It matters not how slowly you go, but that you do not stop...

Valley, Valley, Valley, what the business baby!!!! I'm doing great, thanks for asking. The Tourney was an amazing weekend, we got lucky with the weather as it began to rain, but held off. People came out in big numbers, the cutie pies showed their stuff in the sun, and some great basketball was played. Congrats to the winning team led by Erik Ferden made up of Brad Meyer, Mike Schroeder, Kevin Strobush, and Jeff "Orange". Well done people and you all know I'm looking forward to next year...

Those of you that know me, know I like to talk a lot of trash. I will talk about basically anything. I like to think I have something to offer to conversations, and that's part of the reason I started writing this blog. We talk about a lot of fun and silly things on here and there needs to be time to just relax and talk about nonsense like that. Today however, I'm going to use this forum to talk about something a bit more serious, and a little closer to my heart. I still think this will apply to almost everyone who reads it, so I look forward to any feedback.

The title of the post is a quote by Confucius. If you're not sure who that is, He was a Chinese philosopher who is credited for lots of greatness. His teachings have influenced Asian cultures tremendously, and worldwide cultures as well. He was born 550 years before Christ. I bring that up because it helps to illustrate the thesis of this post. I'm talking about all our lives. Their directions, motivations, successes, and failures, and our reactions to the twists and turns we experience. People have been concerned with the navigation of their lives for a long time, clearly. Obviously, things have changed over the 2500 years since Confucius, but our desires to be happy and successful have not.

I don't claim to be any Dr. Phil, or some great philosopher, but I know a little bit about adversity. Do you? I know a little about success, and I know some about failure. Do you? I know what it's like to be lost in this life and feel like I just have no idea what my purpose is. I also know that I never lost faith that I knew there was a purpose for me. I relied on family and friends, I still do, for advice and feedback. Sound familiar? If not, you're lucky, but I bet this still applies to areas of your life. I'm going to tell you a little about my story, what I've used to help, and the way things can turn if you just keep fricken going.

I had a moderately successful high school and college career playing football. It was what I loved growing up. Luckily, I was bright enough to earn my high school and college diplomas as well. I didn't put forth the effort I should have, but sue me for being a dumb kid, huh? After college I moved to Florida to pursue an opportunity to play Arena Football. I never followed through because I got a job in real estate traveling all over the country, making pretty good money. And that was the proverbial hook in my mouth from corporate America. The beginning of me losing focus. Eventually I realized I didn't want to do stay with that job, and I didn't want to live in Florida either so I moved to the Second City. Chicago was great to me and I love her for that. Chicago presented me a lot of career options in sales and things that people don't really grow up dreaming to do, if you feel me. My internal struggles continued on as I began to feel like I wasn't fitting anywhere. I had several jobs, over the next few years and nothing was right. By the way, does this sound like anyone else out there? I imagine it does. I kept using my contacts to try and find better jobs places and that led me to speak on a semi-regular basis with my cousin out east. He works for Best Buy, and I wanted to see what he thought might be available. I'm now going to go to the email he sent me a couple years back that absolutely smacked me in the face with the simple stick, here are a couple quotes that hit home...

"One key thing to remember is you are not alone in this situation or feeling. An incredible amount of people including myself have experienced or experience the self doubt and feelings of not having real control over their professional lives that so often, unfortunately define who we are."

"Take some time to really think about what you love to do if you had all day to do it. Is it outside, inside working with people or working at your own pace alone? Think through the things you read about in magazines or newspapers when you scan the news. Lots of things interest you and some far more than others. And it doesn’t really matter what it is because I bet there is a job out their right now looking for the best person in the role who can really take it to new levels. I remember people saying I like to play video games all day or I like to surf all day and folks would say ya but you can’t make any money at that and you will be a loser, drifter or bum the rest of your life. The last time I looked kids were making millions as the best gamers in the world competing global. Many have endorsements like that Shawn kid who is endorsed by Creative Labs sounds cards under the Fatal1ty brand. Same goes for surfers that make millions traveling the world, getting endorsements and the like. The key is understanding your passion and then figuring out is there a market out there or could there be down the road?

Hang in there. This is the hardest time figuring out who you are what you want to do in life. It will get better and far more clear. I promise.

Find your passion."

I am not afraid to say that as I read these things, I broke down. pretty much entirely. I mean straight sobbing right at the computer. But it was also the light I needed. That was Valentines Day, 2008. I've always known what I'm passionate about, athletics, and specifically football. It took me a little while to understand that there wasn't anything I love more than football. I love other sports, but it would be a waste of time for me to try and pursue a career in anything other than my passion. Have you found yours?

I moved back to the Minneapolis area to take advantage of football contacts in the area. I got a job in the meantime at a law firm, like where I was working in Chicago. I began setting up meetings and sending out emails and calling everyone I thought could help. I worked, I just kept hitting the street, because I knew this was it. I just knew, there was no looking back or second guessing, I just had to make it happen. Clarity is a beautiful thing. Especially when for about 6 years things were not clear. I was laid off on April 1 from the law firm and was told on April 2 that I was wanted to Volunteer at St. Thomas. By spring I was volunteering at St. Thomas University's spring football, and was recently offered an assistant coaching position there this fall. Next week, I'm going to Winona to coach Winona State's football camps. Goal #1 is met, I'm in.

Is that it then? Hell no. I have goals, I have ideas of where I can go in this sport. All the BS I've fought through over the last few years, has done nothing but build my resolve. And this little bit of success, is that reward. I wish I could explain how happy I am. I think for the first time in my life, I'm truly proud of myself. Not because now I'm a football coach, but because I fought and battled. I learned the hard way many times,I used that experience, and it paid off. "It matters not how slowly you go, but that you do not stop." Many tears fell because I just knew there was something, something I was meant to do and I couldn't figure it out. Damn that is frustrating man, sometimes debilitating. And I know people out there understand that. I have a best friend right now going through a rough career issue, I was laid off, my sister was laid off, everyone knows people feeling the pain of this economy. It is damn tough out there and to pretend it's not is setting yourself up for trouble. But I just said to myself that I was tougher. I have a tattoo that reads in Irish Gaelic "Power comes to those who uncover success in every struggle". I believe that completely. I'm not the first person to talk about how great it is to achieve when adversity is present. There's nothing profound in me talking about overcoming life's obstacles. You don't want to hear all that cliche crap. You know all about it right? Now ask yourself why that is? It's because it's so damn true that it's happening all the time. Our lives are spent struggling for those small moments when we smile, cry, or whatever you do when you know you've accomplished something. Remember in the "Pursuit of Happiness" at the very end. After everything He'd been through, and to finally have that "moment" with himself. Man, I remember thinking, "Can I get some of that please?" So I worked, and all it took was my current head coach to tell me that he would love to have me apart of his staff for me to, for the first time, understand the power I had. The fact that it was something I know I loved, something I am crazily passionate about only helped me to know that I AM on the right path. Are you?

I'm not using this blog to preach about anything or tell everyone how right I am about things...well, yes I am actually, haha. But honestly, this was an opportunity to share some of my story, knowing I'm not alone and neither are you. You gotta keep working, there is no quick fix or lottery for happiness. But there is happiness. It comes in small moments, family and friends supporting you, and knowing that you're doing something that you love to do. It's like going out on the lake on a hot day, do you like that? Do you love to do that? Are you happy when you do that? Simple really. Not easy, so don't confuse the two, but simple. I found my passion, it took me a while to figure it out but I found it again. And I feel lucky for that. I have a lot of work to do to get to where I want to go, but there is light at the end of the tunnel...there's always light at the end of the tunnel...there's ALWAYS light at the end of the tunnel.

Find your passion.

Thanks to everyone who helped me and continue to help me along the way, you all know who you are, I am yours forever, know that. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I hope it applied to your life in at least one little way. I hope my story is another small piece of proof that hard work does pay off, and it will for others everyday. I'm not special, I still really haven't done much with my life, but for me it is nice to read about someone's trials and bring the realness of it home...remind you that this "life" thing is going on all around us. I know it helps me to read about people stories and I hope I could offer some help in return. What we do does not define who we are, ever. It's a mistake to think it should or does. But what we do is important for several reasons, and it does overlap with who we are because of those any reasons. Some things in life we can change and our careers or what we do for money, is one of them. I think motivation and drive in an individual is absolutely necessary. With that it is absolutely true that we can achieve whatever we put our minds to, make it happen Valley!

Out like Michael Jackson...RIP
McQuillan