In Pursuit of Excellence

My oldest son is an incredible young man with a passion for people, doing his very best in everything he sets out to do and making those he comes in contact with feel special. He and I were at my youngest sons soccer game last weekend so while our little man wasn’t in the game, we had some time to play. I popped off a few shots of him in different moods and settings. As I was reviewing the pictures, this first shot really made me think about him and his future. I love all my kids and they are all very different and unique. Jaylen has qualities that I very much admire and I look forward to watching them mature in him.

Over the last 6 months we’ve had those Father-to-Son coaching moments which is usually initiated by his reaction to not doing as well as he’d like to with something. Early in the summer it was baseball and this past weekend it was basketball. I find myself using aspects of my life journey and the professional journeys of Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods as I help him help himself in his “Pursuit of Excellence”. I have no doubt that he will be very successful in life and I spend a lot of time talking with him about the journey and the mental side of the pursuit. It’s what I admire most about Michael and Tiger and what I hold true to for myself as well. It’s also about how you treat people along the way and how that supports or deters from your destiny. That’s why it’s very important to be very cognizant of the people we surround ourselves with. The impact could propel you towards your destiny or be like that of building a house on a foundation of sand.

His struggle at times is patience and wanting to be the best right now!!. There are times I get frustrated with him because he’s too hard on himself and I have to handle it as such. Other times like last week, I focus on what he does well, build his confidence on that foundation and then shift the focus to those areas he wants to/needs to improve in. We usually end up laughing at the end, he’s pleased with the outcome and now it's about enabling him to self-manage his expectations and reactions in the event I’m not around or can’t speak to him 1-on-1. The good thing is that he looks for me in the crowd, knows how to read my facial expressions and body language and can take from that what he needs to do. Everything I do as his father is in love, always with sincere explanations and teaching to reassure him that my primary focus is on his happiness and him being satisfied in his “Pursuit of Excellence”. This was something I didn’t get enough of from my father and I am going to make sure all our kids get an adequate supply. Also, the pursuit and obtainment is not about sports but about life and giving your best while equipping yourself for the storms. Even though he’s only 12, we’ve talked about the concepts from the book “The Secret” as well as positive affirmations.

So, here’s to Jaylen (my biggest supporter and cheerleader) from your Dad (biggest fan, cheerleader, supporter and counselor). I LOVE you man!!!