My Journey To All 50 States: Last Stop Maine

Posted by ~ Sheldon Redditt 09/28/2015

Childhood Dream Comes True

Soon, I can claim it! I will have visited all 50 states in my lifetime in just a few short days! "To live is to travel.", that is my wife's' favorite quote. It's a quote that we both live by. Travel is the key essential thing that started our relationship. We both had and have a love for travel. 

A Boy With BIG DREAMS

My love for travel started very early in life. I remember being just 7 years old when my older sister brought home a book of the 50 states and capitols. She had to learn all 50 states and capitols for a test. I was so intrigued by the fact that there were 50 of them and how big the United States actually was. I studied the states right along with her until I mastered all 50 of them in order. Today, I am still able to recite all 50 in order and in 28 seconds flat! I just timed myself lol. I remember vividly, the amazement I felt, knowing that there were 49 other states that I could visit. I remember sitting there and making a promise to myself that I would visit all 50 before I transitioned on to the next level of existence. It definitely wasn't a short lived fascination either, I recall playing with my 50 state puzzle map while my friends played with their GI Joe toys. Everyone thought I was odd. I was obsessed with traveling this country and the World. 

Embrace The Different

My wife and I were blessed to see a powerful speaker a few years ago in Arizona by the name of Rex Crain. I bring this up because he said something to the effect of, "you never know who you have in your house. You might have the next James Paterson, Bill Gates or Michael Jordan. Feed your children's dreams and even their quirkiness." Now, I'm not saying I'm any of those guys, but I am saying that my obsession or passion if you will was not something to discount, despite the fact that I was 7. Little minds go on to accomplish great things! My wife has told me numerous times that her Mom tells a similar story of her sister having a book of all 50 states. My wife says that when they climbed Diamond Head together in Hawaii, that her Mom told her that she had envisioned herself climbing it in her lifetime. Childhood dreams while she was looking through her older sisters book! You see the similarities? Our birthday's are literally a day apart! I guess we think a lot alike!

No Longer A Dream

For me to see this dream coming into a reality is truly amazing. I, along with my wife, daughter and mother-in-law, will visit my 50th state of Maine in just a few short days! My wife and daughter are just as excited. We will fly from Miami to Washington DC where we will meet my mother-in-law and then we will drive up the coast to Maine. We will visit a lot of amazing places along the way from the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, The Statue of Liberty in New York City, Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts and perhaps take a gondola ride in Providence, Rhode Island! One of the top places I have always wanted to visit is Kennebunkport, Maine and there we will get to see former President Bush's residence. We will see the changing of the leaves in Acadia National Park and a lot of other amazing sites in between. It will be an amazing 15 day trip, capped off with my 25 year High School reunion. I feel blessed to have been able to travel to some of the most amazing places in this country. I have memories of having walked on the Salt Lakes in Utah with my Dad at 15, memories of sitting on Virginia Beach with my Mom for hours just talking about Life, singing Karaoke in New Orleans, then climbing Chimney Rock in North Carolina with my amazing wife and more recently walking on the Golden Gate Bridge with my wife and daughter. I have had too many incredible experiences to list here. 

Following My Footsteps

I was online the other night to see if I could find out who the youngest person to visit all 50 states was and it was a 7 year old boy. My daughter Hayden will have visited 24 states after this trip and she is a month shy of 4! My goal is for her to break the World Record and visit all 50 states before she turns 7. That will be pretty awesome to have her to break the World Record before 7, which is the exact age that I made a promise to myself that I would visit all 50 states. I would love it if you would join my family and I as we embark on this 15 day journey. You can follow along in my blog or you can watch as we video journal the trip LIVE on Periscope. Follow me on Periscope @TheRedditt. All aboard! Last stop Maine!

How Blessed We Are

Recently my wife, Amy, started a blog called "Never A Dull Day".  It's a blog about the joy and pain of motherhood.  Yesterday, she posted a blog that blew me away because I truly never would have thought about the Syrian Refugee Crisis from her perspective.  For me, every time I see the coverage on the news, I feel that it is sad, but I also think unless you have several million dollars to give to them there's not much an individual can do.  I never really thought about it from the perspective of how I might feel if it were my own family.  I never got into my feelings, so to speak.  Bad stuff happens every day, all over the world.  This is another bad thing.  But, it's not just another bad thing.  This is mind blowing because of the amount of displaced people.  She has received hundreds of likes and emails commending her for writing the post but also a few not so nice emails.  But, with anything that seems even remotely political, whether was the intention or not, that is to be expected.  Her heart was totally in the right place.  Please read her blog, like and share her page at www.facebook.com/NADullDay and follow her on Periscope @amyredditt  And as far as the refugee crisis, there has to be something we each can do, no matter how small.  Lots of small things can add up to one huge thing, that will make a difference.

Blessings,

Sheldon Redditt

"How Blessed We Are"

Posted by ~ Amy Redditt on 09/20/2015

I have recently started utilizing a new form of social media, called Periscope, that was made by Twitter.  It can be a really fun way to watch people do some pretty silly stuff but there's a lot of rich content on there too, like self development type stuff.  Truthfully, one could never imagine from day to day what you might find on there.  This morning though, I was blown away by the content that I found.  There are a couple of people that are covering the Syrian refugee crisis and they are traveling with them as they struggle to find a way to get through the next border.  I watched as they sat in a ditch between two borders last night, while policemen stood guard.  They did not have any idea what their next move would be and nightfall was coming quickly.  They signed off but I will assume that they spent the night in that ditch.  This morning they shared another Periscope and they had made it across the border via some transportation  supplied for them by the receiving country.  Later, they signed on while the they were in another part of Europe, only to have Police Officers standing amongst them in what seemed to be riot gear.  

When you're a mother, all thoughts in regard to human suffering seem to take you full circle back to your own child, every time.  At least that is inherently the case for myself.  I looked over at my baby girl snuggled up next to me, sleeping so peacefully and I began to think about the defeat the parents must be feeling.   Admittedly, I do not know enough about the turmoil in Syria, but I do know enough to know that this has been said to be the largest humanitarian crisis since World War II.  So, I know enough to know that these refugees are displaced, no matter their social status or income bracket.  They just are.  These people woke up one day in their homes and could not definitively know that it was going to be their last morning to wake up in their own beds or the last night to safely tuck their sweet babies into their beds.  Our most primal instinct as a mother is to protect our children.  But what do you do when you can't?  You go into survival mode and you shield them as best as you can. But that is in all senses of the word, a failure for a parent.  No mother wants their children to HAVE to grow up faster than they already will.  

My mind goes back to an episode of "Ellen" that I saw a week or so ago, where she was interviewing Malala Yousafzai.  If you don't know of her, I implore you to look her up.  During her interview on "Ellen", I began to piece together who she was again.  I remember hearing about a young Pakistani girl, a few years ago, that was writing a blog under a pen name in an effort to share what her life was like under the rule of the Taliban while simultaneously attempting to promote education for girls.  I remember hearing that she was later shot in the face by the Taliban but survived.  She was only 15 at the time.  On "Ellen" I learned that she is now the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for her work to promote education for girls.  I learned that she has also opened a school and is as selfless of a person than one could possibly imagine.  But what brought her to mind today was that she said, "No child should be denied the basic human right of education."  Basic human right.  That struck a cord.  I then remember seeing something in the media in regard to the amount of Syrian refugees that are children and hearing that there is a good chance that none of them will ever have a chance at receiving a formal education again in their lifetime.  Let that sink in for a minute.  Never, for the rest of their life, will they have a chance at formal education again.  We take so much for granted in this country.  But imagine for one minute that your child, YOUR CHILD, could never get a formal education again, EVER.  The chance of your child ever getting to have a real shot at a life of abundance, both of knowledge and or worldly things, is almost guaranteed to be gone.  How would you feel?  I can not even begin to explain how I would feel.  My heart aches for these people, these parents and these children.  The world is so full of injustices.

Once again, I look over at my sweet girl and brush a curl behind her tiny little ear.  I thank God for allowing us to provide a safe place for her to live and food to fill her little tummy.  I thank God that while she is not in school yet, He has provided me with the knowledge and education to be able to teach her the foundations for her later learnings.  Learnings that I KNOW she will have the privilege of getting.  I pray that the media was wrong when they said, that these displaced children have no hope of ever having a formal education again.  I pray that their parents can find homes, employment and a way of life that will allow them to breathe a little easier while their children grow and flourish.  I thank God for the roof over our heads and the peace I feel watching her sleep.  And once again, I thank God for people like Malala and those that will follow in her footsteps, that will fight for everyone's basic human rights.

Follow me on Periscope @amyredditt

He Who Finds A Wife...

Posted by ~ Sheldon Redditt on 09/10/2015

He who finds a wife finds a good thing... Proverbs 18:22

I dedicate this blog to the one person that has given my life purpose and meaning, my lovely wife, Amy Redditt.

He who finds a wife finds a good thing: Proverbs 18:22.  As I find myself getting older and wiser, I like to think.  I find myself reflecting more and more on the things that were taught to me by my elders.  I remember my Grandfather saying that the best thing that can happen to a man is for a good woman to come into his life.   But not just any woman, but a good woman.  At 10 or 11, I didn't yet understand what in the world he was talking about or why he was telling me about girls, which I didn't even like yet. I just listened and acted like I understood so that I could get back to playing with my Puzzle map of the 50 states. (I was a weird kid)  I now find myself reflecting on that conversation and that he was teaching me the single, most important, lesson that I would ever learn in life.  Fast forward to my last conversation I had with my Grandfather.  We were at the Veterans hospital in Memphis, Tennessee and we were having a conversation about him and my Grandmother.  I was having major problems in my marriage at the time and I remember asking him how in the world he managed to stay married for over 40 years to the same person.  He was quick to respond by saying, "Sheldon, when you find a good woman, not just any woman, but a good woman; it changes EVERYTHING.  Your entire existence is about making her happy, trying to put a smile on her face, every single day.  Now there will be days when it gets rough and you will have your share of problems but not a single day should pass without you seeing that beautiful smile."  He said, "life is too short to be with someone that doesn't make you happy and vice versa.  So, if you aren't with the person that makes you WANT to make them happy, every second of the day, that's not the person for you."  Enter Amy Miranda Redditt, the most kind hearted, sweetest person I have ever met. And I am not just saying that because she happens to be my wife.  Man, since this woman has come into my life.  Wow, I get emotional just thinking about it.  Everyone should be able to have a person come into their life, whom makes them want to be better in every aspect of their life.  A person that gives their life meaning and teaches them that life is not all about them, but that true joy comes from making a difference in the lives of others and that it is important to try to bring joy to everyone they come in contact with.  Man, I feel so sorry for anyone who has never experienced half the joy in their life that I do now, every single day.  I wake up with the sole purpose of figuring out how to make this beautiful woman smile.  My friends tell me all the time, "Man!  You have really changed!  What happened?"  My response is simple, "I have found the ONE.".  I tell my friends that are women all the time, "All men can change but they are only going to change for the RIGHT ONE."  I am so thankful that I finally found the right one.  So, as we celebrate your birthday today, I want to thank you for coming into my life and giving me the honor of loving you.  That Bible verse is so true.  A man who finds a wife finds a good thing.  This is my truth.  What's yours?

Success Is The ONLY Option

Posted by ~ Sheldon Redditt on 09/06/2015

"Success is the ONLY option. That has to be your own mindset in order to be successful."  This is the advice that I have given countless young boys and girls when they have asked me what  it takes to be successful. To this day, I continue to teach them that God gave us all a gift but it is up to us to find out what that gift is and to pursue it with passion. "How do you discover your gift?", they ask.  Well, it took me about 40 years to discover that your gift is the one thing you do the absolute best, but with the least amount of effort.  How I wish I would have discovered this 25 years ago.  I have been asked what the first step to being successful looks like and my immediate response was that you have to IMAGINE IT.  I think Einstein said it best, "Imagination is everything.  It is the preview to life's coming attractions.".  Man, I love that quote.  Do you realize how amazing it is that EVERYTHING starts with a thought?  A thought!  That's it.  You imagine it and you can make it come to fruition.  There is no such thing as a thoughtless thought. Everything in this universe began with a thought. I often use the Wright Brothers as an example.  They IMAGINED one day, that they would invent a vessel that would take people all around the world in the air.  NOW YOU IMAGINE how crazy people must have thought they were, watching them try to get a plane in the air.  This was something that had never been done before.  But those brothers were determined, they believed that they would perfect what they imagined; they believed that success was the only option.  Did they fail several times?  Of course they did!  BUT, they realized something that most of us never realize or if we are lucky, learn it much later in life like I did, learn that FAILURE IS NOT THE OPPOSITE OF SUCCESS, BUT PART OF IT.  I just started to count how many times that I have failed at something because I gave up.  The Wright Brothers never gave up.  They didn't listen to the naysayers, the haters, as we call them today; they blocked them all out.  How many times have we all failed or quit at something, simply because someone else told us that that won't work or that you can't do that or that has never been done before?  What have you given up on?  What have you imagined that you could do?  Would you try again?  Could you?  Imagine if the Wright Brothers would have listened to the naysayers.  We wouldn't have airplanes today.  I have learned not to listen to the naysayers and honestly the naysayers are often time your friends and family.  I really don't think they mean any harm most of the time but often times, they can't imagine you being anything other than that silly person that they've known since childhood.  They can't imagine anything outside of what they have been exposed.  I have learned that success is the only option for me and success isn't defined by how much money you have or what kind of car you drive or the size of your house. Success is discovering what your purpose is and why you were created.  Success is finding that gift and pursuing it everyday.  There is nothing wrong with having nice things.  When you find true success, all of that will come.  I can't imagine leaving this earth without living out my full potential.  I thank the creator that I am finally on the path of success, but I also realize that that path is always under construction.  That path is always full of obstacles and detours but I have NO DOUBT that I will arrive there.  In the words of Steve Harvey, "The only difference between successful people and non-successful people is Successful People don't give up."  They don't quit, they persevere, even when it gets hard.  And I can guarantee that it will get hard because success isn't supposed to be easy.  If success were easy, we all would be successful.  You must understand that SUCCESS IS THE ONLY OPTION. This is my truth.  What's yours?