Fourth Quarter

In the movie Remember The Titans, starring Denzel Washington there’s a few scenes when the high school football team is at training camp. The summer heat is beating down on the players and coaches alike and while one of the players is doing push ups, Denzel’s character is talking to him. He says, “It’s the fourth quarter, the other team’s tired.” As the scene progresses, he keeps saying, “Fourth quarter, fourth quarter, fourth quarter.” Later in the movie, the intensity of those summer practice sessions pay dividends as some players are needed to play offense and defense.

Today is the first day of the fourth quarter of this year. From a calendar and fiscal point of view, there’s only a few more months to accomplish my goals for the year. The thing with this year and life in general, we don’t all enjoy or are even willing to put in the practice. The players on the football team were ready. They’d practiced their craft and put in the work. Most do not. We look at those that do in amazement wondering what we’d spend those enormous salaries they receive on if we were in their situation.

Those athletes are for the most part, compensated commensurate to their skill level and that of their peers. Sure, some are compensated higher as their talent and skills command the compensation, but here’s the interesting thing. Physical gifts aside, you can command such compensation too. Commensurate to your industry, should you choose to practice intense and harness those in demand skills needed by your employer or clients, you too can command extraordinary compensation, relative to your peers.

Today, Monday, October 3, 2022, I am grateful that:

I got a chance to hang with the “Brothers” on Saturday. Willie returned from America, but Andre wasn’t present. We hung out at Cedric’s, at good food, and fellowshipped. Great Saturday evening reprieve.

I had a chance to have a more in depth conversation with Sherman Saturday night. We spoke of potential partnerships and it’ll be interesting to see what if anything manifests from our conversation.

I’m remembering Steve with fondness. I already miss him and I’m relatively certain I won’t be able to return stateside for any kind of memorial service. So I’ll mourn his death alone, in my own way, as we all do.

I’m up early enough to have finished one load of laundry, started another, and have time to make some calls before I watch football. I went to sleep a little early so I could do those things and happy I awoke, without my alarm clock to get these things done.

Poe and I had an in depth conversation the other day. We actually spoke so long, his phone battery died during our call. It’s great to have another person in my circle vibrating on the same frequency.

Are you willing to practice now for compensation later?

Are you willing to defer gratification?

How many examples of those traits do you know?

Who could you approach to mentor you in this phase of development?

Be Great. Be Grateful!!!