‘Newport Sunshine and Small Town Success making its way to cornfields and small towns of Iowa.’
It’s Not About The World Record
Coming off a successful Guinness World Record setting event, we are paving the way for great things ahead. And, while it’s a fantastic feat to set a World Record – it’s not really about the record. And it’s not really about the sunflowers either. Just like it’s not really about the mountain that you climb. It’s really about what the achievement does for the community. How it generates a positive ‘can do’ spirit. A sense of accomplishment. It’s the momentum of success that drives the opportunity for greatness.
Think about the reigning Super Bowl Champions. They are back at it again – using the momentum of recent achievement to generate even more success. Now, they are 2-0. This is the positivity, the confidence, the continuing belief that victory is achievable. Think about the person who scales the mountain and pauses at the last leg before reaching the summit. The energy kicks into gear, the momentum is in full force and success is attainable.
The same can be achieved for pretty much anything as long as you have the positive energy which fuels the momentum. And, it surely can be said for the efforts we are leading. In the coming weeks, we will be hosting a series of great events supporting so many deserving causes. Our Fallen Patriots Annual Gala on October 10th is shaping up to be a great event and will be even bigger than last year. Our commitment to bringing the arts to small towns is coming together and will create new and exciting cultural experiences across the Granite State. And our dedication to community leaders and residents of small towns across the country to rally together to better their communities is just now beginning to spread. Planting flags across America faster than we ever thought. It’s all because of the momentum we are generating and the positive spirit. Truly seeing positive energy – creating positive change!
Enjoy this week’s Sunshine Report my friends!
Positive Momentum – All Over The Town! What Record Next Year?
So, the record is set, the last remaining stems have been cleaned up, and everyone’s pictures are shared. Now what? Our goal when planning the Sunflower project was simple. Yes, we wanted to see beautiful flowers growing across town, but more importantly, the sunflower project was created to build positive momentum and show the world how amazing, how charming Newport is. You see - Newport is such a strong, resilient community, all we needed was a little push to see the good that was surrounding us. Which is exactly what the sunflowers did. They brought people together, gave everyone something to bond over, and gave many something to do with their whole family.
Behind the scenes we are continually working on the ‘tough’ subjects, bringing in new jobs, searching for fresh housing opportunities, and restoring opportunity. Meanwhile, these positive projects, such as the Sunflower Festival, help to maintain the spirit that makes Newport… ‘Newport.’ Take a look at the news stories or the social media posts or listen to the buzz around town and you’ll hear, “that was such a fun day for my family”, “what a perfect day for Newport!” or my favorite, “We loved the incredibly positive energy of our community coming together for fun!” The Sunflower Festival and the World Record have gotten people excited, introduced a new group to the Sunshine Initiative, and shared our vision throughout the town and beyond. Now we can work together to accomplish our more ‘hard to reach’ goals. Positive momentum CAN change a community and we’re witnessing it in Newport.
We want to hear from you! What World Record should we attempt next year?!
Don’t Miss - Great Opportunity To Support Our Veterans And Children Of The Fallen
We are less than three weeks away from our annual reception and awards event. This year we are making it ever better than years past and you won’t want to miss it.
Our awards presentation will recognize not just one person for their commitment to veterans and their families but salute several people who are making a positive change in the lives of those who have served.
To honor our veterans and support the cause we are launching a program book where you can take ad space promoting your message, thanking those who have served and to support the great work Children of Fallen Patriots is doing.
And lastly, but most important, we are recognizing our current and former military members by offering them a complimentary ticket to our annual event. Year after year, Karen and I want to find new ways to say ‘thank you’ to those who have served and we can’t think of a better way than to ask them to join us as special guests at this great event.
Details of the event are available by visiting our Facebook event page here and you can RSVP to Dan Passen by emailing dan@jaylucas.us. Looking forward to seeing at this great event on Thursday, October 10th at the LaBelle Winery in Amherst, New Hampshire.
Profile of the Week: Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay
If you aren’t familiar with the names Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, you have certainly heard of the place that made them famous, Mount Everest. The highest point on the planet, Sir Edmund, a New Zealand adventurer, and Tenzing, a Nepali-Indian Sherpa, were the first individuals to conquer the mountain’s towering summit in 1953. In history books, this monumental achievement is recognized with enthusiasm similar to the first moon landing. But as both Sir Edmund and Tenzing would point out in the years following their ascent, it was the challenges, loss, and in some cases near death experiences they’d shared and persevered through earlier in their lives that led them literally to the top of the world.
Between the two of them, they’d reached the summit of over one hundred different peaks around the world prior to summiting Everest. And even with all this experience, at the outset of their expedition to the summit, they were not certain they would accomplish their goal of reaching the top. However, as Sir Edmund would recall in an interview in 1991, “It’s much better to start out on something that you’re not at all sure that you can do. If you overcome and you manage to defeat the obstacles, the satisfaction is so much greater. People do not decide to become extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things.”
Each summit Sir Edmund and Tenzing reached prepared them for what would be the defining moment of their lives and ultimately change what we as human beings thought possible. And just like these two pioneering Mountaineers, each little achievement we accomplish, whether it be in our own lives or in our communities, prepares us for the next, and ultimately, for our own Everest.
Quotes Of The Week: Momentum
‘A lot of people write books not at the end of their career. Why you gotta wait until then? When you're momentum's going, that's when people really want to get to know about you.”
“Success requires first expending ten units of effort to produce one unit of results. Your momentum will then produce ten units of results with each unit of effort.”
‘Success comes from taking the initiative and following up... persisting... eloquently expressing the depth of your love. What simple action could you take today to produce a new momentum toward success in your life?’
‘My theory on momentum is that the best way to produce it is through small, hard-fought victories that lead to bigger battles and bigger wins. Winning builds momentum.”
“Enthusiasm is the energy and force that builds literal momentum of the human soul and mind.”