Author: Randy Friesen

Randy Friesen is a business strategist, manager and educator based in Vancouver, BC. He is also a husband and father. He loves the creative process and is active in creating art and music.

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Be The Best.

The cursor blinks…

I’ve stared at a blinking cursor for the past 10 minutes.

Today I’ve been truly speechless, dumbfounded, heartbroken and completely bewildered…perhaps gobsmacked is the best word for it.

One of Chris’ buds in the inner Brookswood School circle of buds, was taken from this earth in a car accident last night.

This blog is not a news source.  The exceptionally sad details have been reported in The Sun amongst other sources.

Tonight we stand with the family including Dylan’s twin brother Jesse.

We have asked Chris to take special care of his friend today.  I know he will.

I have no answers, only questions.

Again, I really have just one thing.  The ability to make my next decision.

And with that we’ll stand with and support those who are grieving.

We’ll honour Dylan and all the goodness and fervor he lived his life with by continuing our journey to Be The Best.

Dylan, Jesse and the gang were kind enough to go on a hike with us just a few weeks ago.

We hugged each of the boys as we’ve done for over the past 20 months whenever we see them.

They all mean so very much to us.

Tonight or whenever you read this…please do me a favour.

Go hug your kids.

If they’re sleeping, give them a hug anyways.

Life is fragile.

Life is unfair many times.

Life is certainly unpredictable.

Dylan comes from an amazing family.  They are strong, giving and wonderful people.

Tonight, we stare at cursors…perhaps we curse at cursors, ask questions without answers…and then move our thoughts of support into action.

That’s all we can control.

Dylan…we luv ya.

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Be The Best.

I Remember

i remember

 

i remember each september

when the summer sun still glows;

i remember each october

when the winds begin to blow;

i remember each november

when the leafs are painted red;

i remember each december

when through the snow we tread;

whatever the month

whatever the day

whatever we’re doing

wherever we stay

you are loved loved loved

forever and always

 

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Be The Best.

MJ, Cirque and Be The Best

We went to see Cirque du Soleil‘s tribute to Michael Jackson on Friday.

It was very interesting to see Cirque’s insight using MJ’s lyrics.

It was deep (really!) as well as fun and exceptionally entertaining.

This is how they describe it:

A riveting fusion of visuals, dance, music and fantasy that immerses audiences in Michael’s creative world and literally turns his signature moves upside down, Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour unfolds Michael Jackson’s artistry before the eyes of the audience. Aimed at lifelong fans as well as those experiencing Michael’s creative genius for the first time, the show captures the essence, soul and inspiration of the King of Pop, celebrating a legacy that continues to transcend generations.  (Source – weblink)

There were amazing performances, but one really stood out for me.

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Image via Wikipedia

A young man was part of the dance troupe…and he had just one leg.

When he came out the first time, I thought maybe it was some sort of prop, but then it became obvious that his ‘disability’ was not going to get in the way of his amazing ability to spin, dance and steal segments of the show!

He used his crutches to elevate, twirl and somersault, tossing them on the ground on occasion to show his hip hop style of moves.

It’s hard to explain without seeing it…so if you hurry, you can catch the final show tonight at Roger’s Arena.

When the show ended, the performers were taking their bows and one of the loudest cheers was for the dancer who thought of what can be instead of what can’t be.

It was fantastic to see.

At about 40 seconds of this promo vid from Cirque, you catch a 2 second glimpse of this guy doing his thing.

Talk about Be The Best….Cirque style.

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Be The Best.

The height of insight.

I took a walk last weekend with my little niece.

She’s three.

We had an hour before dinner and the park/playground seemed like a logical destination so we took off giving the other adults a little coffee time.

‘I hold your hand Unkel Ranny?’.   Too cute.  You get the picture.

But I learned something…again.

Her whole perspective wasn’t from 6 feet in the air.  It was from somewhere between 2 and 3.

She saw things I totally missed.

She picked up the tiniest of leaves and held onto to it all the way to the playground where it became the prize possession that I needed to protect.

I had a wise boss who told me once to get up to the 10,000 foot level as I was taking on a new position.  In that case I needed perspective from a higher vantage point.

Sometimes though, we need to go the opposite way.

Kneeling down and gaining perspective from 3 feet can be just as important.

It’s amazing what you see.

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Be The Best.

Terry Fox Rocks

Today many thousands of people will be in downtown Vancouver.

The Canucks play the Washington Capitals for the only time this season and then steps away the BC Lions battle Edmonton for first place in the Western Division of the CFL.  (I hope you feel all caught up on the sports scene now)

So as the estimated crowd of 60,000+ rushes to both venues at the same time tonight many thousands will pause at the new Terry Fox plaza, see the new statues and many will even stop to take a picture.

There is a hidden gem however at the plaza that many will miss.

Along the wall, just across from the mega outdoor screen at BC Place, are two plaques.  I had a chance to read them a few weeks ago and they really had an impact.

The first plaque provides some great background on Terry.  You have to remember, this young man was only a month away from 23 years old when he died.  Very young…but what an impact he had and continues to have.

What I loved about the first plaque was the story of Terry’s simple and focused goal.  To raise one dollar for every Canadian…24 million at that time.  Clear, concise and measurable.  We can all learn from that whether it is business or personal.  Loved it.

It was the second plaque however that really got me thinking and it hasn’t stopped.

The wording, written by the artist who designed the new statues, starts:

On a fundamental level, Terry’s life makes us ask, ‘What if?’….if he’d changed his mind and never run, he might have wondered ‘what if’ for the rest of his life. The world would have continued spinning, the weather would be the same. Everything would be the same, yet nothing would be the same.  The way we view life and death and courage and strength wouldn’t be the same.

Sometimes we feel like we’re just one more person here on earth.  Why does anything matter?  Why do any of us bother going on?  But the fact is we do go on and all of us matter, and maybe just maybe, if we follow Terry’s example of choosing the more difficult choice our lives take on meaning greater than we might ever have dared hope.

Douglas Coupland, September 2011

The last paragraph really struck me.

If we’ve learned one lesson again and again these past 19 months is that we only control our next decision…our next choice.

I believe that’s how Terry lived his life.

Deciding each day, one day at a time, to run.

And when he couldn’t run…to fight.

And when he could no longer fight…to inspire.

And now Terry’s dream is lived in millions.

It’s incredibly inspiring and it all comes down to a goal and choices…and as Mr. Coupland has so eloquently stated, ‘…and maybe just maybe, if we follow Terry’s example of choosing the more difficult choice our lives take on meaning greater than we might ever have dared hope.’

If you take in the games today or are downtown anytime, you’ll want to take 5 extra minutes to learn more about this BC legend and get inspired.  It’s truly amazing.

Talk about Be The Best!

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Be The Best.

The Hike

Last week a few of Chris’ highschool buds called (ok, texted) and said they wanted to drop by.

The fact that we have the lacrosse gang and friends gang wanting to stay in touch with us is very cool.

I suggested a little hike and through a series of texts, the plan was approved.

So here we are on this little hike…about a one hour up and down walk in some beautiful forests near Ft. Langley, BC.

I’m not sure what other people on the trail were thinking as we made an unusual hiking squad.  The lovely Ingrid leading the pack with 5 big young men at her side and some old guy trying to keep up and shoot videos at the same time.

Cooper, Dylan, Jesse and Alan all predicted that Tanner (Newport Vacuums) would arrive in dress shoes.

Yup.

Nice jeans and dress shoes…perfect for hiking of course.

What followed was the obligatory, ‘you didn’t tell me this was a hike, you said a walk’…and of course the word ‘tell’ and ‘said’ are just another way to say ‘text’….cause no one really talks to each other any more right? 😉

So, we had a great walk/hike.

The sun streamed through the trees and it reminded us that Chris was with us too.

As we walked we actually didn’t text, but talked, and learned about the latest updates from the Gang.

It’s a privilege to stay connected.

For a little fun, I’ve put together a video of the event.

Have a great week.

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Be The Best.

You gotta hear this one…

Ok, you gotta read this one, but you get the point.

I talked to a someone today who is leaving for a new job, a new adventure…following dreams, but very concrete dreams.

In our conversation it came out that I had said something about writing goals down a few years ago that caused some reflection.

That reflection became thoughts which became action in the form of goals being written down.

Those goals turned into visible reminders and invisible ones too that propelled further action in terms of a definable action plan which is really a series of small decisions that push one forward creating energy and momentum as you go.

We never know the impact our words and actions have on others.  Ever.

I saw what happened when we wrote goals down as a family…yes, every New Year’s Eve.  It was a tradition, but a very important one.

I saw how those goals helped each of us focus and achieve.

I used the question, ‘Are we doers or viewers?’ many times with the boys.

ie, Are we going to watch life go by or be actively engaged and help others along the way.

Seeing the impact Chris continues to have shows how much you can influence…even in a short 17 years.

We still see a stream of comments on his Facebook page and we know his words and actions are still inspiring many today, young and old….er.

I know it’s not quite New Year’s…but if you have goals that you’ve thought about in your head for a long time but that’s where they’ve stayed, I’d challenge you to write them down.

You’ll be amazed at the results.

Be The Best.

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Be The Best.

Clouds

I’ve had several conversations about clouds in the past months.

Some with others, some with myself.

I can’t look at the sky without thinking about Chris and I can’t look at clouds without thinking of silver linings on the most darkest of skies.

We all have our journeys…and many times life does not go in a straight line.

For those experiencing loss of any kind, my encouragement is to look up at the sky.  It may seem dark, but if you look closely, you may also see a silver lining.

Plus, I needed to work these pictures into a blog post of a near sunset sky earlier this year in BC’s amazing Interior…!

Have a great day.

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Be The Best.

I love losing.

Now that is a complete lie.

Except for today…just a little bit.

Max (our oldest son) is studying at BCIT.  This gives us the unique opportunity to see him multiple times during any given week.

Today he had an hour between classes and joined our weekly staff basketball game down at the gym.

He was my check and I’d like to say I schooled him, but the video evidence (thankfully there wasn’t any) would prove differently.

He played very well and his team beat our team.

I hate losing and I hated it today, but I did have the conscious thought that I maybe hated it just a little bit less because I had the amazing privilege to play basketball with my kid.

Pretty cool, I thought, as I kicked the ball in frustration after losing by a lousy 2 points.

Anyone have time for another game?

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Be The Best.

Can you Skype from heaven Mr. Jobs?

This weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving.  I realize that is a hard concept for those south of the 49th parallel, but for those that embrace a more North American approach, you can have turkey in Oct and then again in late November if you plan your family gatherings properly!

We had a big dinner on the Friesen side of the family last night.  Lots of laughs, ping-pong and of course Chris was never far from our thoughts.

During the latter part of dinner we Skyped Steve and Meggan in South Carolina.  I know many families are doing this regularly, but I still love the concept of passing a wireless connected laptop (a Mac of course) around the table and for the next 45 minutes of the call it was if the miles were erased.  They had a conversation with each of the 20 people present and it felt like the family was more complete!

With the passing of Steve Jobs this past week, I began to wonder last night if he would continue his amazing technology push on the other side of our human existence.  Could we maybe Skype to heaven in the future?  I know it sounds crazy, but I’m only half joking.  If anyone can do it, it will be Steve Jobs…and when he does, I hope that Chris has signed up to be a beta tester.

Have a great week.