Grapple within…

Yesterday we enjoyed practice 191 with a team of Grappy’s leaders.
The Irish played ball. Carson killed it. No Neck Nick was fire. Rocky rocked us all. Kollin was Moore of the same freakin’ magic (he’s been in BTL for forever it seems). Ryder was cool. Dylan was wise beyond his years. Vinny led us in laughter. Gman is the best. He took hard truth to heart. He is going to be great as soon as he believes he is. Damn. Cannon was honest. So damn honest.

Do not undervalue your honest ones, leader.

We laughed. We learned. We played hurt without our leader, Grappy, but we played together. We built oneness. Grappy would have been proud of his players. We were a team of eleven and it felt like ONE. We practice to build oneness. Hard as hell. We all know when we’ve experienced brokenness. We tend to watch film, if you will, and replay our mistakes. Yesterday, we reminded the eleven they’re more than their record, more than than their mistakes, more than their labels – whatever they are. We’re all grappling with stuff, mostly of our own making. We yearn for a sense of wholeness, acceptance, and belonging. This is why BTL practice exists. We build oneness and it takes for freakin’ ever. One of Grappy’s dudes asked a good question.

How do we know we’re making progress?

Here’s what I told him. I asked him how he knows he’s becoming a better man? How does he know he’s becoming a more loving human? How does he know he’s becoming more who God designed him to be? He paused and said he’s not sure. He’s freakin’ nineteen and is learning how to know anything. Fact.

So, I let him in on ancient wisdom. You will know when you stick in there instead of running. You’ll know when you handle adversity with calm. You’ll know when you somehow learn to laugh instead of default to loathe. You’ll know when you notice the bullshit that once wrecked your sorriness, now does nothing. You’ll know. The key? Keep practicing. Keep doing the work. Keep sticking to principles. Building belief. Face resistance. Run into fears. Do what you’ve rarely done.

You’ll know by the consistency of your actions in MOT (moments of truth). My heart attack taught me. I knew my reaction to deaths door was different than it would have been before. I knew. Nobody had to tell me. I knew. The same will be true for you. Same as ever. Damn.

These Grapplers are some of my favorite dudes. They emulate their leader. They showed up strong yesterday when their leader was weak. Great teams run through walls with their leader. Great teams run through walls for their leader. Great teams believe because their leader believes a bit more. Slow down. Reflect.

Where, leader, are you looking for quick fixes where none exist? Where are you looking out the window, instead of in the mirror? Where are you settling for chronic pain instead of choosing the acute? Where are you wishing for a better team? Want a better team? Become a better leader. F&%# me. Damn.

Live hard. Love harder. Grapple, mainly within…