How It All Started

When I went out running, I would pass people and I noticed something; the looks on their faces. These were people driving to work, taking kids to school, rushing around with the stress of life weighing down on their shoulders. I could see the results, and I thought, wouldn't it be cool if I could do something to uplift them while I have those few seconds as we passed each other? I didn’t know what I could do yet but I kept feeling the pull to do something about it.

The thought came to me from time to time. Sometimes it was weeks and weeks before it surfaced again. One day, it came with a little extra force and I got really excited about it. I had specifics this time and I decided to write everything down: I would run holding a sign and I would try to get other people involved. But a frustrating pattern kept playing out. It’s one we’re all familiar with if we’re being honest. Self-doubt. After my runs as the day went on, doubts would creep in. What would people think of this weirdo holding a sign? Would my kids get teased about their crazy Dad running around town? These doubts kept me from taking action for years; two and a half to be exact.

Everything changed in February 2022. We had just gone through the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, with all the challenges they brought: masks, lockdowns, travel restrictions, political bickering, and family conflicts. We hadn’t been able to do the things we wanted to and it seemed like negativity had a stronghold on almost everyone and everything. I was feeling weary, like Bilbo in Lord of the Rings "thin, like butter scraped over too much bread." Though things were generally fine; good job, good health, wonderful family; I felt emotionally, mentally, and spiritually drained.

I didn’t want to feel this way anymore. One day, I said a simple prayer asking for help, just wanting to feel better. It wasn’t anything lengthy or majorly different than usual but I really meant it. Nothing much happened and the day went as it usually did. The next day however was different and something happened that I wasn’t expecting. During my run, that same thought that I had been batting around in my head for years came back, this time with such great force that it shook me to core in a good way. It wasn't just a good idea anymore. Something had shifted and I knew it was something I needed to do, served with a side of warm assurance that it would help me feel better. This time was different. I was resolved and committed to making it happen.

To help make it more official in my mind I decided on a date (Tuesday, February 15, 2022) which was a few days away. That didn’t make it any easier though to follow through. Those pesky doubts kept nagging at me and I put off making the sign until 8:00 pm the night before. I was sitting there in my family room on the coach, dreading what I had fully committed to. I finally got up and ask my wife for some posterboard and luckily she had some. I took it downstairs into my office, got a marker out and tried to decided what to write on it. I BELIEVE IN YOU sounded good because I felt that if I were to see it that it would give me hope. My oh my how little I understood then about the power that those 4 words would bring.

I tried to write it on the posterboard directly, using the marker with little success. I quickly pivoted to printing out the letters in a Google Doc. I cut them out and taped them on. I had finally created my first "I BELIEVE IN YOU" sign and now there was nothing left but to show it to the world.

The next morning, I still had some serious doubts. I dreaded what would happen when I took it out there; out for everyone to see. But I had already resolved to do it and I wasn't going to back out now. The first person to see it outside of my house was a neighbor walking to the bus stop for school. I showed him my sign and he smiled. "He's probably thinking what a weirdo" I thought to myself as I made my way to the corner. I started running and not long after a white SUV came my way. I hadn't planned to hold the sign so high above my head but it just felt right so I did. The lady honked, waved and smiled and I was hooked! It's hard to describe the feeling that comes when you see the effect that you are having on complete strangers but I can promise you it's one of the best feelings in the world. I ran 5 miles that day and halfway through thought my heart was going to give out from the extra activity but somehow I did it.

The impact was immediate and profound. Stories started pouring in through social media. People shared how seeing the sign had changed their day, brought them to tears, or inspired them. One person texted my daughter saying they had been fighting with their parents and planning to quit school, but seeing the sign changed their mind. The stories ranged from brightening someone's day to transforming their entire year.

"I had no idea something as simple as running with a sign could have such a profound impact. A simple 'I believe in you' can literally save a life."

But the most powerful moment came when a car pulled over during one of my runs and shared something with me that has changed my life forever. On one of my longer runs I found myself on Main Street in Lehi, Utah, contemplating how much on an affect that my sign running was really having. I had heard some good stories but wondered if I could keep up the physical toll of holding up that sign every time someone passed. As I was thinking about this, I noticed that a car had made a u-turn and had pulled over on the side of the road that was facing me, about a hundred feet in front of me. As I got closer I could tell that he was there to talk to me so I approached his open passenger side window. The driver shared that they had been contemplating suicide just moments before, driving around in despair. He drove past me and seeing me with my sign snapped him out of it and helped them realize life was worth living. He said I had saved his life. I was completely floored. I had no idea something as simple as running with a sign could have such a profound impact. It solidified forever in me that what I was doing had the power to save lives and I knew that I could never stop.

Since that day in February, I've never run without my sign. I run several times a week, holding it high when there are cars and people around. Though it was physically challenging at first, my body adapted after a few months. This journey has changed my life in ways I never expected. It's brought me out of my introverted shell and connected me with countless amazing people.

Now, I'm committed to spreading this message as far as I can. I won't rest until there are people like me in every city across the world. Running was just the beginning and only one of the ways we can invest belief in the people around us. I believe that this is how we actually change the world and it has become my life mission to grow this movement at a global scale. But I can't do it on my own. I need your help. Join me and find the purpose and fulfillment you've been searching for!