As you may have read about, this company was born out of the pandemic as a realization that despite all of the downers in our lives, there is truly so much to be thankful for and so much to help us stay positive and Forge Ahead!  We plan on sharing many stories via this platform as well as several others that will help people learn from one another and also to embrace the positivity.  How do I Forge Ahead?  There were some very challenging days for me during the early portion of the pandemic (as there were for many), but it really made me realize how much value I place in celebrating things I like doing and sharing my hobbies with friends and family.  Spending time with friends and family is also critically important; however, having personal hobbies is something that I truly believe can help others (I know it helped me) to move beyond many of life's challenges.  I play guitar, workout almost daily, love sports, constantly read about nutrition, enjoy woodworking, LOVE reading comic books, shoot archery, spend time drawing, try to get outdoors as much as I can, have pets (3 dogs and 10 chickens), an awesome vegetable garden, coach youth sports for my daughters, volunteer at the local fire department, I manage a podcast and...oh yea...this exciting business!  As you can tell, I am a very busy person, but what I have found over the years, is that if life is getting me down, I can focus on any one or two of these hobbies at a time to help get me through.  There will absolutely be times where I may put one down for a while, but it's important to know that these hobbies are ALWAYS there for me when I need them most.  For example, during the lockdowns of the pandemic, I don't think I've ever played more guitar in my life; however, once things opened up a bit, I did all I could to get outside and do other things like shoot archery, garden, and play with family in the yard.  

For me, sitting around and doing nothing was not and is not an option.  I'm someone who thrives when being active and who loves sharing those experiences with others.  If you haven't tried it yet, find yourself a hobby or two.  Start small, it doesn't need to be anything crazy.  Try something new, you don't even need to tell anyone else!  Also, don't be afraid to put hobbies down, especially if they don't excite you.  Everything I've discussed here today brings joy to my life and make me feel like me!

Forge Ahead!

-Mike