Team25 Kids

Shjon Podein Children’s Foundation
The children, their families, our board, volunteers, sponsors & celebrities TOGETHER we are TEAM 25!

[Billy Oppenheimer @bpoppenheimer]

In 1997, at the age of 27, Matt Damon won his first Academy Award for Best Screenplay ("Good Will Hunting").

After Damon won the Oscar, he went home, sat down on his sofa, & looked at the award.

As he looked at it, he was suddenly overwhelmed by a heartbreaking thought.

"Imagine chasing that, and not getting it, and getting it finally in your 80s or your 90s with all of life behind you and realizing what an unbelievable waste of your life...It can't fill you up. If that's a hole that you have, that won't fill it."

"My heart broke," Damon said. "I imagined another one of me [not getting that award until I was] an old man, and going like, 'oh my god. where did my life go? What have I done?' And then it's over."

Takeaway 1:

Many successful, rich, famous, etc. people talk about chasing success, money, fame, etc., getting it, and realizing that it didn't feel like they thought it would. That it didn't, as Damon said, fill the hole they had.

One of my favorite analogies for this pattern comes from Sam Hinkie.

Hinkie was asked about what he's learned from reading Robert Caro's books—about some very successful, rich, famous, etc. people.

"I think of it like the Pacific Salmon," Hinkie said. "They spend their whole life making this journey upstream to spawn in this one spot. And as soon as they do, they die. That's largely what Caro shows you."

Takeaway 2:

Before he was a big-time comedian, Hasan Minhaj was asked if he thought he was going to become a big-time comedian.

“I don’t like that question,” he said. “I fundamentally don’t like that question.”

Because that question implies that he is only doing comedy as a means to some end (success, money, fame, etc.).

“No, no, no,” he said, “The set I get to do tonight at 7:20 PM is the win. I get to do comedy—I won. It being predicated on doing X or being bigger than Y—no, no, no. To me, it’s always just been about the work."

"The work is the win," as Ryan Holiday once told me.

- - -

"It's such a gift to be able to [do] something and to love it for the sake of it...I see people with talent, with all those things. But the one thing they don't have is just that love for doing it for the sake of it...So if there's anything, just find joy in what you do for the sake of it." — Rodney Mullen

Follow @bpoppenheimer for more content like this!

[Team25 Kids @Team25Kids]

Angels are rejoicing to gain a beautiful soul to their glorious army & Shenanigans are surely underway as his Team 25 friends greet him at the gates but my heart hurts💔Rest easy Jake, thanks for all the gifts you gave us 💕
THIS IS JAKE...no matter the struggle, always a smile.

[Team25 Kids @Team25Kids]

https://t.co/II3NhJmCt3

[Team25 Kids @Team25Kids]

This is why we do what we do! Klaus is a proud member of our #Team25 family & we are so proud of him!! You do not see terminal illness or disability when you meet this incredible kid!! @HendyFoundation #HockeyIsForEveryone

[Pure Hockey @PureHockey]

Hockey is for everyone, and it is truly the best sport on earth.

Thanks for sharing this video, @SauceHockey feat. @DaBeautyLeague & @MNSpecialHockey

[Team25 Kids @Team25Kids]

Thank you Matt!

[Matt Schulte @MgsSmu]

@Team25Kids I didn’t see the tweet but just wanted to thank you for all the differences team 25 has made in so many kids lives over the years. It’s awesome & i just wanted to take a moment to say thanks!

[Team25 Kids @Team25Kids]

We sincerely apologize for the previous tweet in the past 24 hours. It seems our account has been hacked. This was not from Shjon or his foundation. We are so sorry and it has been deleted & passwords changed. Thank you

[Tressa Smallbrock @trelismae]

Celebrity Hockey Game #rotrhockey#greatcause

[Brad Paisley @BradPaisley]

Minneapolis. 4PM. Super Bowl Live. @sleepnumber Booth. See you there.

[amanda 🐞 @amandakegs]

Can you help me make Maddie’s Christmas? #biggestlittlefan #antibullying @ShineALigh7 @mnwild @SanJoseSharks @MapleLeafs @TBLightning

[conrad van hierden @CHierden]

@ATCure @Team25Kids @spodein great golf day in Michigan with the Veldink AT team !!

[San Jose Sharks @SanJoseSharks]

Paul Martin has taken over our Instagram story for @ShineALigh7!

Follow now at https://t.co/iqZtnqnPSX

[Paul Martin's ShineALigh7 @ShineALigh7]

Silent auction items coming in daily for our 9/3 event! @Izzys_lounge ice fishing package for 4, a perfect MN winter trip! #PaulMartin7

[Paul Martin's ShineALigh7 @ShineALigh7]

Tonight! Paul will be calling @NHLNetwork at 5:15, then LIVE @Twins Pre-game on @fsnorth at 6:30 talking about the charity and event on 9/3!

[Team25 Kids @Team25Kids]

Looking forward to catching our good friend @BradPaisley on his new @netflix show Brad Paisley's Comedy Rodeo https://t.co/x8Tog1fTu2

[Dooley's Pub @DooleysPubRoch]

@Team25Kids in the house having a great night. We love having them here and always remember to help others. 🙌👍😎🤘🏻