I Hate this Phone Plan

I've taken "that call" several times in my life. 

The ring is ominous. It's different than others. 

You can feel it. You know it. Your brain, your heart, your soul. You know. 

That phone call with the news. 

The end. They are gone. 

Searching for the words. Finding the pain.  Direction-less. Have to plan, but frozen.  A moment in time. The forever now. Memories. The "new" normal. 

All three different, but similar. 

I've had others but these three are the ones. 

I hate that call. 

Next time, I am telling them...

Wrong number. 

Seal the Edge

Sealing the edge is a critical element for any successful football team.  It opens up the field and allows you to run the outside alley. 

It's another football lesson that translates really well into life. 

What's the thing in your life that you must seal?  Your health?  Your family?  Your fortune? Whatever it is, you must fight for it at all costs. 

The game of football rides parallel to the tracks of life. 

It takes a team to be successful. You can't do your life alone. 

It takes hard work. Life isn't hard but it does take hard work to get the most out of it.  

It's a game of inches.  Think back on your life and think about the gravity of one seemingly small (at the time) decision or move and the effect it might've had on the rest of your life. 

Practice makes perfect. Life is about learning from the past (not living in it) and growing. 

Sometimes the ball takes a funny bounce.   Always.  

Vince Lombardi once said, "the greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall."  This is the quintessence of life. 

Huddle up. 

Live your life. Set...Go. 

I Believe

“… and I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days.”

We all have seen “Bull Durham” with Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, and Tim Robbins and we all remember the iconic scene where Crash tells Annie and Nuke what he believes in. 

Crash covered a lot of ground with that speech and I am 100% in agreement with what he said.  But, there’s a bit more ground we need to cover. 

I believe in drinking my coffee to the sunrise. 

I believe, if set up correctly, the play action pass is the greatest tool in an offense. 

I believe in constant reading and learning. 

I believe a good coach can make a lifetime of differences. 

I believe the key to selling anything is listening. 

I believe in sitting on the kitchen floor after sex, naked and with blankets on. 

I believe in the moon and the stars. 

I believe the Tight End position is the best to play, watch, and coach. 

I believe the price tag doesn’t define the wine. 

I believe in making pasta on Sundays. 

I believe Jack Kerouac and Alan Watts were two of the most insightful humans ever to grace this planet.

I believe the Green Bay Packers are the greatest sports franchise of all time. 

And, I believe you can never say “I love you” enough. 

Lessons from Maverick, Goose, Rooster, Ice Man and even Bob

 

My wife and I saw "Top Gun: Maverick today (I promise...no spoilers, and we loved it).  

Little did Maverick know he wasn't just teaching the new recruits in Top Gun but he was teaching us in the audience too. 

School is in so here are my top ten lessons from the flick; 

1.) Sometimes you need to stop thinking and just do. 

2.) You have to learn to let go. 

3.) There WILL be a time for the next generation to take over. 

4.) Everyone needs a good wingman (or woman). 

5.) The impossible CAN be made possible at times.  

6.) Don't put your cellphone down on the bar. 

7.) Don't underestimate the "Bob" in your group. 

8.) Sometimes, rules are made to be broken. 

9.) You can go home again. 

10.) If you are coaching, teaching, or leading someone...show them that it CAN be done. 

And a bonus lesson...

Yes, Tom Cruise looked good reprising his role and I know he pays attention to his looks and health. 

I just had my annual physical and at the tender age of almost 55...my doc said I was in excellent shape...even better than last year, so...

Always take care of yourself. 

Always. 

I remember…

 

I remember birth night.  One was easier. One was scarier. One was planned scariness. 

I remember 2am feedings. One on a chair in the middle, two on the rocking chair from Dad. 

I remember the first cribs, bibs, and dibs. 

I remember the first smiles, tears, and fears. 

I remember the first talks, walks and, gawks. 

I remember the first games, dances, and prances. 

Black and white soccer balls and pirouettes. 

Running until no one catches you. 

Scoring and smiling. 

Memories that make you smile. 

Time passes. 

Older. 

Change. 

Life. 

The Program

 

What does it take to build a 'program?' 

The kind that lasts.  The kind that lingers. The kind that leaves a lifetime impression. 

A program outlives names and titles.  A program has lively tentacles that reach out and touch everyone and everything within reach. 

A team.  A business.  A marriage.  A family.  

What does it take? 

1.) Vision 

2.) Passion 

3.) Intestinal fortitude

4.) Humility

5.) Love 

6.) Intelligence 

7.) Patience 

8.) That "one thing." 

Remember "City Slickers?" 

"Do you know what the secret of life is?... One thing.  Just one thing. You stick to that and the rest don't mean shit

...that's what you have to find out." 

That's a Program. 

"Brown right. Motion. Tailback slant." 

You know the rest...

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Vending Life

 

My wife has a saying...

"Don't keep expecting a Pepsi when you go to the Coke machine." 

In human terms, don't expect to get something different from people in your life that have shown the inability to get there. 

So true.  

If you manage your expectations on the front side, you minimize the disappointment on the backside. 

If someone in your life always has a glass half empty, chances are you will go away still thirsty.  The opposite holds true as well.  It's a safe bet.  Money well spent. 

Now, with that being said...

Every once in a while, someone stocks the machine wrong and you end up getting a Pepsi. 

It can happen.  

When it does, drink it in. Savor the taste because it won't last. But, it sure does hit the spot, doesn't it?

So whether you are looking for  "a new generation" or you want to "open happiness,"  you can find both just remember what vending machine you are at.