I have rarely sat in the stands of a high school football game in the last 35 years of my life and career, but on this night, I wanted to experience this high school football in its purest form. Kathy and I sat several rows up on the 40-yard line as Coach Bob took his traditional spot on the fence line near the 20-yard line. As I sat and became an observer, things jumped out and warmed my heart.

I had often heard the old adage, “you can’t judge a book by its cover.” But in working with my publishing team, I found out, to the contrary, readers do!

I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was entering into a dimension in my career that would layout a formula that repeated itself several times in my journey. The formula simply states, “Fear may be the first emotion you feel, when a growth opportunity presents itself. Then, your persistence in a specific direction and with urgency in mind can allow success to occur. Finally, along the way pain will be experienced, but that occurrence is necessary to adjust your path and keep it on target.”

It was a running joke for many during my coaching career. I would constantly say, “that’s going in the book.”