Marshall Ramsey

Debra is my new friend.

I see her out smoking occasionally when I’m walking out and about around downtown Jackson. She runs a local business.

I really admire Debra.

She lives in Jackson. I don’t. She’s a female. Last time I checked, I’m not. She’s black. I’m pretty pasty. She smokes. I don’t. But that’s probably the extent of our differences. We’re really a lot alike.

We both worry about Jackson. She is worried that people seem to not care. Me, too. I know that a strong Jackson is important for the metro and Mississippi. She agrees. We both want the best for our children and know that education is the best path. We both worry about pressures our kids face. We discuss our political leadership, their flaws and what we’d like to see in the way of leadership. She gives me her perspective. I share mine. And we respect that we’ve walked different paths to get to that spot on the sidewalk.

But what I like the most about Debra is that she has a wicked sense of humor. She knows that you have to laugh at the crazy things life or you’ll go crazy yourself. She’s funny. Very funny.

Debra is my new friend. She makes me laugh. And I’m better off for it.

Can you change your life in 12 weeks?

Yes.

I did it in January 2012. On October 31, 2010, I ran the Marine Corps Marathon. By December 2011, I had gained 50 lbs., was bloated and miserable.

That’s when Paul Lacoste entered my life.

Paul had been in cahoots with my wife Amy about wanting to train me. She was worried that my heart would seize from globs of fat so they worked on an intervention. The teamed up and ambushed me.

Within a few days, I was pushing a towel and trying not to vomit on JSU’s basketball floor. The Fit4Change bootcamp had begun.

Within 12 weeks, I lost the recently gained 50 lbs. And since then, I haven’t looked back. (I never did vomit on the floor, btw)

Tuesday, I was tested for this round of Fit4Change. My numbers were out of whack due to stress — but otherwise, I’m in much better shape than I was the first time. (Cholesterol was a high (for me) 177 and my blood pressure was high. Pulse was a good 61. Weight was high at 226 (with clothes and shoes))

My goal? Get my cholesterol back down to its usual 130. BP needs to get back to 120/70 (my usual). And my weight? I’m looking to get to an even 200 lbs. That’s 26 lbs.

I have my work cut out for me.

But what I really need to do is to, as Coach Paty used to say, get my mind right. I will be working out at Madison Central at 5 a.m. (and occasionally at JSU). I’ll be telling stories about the next 12 weeks. Some will be my own struggle. But I’ll also be telling some of the other athletes’ stories as well.

Paul Lacoste changed my life four years ago. I think it’s safe to say, he’s about to do it again.

1…2….3….Next Level.

I guess it is appropriate yesterday was Epiphany.

The weight of the world was stepping on my throat so I decided I’d go out for a run to self-medicate. For the first two miles, I thought about all my problems. My mind was troubled as entered the woods where I love to run. The trees cast dark shadows and I felt a chill. Gravel crunched under my feet as I headed over a small bridge at the entrance. Then I saw it. The sun burned through the gloom and lit a small sliver of my path. And I felt a truth wash over me (it could have been sweat, but I am pretty sure it was truth).

It’s time to change my story.

We’re directors of our lives but sometimes we allow others to write our screenplay. That’s why we see the world like we do. If someone “screws us over,” we tend to filter the world that way. If we get hit over the head, we don’t trust people (and for good reason). If you get in a bad wreck, you fear driving. If you buy a white Honda Accord, suddenly everyone drives white Honda Accords. If people you respect tell you things, you see the word in that manner. Like the saying goes, if all you have is a hammer, the world becomes nothing but nails.

Stories are how we filter the vast amount of stimuli that attacks our five senses. We also use them to protect our fragile egos. We create ways to see the world to make sense of life. Or we allow them to be created for us.

As I was running, I decided it’s time to write my own screenplay.

It’s easy to focus on the negative. And there’s plenty of it out there to focus on. I’m not saying to be a pollyanna and ignore it. But instead of allowing it to dictate your life, take it on head on. Deal with it and get moving forward. Look at life’s challenges not as defeat but for opportunity to grow.

Decide what you want your life to be. What do you stand for? Is it for the good? Are you willing to help others? To hone your gifts and skills to their finest? We only get one shot at this (unless you believe in reincarnation — and if you do, we should step up and get it right this life, not the next).

My story has a lot of flaws in it. Flaws that were created a long time ago by well-meaning but misguided people. That has tainted how I see my life and the people in it. It kept me from writing for years. It kept me afraid to take risks. I believed that failure equalled me not being a good person. That’s wrong. Failure is how you learn. Failure is a gift if lessons are taken from it.

I come from two people that gave me many gifts. But probably the best gift was their perseverance. They’re at the end of their lives now (and that has been very painful for my family). But I realize that toughness is my story.

The sun almost blinded me as I headed out of the woods. My legs were tired but my heart strong I had the idea in my head for a new story.

Now to get busy producing it. I want to hand that story off to my children’s memories.

P.S. The photo is the moment I saw the sun on my run.

No one can accuse George Lucas of not making the most of what he had. Well, until Disney bought his company. They have taken his franchise — the one that reinvented the movie business and merchandising industry — and mined it for even more gold. They’ve more than made back 25% of their investment on one movie. One. That’s not including all the tie-ins and toys. And books and other licensed products. The Force is strong with their creative and marketing teams.

Star Wars went from being huge to huger.

I walked in this morning and saw E&P magazine (a news trade magazine) on my office floor. The headline screamed “The Rising Popularity of Podcast: How audio is transforming storytelling and revenue for publishers” (Radio figured it out years ago). It’s just another example of how the industry I grew up in is trying to change. Newspapers are in a era of reinvention. Frankly, we all are (ask the manager of the local Blockbuster store). I held the magazine in my hand and started thinking, “We’re all a bit like George Lucas’ Star Wars. We have created a great story and are telling it daily (our jobs, our family). But you wonder. Could someone else tell the story better? How can we? Could there be more? What’s holding me back from doing it? How could I be like Disney and use my gold mine of talents in other and better ways?

I’ve driven all over Mississippi the past couple of months. We are a land of great potential. We have rich soil and talented people. But then I read articles about ‘brain drain,’ and it makes me worry about our future. But what’s holding us back? I cover the news. I have a few ideas about what our problems are. And how do we solve them? I know that it all starts with the person in the mirror. It’s easy to point our fingers and blame other for our problems. Instead, we have to look at lives hard and say, “Am I using all my talents?” “What can I do to make this a better place to live? ”

I’m doing that right now. I’m at a personal crossroads. The biggest struggle I have is workflow and of course, making it pay off. I’m a very creative person who is trying to mine that creativity in ways that will feed my family. I’m sure you’ve had similar moments in your life.

All I know is that I need to reflect, set goals and work my ass off to make those goals reality. I will vow to use my talents to uplift other people.

I guess you could say the Force has awakened. 2016 will be a year of innovation and change.

May the creative Force be with you.

I popped out of the woods and was greeted by an old friend. I hadn’t seen my favorite oak tree since a series of storms blew through last week. My feet quietly padded along the Natchez Trace as I passed it. It had lost leaves since the last time I had been by (my runs have been shorter lately). Then I noticed a pretty good-sized limb on the ground.

The storms had damaged the oak. But it still stood.

It’s strong with deep roots and a solid core to weather what life throws at it. And it’s limbs normally are flexible enough to sway during the storm.

But one limb didn’t make it.

Yet the oak still stood.

How many of us are facing storms in our lives? How many of us are dinged and damaged? I ran with a friend who told me of her struggles in life. You could hear the pain in her voice. But she doesn’t let it slow her down. She was finishing up a 20-mile run. She’s tough.

Like the oak, she still stands.

I passed back by the oak on the way home. I smiled, saluted and yelled “Happy New Year!”

It didn’t answer back.

It just stood.

If you live in central Mississippi, you might know about Yazoo Clay. What’s Yazoo Clay? If the Devil became clay, it’s the one he’d choose. It expands when wet. It contracts when dry. It’s like trying to build roads and buildings on chicken crap. No, chicken crap would be better. You haven’t lived until you’ve paid some guy named Bubba to dig a hole in your back yard so you can pour your savings into it. It’s what causes the streets to break apart and tear up your car.

Yahoo Clay sucks.

But it provides a good metaphor for those of us putting together our 2016 Resolutions. If you build your house on a bad foundation, it doesn’t matter how pretty it is: It will eventually fall apart.

So as I wrap up 2015, I’m going to work on my foundation. I’m going to clean out my closets, drawers and garage. I’m going to organize my business affairs. I’m going to work on my closest relationships and strengthen my faith. I’m going to fix the things people can’t see. That way I can build on them for next year.

2016 will start with a solid foundation. And will be stronger and better than ever.

A challenge is like a fork in the road. You can stand up to it or you can let it defeat you. Quitting is the easy route. But that’s not a life well-lived. It’s better to be a warrior and face the hardship. Take it on by developing new skills. Look at the person or situation and decide what exactly it is about them (or it) that you don’t like. And then vow to be totally different.

It’s not easy.

Because change is hard. But so’s the discomfort and pain brought on by the challenge. You have to make that choice: Which one will I endure? Choose the path for growth.

Usually if it is a person who is tormenting you (and sometimes it can be someone who you love), it is because of their own personal flaws and weaknesses. Sometimes bad people are put into your path to make you develop strength and wisdom. And once you do, the pain they try to inflict melts like ice on a hot summer day.

Become a warrior. Develop yourself mentally, spiritually and physically.

That newfound strength will shield you against fear, hatred, greed and bitterness. Insults will bounce off you. Hatred melts with your smile. You walk away from the encounter stronger and more determined.

Live a purposeful life. Learn to love discipline. Train until it hurts. Use your talents to help others. And when you do face darkness, be the light that exposes it for what it is.

The world needs more of that in 2016.