Hello and welcome back to Chasing Excellence to a special bonus episode of Chasing Excellence.
My name is Patrick Cummings here by myself this time around.
I've mentioned a few times on the podcast already in the last few weeks that I wrote a book, a kid's book, called The ABCs of Being Happy and Healthy Kids.
26 Little Lessons for Kids Who Want to Grow Up to be Super Wonderful.
I had a few fantastic humans reach out and say, hey, are you going to do an audio book or something?
And the book is very short.
It's for kids.
So I'm not going to do a full audio book, but I did think well, I could record it and I could share it here.
On the Chasing Excellence feed.
So that's what we've got.
Here is the ABCs of being happy and healthy.
Enjoy.
A is for attitude.
That thing that you bring into every room, every day, and everything.
It can feel like a backpack full of big rocks or tiny rockets glued to your favorite socks.
What most never learn is that you get to pick whether your attitude will help you soar or sink.
B is for bravery, that far too rare thing we think only for soldiers or singers who sing.
But you can be brave in an everyday way by not letting mosquitoes of fear scare you away.
Just ignore the buzz and their little bug bites and soon you'll carry yourself to all new high heights.
Z stands for curious, which means to explore when most others rush by never wondering more.
It's asking what if and why not and how come.
It's knowing the questions reveal all of the fun.
Just slow yourself down, tilt your head ever so, then watch curiosity light up the road.
D is for determined, something you become by taking a few breaths when you much rather run.
A determined person is a big tall tree standing strong in a storm of doubt, wind, and worry.
It's what you can be when you truly believe that you already have what it takes to succeed.
E stands for eat, that vital everyday act of chowing down all those healthy meals and good snacks.
It's the protein and fruit and veggies.
You'll need to jump think, clamor and run at lightning fast speed.
So eat all the colors from all of the farms for an uncluttered mind, two fast feet and strong arms.
F is for feelings, those weather patterns inside.
We call fear, frustration, joy, peace, anger, or pride.
They can arrive in a whoosh or a whisper, a tide coming in or the winds of a twister.
Feelings blow in with a straightforward mission to teach you about you.
So sit up and listen.
G stands for gossip, that spritz of foul perfume, that talk of someone who's not there in the room.
Some kids act like it's just a game they can play and then whisper about you when you walk away.
So don't talk of someone who's not next to you, unless it's to say they're fun smart, strong and brave too.
H is for health, a kind of superpower, one we can bolster through our choices, friends, and ours.
Good health gives us the strength, energy and speed to climb life's mountains with big-heartedness and ease.
So eat good food, be kind to yourself, sleep lots, hug your best friends and do all the push-ups and squats.
I stands for imperfection or, as it's known, this isn't right, often said with a whine and a groan.
It happens when you can't quite stay in the lines.
Hit the pitch, sing the note or imagine the right rhymes.
Imperfection wants to make you quit, but don't.
It's just a trick to see who'll give up and who won't.
Jay is for judgment, that detestable voice, so stubborn to ignore it doesn't feel like a choice.
Sometimes it gets loud when you try something new and when someone doesn't act, look or think like you do.
It's always best when you feel judgment arise to look it square in the face and poke out its eyes.
K stands for kindred spirits, those special few whose laughter and attitude remind you of you.
You'll make lots of friends as you go and you grow. but only a few will you come to truly know.
You'll be teammates for life and there for it all, helping one another to stay brave and stand tall.
L is for leadership, that choice to stand up, to raise your voice and go first to kick up some dust.
Most kids are looking to be told what to do, where to go and how to think, but surely not you.
Don't wait for permission, just get up and start.
Lean right in and lead with your big curious heart.
M is for movement, that most wonderful gift of shimmy, of shake, of sprint, somersault, and lift.
It's the whooshing wind on your cheeks as you run and the flight lightness of feet that's never not fun for a strong body, clear mind and a good snooze.
Make sure every day that you move, move, move, move, move.
N is for nature, that great big wild outdoors full of mystery stars, wind, mud, critters, and more.
What a world to explore out in the backyard, at the beach, in the woods, up the hills, near and far.
So go dig in the dirt and play on the rocks.
Let the sun kiss your face.
Race the wind.
Never stop.
O stands for obstacle.
Those things in the way.
The tall walls, the tough tests, the mean kids, the hard days.
Most hope to avoid them and when they can do.
They don't see them as chances to learn something new.
But when they arrive, think of who you'll become. when you don't run away, but stay and overcome.
P is for peace of mind, that confident calm, and the knowing there's no need to pull the alarm.
Most don't reach it because they're looking outside instead of where peace lives, which is on the inside.
So here's how to find it.
Repeat after me.
I have everything I need.
I'm where I should be.
U stands for quiet, that beautiful nothing, that hush when everything's otherwise bustling.
It's so hard to find and it's so tough to keep, but it's needed for the peace of mind that you seek.
Don't run from the quiet.
Don't fill up the space.
Instead, sit there and listen, feel, touch, smell, and taste.
R is for reflection, quiet's key blessing, where you'll make space for more knowing and less guessing.
To pause and reflect is to learn to ask why you got scared or excited, stayed quiet or cried.
Only by thinking back will you unravel the riddle of you and the roads.
S stands for strong.
That unmistakable gift you can give to a friend when they're needing a lift.
Strength isn't just measured by the rocks you can move, but by your bravery, calm, and attitude too.
Earning that strength is as straightforward as this.
Redefine every challenge as worthy practice.
T is for trying that old, nerve-wracking choice to do something new, to raise your hand or your voice.
It's so easy to not, to stay where you are, to do just as you've done and not stretch very far.
But while you might sometimes trip, stumble or fall, trying is how you make sure you never stay small.
You is for uplift, that invisible breeze.
You can slide underneath someone's voice or their feet.
Sometimes friends will need a kind word or a nudge to be reminded of their strength, grit and courage.
That's who you can become the one who uplifts, when you make sure someone's choice to shine isn't missed.
V is for that voice, the one only you hear, the one in your head, the one who pulls at your ears.
It can be a booster of big and brave thoughts, or a bullhorn of worry that slows you down lots.
Whenever you hear that voice speak, try and ask, are you telling the truth?
If it's not, let it pass.
W is for whining, that wet, blanket sound that slips out of your mouth and plunges down to the ground.
It shows up when things don't go just how you wish, and you'd rather make noises than look for a fix.
Whining is never not a waste of your breath.
Instead, look for solutions and plan your next steps.
X marks the spot, the one right under your feet, the most important place you're ever gonna be.
Everyone's rushing from one place to the next, never letting themselves settle in for a rest.
But right here is where all the true treasure lies.
So dig your toes in deep and stay still for a while.
Y stands for yes, that forward lean of a word, nudging you closer to a more magical world.
One filled with new people, food, and adventure.
One full of great stories with you at their center.
There'll be plenty of time for no's, and not yet's, but you're young, strong and brave, so for now, stick with yes.
Z is for zzzz, the sleep you need every night, the magic that makes body and mind functional.
So be done with the books and flick off the lights.
Quiet your legs and your tongue.
Close your eyes nice and tight.
Sleep deep and dream of all the fun that awaits a kid who's happy and healthy calm, strong and brave.
Thank you so much for listening, for checking out the book.
You can get it on Amazon.
It's called The ABCs of Being Happy and Healthy.
Thanks for sharing it with your friends and your cousins and your colleagues.
Means the world to me.
Ben and I will be back soon for a brand new episode of Chasing Excellence.
Until then, keep chasing.
