The last month or two has kinda been a blur.

I’ve been doing a ton of travel.

Some personal travel and some business travel for a project you’ll hear about later this year at MEGA TRAINING.

But over the July 4th holiday weekend I got to go up to New Hampshire and join my family to celebrate my grandfather turning 100.

This is my grandfather on my mom’s side of the family, and there were about 45 immediate family members in attendance.

My grandmother passed away about 15 years ago, and a lot of other relatives have all passed away now too… but my grandfather keeps going strong.

The guy is a champ.

And he’s lived quite an amazing life.

You know when you’re a kid and you hear stories about your family members I think it kinda passes through one ear and out the other.

But as you get older and become an adult, the meaning and significance of the stories seem to take on a whole new level.

Now I have a whole new level of appreciation for the things my grandfather went through and accomplished in his life.

One of my cousins took the time to assemble a bunch of old photos from his life and they’re really cool so I thought I’d share them with you.

The first one below is from my grandfather’s senior year in high school.

His basketball team were the New Hampshire state champs in 1928.

My grandfather is the one in the middle front and center above the plaque.

Several folks said that we looked just alike in this photo.

Wild when you see they actually had some kind of belt things as part of their uniforms back then.

After they won the state championships, they headed to Chicago by train to compete it what was I guess the first “semi-official” national championships at the time.

And my grandfather remembers that as being a great trip and honor to gather with some of the best athletes in the country.

He also played baseball and he’s another cool photo of him on the end, his older brother Raymond who was on the team with him, and his father who helped coach the team.

My grandfather, or ‘gramps’ as we call him, also served in WWII.

He was stationed over in New Zealand with the Yale medical unit and took care of wounded soldiers until his father passed away and he was sent home for the funeral.

While my my grandfather was home on leave the war was almost ending, so his commanding officer told him just to hand his papers back to the local guy and stay home.

At that point my grandfather met my grandmother, who’s 1st husband had died in the war, and they ended up getting married and having my mom.

My grandfather then went to work for the postal service and spent 32 years working as a civil servant…  back when they walked and delivered mail by hand.

When he reached the over 50 year member mark of the US Postal Service union they came out and held a special celebration for him several years ago.

They’re is another really cool picture from that event, but can’t seem to locate it in the photos right now.

But what I know my grandfather was most proud of… out of all his life accomplishments… is his family.

He raised my aunt and my mom, was there for his 6 grandkids, and 11 great-grandkids, brother, sisters, friends, and more.

Several years ago before my grandmother passed away, we celebrated my grandparents 40th wedding anniversary with a surprise party. It was something special.

Here’s a photo of both my grandparents around that time period.

Anyway, I can’t help but do some self-reflection when I get together with family I haven’t seen in a long time and spend time with my Grandfather celebrating his 100th.

I consider myself a successful guy and so far have been able to do all the things have worked at in my life.

But I’m also guilty of getting pretty narrow focused on goal achievement and accomplishment at times. Frankly, I think it’s hard not to if you’re driven and competitive.

But that’s why it’s great to balance things out and take some down time to reconnect with family on a regular basis. I try to remember… just as my grandfather taught me… to not just wait until sometime dies or somebody gets married.

I don’t have kids yet, but I think it’s important to be there for all the graduations, birthday’s, and more that you can be… just as my grandfather has done in his life.

When I think about all that my grandfather has done and seen in his life including:

- WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq I, Iraq II

- The invention of the model-T Ford automobile, the telephone, the radio, the Internet

- The great depression, the god-damn hippies and crazy 70′s

- The space shuttle, landing on the moon

And all the other amazing accomplishments and evolution of mankind since 1910 it totally boggles my mind.

What will life be like for us over the next 50-60 years?

What will we see in our lifetimes?

What things will change?

What things will stay the same?

I don’t know.. but one thing’s for certain…it’s an amazing, fun, wild, and crazy ride for us all.

I know that if I live to 100 and have a party with about 50 immediate family members in attendance that I’ve been able to support and make a difference in their lives that I’ll take that as a job well done.

My grandfather has set the bar pretty high.

I’m going to work like hell to keep up and try to have as much fun as I can along the way.

Sean