Friday Night Lights

I recently finished watching a series (thank you Netflix) about a Texas high school football coach and the trials and tribulations related as he juggled his job and his family. He was perpetually stressed out and on the verge of being overwhelmed by playing the role of mentor, coach, and father to half the boys in his town. He had a catch phrase he would end each practice with and it became the rallying cry of his team: "Clear eyes, full heart... Can't lose."

Yeah, I know. It's cheesy and jingoistic and it makes for great television when there's dramatic music tugging at your heart strings while you're actually watching it. But the more I thought about this phrase, it began to carve a niche into my brain. I broke it down into its two main components and realized the complimentary implications were actually quite brilliant.

Clear eyes. When we see things clearly we are unencumbered by distractions and the hubris of life that seek to cloud the truth around us. If our eyes are truly clear, then the overwhelming reality of what is around us has no choice but to make us respond. Clarity of vision means we sometimes have to make a conscious effort to see straight and not be blinded by the convenience of indifference or willful ignorance. There are problems that need addressing and clear eyes imply we can focus on what needs to be accomplished. Things get ratcheted up a whole other level when we combine this mantra with what comes next.

Full heart. Having a full heart means we embrace the difficulties plaguing our lives and look for solutions based in empathy and humanity. A heart cannot break unless it has reached its maximum capacity for feeling. When is the last time we cared deeply enough about something that we were heartbroken if it didn't happen? Having a full heart means we are motivated by the need to be part of a greater solution to help others. We stretch ourselves to the point of being uncomfortable unless things change.

Can't lose. We live in a world of progress reports, employee evaluations and measurable results. We clamor for perfection because we do not want to be bypassed by others. I think we get so caught up in winning, that we forget it might be better to play as a team instead of focusing on breaking individual records. In the fight to end homelessness in Kalispell, Samaritan House implores you to join with our vision and our heart.

Together, we will not lose.