It’s pretty funny to see all the Christmas stuff out in stores already. I remember spotting Christmas decorations in Target the day after Halloween...classic. To be fair, it’s like that every year, but it never fails to make me laugh a bit. It is normal for us as a society to move from event to event, and holiday to holiday without looking back. We’re so quick as a society to jump from event to event, holiday to holiday, without ever looking back. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized just how fast time flies and how that makes it harder to truly appreciate each and every moment. Sometimes you don’t know what you have until it’s gone, and I want to make sure that I (we) take the time to reflect on all the things we’re grateful for.
One of the blessings that sticks out to me as I write this is my family. I’ve definitely taken that for granted throughout my life. I was so fortunate to grow up with two incredibly loving parents in the same household, and an older brother who set the standard for what it means to be a good person, a dedicated student, and an ambitious human being. The more relationships I’ve built, the more I realize how lucky I’ve been. Not everyone gets supportive parents. Not everyone’s parents are still together or even alive. Not everyone has good role models. Now more than ever, I want to express my gratitude and love for the fact that I was able to experience a great childhood and early adulthood in such a consistently loving environment. I love you, Mom and Dad. I can’t imagine how hard you’ve worked not only to maintain your marriage, but also to create such a special home for Quincy and me. I love you, Q, for being the best big brother I could have ever asked for.
Along with this, I want to express my love and thankfulness for Ryan, Justin, Ellie, Noah, and the rest of my extended family. Not all of these people are related by blood, but what we have feels just as strong — if not stronger. Being related doesn’t automatically make you close, and it’s not something you can choose. But these are the people I chose, which makes it even more special. Their support, friendship, and impact on the way I live my life are massive and deserve a proper shoutout in this post.
I’m also deeply grateful to play football for a living. I spent so many years dreaming of being a professional, and now, nearly four years in, it’s easy to take things for granted. I get paid to play the sport I love! What’s better than kicking a ball around with the boys for a living? You’d think that would make it easy to stay grateful, but to tell you the truth, it is easy to overlook the days and nights when I wished to be where I am now. When we get caught up in our daily routines and problems, it’s hard to stay grounded, to remind ourselves where we are and how far we’ve come. I’m grateful that through writing the eBooks for We Move and these bi-weekly posts for The Movement Newsletter, I’ve become more cognizant of my blessings and more intentional about appreciating them.
I know I talk about this a lot, but how can I not be grateful for having a deep sense of who I want to be in this world and how I want to impact others? It’s a recurring theme in my posts because it matters so much to me, and it’s something I want everyone to experience too. One thing I’ve struggled with is figuring out my place in society, and I know many of my people feel the same. When we pursue what we’re passionate about, we light a fire in others just by doing what we love. We might not even realize it, it might happen in small, random ways, but our actions inspire others. We all have the ability to impact the world in our own unique way. I now have a clear idea of how I want to do that, and I’m so thankful for it. Who knows, maybe in a few years I’ll have an identity crisis and lose my footing, but I’m confident that with the foundation I’ve built, I’ll always find my way back.
With this, I want all of you guys to take the time to think about who and what you are grateful for. Think about ways that you can maintain a sense of gratitude for longer than in just the holiday season. How can you express your thankfulness and love for others? How can you remember how fortunate you are to be you? What are some things throughout your life that you might have taken for granted? Or that you might be taking for granted right now?
With that said, I encourage you all to take a moment to think about who and what you’re grateful for. Think about how you can keep that sense of gratitude alive beyond the holiday season. How can you express your appreciation and love for others? How can you remind yourself how fortunate you are just to be you? What are some things you might have taken for granted or are taking for granted right now? If you ask yourself these things, I am sure that you will be able to count all of your blessings and truly enjoy this time with your loved ones.
That’s a wrap for this edition of The Movement Newsletter! This was a real, down-to-earth post, but I had so much fun writing it. Stay tuned for some information about what’s going on during this 2025 offseason, there are some exciting things in store! As I always say, keep moving and keep improving!
Remember that presence breeds progress too.
