Journal of today’s activities:

Last night I slept at my grandmother’s home in Southern California. My mother lives there also, and my sister Julie happened to be in town with my niece, Sophia. It was the first time we’ve ever been together. I enjoyed seeing everyone, even though I was away working for the entire day.

I spent the day in Orange County working with an exciting real estate development company that is in rapid-growth mode. The company is building its sales force and I’ve begun doing some work to train the team. This project represents an essential step in developing the Straight-A Guide system of personal development. As I’ve frequently written, I use the context of my 26-year journey through prison as a teaching tool. The real message, however, shows that any individual can reach a higher potential when that individual takes time to define values, set clear goals, and then execute a plan that will deliver.

In preparation for this task, I met with senior members of the leadership team. The head of sales was out of town on personal business. I won’t be able to meet with him until later this month. I was only in town for a two-day visit, and he won’t return before I conclude my trip to Southern California. But I enjoyed learning from others on the team.

• Days since my release from 26 years in federal prison: 239
• Miles run today: 8
• Miles run this week: 24.8
• Miles run this month: 54.43
• Miles run in 2014: 790.44
• Miles I need to run to reach my 2,400-mile running goal for 2014:
• Number of miles I’m ahead of schedule or behind schedule: 146.58
• Today’s Weight: 166