More than 60 years ago, Langston Hughes penned one of the most famous poems of the Harlem Renaissance, “What Happens to a Dream Deferred?”
Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore — And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over — like a syrupy sweet?
Now come Troy Amdahl and Dave Braun, the OolaGuys who aren’t just exploring the consequences of allowing a dream to go unfulfilled, but offering people hope, steering them back onto the path to their dreams.
You see, Amdahl, the self-described OolaGuru, and Braun, the OolaSeeker, believe all of us deserve a life that is balanced and forever growing but too often people lose sight of their dreams. They get so busy in the day-to-day work, home, kids, and going from point A to point B that they lose their dreams somewhere in the chaos.
“We’re told if we follow this one path, we’ll be happy,” Amdahl said. “But we’re telling people you’ve got something amazing in you and to reconnect, pursue your unique purpose because that’s where true happiness lives.”
Indeed, according to Amdahl and Braun, that’s how we get to Oola, that rather strange word they coined from the original “oo-la-la.” It simply means a life that is balanced and growing in the key areas of health, finances, career, relationships and well-being.
For years, the OolaGuys enjoyed good marriages and lucrative businesses. When Braun drifted from the Oola principles the two of them hashed out to achieve their success, he ended up losing his business and his marriage.
In 2010, after hitting the bottom, Braun reconnected with Amdahl, who reminded him that the bad spot in which he found himself was simply where he was at the moment, not who he was. He told him he was built for awesome. He just needed to reconnect to his dreams and recommit to practicing the Oola steps.
That meant first acknowledging, as uncomfortable as it was, where he was in all the key areas of life; putting pen to paper and setting goals in what they called the 7 F’s of Oola: fitness, finance, family, field (career), faith, friends and fun. And finally, with a vision of the life he dreamed of and deserved, he needed to take action, small daily steps in the direction of his dreams.
If this helps, Braun told Amdahl, we’re going to share it with the world.
Two years later, Braun had recouped his losses and gotten his “Oola” back, and together they penned “Oola: Find Balance in an Unbalanced World.”
They sold more than 120,000 out of the back of their vintage 1970s Volkswagen surf bus until one day they met with the original publishers of “Chicken Soup for the Soul.” HCI envisioned an Oola series. Braun and Amdahl did, too.
“It was a perfect fit,” Braun said. “They advocate the same values of balanced living that are so important to us.”
The friends signed a deal for a three-book series. The first, “Oola for Women,” hit bookshelves May 2 and explores how to balance the seven key areas to having less stress, more purpose, and revealing the greatness within you.
Jack Canfield, co-creator of “Chicken Soup for the Soul,” believes “Oola for Women” is the success formula for a new generation.
“When you’re stress-free, inspired and reaching for your dreams, there’s so much you can do … for yourself, for your family, for others,” Canfield said. “Together with women everywhere, Dave Braun and Troy Amdahl will change the world with Oola.”
In honor of the launch of their new book, the OolaGuys hit the road April 27 for the most epic leg of the #OolaDreamTour yet — 17 major cities from the Atlantic to Pacific, including Atlanta, where they will sign books at 7 p.m. May 8 at Barnes & Noble, 2900 Peachtree Road NW.
At tour stops throughout the country, which have drawn as many as 22,000, people are encouraged to write their dreams on a sticker and slap it on the bus. It’s the OolaGuys’ way of inspiring folks to reconnect with their dreams and then, hopefully, purpose them.
Susan Dean of Jonesboro has already had the pleasure.
She met the OolaGuys April 29 at a barbecue joint her family owns and where she was working that day.
Dean hesitated sharing her dream at first but couldn’t resist when she saw her customers placing stickers on the Oola VW bus.
“It was inspiring to see them motivating others into doing something they’ve only thought about doing,” Dean said. “It all relates to Habakkuk 2:2, a Bible scripture that tells you to write your vision and to make it plain. That’s what thousands have placed on that Oola van that goes from state to state.”
Amdahl said they have collected 25,000 stickers so far, but the goal is to collect 1 million by the time the tour ends on June 23.
If you haven't heard of the Oola phenomenon yet, there it is. If you want to add your dream to the bus but can't make it out, log onto www.oolalife.com and someone will personally handwrite it on a sticker and place it on the bus for you.
Now get out there and make your dreams come true.
EVENT PREVIEW
“Oola for Women” book signing
7 p.m. May 8. Barnes & Noble, 2900 Peachtree Road NW, Atlanta. 404-261-7747.
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