Tag Archives: perseverance

Confluence

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“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. 

Practice

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“Again, another share of a post from years ago, promoting the value of practice. Not just on the field, weight room, office, board room, home, community. But every where. Always and in all ways:”

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.

The Pail.

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“Towards the end of my tenure in youth football, I bought a pail, gathered some dirt and shared with the kids the idea of “rubbing some dirt on it”. A way to get past the aches and pains in all forms that accompany football and life.

The pail was set on the practice field and by the bench at each game for whomever needed or wanted some.

Seems like we can all use some dirt at some time in our life.

Below is my post to them: “

You might have noticed a pail sitting by my bags and equipment boxes today.

In that pail, lay some of the most fertile soil around. Dark, rich, 100% Lemke Park dirt. At one time, it could have been home to corn, wheat  or soybeans.  Perhaps even hay. 

But now, it grows the best piece of grass in all of Mequon-Thiensville. Even to this day, a farm of sorts if you will. Where some of the best young men and football players in the state  are grown. So it stands to reason, that because both – grass and football players – grow so well out there, there must be something about that dirt. 

Not just organic. 

But truly medicinal in nature. 

Sure we have ice packs, tape, pro-wrap, pads and band-aids. 

But we also got that dirt. 

In that pail.

So the next time things don’t go your way, there are moments of anxiety, disappointment and just plain fear, take some. 

If you find yourself making more than your fair share of mistakes and feeling sorry for yourself, help yourself to a pinch. 

Have bruises on top of bruises?   Aches ?  Pains ? Scrapes? Boo boos? Or just plain worn out ? 

Grab a handful and apply some to where it hurts. 

Just think of what that grass goes through; getting walked on, run across, torn up, scuffed, staked, driven over, flooded and frozen each winter. And yet, it still just wants to keep coming back. 

Sort of what young men and football players are meant to do too. 

So when those times come – and they will – you need some. I will make sure the pail will be there. Filled with that  dark, rich, 100% Lemke Park dirt. 

Soil that is home to the best piece of grass in town. 

And all of you.  

The finest young men and football players around.