The night they played the Titans – A Coach Yoast Theory #atozchallenge

All hope seemed lost for a high school football team whose important game of the season was not going in their favor in the biographical sports drama “Remember the Titans” starring Denzel Washington and Will Patton.

Not only were they down in points, one of their own players even walked off of the field, abandoning them at a crucial moment. Officials showed these teenagers no mercy either, calling penalties left and right, yet, overlooking fouls from the opposing team. Coach Bill Yoast (played by Patton) had another plan in store – one that would change the morale among his team as well as the direction of this game. Here is how he led them out of the hole they found themselves in…

“Now, I don’t want them to gain another yard. You blitz all night! If they cross the line of scrimmage, I’m gonna take every last one of you out. You make sure that they remember FOREVER, the night they played the Titans!”

For those of you who have seen the movie, you know this is the moment where Coach Yoast is not screwing around; he means business and is willing to go the distance in making sure that his team has a fair shot at winning the game. His new plays are set up to survive in the environment that they found themselves in, possibly beating the opposing team at their own brutal and seemingly fixed game. At this point, it isn’t just about winning; it’s about respect, taking back their freedom of not having to play by someone else’s narrow-minded rules and most importantly – it’s about standing tall against all odds until the time clock reaches zero.

Coach Yoast’s way of thinking when he said those above lines is exactly how we need to approach some of the offenses that we meet out on the field of life.

You’ll always get tackled and trampled over if you don’t beef up your defense and give the opposing situation all you’ve got – no matter how bigger, smarter, more powerful or more resourceful, etc. that condition or person or place is, in comparison.

It’s not about accepting defeat, it’s about doing your best at making it difficult for an opponent to bring you down and wipe you out. Maybe you’ll win, maybe you’ll lose, but one thing is for sure if the latter applies – your challenger shouldn’t have an easy ride to victory.

That’s how legends – no scratch that – TITANS are made. The people we remember and those who inspire us are the ones who do the unthinkable, achieve the impossible, go above and beyond their abilities or potential at times when they are far from the lead. They are the individuals, groups, partners and teams taking the kind of risks that naysayers unexpected or even refuse to acknowledge because they’re too busy gossiping or being miserable or contributing to the problems of the world, rather than the solutions of the world.

How memorable are you? What have you contributed to your existence on this earth so far? What can you do from here on out to make sure that the people you come in contact with – and possibly even those who you may never come in contact with -- will not forget you?

Who are the Titans that you will remember forever and what makes them a champion?

What do you want to be remembered for when this game is all over?

What Makes Us Right? – The Sean Penn Revolution #atozchallenge

*Language Alert: This post contains some explicit language. If you are among the faint at heart or sensitive to certain words, consider this advance notice.

“If I yell a little louder than you, does that make me right?” asks a U.S. diplomat named Joseph Wilson in the biography thriller “Fair Game” starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn. This line occurs in the scene where Joseph’s (played by Penn) wife Valerie Plame (played by Watts) urges him to stop doing television appearances and talking to the press about war and government cover-ups. Their argument puts them at war with each other after White House officials leaked Valerie’s identity as a CIA operative, following Joseph’s editorial questioning the validity of the government’s claims of finding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

Valerie is pissed that Joseph has the audacity to battle with the White House -- an entity that has power to wreak havoc on their already tumultuous lives; he wants her to realize that there are bigger things at stake if they sit back and do nothing about the lies being spread by their government. Putting the subject matter of “Fair Game” aside, I am especially fond of this movie line because it applies to any situation and is food for thought when something just doesn’t seem – well, right.

It serves as a reminder that you do an injustice to yourself, your fellow man and future generations of people if you don’t stand up to entities that abuse their liberties just because they are in a position that allows this to happen. Our legal system from family court to criminal matters and so on is one of the best examples of how the truth gets bent, twisted around – or even fabricated to meet the needs of somebody’s (whether that be the prosecutors, police, judge, jury, those who testify or any other position related to a case) agenda. The justice system, however, is just the tip of the iceberg; there is foul play going on in our boardrooms, in our child welfare “protection” agencies, in our healthcare system, in our educational systems and in our backyards.

Families even fight each other over who gets entitled to what when a loved one dies, who gets to claim whom on income tax returns and who makes the decisions about medical care for relative who are incapacitated. I personally know of two instances where relatives started engaging in funny business over real estate and related assets.

From large corporations and government entities to communities with neighbors at war with each other over dogs urinating on someone else's front lawn or toddlers trampling a garden, people make up what they want to justify their planned course of action – whatever that may be. 

To me, Sean Penn’s (or Joseph Wilson – however you want to name him) question is about two things:

• Being right in the authenticity of information that you are either sending out or receiving.

• Being right about how you handle (or behave in the circumstance of) someone challenging said information.

Question everything, because even the most credible sources can be wrong. That means even if claims or information comes to you from your very best friend, your mother or father, the pope, Elton John, Beyoncé, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, PETA, Matt Lauer and even The White House etc. -- do not take everything that you read or hear or see, at face value. Also, don’t be afraid to call people on their bullshit if for at any minute, you suspect that there is some funny business going on.

Those in more prominent positions are no more (or no less) truthful than the little man. This is not only reflected in “Fair Game;” We saw it in “Gasland” and “Erin Brockovich” where the everyday Joe stood up to greed, health dangers and environmental pollution.

We saw it in “The General’s Daughter” and “A Few Good Men” where, though tragic, military officials with tormented pasts or dwindling reputations still managed to bring down the corruption of high ranking officers involved in murder, rape and intimidation tactics. We also saw it in “I am Sam” where a mentally disabled man and his ruthless lawyer challenge their state’s attempts to relinquish a father’s custody rights. Yes, arguments can be made against the premise of the latter example, but, I would request that you entertain the gist of the idea for the sake of this post.

When was the last time YOU stood up to something (or someone) that you believed wasn’t Right?

What are some indications that let YOU know you’re receiving the right information or treatment or service, etc.?

A Lesson on Quality from ‘The Lone Ranger’ #atozchallenge

“Forget the movie; I’d pay ten bucks just to look at this picture,” said David Letterman during his Johnny Depp interview for the upcoming action western, “The Lone Ranger.”

Letterman loves the still photo of a horse-riding scene where Depp plays a North American warrior named Tonto in the movie.

There is little room for error in the making and marketing of this $200+ million budgeted Disney flick. So, when an Emmy-winning talk show host like David Letterman delivers positive remarks about the smallest of details – a photo being just as worthwhile as the movie it represents -- you know the producers, cast and crew have done well by executing on one of key factors that makes all the difference in whether or not we live exceptional lives: Quality.

It is important to aim for quality in what you do as well as in the materials and services received from other people. This doesn’t mean you should meet or expect perfection always without fail; setting yourself up to get it right every time puts you in a better position to excel or come closer to doing so, right out of the gate.

• Put your best foot forward when participating in activities at home and at work. Don’t throw something together just to get it done. Do the kind of work that you’d be proud to share with others or at the very least, satisfied enough to want to repeat it or revel in it. 

• Put yourself in another person’s shoes and ask if you would pay for the work that you’ve done, the advice that you’ve given or the acts of service that you received. If the answer is yes, then chances are that it is of some quality. If the answer is no, then it’s time to go back to the drawing board to make improvements, or else you’ll be flirting with a state of mediocrity – and that does you no good.

• Give your undivided attention to the people who you interact with and the tasks you’re engaged in at the moment. Imagine how off-putting it feels to share a meal with someone who is so busy on his or her phone that the conversation between you two lacks substance. Think about how (not) fun it is to be in a car surrounded by drivers who are so busy texting, doing their makeup or participating in other distractions that they aren’t even looking at the road.

• Accept and use items that are built to last; cheap products and lots of mass-produced goods do not spell Q-U-A-L-I-T-Y. Buy local if you can.

While there is no guarantee that you will get high quality results in all areas of life that involve both short and long-term needs, refusing to settle for the easiest or most convenient options will likely backfire, eventually leaving you unfulfilled.

David Letterman considers Johnny Depp’s horse-riding photo from “The Lone Ranger” to be so fantastic that it “looks like a Charles Russell rendering,” especially since the actor looks like he knows what he’s doing on a pony.

Interestingly enough, Depp, who slipped, dropped and was almost “horrifically mangled” by this horse during one speedy obstacle run while shooting, told Letterman that the photo is the result of a few seconds before things went very sideways on set. Depp’s experience with what Letterman calls an “excellent” movie reminded me that while you don’t need to be perfect, you can find grand moments in the rubble of almost any circumstance to create, consume and engage in something of merit. This applies in the details of a thing; the pieces of a puzzle; not just in the main attraction.

What are one some of the things that affect YOUR Quality of life for better or worse?

Can YOU an item, product or service where you refuse to skimp on Quality?

When was the last time that YOU put convenience (or size, name, referral, color, price, familiarity, smell, texture, brand recognition, etc.) over Quality?