Thank You! State of the Blog and Beyond

I made the blog open to a larger audience only a few days ago and I am already humbled by the incredible response I have received. It is such a fulfilling experience to reconnect with friends from the past. I am excited that the process will continue and I will make new friends through this awe-inspiring endeavor. Everything I write is extremely valuable but it has very little to do with me. I am just a vessel for a higher calling to push forth the abundance of the world and belief in humankind individually and as a whole.

As a valued member of the community I humbly ask for your assistance as we continue to grow.

Feedback: Please let me know what you think. I would like to evolve my writing to a style that allows readers to get the most possible value out of every read.

Growth: I believe in everything I write. I know what is being said has amazing value and if you feel the same way I would be honored if you would pass it along to others who would also find it useful. I love the concept of geometric growth. If everyone who reads this passes it on to just one person our family suddenly doubles.

Technology: Please bear with me as I learn more about blog technology. I know there is so much more I could be doing as far as the look and ability to communicate. I would love to more people to become followers through Blogger technology but if you do not feel comfortable with that I will also be starting a mailing list for every time I post something new. Feel free to e-mail me at Chris.Rathje@gmail.com or through Facebook.

Support: I have been privileged to get the support of advertisers through Google. If you see an ad below one of my posts that interests could you please check out the supporting sites? Thank you very much this will allow us to grow!

Name: I do not like the fact that the blog is just my name. There is something bigger going on here but I could not encapsulate it as I started this endeavor. I know the right name for our community will come to us organically as we move along. I hope you enjoy the mottos that I have created for the community so far.

Promoting positivity one read at a time

A place where everyone is a Chief Happiness Officer

Must see posts to newcomers
In the love for growth I wanted to make sure to highlight two posts that showed the remarkable power of the human spirit. Major congratulations are necessary for the groundbreaking work of Benjamin Reece and all others involved with fifty people one question. A somber thank you goes to the angel Brenden Foster, his wonderful family and the people that made us aware of his genius.

Next Steps: Future Dreams
All I have really wanted to do for the last three years was write, but I was so full of self-limiting thoughts that no real progress was made in this area until September of this year. I am overjoyed by the positive reception I have received thus far. It gives me confidence in my dreams and forces me to push forward with those desires. I will push to make this a global movement with thousands and eventually millions of members.

However I want to also share other dreams with you so that it forces me to be accountable and make them come true.

Golden Dreams Non-Profit: a year ago almost to the day I came up with the idea to make a non-profit organization that would fill in a gap for an issue that is very near and dear to me. The US currently does not have a program like other countries that directly supports future Paralympians on their way up through the competition ladder. This results in a very difficult road for many athletes especially in certain disability categories. I strive to improve the situation but as time has gone on I realize the broader more important concept is to improve lives through the pursuit of excellence. So I would like to broaden my concept to include teaching disabled sports to developing countries and providing assistive technology to people with severe disabilities. I've done very little to make this dream a reality due to fear of the unknown. It's time to change that!

My First Book: For those of you who read my post about Memphis I hope you sensed my passion for travel! I have learned so much through seeing other parts of the world and I have decided to put the education into overdrive. Starting in the late spring or early summer I plan to travel extensively. My desired locations include but are not limited to Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Western Europe and parts of the United States and Canada I have not seen yet. Before I depart I will compile some writings about things I've already learned through travel and I will add to it as I see more of our wonderful world!

My Sports Goals
What I'm about to share with you I feel is the most selfish thing I have written about but in accordance with my belief that dreams are planted in your heart for a reason I must continue to stay true to myself. My short-term goal is to do whatever I possibly can to help my beloved Lakeshore Demolition to grow, learn and improve culminating in a national championship this season. My long-term goal is to represent the United States in the Paralympics in 2012 and 2016. There is a part of me that is embarrassed to write this down let alone share it because my progress as an athlete has not gone as planned. Through my hard work I see progress but I'm currently disappointed that I haven't improved more. However the dream stays firmly planted in my heart so it is my duty to move forward with the belief that it will come true.

Sorry about the length but it was an honor to share with you. I hope sharing this with you will allow us to grow stronger therefore making the world a better place.

God Bless With Love
Chris