This year marks the twentieth year I’ve lived in Fort Wayne, Indiana. If you’re wondering where in the world Fort Wayne is you and I were not that different. Once you get through Chicago it’s another three hours away on the other side of the state. My heart has always been firmly grounded in Minnesota but I’ve grown to love it here, it is my home. On the way to Fort Wayne from Chicago you pass an iconic institution known as Notre Dame. You likely won’t notice it because it’s off the beaten path but it’s there and it’s magnificent. I’m a gopher fan, don’t mistake it but my kids have grown up believing Notre Dame is something special. I tell you all of this because I am surrounded by Irish fans. Technically I’m surrounded by Cubs fans, Hoosiers, Boilermakers, Wolverines and some team named the Colts (I think they’re a rugby team) All I can say about all of that is “Skol Twins” (That was a shout out to my colleague Matt Brown who is a legend).
I can’t tell you the year but I can tell you about the famous speech former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz delivered once upon a time. It was a memorable speech that started off with the phrase “you gotta believe.” It sets the premise for the entire inspirational message. I love it, because the message resonates with the core of who I am and that phrase, “you gotta believe” is something I wake up with in my head everyday. I’ve always believed in optimism, that something good is going to happen. I’ve always looked forward to something and that mentality has driven my spirit. I don’t believe in coincidences but I do believe in the mantra of a positive attitude. Maybe that’s why Notre Dame is always in the spotlight? A school from South Bend, Indiana that believes they are going to win the college football national championship every year. Can you imagine what that must be like? And they actually get pretty close sometimes. If you’re a Minnesota fan like me you likely don’t have that feeling with our teams.
Back in 2014 I started believing in things. All things really, and it was interesting because things started to happen that never happened before. I found a random woman's purse on the side of the toll booth outside of Chicago and spent all day looking for her. I didn’t ask for anything in return I just wanted to get it back to her. I couldn’t imagine what that must have been like for her. Wouldn’t you know it, the very next day I won a new Xbox at a seminar I attended. “The winner is Derek Lulabrrete, I’m not sure I said that right (it’s fine, happens everyday). I went to bed that night thinking things were possible that I never once thought before. It’s silly I know, to think if you do nothing other than think positively that good things will happen but, they did. Not just winning things either, all things. My marriage improved, my relationships improved. I got raises and promotions, I even was publicly recognized in my community for a few awards. I started to believe and I started to see the world differently. I was literally a walking, talking Optimist Prime!
