intention – …my temporary assignment.

And it is gonna be great.

Daily writing prompt

What are your thoughts on the concept of living a very long life?

Longevity ebbs and flows in my family. I remember my grandpa driving at 97, before he thought Uber was a better mode of transport. Well, maybe not Uber, but “Uncle”. Then there is my younger brother that just passed two years ago.

So it is what it is.

As far as I am concerned, for the purposes of today’s assignment, it comes down to being fully intentional about making the most of what you have been gifted.

Experience tells me that allocating the precious resources granted for this moment towards resentment, regret and retribution of the past is not what it is cracked up to be. Then, if you embark in advance of the here and now predicated on the approach of, “…that didn’t work, so I will cut this corner and use that short cut this time sround”, you pretty much added to an already sorrowful past.

The past is what it was. The future is what it may be. The present is just that, a present like Mr. Keane said a few days ago. That being said, I have no clue as to what living a long life is to me. If I can make the most out of every hour of every day going forward, then that will elongate my stay here.

When it comes time to give my notice, my only desire is that I can rest in peace knowing I gave it my everything. We are all gifted this position here on earth. Toiling in the dirt and debris of the past or buzzing about in the ether of the future would make me a worm or a fly. Nothing against them, but I like to think my focus needs to be on living life, not looking for feces.

So perhaps my longevity ends up somewhere between my grandpa and my brother. So be it.

Whatever the case, I have a lot to do today.

And it is gonna be great.

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.

Practice

The competitive nature of athletics is said to develop character.

And, it is thought that adversity’s task is to reveal it.

Perhaps.

But maybe character isn’t so much in need of development or of being revealed. Though its expectations remain high, it could be that character’s demands are much simpler to grasp.

Maybe character is just desperate to be spoken. And then, heard.

To be trusted and afforded the benefit of the doubt.

That stands to reason. Since character always knows the right thing to do and just when to do it.

And as you begin to listen, then hear, you will find yourself drawn closer towards it. Finding comfort in its embrace, a sense of purpose in its guidance and a growing courage to use it to face everything life can throw your way.

Character simply yearns to be the first, the best and the last choice you would ever make. And learning to act upon its “recommendation” puts you on a trajectory aimed directly toward your best interests.

Let’s look at it this way.

To effect tangible, positive and lasting influence on anything you choose to master, only one thing is known to work.

Practice.

If it is engineering, medicine or teaching that has captured your heart, then you put your desires to practice.

The cello? Singing arias, painting with watercolors, architecture, cooking or film? Mastery is not gained in one attempt. But in many.

It takes practice.

Is it service that calls you?

Then finding the pathway – both within and without – that will lead you there takes effort, commitment.

And, practice.

For some, athletic competition is what makes the spirit soar. To become all you intend to be, you have to employ all that you are to honor that purpose.

Through practice.

So to be able to hear, trust and embrace character’s voice?

It takes practice.

By developing good listening habits. Getting attuned to its singular voice. Hearing its message.

Having faith in its command and making a commitment to heeding its wisdom. Learning to allow it to be your unshakable guide and loyal mentor. And developing the patience to allow it to do its work.

Over, and over, and over, and over again.

Putting character into practice.

Saints

“Something I shared with all back in 2017. Came across it tonight and thought it good to share again. This made me misty eyed, but he still makes me smile. “

To set the tone for this day and his homily this evening, Father Matthew sought to describe the essence of a saint. Part of which resonated with this author.

“Someone that does what they do, the way that they do it”.

Rick Hader left this world today.

All too soon. And the hurt is palpable. But it is All-Saints Day. He has a chance to play to a much larger crowd, in a storied venue. Doing what he does. The way he does it.

I had the honor of blocking for him in college as a Siwash. He was All-Conference as a running back, and All-American as a role model, man and friend if you ask me. (Rick is #44)

He was just as gifted running between the tackles and catching the ball coming out of the backfield as he was cracking us up. The voices, faces, mannerisms and making his teeth squeaky clean with only an index finger were recurring bits in the dorm, on campus and in the huddle.

He found great joy in making us smile, laugh and forget about things for only a little while.

Now, 37 years later and aided by some hindsight, I now realize he was building his schtick there at Knox College. And creating his persona.

For Myron Noodleman was right there with us all along. But it was just Rick. Doing what he did. The way he did it.

I would encourage you to take a few moments and read about this national nerd.

It details a wonderful life’s journey from Park Ridge to Broken Arrow. Starting as a janitor, to being a beloved high school math teacher and becoming a diamond doofus.

An All-American role model, man and friend to many that found great joy in making thousands upon thousands of people smile, laugh and forget about things for a while.

Go deeper, between the lines and you will come to know them both as I. A match now made for heaven. A pair with the guts to listen, heed their calling and fearlessly follow it. And from what I understand, all the way to the end.

Your departure has left a big hole in the lives of many. But there are warm and lasting memories enough to fill it back in, bring a smile to the face, some laughter for the heart and offer many a respite from things for a while.

Just Rick and Myron doing what they did. The way they did it.

Saints if you ask me.