Finding the Good

Finding the good changes everything.  In a world full of chaos, fear, and critics, there is always good to be found…we just have to find it.

Finding the Good

I spent last Monday dealing with some not so good news on the work front.  It was a stressful day, as I was having to respond to multiple media outlets on the matter. 

In the midst of the busyness, I had a missed call from a former football player of mine during my coaching days in the Acworth Youth Football Association.  Joshua played for my father at the age of six and me at the age of seven.  He would go on to play his 8, 9, and 10 year old seasons with another coach. 

During that season of life, I spent a lot of time at the ballpark.  So did he, as his mother helped cook in the concession stand.  He has always been an incredibly special kid, not just as an athlete, but as humble and kind soul. 

Joshua would go on to play at North Cobb High School where he earned about every on field accolade a player could.  His academic and athletic performance there gave him the opportunity to play for the University of Tennessee Volunteers where he spent the next four years. 

Then, the big, life changing day came.  On April 25, 2026 Joshua was drafted by the Washington Commanders in the fifth round of the National Football League Draft.

Here are a few lessons in life and leadership from what transpired after I returned his call. 

Genuinely Do Good

Josh was calling me because he wanted to do a back-to-school supply drive for kids in need at the fields he grew up playing on.  He wanted to do good and give back to the community that had given so much to him. 

Here was the difference maker.  In my twenty-six years of public service, I have received a lot of calls from people who want to use their influence to do good.  While a few of those were self-serving, it’s the people who desired to genuinely do good that made the greatest impact. 

There was no doubt, Joshua genuinely desired to do good.   

In life and leadership, doing good has to be genuine.  Service to one’s community must be grounded in genuineness.  Without it, it’s nothing more than a selfless act, turned selfish.  The genuine giver makes the greatest impact. 

Surround Yourself with Good

After Joshua shared his desire to do good with me, he shared that he wanted to do it that coming Sunday…yeah in six whole days!  He needed to get back to the Commander’s preseason camp the following week. 

I paused for a second and thought about it.  Every reason that this event wouldn’t work rolled through my mind.  As I snapped out of it, I was like yeah…we can make this work. 

I wanted Joshua to fulfil his desire to do good in the community; therefore, we needed to surround him with the people that could pull it off.  Good, really good people. 

I started calling some of the most dependable and connected people I know.  Family, friends, social workers, principals, deputy city managers, and parks and recreation directors.  The Superheroes of my world that would help support him in his efforts to better his community. 

Want to make the impossible, possible?  Pick up the phone and call the superheroes in your world.  Surround yourself with rock solid, good people.  Whether it’s life or leadership, we can never go wrong when we surround ourselves with good people.

Conclusion

On this special day, this twenty-two-year-old kid used his influence for good.  He had given out $8,000 of his own money to four local charities!

The money will buy dress clothes for the Boys to Men Program at Barber Middle School, will fill the student food pantry at Awtrey Middle School, send kids on educational field trips through the Expanding Horizons Program, and create scholarships in the North Cobb Youth Football Program so that every kid has the opportunity to play the sport that has done so much for him.  In addition, 161 children in need were given backpacks filled with school supplies.

Towards the end of the event, I had a moment to myself.  It’s that moment where you finally slow down and take everything in.

The moment took me back to the Monday prior when multiple media outlets were reaching out for the bad.  Sadly, there wasn’t a single reporter there to cover the good.

Days like Sunday are what keep me going.  It lifts the fog of negativity that bombards us in in the headlines, our social media feeds, and The Comment Sections.  This event was what the true heart of our community looks like…people helping people. 

When we experience seasons of bad, find the good.  It’s what Joshua’s call did for me.