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How to Enrich Your Life

Posted on | by chris_norton
Your life is as rich as the lives you enrich ~ Me 😊

Hi Friend,

I can’t believe school is already starting for our kids. The Norton family has had an epic summer and I hope you have had one too. Here are a few highlights from the past 2 months: We went to Sea World, Aquatica, our Foundation Family Wheelchair Camp in Minnesota, spent time with family and friends in Iowa, watched fireworks over the Mississippi River on the 4th of July, weekend getaway to Fort Lauderdale, and celebrated 3 birthdays and 1 adoption day. I’d say we made the most of our summer vacation. 

 

However, no trip can measure up to something as meaningful as our camp experience. It emphasizes a quote of mine, “Life is as rich as the lives you enrich.” It’s great to treat yourself but when you can also treat somebody else to something special and help them smile it just means more. I have seen this play out over and over again and even as I reflect on all of the memories created from this summer. 

 

This June we brought together 22 families across the country who all have at least one child with a physical disability. These kids and myself know all too well what it’s like to be excluded, to feel alone, self conscious of their differences, and to be on the sidelines as a spectator instead of in the action, but not at this camp. 

 

This year’s camp theme was “See the Possibilities” which is exactly what took place over the course of 4 days. All the campers used their unique abilities to do activities they didn’t think they could do. Like zip line, horseback ride, play laser tag, score soccer goals, and launch rockets, among many other activities. Kids who have never had a friend made lots of friends. Parents who felt they had no one else to relate to their situation or had no one to talk to found other parents to confide in. It’s a special week. 

 

After witnessing now three different years of transformations, we are not only going to make sure to have this camp every single year in Minnesota, but the hope is to have these camps across the country in every major region. We will also work hard to make sure everyone of them are completely free for the entire family to attend. The biggest challenge is finding a camp that has enough (15 or more) ADA accessible rooms. If you think you can help fundraise or locate that campsite please feel free to reach out because we need all the help we can get!

Here is a highlight reel from camp.
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Take care,

Chris

 

My 4 Tips to Finish Your Resolutions

Posted on | by chris_norton

What I love about New Year’s is that it feels like the start of a new chapter in your life. Out with the old and in with the new. With all new beginnings there’s excitement and plenty of motivation. I think of it like the start of the outdoor 10K I ran as a kid. Thousands of people are tightly packed as close to the starting line as possible. Heart is pumping, you’re full of adrenaline. The 1st mile you feel great but as the race continues the excitement disappears as you fatigue. You start thinking Why did I sign up for this? 

 

It’s the same when you set out to accomplish a goal. The trick is continuing on that same pursuit as the excitement dwindles and your motivation fatigues. Here are 4 tips to help you continue on your race to accomplish your goals for 2022. 

 

  1. Avoid perfection. If you wanted to workout 4X a week but next week you only get 2 workouts in then so be it! Go for 4X the following week. Don’t quit on your goal just because you came up short or gave into temptation on an off day. I think too many people make goals to be all or nothing. Give yourself wiggle room for failing. Get back on the horse and keep moving forward. 

 

  1. Boost your willpower by eliminating temptation. It’s so much easier to say no to something that’s not there or visible. I think I have a pretty good amount of willpower but when there’s junk food or unhealthy snacks in the house I’m eating them at some point. If a social media app is on my home screen of my phone I’m going to click on it. Therefore, I don’t buy junk food for the house and have moved Twitter off my home screen. It has helped! 

 

  1. Break your goal down to daily tasks. You have a vision of where you want to go like losing weight or making more money but think through how you can inch closer each day. Create a daily process. What are the individual tasks you can check off the box today? At what time will this be done? 

 

  1. Share your goal with a few close friends or family. It will help you stick with the goal to avoid the feeling of shame when they check on your progress later on. Better yet, make it a competition with one of them who also has a goal. Put some money on the line to create an incentive and consequence for not following through.  

 

I hope that helps! Let me know your favorite advice for sticking with goals. 

 

Take care,

 

Chris