I had the great honor and distinct pleasure while at my weekly Rotary Club meeting on Tuesday of hearing a truly amazing man, motivational speaker Jerry Traylor.

Here's a guy born with cerebral palsy who was LOVED and as a result, always tried to do more than what anyone felt he might be capable of. He has participated in a number of full-length marathons, and even jogged all the way from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to the Brooklyn Bridge in New York to raise awareness.

Next time you're feeling down on yourself and think you "can't" perhaps consider reading Jerry's story and reminding yourself that CAN'T is for quitters. CAN is for anyone willing to try.

His book, Live CAREfully, is also available at his Web site... I bought three copies to give as high school graduation gifts! (Jerry's suggestion - the man's not shy with asking for the order.)

Real estate professionals like to be different. We have witnessed the evolution of catchy vehicles as a moving billboard. First it was the new Volkswagen Beetle... then the PT Cruiser... splashy Hummers... Mike Watkins even introduced a vintage police car!

With the focus on going green, you're going to love this - how about an electric truck for your courier?

That's right, for just $12,500 you can be eliminating 98% of your emissions and drawing attention everywhere you go! Just plug it into an electrical outlet and you're good for 25 miles of distance, with speeds of up to 40 mph.  Imagine your courier pulling up to a seller's house in this cutie!

Thanks to my neighbor, Don Lewis, for introducing me to Small Planet Earth electric vehicles. They also sell a car, multitudes of scooters, an electric bicycle, and get this - even a solar-powered truck!

Save money, take care of the planet, and impress your clients. I'd say that's a total win for everyone!

I just learned of a fantastic national celebration! Starting July 21, 2008, and occurring on the third Monday in July every year thereafter, Hug Your Kids Today is inspired by a woman who lost her 8-1/2 year old son to a brain tumor ten years ago. Her Web site gives suggestions on how to leverage the day from a business perspective.

May gives us Mother's Day and June gives us Father's Day. Now July will bring us another reason to celebrate not only the parent/child connection, but also the importance children have to all of us. Look around at the kids you see today - they will be the ones leading the world, making decisions, and taking care of us in our old age. Are we doing enough to give them the best possible chance to succeed? Are we being the change we want to see in the world?

I will be in Orlando July 21-22, 2008, for the CyberStar Summit. My 12-1/2 year old son, Calvin, will be joining me to gain exposure to high-minded, positive, successful businesspeople. I believe the more I expose him to what's possible, the more likely he is to pursue success.

Whether it's volunteering in the classroom, joining an organization like Rotary International (I am very excited to be in the application process myself - thanks to Diane Stow!) or hiring a neighborhood kid to do some yard work, find a way to positively impact kids today. And on July 21, reach out and hug a few!