July 2, 2008: My New Favorite Summer TV Show

Might as well just admit it:  America's Got Talent has got me.

I watched it from afar last season.  This summer with really nothing on, it caught me as I was channel surfing.

Now, two weeks into Season 2, I have to say I'm just about hooked.  It's not that hard to figure out what got me.  It's about dreams.  Act after act struts across the stage, yet it doesn't matter so much what they do, as what is in their heart.  And in each heart is someone willing to go for it, to share their passion with America and the world.

Yes, it's painful when the acts are terrible and you witness heartbreak.  But my heart soars and yes, some tears flow when America and the judges get it.  It is so fun to take that ride with the contestants.

Speaking of judges, I think Sharon Osbourne is also a big part of the appeal of the show.  She's the loving, encouraging mother figure everyone should have.

And the contestants grab my heart, as well.  As I was watching and cheering last night for 9-year-old singer David Militello, I couldn't help but think he sure does look familiar.  Then it hit me, "Of course!" I've featured his story right here on DarynKagan.com.

You can check out David's story here and then see him sing on the America's Got Talent website.

If you're hooked, you can check out the next show Tuesday night @ 9pm.

June 29, 2008: Thank You, New York Times!

If you've ever wanted a behind the scenes tour of DarynKagan.com, you should check out this weekend's New York Times.

Their "Shifting Careers" columnist, Marci Alboher, has written a really nice piece.

I share with her what it was like to leave CNN and even more importantly to me now, how I put together this website.

Marci asked me to produce a video just for The Times explaining how I'm able to gather stories from all around the world.

You'll find it all by clicking here.

Thanks, Marci!

By the way, if you're thinking of changing up careers and don't want to do just one thing, then you should check out Marci's book, One Person/Multiple Careers/A New Model For Work/Life Success.

You'll meet folks who have built what Marci calls "Slash" careers and you'll get some tips on how you can build that stimulating and rewarding lifestyle for yourself, as well.

One more btw: Marci didn't know that I was going to plug her book here.  It's just as someone who is living the "Slash" lifestyle and loving it, I'm happy to pass along a great resource to help others have their dream come true.

Just in case you're wondering, Marci didn't know I was going to plug her book here.  It's just as someone who is living the "Slash" life right now and loving it, I'm happy to pass along a great resource for others to make their dream careers come true, as well.

June 19, 2008: This Might Be For You

A friend sent along this quote this week.  Something tells me I'm meant to share it with you.

 "Things don't go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up.
They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be."

-- Samuel Johnson

So just in case you are having a "Why me?" kind of day and can't see how this situation or broken heart is going to turn around I send this quote and love out to you.

And what about the rest of you?  Have you been there?  Do you have a happy ending to a broken heart story?

Please send it along to me.  Daryn@DarynKagan.com.  I'll share the best one here on the blog.

Here's to building up to all that we each are meant to be.

June 14, 2008: A BitterSweet Fathers Day

Happy Fathers Day, Stu!

That's my dad and me at Super Bowl XXXII back in 1998 in San Diego.  It was just one of the many sports memories we shared over the years.  The place where so many fathers and sons connect, was the place where my dad and met.

Watching sports are the times I miss him most, now that he's gone.  Stu passed in September, which makes this my first Fathers Day without him.  Some very nice friends have checked in to see how I'm doing with that.

The honest answer is actually, I'm okay.  Stu never did let us make a big deal over Fathers Day, so it's not like I'm aching thinking we won't ever have another one like that.

But not being able to pick up the phone and talk about how the Lakers are tanking in the NBA Finals or debate whether Tiger Woods will pull rebound from knee surgery to win the US Open this weekend?  That's where the hole is.

By the way, what's with calling my dad by his first name?  Well, he was the dad that was at all the sports practices, the one who did the carpool, the one who was around all the kids when so many dads were absent.  All the kids called him, "Stu," so we Kagan kids simply started doing the same thing, interchangeably with, "Dad."

I mentioned in an earlier blog that I was looking for a different kind of way to acknowledge Fathers Day this year.  I do believe I found it.  A cool way to honor Stu this weekend.  It speaks to another  passion we shared, ice cream!

That's why I'm heading my closest Wendy's Restaurant and buy a Frosty!  See, for every Frosty sold over this weekend, June 14-15, Wendy's will donate 50-cents to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

You might be familiar with Dave Thomas.  He was the founder of Wendy's.  He was adopted as a child and spent his life and fortune supporting causes that encourage adoption.

Dave passed away in 2002, so you know his family has already had more than a few Fathers Days without him.  But as his good work shows, dads have a way of living on long after they leave this earth.

So, if you're lucky enough to have your dad around this weekend, why don't you stop by a Wendy's, pick up a Frosty, and share a toast to Dave Thomas and Stu.

June 10, 2008: Creating What He Seeks With His Dad

It means a lot to me to get to share today's story with you.

CBS' Jim Nantz is one of the most famous sportscasters in America.  He also happens to be a friend.  And he happens to have something in common with many of us.

See, Jim won't be having the Fathers Day he would have chosen this year.  His father, whose also known as Jim, has been battling Alzheimer's Disease since 1995.  He  lies in a Houston care facility, unable to speak, and appears to not know what's happening around him.

The Nantz family has watched their beloved husband and father slowly fade away since he was diagnosed more than a dozen years ago.

With each passing year, Jim has lost more of the dad he loves.  Meanwhile, ironically, Jim's career has only gotten bigger and bigger.

In fact, last year, he had the chance to accomplish something that has never been done before in the world of sports broadcasting.  Jim Nantz broadcast The Super Bowl, The Final Four basketball tournament, and The Masters golf tournament in a 63-day stretch.  Hard to appreciate how big that is if you're not a sports fan.  If you are, well, it's like, "Wow!"

Some folks came to Jim and told him he should write a book about his incredible experiences.  What they didn't know was that Jim was aching inside.  Sure he appreciated his big opportunity, but his heart was breaking because this was the kind of thing he had always dreamed of doing with his Dad by his side.

Then came the inspiration!  What if he wrote a book as a living tribute to his dad?  To the man who taught him his love of sports, to the man who taught him about morality and dignity?  Now, he was onto something.

That's how Always By My Side: A Father's Grace and a Sports Journey Unlike Any Other came to be.

In the book, you get to learn all about Jim's dad.  You also meet so many of the famous people Jim has come across in his incredible sports career.  You see how Jim's career of reporting on greatness is really about looking for the greatness he first found in his own father.

So, no, Jim Nantz, didn't have the exact experience he wanted last year when he made history and he hasn't had the Father's Day he's wanted for a long time, but he's doing something that inspires me. 

He's creating what he seeks. 


As I was out walking my dog early this morning, I was thinking about Jim and a few lines of The Serenity Prayer came to mind.


Grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.


Jim can't change the course of his father's disease.  But he's done what can.  He's written a beautiful tribute to a great family man, his dad.  And can I say, we are all the richer for it.


A hint, hint—if you haven't found your dad a Fathers Day present yet, this would be perfect.  Just click here and Amazon.com will have it to you in time for Sunday.


As for not having the Fathers Day you would have chosen, I, too understand.  This will be my first without my dad, Stu, who passed away in September.  Not the Fathers Day I would've chosen, but I thank my friend, Jim, for the inspiration to now create something special for that day.  I'll get back to you on what I come up with.


Meanwhile, Jim—thanks for the book and sharing your father's grace with all of us.


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