts. He gave us our gifts to be used inside of His unique plan for our lives. Start recognizing the gifts we have been given and the meaning for them. Maybe to us it’s not a glamorous job, but to Him it is everything. This season of Thanksgiving is an appropriate time to reflect on our lives as people of faith, and ask ourselves, “What are the ways in which we can be thankful?” Not only by giving and saying thanks, but in living out what we believe as Christians.
Transcribe →Being Not Doing
Oct 2200:12:50Tap to summarizeAre we more about “what we do” than “who we are”? The world likes to define who we are by what we do and accomplish, which is totally backwards. What we do should flow from who we are. While Doing and Being are related, it is the order they come in that is critical. If we define ourselves by what we have done (achievements, accomplishments) then we place our value (self-worth) in the hands of others. Consider defining our self-worth as a being made in God’s image.The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector found in Chapter 18 of Luke’s gospel, clearly shows the link between doing and being. The Pharisee was all about what he did – tithing, fasting while the Tax Collector knew his being – he was a sinner in need of God’s mercy. There is also the story of Martha and Mary, again found in Luke’s Gospel. Martha is all about doing – all the acts of hospitality. While Mary is simply about being at the feet of Jesus. Jesus notes that Mary chose the better part. While Doing and Being are related, it is the order they come in that is critical. In this instance there was more value in being present with Jesus than a focus on doing.This struggle between being and doing starts early and is often innocently encouraged. Schools focus on preparing us for our life’s work, our doing, not what we could become. We inspire their dreams which are all great dreams, but they are all related to doing and accomplishments, not being. We ask our children what they want to do when they grow up - be a veterinarian, banker, professional athlete, etc. Although we may phrase it as “what do you want to be” we are asking for the title of what the doing is based on. Those dreams tell us nothing about who our children are, or want to be, inside.In Paul’s letter to the Galatians (5:22-23) he talks about the fruit of the Spirit - “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” When do we ever embrace or applaud these inner qualities of others? They don’t seem to fit within the world of competitive sports or business.Being well is an evaluation against our true north or purpose, not necessarily scoring the merits of our actions. Doing good and being well must work hand in hand. In sports, Lance Armstrong and Barry Bonds were driven to do great things, yet their actions were less than ethical. Businesses want to be well through investing in social impact, sustainability, and philanthropy. They would fund a thousand buzzwordy programs rather than fundamentally alter their own behavior. What you and I do feeds what we become. The focus moves from doing to being. Here is where our doing feeds our being. Community is not an option we choose to participate in, like a club or group, it is not a DOING. Community is a fundamental aspect of our being. One of the great joys in life is being part of a community.One of the tragedies of Alzheimer is that it not only strips away what we are capable of doing but ultimately impacts our being. It is not the loss of doing that creates sadness as age and other infirmities can do that too. It is the loss of being that makes this illness despicable.It will be our being and not our doing that matters most. Being versus doing; distinguishing between them and their order will make all the difference in the lives we live. We also need to go the additional step and take time to know the ‘beings’ around us and not just focus on what they do. Let’s answer His call, let’s leave a legacy and BE a difference in His Kingdom. Rejoice and Godspeed.
Transcribe →Leave a Legacy
Oct 200:15:41Tap to summarizeOrdinary things, days, events, people, etc., without something noteworthy tied to them will fade from memory and become part of the blur. What can’t be remembered is forgotten. What is forgotten never gets deposited into our memory banks. What doesn’t get deposited is that which does not strike a chord.Extraordinary things are another story. There is no generic definition of extraordinary, noteworthy or ‘big’ does not guarantee something being memorable. But one thing is for certain – to qualify it must strike a chord. Anything that strikes a chord will be remembered longer than usual. If it really strikes a chord, it can remember it forever. It is striking a chord that creates the legacy.My analogy of leaving a legacy is like the wake behind a boat. The wake that is left behind a boat exists because of the water being moved by the boat, actually the term is displaced. The wake (i.e. legacy) is there as a result of the boat (i.e. event, ourselves) moving or displacing the water around it (i.e. others). Consider the wake left behind an aircraft carrier – a lot of displacement occurs behind the huge ship which creates a huge wake and a significant trail. We all have people in our lives who are like an aircraft carrier and leave a longer lasting legacy. It is important to note that success is not the standard for leaving a legacy; significance is. Success is when results exceed expectations, but who sets those expectations (others – coaches, bosses, Wall Street, etc.) and often uncontrollable factors significantly influence results as well as performance. Success is wonderful but significance is even better. As individuals we were created and put here to make a difference, contribute and leave a mark on the people around us, and move His kingdom forward. We are not defined by someone else’s scorecard. The ‘coin of mattering’ is the currency that values how we have existed and spent time on earth. Mattering is investing in what we profess to care about, what we love, and what we value. It is the essence of what it means to be human, the true purpose and reason for what we do. It is an investment of time, energy, attention, and passion in relationships; all components of a life well lived. The capacity to dream, wonder, imagine, create, build, transform, better, and love. It is a responsibility to live a life that matters. Not just for the sake of our own self-gratification, but for the enduring obligation of fulfilling the privilege of life and serving those around us.The greatest asset on the mattering ledger is love; one person caring for another. Thomas Merton said, “Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone - we find it with another.” Knowing this and living it are not the same. To matter, it cannot be a mere passing idyllic infatuation or fascination, but must be an enduring, intense passion. A life that matters can demand a lot. Breakthrough after heartache, accomplishment and jubilation over the anguish, a more difficult journey with a truer north. We have been given the opportunity to love and serve those around us and to do it with excellence for His glory. We have been given the means and opportunity to matter. It means everything to have loved in our humanity through God’s grace. Our legacy is not how many footprints we leave. It's how long they last.
Transcribe →Toothpaste
Sep 1100:18:36Tap to summarize"If you squeeze a tube of toothpaste, what comes out?” Many times, I stood in front of high school and college students and asked that very question. After some quizzical looks, I hear mumbled answers, “toothpaste.” I next ask “Why?” “Because you squeezed the tube and that is what was put there in the first place.”This is one of my better character lessons. Goes back to high school. It has stickiness because of Its imagery. It is all about preparation.When you find yourself in a pressure-packed situation and life squeezes you, what will come out? Whatever you have put in. If you have prepared properly, you will see positive results. If you have put in faith, character, morals, principles; then when you get squeezed, good decisions will come out. A wrong choice made in the heat of the moment is a result of lack of preparation, lack of conditioning or lack of putting quality toothpaste in the tube.On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 suffered a bird strike immediately after takeoff that annihilated both engines requiring an emergency landing on the Hudson River in New York City. Captain Chelsey “Sully” Sullenberger expertly piloted the plane to a safe landing saving all 155 people on board. He was quoted, “I’ve been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience, education, and training. And on January 15 the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal.” He had been putting toothpaste in the tube all those years. Armies at the time of King David had 3 kinds of warriors - cavalry on horseback; infantry with swords and spears; and what we would today call artillery: archers and ‘slingers.’ Slingers had a leather pouch attached on two sides by a long strand of rope. They would put a rock or lead ball into the pouch, swing it around in increasingly wider and faster circles, and then release one end of the rope, hurling the rock. In the Old Testament (Judges 20:16), slingers are described as accurate within a hair’s breadth. An experienced slinger could kill or seriously injure a target up to two hundred yards away. While protecting the sheep, David as a shepherd boy perfected his skills by practicing day after day. When his moment came against Goliath he had plenty of toothpaste in his tube.Putting toothpaste in the tube is a form of intentional mental conditioning. Just like running and lifting is intentional physical conditioning, you can condition yourself in this area. The more you practice the better you become. However, the opposite also holds true. If you allow your mind to relax too much and get lazy and not take ownership, then it becomes more commonplace to just go through life letting circumstances control you, whether you recognize this lack of control or not. If we don’t, what fills the void can be the negative influences of today’s world. We need to prepare to meet any challenge. Be putting the right toothpaste in the tube. Be able to step up and answer your ‘Goliath call.’ Make enough daily deposits to cover an unexpected withdrawal.Our moral alignment reflects what we have internalized, what we have decided is our core essence, what are our values and principles, what we have put in our tube.Let’s answer His call and be a neighbor to those in need, let’s leave a legacy and make a difference in His Kingdom. Rejoice and Godspeed.
Transcribe →Who Is My Neighbor?
Aug 2000:10:27Tap to summarizeIf you are asking who is my neighbor, you are asking the wrong question.In the Good Samaritan parable, Jesus never directly answers the question, who is my neighbor. Instead, he turns it around by asking “who was neighbor to the beaten man.” We should not be worried about who is our neighbor, but who we can be neighbor to.The emphasis that Jesus places is not about knowing one’s neighbor, but about being a neighbor and providing as a neighbor. The question isn’t “Who are they?” but “Who are we?”Jesus extended the concept of "neighbor" to the outsider, the enemy, and the persecutor. Beyond just physical proximity. A neighbor is anyone who has a need that we can help meet. Anyone with whom we can share God’s love. Not only those who are similar to us or with whom we are comfortable, but all whom God places in our journey. In reality, who isn’t our neighbor? The concept that we love our family and then we love our neighbor, and then we love our community, and then we love our fellow citizens, and then after that, prioritize the rest of the world is not the Christian way. Jesus invited us into a different world altogether. A world where love moves freely, without hierarchy or a series of concentric circles. Where borders have been removed. We belong to each other with full acceptance as the rule. We need each other. We depend on each other. We affect each other. The early church survived in part because it was a loving community. Christianity was a response to the chaos, fear, and misery of life in the urban Greco-Roman world. The church provided a new kind of social relationship making life more tolerable. To the homeless and impoverished, it offered charity as well as hope; for newcomers and strangers, it offered an immediate basis for attachment; to those affected by epidemics, fire, and earthquakes, it offered comfort and care; for orphans and widows, it provided a sense of family and safety. I Am Third represents the basis for every faithful life: “God is first, others are second, and I am third.” Others are our neighbors. The defining elements of our lives is the two-fold commandment of love, God and neighbor. By placing ourselves third, we have things in the right order and are living a life that will bring the greatest good to others, and unexpectedly, to ourselves. The intended connection between God, others, and us is not a zero-sum relationship. It is a dynamic in which God wins, others win, and we win. St. Thomas Aquinas first suggested that love is a choice to will the good of the other. Willing the good of the other captures the selflessness that should always be understood when we speak of love. Living love is an action to will the good of our neighbor. To love neighbor as self means seeing the outcome of their good as fundamental to our sharing in the good. My last concept on this subject is enlightened self-interest, a philosophy in ethics which states that people who act to further the interests of others ultimately serve their own self-interest. The Bible constantly encourages us to look with enlightened self-interest. Enlightened self-interest is a bottom-up concept - "We the people” are the ones striving for a more perfect union. The well-being of society is a result of the choices and actions of mankind being a neighbor. If we find ourselves asking, "Who is my neighbor?", we already missed the point. We should be inspired to cross the road for our neighbor. We were created by divine compassion and also for divine compassion. We need to live each day with love for each of our neighbors. Love the best we can today, then get up tomorrow and do it again. We’ve been blessed—now we must not begrudge that same blessing to others.Let’s answer His call and be a neighbor to those in need, let’s leave a legacy and make a difference in His Kingdom. Rejoice and Godspeed.
Transcribe →The Paint in the Can Needs to be Applied
Jul 10, 202500:10:04Tap to summarizeWhat good does paint do in the can? It was created to be used; to provide color, to seal, to cover up scuff marks, to create art and express ourselves. “The paint in the can needs to be applied.” We can be averse to taking action. Some of us fall victim to ‘paralysis by analysis.’ Maybe the fear of being wrong impedes us. Maybe we feel that we would not apply the paint properly. We need to act even if we don’t know everything we should or feel as if we aren’t completely prepared.I also use the analogy about chocolate milk. Just pouring chocolate syrup into milk does not give you chocolate milk. It needs to be activated, energized, stirred up.Too many times we hesitate to act or decide, because we want there to be more information, training, or a guaranteed outcome. If we act 80% of the time while spending 20% of our time analyzing options and are only correct half the time, that is a 40% success rate (80% x 50%). Whereas, if we spend 80% of our time analyzing things and only 20% talking action, then are right all the time (which is highly unlikely), that equals a 20% success rate. By being more decisive, we are more successful, at least twice as successful.We spend a great deal of time learning about theories, be it business success, personal development, even spiritual enhancement. We seem to have a love affair with theory and an aversion to effort. Some of us even become experts on these theories, reciting them chapter and verse. We seem to believe that prolonged or repeated exposure to theory is enough. However, theories do us absolutely no good unless we put them to use out in the real world. Just attending a webinar or reading the latest blog will not make you a better speaker. We must “pull the trigger” “stir the milk” or “paint the house.” We need activation, stirred up, and energized.God uses us to execute his plan. It is His paint that we apply with our actions. We are His paintbrushes.In the Gospel of Matthew is the Parable of the Talents (25:14-30). Servants have been entrusted with talents and when the Master returned, he wanted to know what the servants have done with the talents they received. It doesn’t matter if it is one or five talents, it’s what we do with the talents that matters. Not everyone gets the same ‘paint’. God has given each person a unique variety of gifts, and he expects each to use whatever gifts we’ve been given to the best of our ability. We don’t need the Master returning to see the paint is still in the can or the chocolate syrup has yet to be stirred.Like paint, we were created to be used. As we work, God works. As we paint, God guides our brush. We must “stir the milk” or “pull the trigger.” Let’s get started and apply His paint. Let’s answer His call, leave a legacy and make a difference in His Kingdom. Rejoice and Godspeed.
Transcribe →