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I am coming to you with a big smile and lots of love.

I am beyond grateful to have this life and it is a gift to be able to share this with you all.

If you’re new, welcome! I'm Ben! This is all about exploring my curiosities and sharing the things that most energize, challenge, and inform my life.

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Missed past editions? I recommend checking out Nerf Gun Fight: Fun & Play, The Power of Now, Man In The Mirror.

With so much excitement I welcome you to experience the below miracle.

Commitment — TBOLITNFL

Before you begin, below is a story that has touched the lives of thousands of people, including mine. I won't do the full story justice but I condensed what I thought would allow you to get the essence.

All of the writing you see is directly taken from Steve Hardison's talk, in his words, I am just here to pass it along.

Now to begin:

"As you read this, read it as if it is about you.

And I promise you, that if you open your mind, and you just be with yourself right now, you'll leave different. That's a guarantee."

It began on a Sunday morning in September 2010. Steve Hardison opened the Arizona Republic newspaper and read about NFL quarterback Matt Leinart being released by the Cardinals.

Leinart – a former Heisman Trophy winner and first-round draft pick – had just lost his position as starting quarterback and was being cut from the team entirely.

While most readers might have simply turned the page, Steve had a different reaction. He wasn't concerned about what this meant for the Cardinals' season or Leinart's career statistics. Instead, he found himself wondering about Leinart as a human being.

"I'm sure it looked to my wife like I've been reading the obituaries," Steve recalled. "Like, 'Who died?' Well, who died for me was Matt Leinart. Not Matt Leinart the football player, Matt Leinart the human being."

"Where was he sitting right now, that day? What room was he in?" Steve wondered. "Some people say, 'Oh, he made a lot of money. Who cares?' No, where's he at? I literally thought, 'Where is he sitting right now?'"

Determined to reach out to Leinart, Steve called his friend Vai Sikahema, a former NFL player himself. Vai told him, "I know the name of the guy you need to get a hold of. His name is Deuce Lutui," a 386-pound offensive lineman for the Cardinals.

Steve called Deuce and left a message explaining his concern for Leinart and his desire to help. When they finally connected the next evening, Steve learned that Leinart had already signed with the Houston Texans.

As their call was about to end, Deuce asked an unexpected question:

"Would you do with and for me what you were going to do with and for Matt Leinart?"

His question caught Steve by surprise but Steve is dedicated to helping others.

The next day, exactly one minute before their scheduled time, Steve's doorbell rang. Standing there was Deuce Lutui. A behemoth of a man. 6’4” 386 lbs with what Steve described as "legs coming out of his arm sockets" and calves so large they seemed impossible.

"Look, if I'm gonna work with you, I don't do shaking hands. Can I give you a hug?" Steve asked.

"Sure!" Deuce replied, embracing Steve despite being so large that Steve couldn't get his arms all the way around him.

"The next 45 minutes I spent was like being in heaven," Steve recalled. Sitting in his living room, he was captivated by Deuce's profound humanity. Deuce spoke about coming from Tonga, his journey to America, his wife and children, and a tragic accident that had claimed his sister's life and put his father and brother in long-term comas.

"I've never heard anyone in my life talk about another living person like Deuce Lutui talked about the king of Tonga," Steve said. "This huge man in spirit, and in heart, and in body, began to cry. Tears coming down his eyes."

As they walked to Steve's backyard office, Steve explained, "Where I do my work is for me the most sacred place on Earth. Because what I do in this office with people is, we really look at who they really are."

They entered the office and sat down. For another 45 minutes, Deuce shared deeply personal thoughts and feelings.

Then, sitting knee-to-knee with Deuce, Steve said, "I just have one question for you, Deuce. Can I ask you that?"

"Yes," Deuce replied.

Steve leaned forward, looked directly into Deuce's eyes, and asked: "Deuce, who is the best offensive lineman in the NFL?"

Silence filled the room as Steve waited patiently.

"Thanks for answering my question, Deuce, I appreciate it," Steve finally said.

Confused, Deuce responded, "I didn't answer your question."

"Oh no, you did," Steve countered. "It was so loud, I could hear it in the whole office."

Steve pointed out, "The answer is not hanging from the walls or ceiling. I'm just wondering if you could find any answer in here anywhere?"

"You're confusing me!" Deuce exclaimed.

"We're going to play a new game, Deuce. I'm gonna pretend to be you, and I want you to pretend to be me. When you pretend to be me, all you need to do is ask me, ‘Deuce, who the best offensive lineman in the NFL?’ And I'll answer you."

They got into position, and Deuce asked, "Deuce, who do you think is the best offensive lineman in the..."

Before he could finish, Steve leapt from his chair, grabbed Deuce by the collar, and shouted with absolute conviction:

"IF YOU HAD ANY IDEA WHO I WAS, YOU WOULDN'T ASK ME SUCH A STUPID QUESTION!"

"Listen, I am Deuce Lutui, and I am the best offensive lineman in the NFL. That's who I am. Because if you could hear me, let me tell you what you could do. I don't care who's in the huddle: Bart Starr, Joe Namath, Kurt Warner, any of them. It's fourth and one, we win the game. And I'm Deuce Lutui. And I am the best offensive lineman in the National Football League. So, when I go to the huddle, and they say, 'It's fourth and one', and I know I'm still not supposed to talk, here's what's going on inside me. And I don't care who the quarterback is. 'Run a ride, 34 search right up my backside.' That's a play to the right, right over number 76, Deuce Lutui."

"Deuce, we're out of time. I'm done," Steve concluded.

Deuce stood up looking stunned by what had just occurred.

As they walked out, Steve explained, "If you ever got inside you who you could be, it would be what I call a personal internal commitment. And getting that inside you would operate everything you do."

Before parting, Steve made Deuce a simple request: "I want you to get in that big truck, drive away somewhere, and sit quietly. Think about what just happened for three and a half hours at my house."

That night, Deuce sent an email that would alter not just his life but create ripples affecting countless others:

This has locked my future and has secured my goals

The best in the game!!!

The best OL in the NFL!!! best pro bowler there is!!!! Best at my craft!!!! Best on the team!!!!

Captain!!!!! PAID!!!!!!!!! I AM!!!!!!!!!!

The scary thing is this isn't enough for me nor good enough

Love you brother

I want you to witness this at every game at every play please let me have you at every game you are able to make.

It will bless my life to know you're behind me literally watching my every move!

Again, The best in the game!!! The best OL in the NFL!!! best pro bowler there is!!!! Best at my craft!!!! Best on the team!!!!

Captain!!!!! PAID!!!!!!!!! I AM!!!!!!!!!!

He signed it "TBOLITNFL" – The Best Offensive Lineman In The NFL.

When Steve read Deuce's email that night, he felt its power "everywhere you could feel it. Beyond my body, my mind, my spirit, my soul, and everything."

He immediately wrote back: "Deuce, POWERFUL, LIKE YOU. SO LET IT BE WRITTEN, SO LET IT BE DONE!!!"

What happened next is the POWER OF COMMITTING.

Within days, a cascade of seemingly impossible connections began to unfold:

• A CEO who heard the story immediately declared his own powerful commitment and transformed his 130-employee company by having each person create their own "TBOLITNFL" statement.

• Through a chance conversation, Steve learned that his friend's wife had known the king of Tonga for 20 years. This led to the Tongan king coming to visit for Thanksgiving and attending a Monday Night Football game to watch Deuce play.

• Deuce was invited to light the ceremonial temple lights in Mesa, Arizona. A significant honor in the community.

• Within weeks, the acronym "TBOLITNFL" spread across continents. People placed decals on their cars, created flags, and shared the story with everyone they knew.

• A flag with "TBOLITNFL" was planned to be planted on Aconcagua, the highest mountain outside of Asia, by a group of CEOs on an expedition.

On the field, Deuce's transformation was incredible. As Michael Neill wrote in his blog: "Over the first four games of the season, Deuce has been ranked the top offensive lineman three times, and despite the struggles of his team, has come to national attention for the way he's been playing."

But the most powerful change wasn't about football statistics or famous connections. Deuce's wife Pua said it best:

"I thought that TBOLITNFL was strictly football, and nothing more. But as the days progressed, Deuce started to change the way he talked, and literally the way he walked... his aura was amazing."

As Steve explained: "When one is committed, the world finds its way to the commitment. It's like a black hole. Everything you need finds your way to the commitment. It is heavier than gravity."

The true power of Deuce's story isn't about football or fame. It's about the transformative force of a personal commitment.

At its core was a simple yet profound declaration: "I am."

The question for each of us becomes: What are we really committed to? Not what we say we're committed to, but what drives our actions and decisions daily.

Steve's challenge is simple:

1. Find quiet time to reflect on what you want to commit to

2. Write down your personal internal commitment. Your own "TBOLITNFL"

3. Share your commitment with others who can support you

4. Take consistent daily action aligned with your commitment

"Failure to commit is the high cost of low living," Steve reminds us.

One powerful action from a place of commitment can start a chain reaction that transforms not only your life but ripples outward to affect countless others.

What do you want to commit to? What will your "TBOLITNFL" be?

"I am."

Two simple words that can change everything.

Thank you for reading another edition of The Fellowship. It brings me great joy to share this with you all. If there is someone you know who could benefit from this, please share it.

Thing I Tried: Technology-free Friday and Saturday night! Magical. It took me leaving my Airstream (with my phone and computer still inside) and going somewhere else with nothing but my journal and a book. It got done though.

Things I'm Stepping Into: Integrity, being my word, and commitment. You can count on me for that!

Peace and Love,

Ben