Mulligan on Fire!

by Dave Morris | Apr 15, 2016 | Uncategorized

I don’t know about you, but I was a big Elton John fan in the 70’s and 80’s.  One song in particular that always gave me chills as I listened—okay, and sang along—was Nikita.  The lyrics describe a crush on an East German border guard he can never meet—someone with “eyes that look like ice on fire”.  Could it be that a Mulligan was in order?

Reflecting on the disparity in the human condition, I always thought how cool it would be if one day those who lived under the iron fist of communism could get a Mulligan.  Who could have predicted that just four short years later, on November 9, 1989, that wall would fall?

A crowd of West German citizens gathers at the newly created opening in the Berlin Wall at Potsdamer Platz.

The year 2010 found me attending a Languages in the Media conference in Berlin.  While walking along the grounds of the Brandenburg Gate on the former East Berlin side my Blackberry buzzed.  It was an email from a business colleague in Moscow, Russia.  Momentarily stunned, I marveled at the significance of what by then had become an everyday occurrence—communicating with another who was born behind the Iron Curtain, yet who now cherished the same freedom and values that I had long held dear.  That my location in the very moment was in what had once been the shadow of the ominous Berlin Wall instantly caused me to think of these lyrics that had once haunted me as much as they had given me pause to yearn for the freedom of my brothers and sisters.

Such freedom was realized by humanity taking a Mulligan!  A re-boot; a do-over; a second chance to get it right after decades of oppression and corruption on the backs of the average citizen.

To all of the Nikita’s out there, I would love to learn of any way that you were able to take full advantage of that Mulligan and pursue your dreams.

Cheers, to your life well lived!

Ice On Fire by Elton John

Nikita

from the 1985 album Ice on Fire by Elton John.

Lyrics by Elton John and Bernie Taupin

Hey, Nikita, is it cold

In your little corner of the world?

You could roll around the globe

And never find a warmer soul to know.

Oh, I saw you by the wall,

Ten of your tin soldiers in a row,

With eyes that look like ice on fire,

The human heart a captive in the snow.

Oh, Nikita, you will never know, anything about my home;

I’ll never know how good it feels to hold you.

Nikita, I need you so.

Oh, Nikita, is the other side of any given line in time

Counting ten tin soldiers in a row?

Oh, no.  Nikita you’ll never know.

Do you ever dream of me?

Do you ever see the letters that I write?

When you look up through the wire,

Nikita, do you count the stars at night?

And if there comes a time,

Guns and gates no longer hold you in.

And if you’re free to make a choice,

Just look towards the west and find a friend.

Oh, Nikita, you will never know, anything about my home;

I’ll never know how good it feels to hold you.

Nikita, I need you so.

Oh, Nikita, is the other side of any given line in time

Counting ten tin soldiers in a row?

Oh, no.  Nikita you’ll never know.

So, what’s your story?  Send questions or comments to:

dave@powerofmulligans.com

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Ready for Your Finest Hour? Take the Mulligan Challenge!

by Dave Morris | Mar 20, 2016 | Uncategorized

“To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that which could have been their finest hour.”  – Sir Winston Churchill

After a long government career as a Member of Parliament and in multiple cabinet posts, Winston Churchill fell out of favor with the British political establishment in general and several Prime Ministers in particular.  His ten-year absence from the political scene is widely regarded by historians as “the wilderness years.”  But rather than sulk off into obscurity, he continued to remain relevant during this period and share his voice through his writings.

Churchill’s iconic Mulligan came in the form of his vocal opposition to the rise of Hitler’s Nazi dictatorship.  As the reality of war settled over Great Britain, his unique brand of leadership was desperately needed by his country.  Indeed life tapped the statesman on the shoulder and his resolve and inspirational leadership as Prime Minister played a vital role in the eventual allied victory in Europe.

Leading Britain in its finest hour proved to be his finest hour.

My own life-changing Mulligan came when I beat prostate cancer a little over two years ago.  That gift inspired me to lose almost fifty pounds last year and to launch the Power of Mulligans.

You might say I’m on a mission.  And that mission is to change lives through second chances!

To the one holding a grudge over hurt feelings: give them a Mulligan!  You’ll sleep better tonight.

To the one who has struggled to lose weight and is ready to give up:  take a Mulligan!  You can do it!

To the driver who was just cut off on the freeway, again: take a deep breath and give them a Mulligan.  After all, they are likely having a worse day than you are!  Imagine if every commuter in the U.S. vowed to give at least one Mulligan each way to an inconsiderate driver.  We could cut road rage in half!

Starting today, I invite you to take the Mulligan Challenge, which is this:

Every day make a conscious effort to…

1. Give someone a Mulligan
2. Take a Mulligan, yourself
3. Invite someone else to join the Mulligan Challenge

Whatever might be standing in the way between you and a life well lived, this is your moment.  That’s right; I’m tapping you on the shoulder and inviting you to find power in Mulligans.  And through that power, you might just realize that this is your chance to do “a very special thing.”

We can change the world—one Mulligan at a time!  Are you with me?

So, what’s your story?  Send questions or comments to:

dave@powerofmulligans.com

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