Going out there with your own idea and making people listen and following it through is something you need to be so proud of!
So many people are held back by their own fear (I have been one of them) and of course its scary and hard…if it wasn’t it wouldn’t be worth it when you succeed…and you WILL.

You have a way of making people listen and want to know what you have to say..its a true gift and it definitely works on me : )

We spent a month together when I was in the US which is a time I will always treasure. I just wish I had been older and wiser than I was…to be able to really appreciate you.. but I am now.

Now…U go for it…show the world what we all already know…that you are a genius.

I’m not even going to wish u luck….you don’t need it.

Lots of love xxx

And an old contracting maxim: The last 5% of a job takes the longest. (My other favorite rule of contracting: Good. Fast. Cheap: Pick any two.)

I think almost everyone on this earth is capable of more than they think, not because I have some profound faith in humans (I decidedly do not) but because I’ve seen over and over the amazing results of high expectations. Someone expecting a lot is a vote of confidence. There *are* some people who did NOT have “has much potential” written in their report cards (why do they still call them cards?). They have in their report cards “should practice the phrase ‘do you want fries with that'”.

Brian’s first organized sports experience was Peewee baseball. His birthday falls right on the age cutoff, and we inadvertently signed him up with the next year team, instead of tee-ball, where he ‘should’ have been.

That first coaching team changed the way I see coaching forever. Very enthusiastic, VERY strict, no-nonsense, hard work in practices (but still with a sense of fun injected into it, making games of skill drills). He *expected* those little 7 and 8 year old boys to cleanly field ground balls, to hustle out every batted ball, to MAKE DOUBLE PLAYS. Yep. Read that again. They ran laps if they were lazy or disrespectful.

Then during the games, they turned into fountains of positive, cheering, upbeat and always helpful smiles and happiness. And it wasn’t 2 or 3 games in before those little boys WERE making double plays. And we watched other coaches melting down, yelling at the kids on their teams, critiquing form and mechanics during games. And getting annihilated, one after the other.

I know they did well that season, but the post-game scene was illuminating, too. Not a giant big deal made of the win, outside of some 7-8 year old cheering. But something about just about every kid was highlighted, even if it didn’t result in a run or an out. Like so-and-so ran over to back up a throw to 2nd base.

Brian was selected for the All-Star team, and it was only then that his age came to light. He not only kept up, but did well enough to be selected to move on to the next level, because they assumed he could.

High expectations is a gift. Take it and run with it. Or I’ll make you run laps.