Ever get the feeling you are exactly where you are supposed to be? That was me this past Saturday.

While the EYT kids finished up their practice this past Saturday, before the tournament would officially begin, I took a look at the table that housed all the books that people came to donate. And, I got chills. I felt in my heart the difference we were making. 

Early in January, I set the intention for 2022 to be a year of making more impact through EYT.  And I’m thrilled at our start of the year momentum!

Those books will make a difference in young lives as they make their way from EYT to Open-Books in Pilsen, where they will use the money from the book sales to support city-wide literacy programs. They also give many of the books away to literacy and book grant programs. When I heard about their program, it seemed like a great effort to get behind. So, last Saturday, I put it in my EYT community’s hands. 

And, they stepped up! Again. 

In November, we collected enough canned food for 123 meals. In December, we collected 120 brand-new toys for Toys for Tots. And now this month, we collected over 500 books to support literacy. 

Besides nurturing bowling’s best youth bowlers, at EYT we can use bowling as a means to do something bigger, and better. I created my Elite Youth Tour to empower young bowlers, to show youth what they can be but also to show them that they can make a difference in the world. And now, together with these monthly giving drives, we’ve taken that to another level. EYT is starting to have even more of the impact I always dreamed it would have when I began it in 2012. EYT continues to be a huge success and we continue to pass new milestones.

I define success by having impact.

This past weekend also reminded me again to just really dig into that feeling of what it means to be ME though and appreciate where I am, who I am, and what I am accomplishing right now. Not what I did last year or the last decade, and not what I am going to do next year or the next decade. But what I am doing right now.

We all belong wherever we are and we have unique experiences that got us where we are. And whatever we are experiencing has everything to do with our own unique journey and nothing to do with anyone else’s. So no comparison allowed. We all have to remind ourselves that sometimes though. 

What better way to remind ourselves of that than taking a moment to really appreciate the moments that make you feel good on that journey. I think that is so important.

On my drive home from the EYT, I was beaming with pride. The feeling of what I was doing really sunk in and I let myself really feel that moment. I knew in my heart that I am making a difference. Not only with the kids on the lanes, but I’m showing them through the 12 Months of Giving that it actually doesn’t take that much effort to make a difference in the world. I hope that they carry this lesson with them throughout their lives and I hope it leads them to the same amazing feeling I had driving home from Lockport this past Saturday.

Successful days like Saturday, and fostering this inspiring community, have come to mean so much to me.

Sometimes you have to stop for a moment and celebrate wins like that. Enjoy the goosebumps. Shed a happy tear. Sometimes we are always so focused on making things better, or pushing ourselves further, that we don’t stop to pat ourselves on the back. Sometimes in the moment we don’t fully take the time to grasp the greater impact of what we are doing, in our lives or the lives of others.

This is your reminder: When good things happen because of you… Stop for a moment and soak it all up.