Rudy…

The story of Rudy is so good. He was the definitive “little guy.” Stuck it to the man. How?

He worked (opus) for it.

Stories like Rudy are why I love sport, especially team sports. He had a big dream. He went for it. He fought to make the Notre Dame practice squad. Fought to get into ND to begin with. Nobody believed in him before he did. Many gave the gift of belief once they caught his.

Do not miss this. Nobody will believe in you (for long) if you don’t.

Nothing will be handed to you, at least nothing worth possessing. You, my friend, have to possess an opus worth the work. And, once you do, it’s almost a guarantee you’ll get your hands around it. All excellence is rooted in a deep, uncompromising love for the endeavor. Deepen your love for the work and for your team. Get out of your own head. It’s never been all about you and never will. Life, remember, is the ultimate team sport. An opus that’s all about you getting yours won’t inspire for long. Get a dream bigger than you. Rudy dreamt for his family, friends, and coworkers. He dreamt for all the little guys. Fueled him. Fueled his team. His teammates won over the man and stuck it to him by NOT taking a knee. Damn.

Do the work. Get up tomorrow. Do it again. Marry the mundane and before long (as long as you love it) you’ll find yourself surrounded by teammates who’ve caught your inspiration. You don’t need more N.I.L. (Name, image, and likeness) money. You don’t need to enter the transfer portal. You don’t need a change of scenery. Change your attitude. Stop looking for someone to prepare the road for you. Prepare yourself, friend, for the damn road. Rudy did. Many others have. Many more will.

Remember, the best way to stick it to the man is NOT to quit. The best way is to prove them wrong. You ready to run toward an opus worth the work? LFG.

Live hard. Love harder…