| Bob Bapes was a friend of mine.
He was diagnosed with cancer about seven years ago. He died one year later.
I spoke at his memorial service. I honestly don't remember a word I said. But I do remember that the song "Born to be Wild" roared from the speakers at one point. Yeah...that was Bob...rebel.
There are two men most responsible for my start in the speaking business, and Bob was one of them. He was a speaker and trainer of the highest caliber and generous as could be. He called himself the Idea Doc.
When he was told he had cancer, he was as stunned as everyone is after hearing that news.
But he kept speaking.
As the cancer progressed, he kept speaking still.
As he was getting weaker, he kept speaking, sometimes presenting five all-day workshops in a week. I know from experience the energy that takes, and for him to do it in that condition is...well...heroic.
No group he ever spoke to knew he was sick. He would make sure of that. He never talked about it, never complained about it. He never sought pity or used it as a reason he could not fulfill his responsibility. And he didn't use it to "inspire" people. He was being paid by these companies to do a job...and he did the job. And he did it really, really well.
His weakness finally got to the point where he could no longer stand through his presentations and he had to use a stool. For all his audiences knew, that's just how he rolled. Some might have thought maybe he was a bit under the weather.
He got sicker and sicker.
There were times when Bob would actually get a group started on an exercise and then leave the room, go to the bathroom and throw up. He would then clean himself off, dab his forehead, reenter the room and pick the training up right where he left off.
No one knew. Astonishing.
It was just weeks before he died that he stopped speaking. He did it right...right to the end.
Doing your job at the highest level without excuse no matter the circumstances-that's professionalism.
That was Bob.
I dare you to do better. | 
