Sole

Reality check. One of my favorite movie scenes is a short clip from the movie The Hurt Locker where the main character says he’ll meet his wife “in the cereal aisle.” It then cuts to a shot of him, looking at the wide assortment of cereal. The stark contrast between his life as a soldier and that of VISAmerica is visually startling and mentally provocative. What’s your cereal aisle?

This year has been one of intense personal reflection, growth, and challenge. There have been moments that have stretched me to what I thought were my limits, only to realize they were actually my areas of greatest strength, determination, and excellence. The warrior is tested and proven when he sets foot in the arena, fighting for his life. It’s in the moment where his arms are raised in victory that the contrast between life, death, and victory become apparent. Don’t tap.

It’s my last day here in Columbus, OH, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t sad about it. The time here has been wonderful, restful, and encouraging. It would be easy to leave if there was harsh family tension, or some bitter argument to propel me onto the plane without a shred of regret. However, the entire trip was without conflict and I feel a deep ache leaving behind those I love most.

On the way back home to spend Christmas day with family, I drove past Rowe Road; the road leading to the cemetery where my Father is buried. Every part of me wanted to visit his stone and have a one-sided conversation, as I’ve done many times. Today marks the two years it has been since I last visited, placing a $1 coin onto the granite and promising I wouldn’t come back til I was worth at least a million of them. That’s a promise I will keep no matter what happens.

Life is not given freely. Every great moment or action had a cost behind it.

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the message was lost.
For want of a message the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

I once told a boardroom of employees/interns “Success is intentional. Failure is not accidental.”  and I stand by those words. Every great thing to happen in this life was paid for by somebody, or yourself. Were you fortunate enough to have been born with a trust fund, it was paid for by the individual who bequeathed it to you. However, if were not fortunate enough to have been placed in those shoes, you must count the cost of the battles ahead of you and be willing to pay the price, or give your life trying.

I don’t expect life to be easy or without its share of challenges. In fact, I have come to anticipate things will be much harder than planned, more expensive than projected, less profitable than expected, and much more time than scheduled.

Don’t tap.