Confluence

“As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.”

– Henry David Thoreau 

Maybe you have noticed a transformation. 

Perhaps you are gaining a sense of this. 

Feeling its tug. An awareness of gravity.  How the mass of  your collective thoughts, words and deeds have led you to this instant. 

Impacting someone.  Making something.  Leading somewhere.

For they all matter.  And even now, both they – and you – are still being shaped.  

Taking all that you have been up to now – and making you into what you are to become. The embodiment of all that is the best in you; character, excellence, perseverance and leadership.  

Your intentions then finally and irrevocably become reality.  

A convergence of age, ability, experience. The confluence of discipline, desire and dreams. In something altogether new.  That will stand  alone. That will never happen precisely in this fashion ever again. 

Long ago, each of you entertained the smallest germ of a thought.  A glimmer of a dream. 

At that moment, you decided.  You chose a destination. 

But a  path was needed.  Direction determined.  A pace to be set.   

You let go.  Abandoned yourself for one another.  Subservient for a greater good.  Exerting the will to expend yourself in all aspects of your being. Succumbing to a level of  self-discipline that ultimately created this extraordinary circumstance. 

Creating a singular vision, originating from a common perspective.

“The soul attracts that which it secretly harbours; that which it loves; it reaches the height of its cherished aspirations; … and circumstances are the means by which the soul receives its own.”   – James Allen

What your souls  harbor is especially important right now.  For as I speak, what  you have always wanted is right there. In your path. Within reach.  

The allure of what lay just ahead may be tempting.  You might want to peek. To veer left a little.  Or to the right.  To get up on tippy toes to take a gander. To peer over the top. 

Yet,  you must not stray.

To look ahead is to leave this moment.  Lifting one’s gaze up,  around or under will skew your  trajectory.  A change in perspective will reduce focus.  Obfuscate vision. Dissipate intention.  Impede effort. Foster missteps.  

You could lose sight of your path. 

Distractions are apt to be abundant. Self induced.  Born of doubt. Fear. Expectation. Anticipation.  Yet focus is not meant to exist in the absence of distractions. It is a trait intended to exist in spite of them. 

So just as you chose this path, you must now decide to maintain focus. 

To honor your  vision regardless of the situation. Committing to preserve that most singular and proper perspective.   To abide by the very essence of discipline.  Expending  unparalleled levels of effort and persistence. Exerting uncommon character and leadership.  Aspiring to the highest standards of attitude and attention. 

To finish.  

To relentlessly pursue  excellence. 

And succeed.   

By setting a tone that rings true to your vision alone.  

Converging on your path.  

So that you all flow together at one point.

In this stand alone  moment. 

Inches 2.0

Football – like life – is a game of inches. 

Where your foot lay at the line of scrimmage Friday under the lights or Sunday evening during sprints in the fieldhouse. Where the mesh can produce a drive sustaining gain or series ending fumble.  How a sharp break on a route can stymie a defender instead of providing an interception opportunity. Why pad level and leverage will always overcome size. And precise pursuit angles eclipse an explosive offense.  

One would think that given those game changing possibilities, more personal focus and investment would be granted those details.  

The inches. 

I can say with the utmost certainty that if you cannot attend to them now, in the present, you will never be able to call upon them when you choose to define yourself in that one moment.  

So to better understand the inherent gravity of details, I challenge you to consider this:

If a detail by itself is but an ounce – then embracing one, mastering it, incorporating it into how you live and finally making it a part of your being –  becomes a pound.  Not just in terms of pure weight.  But mass.  How you increase your width, depth and breadth.  As an athlete. And as a person.  

In effect, the mere ounces you choose to carry, overcome and own will in time translate into pounds of impact, pressure and “want to”. 

 A force for good that you can exert upon a challenge or chosen endeavor. To the extent that you can essentially roll over a challenge.  Capture a goal.  

Or, crush an opponent.  

Now this assertion has absolutely nothing to do with any known math or science; only the inversely proportional and lasting impact experience has shown me to be true.  

That creating the self discipline to attend to the details will in time assure the success of one’s pursuits.  

On the field.  

And in life. 

Both of which are games of inches.

And in life.

A great many things have been said and written about Hawks.

“They are often seen as messengers or guides of the divine, suggesting perhaps that one is being watched over and protected. 

Their sharp eyesight is symbolic of the ability to see things from a broader perspective so as to gain greater clarity and wisdom in one’s life. 

Being powerful birds, their presence can inspire courage and strength in the face of challenges. A hawk can be a sign that help or support is on the way. “*

Here are the Ozaukee Hawks; the 2025 Special Olympics Basketball State Runners-Up!

They won their regional, hung on at sectionals and gained an at large berth for state, and then overcome a dispiriting game one at Osh Kosh to place second in their division, in all of Wisconsin SO basketball the weekend of April 12th and 13th.

A closer knit team is not known to this coach. They stayed together on and off the court. Watching over and protecting each other.

The way they played, the effort they gave and how they treated each other gave witness to their ability to see things from a broader perspective so as to gain greater clarity and wisdom in their lives. 

And when things got tough and challenging, ones presence and grit just happened and came to inspire courage and strength in their teammates to face adversity. 

A Hawk was the sign that help or support is on the way and I will be there for you.

On the court.

And, in life.

Well done Hawks!

Well done indeed!

  • Borrowed from Google when seeking definition of a Hawk. Some changes, but their verbiage for the most part.

And soar.

Here are the Ozaukee Eagles; the 2025 Special Olympics Basketball State Champions.

They flew through the regional, sectionals and state the weekend of April 12th and 13th to claim the highest perch in all of Wisconson SO basketball in their division.

Truly an amazing team. One of a feather, flocking together. Coached superbly to recognize their strengths as both individuals and as a team, overcome and adjust to any sudden updraftsgoals and ultimately hone in on their goals from afar.

The passing, patience and pattern of their approach to both O and D and their opponents were championship caliber. As was the passing, patience and pattern of their approach to one another. Therein lay the difference.

One is made to do good things.

A true team is made to do great things.

And soar.

Well done Eagles!

Well done indeed!

The way up.

“….Dante and every other spiritual master knew that the only way up is down. When we live in convenient darkness, unaware of our sins, we will never make spiritual progress. So we need the light, however painful it is. But then we can begin to rise. ”

Bishop Robert Barron

When one is laid low in life, it can become comforting to remain in the dark. There is a sense of acknowledgment, that it is where “things” put you. Choices, circumstance, adversity, loss accumulate. Shutting you off from what can eventually become right. But only when you choose to perceive the light. And move towards it.

There are no expectations when you remain in the dark. Just that it is accepted as the way of life. Moreso a sentence than an existence so to speak.

But once you see the shine around the edges, feel the warmth of its glow and sense the tug at your core, the dark begins to feel less like home. It may be an arduous path requiring excruciating examination, openess and honesty. Ego and self will need to remain behind in the dark. For there is no place for them in the light.

We all have our demons in a multitude of shapes, depths and forms. They are adept at finding safe houses within your being. But only through the light can they finally be seen for what they truly are. Once and for all. And then surrendered and left behind. Leave them to live out the balance of their time in nooks that only populate the dark.

Embrace the light.

Trust where it leads you.

Let it take you where you are meant to go.

The way up.