On Your Mark... Get Set.. Go!

Do you believe there’s a lot of good stuff happening out there every single day? Do you believe in the American Dream?

Courtesy: unicyclingusa.org

(CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.) - I’m on an adventure to shine a light on the good in life! This venture is titled "The Good Stuff." You’ll notice I didn’t say I named this venture, and that’s because I give credit where credit is due.

Out of the mouth of babes comes much wisdom; and in this case, the wisdom comes from my 9-year-old son. I was sitting around with my husband discussing names for this endeavor for the umpteenth time when my oldest son entered the room and wanted to know what we were talking about. I told him we were brainstorming names for my new company which was going to give a voice to all the good things in life, etc … etc ... etc …. He immediately says, "Mom, you should call it 'The Good Stuff'!”

The name stuck. You can imagine how proud and happy I was to have my son contribute to my vision for shining a light on the positive! I thought to myself, "This 'following your dreams' stuff is really great!" Life was good and I was on cloud nine.

This warm and fuzzy feeling lasted until the next morning when my 9-year-old asked me how much I was going to pay him for coming up with the name of my fledgling company. He was not kidding! In his mind, he was clearly due some compensation. The only question in his mind was the amount — not whether or not I should pay him. I’m not worried about his entrepreneurial spirit, but I do think I need to revisit the bedtime stories about loving and serving your neighbor!

At this point, you’ve learned I have at least one son; but you may be wondering, “who is this person so passionately talking about ‘the good stuff’?" Well, it appears I have two wise sons because my 8-year-old son likes to say, "Girls are very complicated." Keeping suit, I’m going to give you a very complicated answer. I am: the housewife of a very good man, a mother to three wonderful boys, a daughter and daughter-in-law, a sister and sister-in-law, a friend, a neighbor, an engineering school grad, a big fan of coffee, a believer in giving back, a lawyer, an average yoga student, and a person with a dream to shine a light on all the good stuff that happens every single day! I guess you can say I have a dream to make a difference, because I believe sharing the good stuff has the power to touch lives around the world!

What kinds of "good stuff" are we going to talk about? Well … that’s simply the best part of this new venture! When you look around, "the good stuff" is everywhere. The material is endless! We’re going to talk about all the good things you see as you live, give, grow and interact with the world around you. I say "we" because “The Good Stuff” is about you! It’s about your story! It’s about all the good you see every day as you live your life.

“Live.” “Give.” “Grow.” These descriptors may seem a little broad, but they are where we find "the good stuff." They are the zest and marrow of life! As we live, we find good stuff in food, fashion, the arts, gardening, sports, design, nature, outdoor living, health, R&R, and wellness. As we give and see others giving, we renew our convictions that people want to give to something greater than themselves. As we give and learn of neighbors doing the same, we renew the hope that anchors the soul and urges us on to do great things. As we grow, we stretch ourselves to learn new things, take a new class, keep things fresh and flowing. As we grow, we begin to leave this place better than when we found it. As we grow, we make our mark and leave a shining legacy.

Finding the good in life is spacious and open, but I can assure you that we’ll get very specific on "The Good Stuff." On "The Good Stuff," we’ll talk about all the ooey, gooey, sticky details. Nothing is off the table! We’ll talk about everything … maybe even the things you’re not supposed to talk about. For instance, we’ll talk about: Greenways and the environment; the secret to a delicious donut; the miracle of adoption; the power of a designer shoe; sex, or the abstinence thereof; the magic of historical lighting; the moxie of the start-up down the street; the vigor of a company 5000 employees strong; the value of established charities; or the beauty of a neighbor that’s gone out of his way to help his fellow man — just to name a few.

We’ll talk about the light and airy and merry, but we’ll also address the hard stuff that’s not so easy to talk about. As a dear friend of mine says, "Life gets sticky … and when it gets sticky, it gets good." So when you see the sticky stuff, don't think we’re off-point or off-mission — just remember the sticky stuff can lead you to "the good stuff." We’ll talk about struggles in the inner city, but we’ll also share the hope and future for the inner city. We’ll talk about the ups and downs of organ donation and organ transplant. We’ll talk about poverty and hear from those who are working to make a real difference. We’ll talk about things like: the oil spill; the merits of pre-paid electricity; marriage — the good, the bad, and the ugly; the loss of a loved one; raising kids; and loving teenagers. A lot of this stuff is hard, but the hard stuff can lead to "the good stuff" if you stick with it long enough.

On Your Mark … Get Set … Go! We’re off and ready to give a voice to “The Good Stuff.” Light and airy, easy or hard — together, we’ll talk about it all.

CoCo McCain grew up in central Florida and attended the Vanderbilt University School of Engineering. After graduating in 1995, she moved onto the Cumberland School of Law in 1998. In addition to her role as an attorney and writer, CoCo works with a translator so that her articles can also be enjoyed by a Spanish speaking audience.

CoCo presently resides in Chattanooga, Tennessee with her husband and a roost of beautiful children. She says she is your ordinary girl-next-door … but on that one November day in 2009, CoCo was given an extraordinary dream: "A dream to shine a light on all the good things that happen every single day! Everyday acts of love, bravery and generosity. Everyday acts of determination, kindness and triumph in the face of tragedy. The simple things that make life so rich and rewarding! The zest and marrow of life."

She says from the very beginning, the vision for her column The Good Stuff has been crystal clear: shine a bright light on the good in life because sharing the good has the power to touch lives around the world.