The Inspiration of Mike Rowe

Inspiration Comes Without Warning…

I actually set out to write a totally different post for today, but through the research, I came across something that altered my direction of thought.

My original idea was about reviewing the success of a few people that I admire, folks that made that long climb up the ladder to the top of their industry. There were 4 names on my list.

As I began the research on their backgrounds, I came across another name, one that I didn’t really know much about. I had seen him on TV, and I remembered seeing something on the internet about a project he was working on that had piqued my interest, but I never got around to checking it out.

Today I looked him up. His name is Mike Rowe, but you may know him as “the dirtiest man on TV” from the show Dirty Jobs.

Aside from the fact that I like his sense of humor and style, there were some things he said regarding work ethics and attitudes that resonated with my beliefs, so I added him to my list of names.

Then, I came across the section involving his scholarship program, which was the project I mentioned earlier.

Part of the application process involves something called “The S.W.E.A.T. Pledge”, which stands for: Skill & Work Ethic Aren’t Taboo. There are 12 parts in this pledge, and he put together a series of short videos giving a brief explanation for each with real-life examples.

I found all 12 videos to be informative, encouraging, and inspirational. But #8 actually brought me to tears. There are no additional words that I could give to add any value, so instead, I’d like to share the video. It’s only about 6 minutes long, and well worth the time.

An Attitude of Gratitude

I was left completely humbled and inspired, so I just want to say thank you to Mike Rowe for his efforts in this worthy cause, and a special thank you to Staff Sgt Travis Mills, thank you for your service and sacrifice, along with your efforts in The Travis Mills Foundation. You are a true hero and role model.

Maybe we all need a reminder from time to time, life can change instantly, in the blink of an eye. Instead of whining and complaining about what’s going wrong, lets try being thankful for what’s going right. An attitude of gratitude does make a difference.

Well, that’s it for today. The cats are calling me (in other words, I can hear them all running around, tearing things up in the other room).

So, until tomorrow, have a Happy Thursday!  – Amber

(Disclaimer: I am not receiving compensation of any kind, and am not affiliated with Mike Rowe or The Travis Mills Foundation. I just like what they do, and thought you might like it too.)