The Best “Pickup Line” Ever 😮
The way we met was quite amazing. It wasn’t exactly the way we met that was amazing, but the fact that Pat used the worst pickup line in the universe and we still became a couple. (Ask us about it if you’d like to know.)
We met at a rugby tournament, had our first date 3 days later, moved in together within 30 days and were married on July 9, 1982, less than one year after we met.
Pat’s Life Lesson – It’s not what you say to people that matters, it’s how you make them feel.
Lorna’s Life Lesson – First impressions aren’t always right.
Kids…
We enjoyed life and being with each other for the first 7 years of our marriage. Then one day we decided we should start a family, and along came our 3 wonderful children; Brendan (1990); Raymond (1992); and Danielle (1994).
One thing we noticed, with all the activities that go along with having kids, we were very busy. Yet they were all amazing life experiences and we wouldn’t change a single thing.
We were also extremely fortunate in that one of us was usually able to work at home to be with the kids. Mostly it was Pat because of the programming contracts he could do at home. This was very important to us as we really believe that children should have their parents around during their childhood.
Pat’s Life Lesson – Watching a new life being born is one of the most wonderful life experiences. (I’m sure glad I’m a male… I know I wouldn’t have been tough enough to have given birth to a baby… thank you ladies/Lorna!)
Lorna’s Life Lesson – Giving birth creates a very special connection between a child and a mother. It would be a wonderful world if we looked at all our relationships this way.
Growing Together…
… allows us to discuss and use all the cool stuff we learn in our daily lives. We get to remind each other (Lorna has a better memory and reminds me more often) about what we learned and how we could be using it during the course of our lives. Yet we both know that we must take what we’ve learned and make it our own.
Pat’s Life Lesson – Marriage is an agreement to disagree and every day you work on the small agreements.
Lorna’s Life Lesson – Everything is about attitude and perspective, and that includes marriage. Keep it positive!
The Coolest Couple
Why “The Coolest Couple”?
There were a couple of reasons:
1) We seemed to do everything together, and people always said to us, “You guys are so cool”, or, “You guys are such a cool couple”.
2) There was an SEO competition for “Coolest Guy on the Planet” so we thought we would go after “Coolest Couple on the Planet”. If you search Google we should still come up #1. Eventually we just shortened it to “The Coolest Couple” (why limit ourselves to earth?)
Although it wasn’t one thing that led to the creation of “The Coolest Couple”, our core message has always been the same: “Connecting COOL People, Tools, Tips, and Knowledge that you can use every day”. And since our message is about connecting, we spend a lot of time connecting with others; whether it’s at events, in online communities, or in Facebook and Skype conversations, we truly strive to understand what each person is about, to see them as a person and not as a number or label. The greatest gift you can give to another human being is to really believe in them as a person. We know that one conversation, one interaction, or one positive comment, can make a huge difference for another human being.
When the teacher is ready the student will appear
~ Pat & Lorna Shanks – The Coolest Couple
We originally started The Coolest Couple to help people with the technology side of the business. But as we got deeper into it, we found that people need both sides of the equation… the technology and the mindset. Without both, people get lost or discouraged… they just don’t have the passion, or drive, to make things happen.
We are all spiritual beings, living in a physical world, or having a human experience. Our physical world is our planet, our plane of existence… using time, space and gravity as our playground. Most of you have probably heard of Mind, Body & Spirit. Well in this reality our minds and bodies are intertwined together in a bit of Yin and Yang. Our minds relate to the non-physical world and our bodies to the physical world, and you need both for your existence here.
Because they are so woven together, you must master both to create anything of value in this world.
We are helping people intentionally create their life, inside and out. Or said another way, to bridge the gap between the non-physical world – The Mind (Thoughts, Beliefs, Values, Attitudes, Language, Memories, Meta-programs and Strategies) and the physical world – The Body (Actions, Blueprints, Goals, and Plans).
We feel this information is sorely needed in organizations, and especially schools, because we are not taught how to process information, focus on outcomes, or what actions we need to take to make things happen.
So by organizing your internal (non-physical) thoughts and external (physical) stuff, you create the bridge, or connection, you need to live a life of purpose and direction.
Pat’s Life Lesson – The greatest gift is being able to help another human being. You just never know how much you can impact another life. We hope, through our message at The Coolest Couple, we can positively impact at least one other person’s life.
Lorna’s Life Lesson – Business always appears to be an external thing, with a focus on such things as productivity, profits and market share; however, without a solid foundation in values, connection and purpose, the external things won’t happen (or they won’t last).
You're Never Too Old…
At the tender age of 49, I (Lorna) got into doing Figures competitions (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitness_and_figure_competition). I did my first competition in October of 2010 and now I’m hooked. As with everything in life, support is the key, and Pat supports me through it all. From the diet, workouts, and applying tanning paste, to taking a whole bunch of pictures and video, and cheering me on, Pat is there!
Pat’s Life Lesson – Having a very hot sexy mama sure feels good.
Lorna’s Life Lesson – Having someone support you 100% is an amazing experience!
Not the End of This Story
This is not the end of our story, not at all. It’s really only the beginning of bigger and better things yet to come.
We really do believe that everyone has a passion, gift, or an area of expertise, they can share with the world. What’s stopping them from realizing their dreams and goals? It’s usually themselves. That’s why our message is about the internal and external aspects of creating a life and business that is founded on values and passions.
We know we can make a difference in one person’s life, then that person can make a difference in another person’s life, and so on… creating what is called the Butterfly Effect. We find that very powerful and inspiring.
Pat’s Life Lesson – “It ain’t over till it’s over.” ~ Yogi Berra
Lorna’s Life Lesson – “Overnight success” rarely happens overnight. It’s just that no one sees the years of hard work and dedication that preceded it.
We have become both students and teachers by Learning, Teaching and Growing together. This year marks 35 years of being together. Yes, we are soul-mates and, together, we are going to be changing lives for the better!