Still fighting for the "R" word

So I’ve been called celebrity, big-time or superstar by some people…considering my ascension in the last five years which includes radio and television appearances.

Don’t get it twisted, I love the praise and it’s clearly something I’ve always strived and worked diligently for. I’ve earned my respect over the years…

And my mindset every day is that I’m still fighting for the aforementioned “R” word.

I’m still that guy who pounds stories away like I’m trying to land my big dream job. I’m still a man who has goals set out for the day once my feet touch the bedroom floor. I stay humble because it wasn’t that long ago when I nearly lost everything; from money to my own life.

I don’t relish in any celebratory fame because I don’t have my star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I’m still winless when it comes to journalistic awards, so I grind like I’m still searching for my perfect photo or perfect story. I still approach as many people as I can with the humbleness I had instilled in me during my military dependent years. I still approach my goals like I'm on a bench press: no matter how much weight is next to me, I still push through it until I reach the top, feeling my strength increasing each time.

I haven’t changed one bit. I’m still that scrapper who fights for the “R” word. It’s a mindset I live by.

As it is, I’m surrounded by people who have a workman-like approach, from high school football players sharpening their skills so they can get on a college football program’s radar, to coaches who want to see college football programs cluttered with their former players, to fellow media colleagues who strive every day to deliver the perfect story to share to their community, all the way to rising businessmen and women who seek their elevation, but never forget where they came from.

Respect shouldn’t just be a word, it should be a mentality. And it’s a mentality that fuels me the moment I open my eyes and start my day.