The Relentless Pursuit: Finding Greatness Through Integrity, Perseverance, and Unity
To truly find our greatness, we have to commit to a relentless pursuit, fueled by integrity, perseverance, and unity. These are our primary core values as a club, and ones I’ve followed throughout my life. This isn’t a passive journey; it demands we work diligently across every aspect of our lives: physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, spiritually, at work, in play, love, diet, exercise, and so on.
The Foundation: Embracing Your Grind
Your grind is your process, and learning to love it is essential. It’s where real growth happens, often out of the spotlight through trial and error. It is a series of getting knocked down and having to get back up again. The most crucial element here is discipline, especially when we’re challenged. Without it, success is impossible, and life’s distractions will constantly pull us off track when things get tough. Through this process, it’s imperative to understand the difference between a true rest day – a vital part of the process – and simply being lazy. They are not the same, but rest is a must when we’re running on empty.
In your grind, know that you only control your processes and routines, not the outcomes. You have to stay disciplined and consistent, and positive outcomes will naturally follow, but understand there will always be setbacks, and they often show up when you least expect them. This is one of the reasons why winning isn’t a beautiful, linear journey; it’s a gritty grind with moments of success sprinkled in. True winning means embracing the cycle of failure, improvement, and ultimately, achievement (when it does happen). Show up every single day and be consistent.
This relentless grind found its profound expression for me in soccer. It was my freedom, my escape, and it gave me a way to navigate the world. Through it, I experienced challenges and achievements, travels and destinations, deep relationships and bonds. It was filled with passion, desire, belief, hope and disappointment, determination, perseverance, dark and light, movement and stillness. This was, is, and will be my life. Soccer provided me with life; it was my savior and my capture, my love and my hate. I am forever grateful. This personal journey highlights how a dedicated pursuit shapes not just skill, but also identity, resilience, and the very fabric of who we become.
The Human Element: Patience, Forgiveness, and Compassion
Whether in your personal grind or leading others, remember the profound importance of patience. This is a learning journey, and we will all make mistakes along the way. Be forgiving when mistakes happen, whether they’re your own or made by those you work with. Extend compassion to yourself and others when errors occur. Our inner self-talk needs to be uplifting, not one that tears us or those around us down. This compassionate approach fosters an environment where mistakes are seen as opportunities for growth, not reasons for condemnation.
You will fail at this over and over again, just as I have. Each failure is a reminder of the continued work needed and our ability to once again find patience, forgiveness, and compassion when our least desirable actions occur. Frustration is hard and a major part of the competitive environment. Unfortunately, it can bring out the worst in us. As much as I’ve improved in this area, I’m still very much a student in this practice. My emotions in a competitive landscape can get the best of me, but through reflection and asking for forgiveness in my moments of weakness, it has allowed for a deeper bond between those I work with and our ability to push each other to become better.
In a world that can seem dark and hopeless, be the light for those around you. Become a lighthouse that shines a message of hope and inspiration! A message that says continue to push oneself to elevate and chase dreams for the greater good.
The Heart of Leadership: Integrity and Vulnerability
This same discipline and commitment, in combination with the understanding of our shared human imperfections, naturally extend into leadership, where integrity becomes our compass. Leadership often means making difficult decisions, choosing what is right even when it’s incredibly challenging. These moments can be exhausting, yet we must remind ourselves that our choices are guided by our integrity. Just as in our personal grind, we don’t control external perceptions or immediate results. No matter how difficult, stay patient and trust in doing what’s right. Let your values lead you.
This leads to the core of impactful leadership: developing meaningful relationships. This unique skill stems directly from our values and how consistently we live by them. Our values and beliefs shape our behavior, and when shared, they forge unity and culture within a group. If we don’t authentically live by our values, people will eventually see through us, leading to transactional interactions instead of genuine ones.
The path to transformational leadership demands deep self-reflection to truly know our values and how they fit in our life. Too many people skip this vital process, unaware or afraid to face themselves. To maximize our potential, we must know who we are and what we stand for. Without this foundation, we lack an anchor when faced with life’s toughest moments. When we understand ourselves, we can truly embrace others, building strong relationships where profound transformation can occur. We are all leaders in some form or capacity. You have to ask yourself what kind of leader do you want to be and how do you want to show up for those around you?
Connection and communication rely on vulnerability, and that can be extremely intimidating. We have to learn how to shed our armor and let those around us see us for who we truly are. When we open up, others follow, creating a space for transformational change that goes far beyond any learned skills. This learning process is mutual: coach to player, player to coach. Building this trust takes time; you can’t force openness on day one. But once that trust is established, allowing everyone to be their authentic selves, we gain the ability to navigate highs and lows together, working in true unity. It is in this moment that we all start rowing the boat in the same direction, and that is when the magic starts to happen. Alone, we can only go so far, but together, we can go to hell and back again for each other, ultimately coming out the other side a better version of ourselves!
As I’ve journaled, trying to capture the essence of this relational impact, a simple truth emerged:
“A meaningful impact in one’s life is a key aspect in allowing us to dive deeper into questioning who we are in pursuit of becoming better for ourselves and those around us.”
I’ve certainly had this impact on others, and undeniably, they have had the same profound impact on me. This ongoing cycle of growth, fueled by integrity, perseverance, patience, forgiveness, compassion, and unity, is a true mark of a life well-lived. My journey has not been easy, and I’ve had many setbacks. Often the destination I started toward was not the destination I ended up at, but the growth and support from those around me, and the bonds I made, had a profound and lasting impact on my life. Find the silver linings from your experiences, as that is where the lessons lie.
Chase your dreams and don’t be afraid of setbacks. Your destinations will certainly be a moving target that leads to unexpected moments. The unexpected is life bringing you new opportunities through your relentless pursuit of staying on your grind! Success happens when preparation meets opportunity. Make sure you’re prepared, and your grind is the only way to do that.
Ryan Youngblood
United PDX | CEO
