Tell me you aren’t one of those that
gets your panties in a wad over
the challenges life throws in your way?!?!?

Sharla here…former complainer of
life’s roadblocks, turned LOVER of it all.

There are two perspectives that we all
have the CHOICE to live by.

1. Life happens to you.
2. Life happens FOR YOU.

I must admit that #1 is where I operated
from for the first part of my life.

IT WAS HELL.
IT WAS MISERABLE and
so was I.

My perspective made me disgusted,
made me feel angry all the time and
cynical to boot…

…Unpleasant person is
how I felt and
I’m sure how many
viewed me in that light.

I felt powerless most the time.

It all changed unexpectedly
at a woman’s
retreat I attended…

…but I’ll get to that some other time,
because this isn’t about my story.

It’s about a man who crossed
my path that changed my life
and many others too.

This recent college graduate walked into my
life, inspired me to be, well…..ME.

I felt like this man saw me for all my flaws,
all my assets and just ACCEPTED me…

…in all my perfect imperfections.

I know I wasn’t the only one that felt this way
about lover of life, and brilliant
photographer, Brett Spanski.

We began our journey of friendship
working hard on raising money for the
Work, Play, Love non-profit Super Bowl Project.

Neither one of us realized how close we
would become, the secrets we would share,
the business projects we would work on together,
but all of it was exciting, positive and wonderful.

Only to be struck with not so positive
news that rocked our world…

…the BIG C.

Brett, a seemingly healthy
young man, found that
his body was consumed with stage 3B
Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma…

THIS CLEARLY ROCKED HIS
WORLD MORE THAN MINE (KINDA).

With a port “installed” into his flesh,
he sat through 6 months of chemotherapy,
for FIVE HOURS each time.

FIVE HOURS of chemicals
pouring in his body is hard enough,
but the dose of Benadryl that was
added to that cocktail made him
useless for hours and sometimes days.

This clearly wasn’t the life that any person
in their 20’s (or anyone)
dreams of spending their days.

Brett may have had moments of despair…

…Privately tho, because I never heard him
complain, NOT EVEN ONCE.

Those who wanted to see this man
live to be healthy, started a campaign called

“Believe in Brett”

We all believed he would be healed from this
horrible disease and that’s sure the attitude
he took on for himself.

POWERFUL.

This was a life altering hurdle that some
would allow to harden them, to make them
loose hope in a beautiful world, full
of possibilities.

…many would crumble.

HE DIDN’T…THANK GOD.

Brett’s attitude stayed more than
positive and hopeful…and clearly
his brilliant creative ideas didn’t stop
either.

Towards the end of his treatment,
while connecting with another great
friend on a nature walk (or two or three)…

…I’m sure he didn’t anticipate
the greatness that would be created
between the two minds.

Kaley, Brett’s high school friend, was the
special woman now walking this
nature path with him…

…hashing out ideas of how they
could make money together.

What I forgot to mention is that
Kaley and I share much in common…

She’s a single mom of a beautiful
sweet toddler girl.  

Clearly that’s not a path that any woman
would voluntarily choose…

Just like no one would voluntarily choose
to fight cancer if they didn’t have to.

You see, it’s these life hurdles
that these two adventured thru…

…they used as inspiration, instead
of playing a victim and the “wowies me” game.

The challenges in both their
lives gave birth to what they now
call their new business, DETOUR.

Their motto is:
“Relentless positivity no matter the
situation is contagious.”

These wise entrepreneurs say:
“You do not get to choose what life
throws your way. The choice you do
get to make lies in how you face these
obstacles, with a grunt or with a grin.