I wrote Finish Empty® to help you live with clarity, purpose, and confidence.
It is designed to encourage and challenge you to stop drifting and start making intentional choices that move you forward. It gives you a practical framework to think differently, take action, and stay focused on what truly matters.
Every chapter is built to help you reflect honestly and take meaningful steps so you can turn vision into progress and purpose into results.
You don’t have to keep wondering “what if.”
You can live a life that says, “I’m glad I did.”
https://t.co/ImNmGLUeiv
These guys are some of the best coaches in College Baseball. Some of them may absolutely love where they are currently at and may never leave.
With that said, here are my Top 11 “Jump Seat” coaches that deserve a call from programs looking for a new Skipper next offseason:
When your mind keeps asking, “What if?” remember to ask, “What is?”
What if things don’t work out?
What if I fail?
What if something happens?
What if I can’t handle what’s ahead?
Those questions can fill your mind with problems that haven’t happened and outcomes you can’t predict.
When you find yourself there, pause and ask:
What is true right now?
What is within my control?
What is one thing I can do today?
You may have a real concern that needs attention. Give it attention. Make the call. Have the conversation. Ask for help. Take the next step.
But recognize when you’ve moved from addressing a concern to repeatedly imagining everything that could go wrong.
Jesus reminds us not to worry about tomorrow. That doesn’t mean we ignore our responsibilities. It means we can trust Him with what we cannot see while being faithful with what’s in front of us.
Don’t let what might happen consume the day you’ve actually been given.
It's Wednesday afternoon.
It's easy to start the week with good intentions, a clear plan, and plenty of motivation. But somewhere between Monday morning and Wednesday afternoon, the demands of life start wearing on you. Your schedule is full, your to-do list is still long, and your energy isn't what it was when the week began.
But the second half of your week deserves just as much intentionality as the first. Here are a few things that can help you finish the week strong.
1. Focus on what matters most.
Not everything on your list deserves the same attention. Identify your priorities and give them your best effort.
2. Stop waiting to feel like it.
You won't always feel motivated. Start anyway. Action often creates the momentum you've been waiting for.
3. Don't let one difficult day define your week.
Maybe Monday or Tuesday didn't go as planned. You can't change those days, but you can decide what you do with the rest of this one.
4. Take the next step.
Don't get overwhelmed by everything that's left to accomplish. Focus on what you can do right now, and do it well.
5. Finish what you started.
Follow through on your commitments. Keep your word. Don't allow fatigue to become an excuse for lowering your standards.
Remember, the way you finish the week matters just as much as the way you start it. Don't give the first half of the week your best effort and the second half whatever you have left.
Keep going. The week isn't finished, and neither are you!
Today is Veterans Day. 🇺🇸
There are freedoms we enjoy every day that we rarely stop to think about. The freedom to worship, speak, pursue opportunities, raise our families, and live our lives in peace.
Those freedoms have been defended by men and women who made the decision to serve something greater than themselves.
Some left their families for months or years. Some returned home carrying burdens most of us will never understand. Others made the ultimate sacrifice and never came home at all.
Veterans Day is more than a date on the calendar. It's an opportunity to remember that service requires sacrifice, courage is often demonstrated in difficult circumstances, and freedom should never be taken for granted.
To every veteran, thank you. Thank you for your willingness to serve, for the sacrifices you made, and for the sacrifices your families made alongside you.
May we never become so accustomed to our freedoms that we forget those who helped protect them.
Happy Veterans Day. 🇺🇸
The strongest teams have a shared drive rooted in a purpose bigger than themselves. They believe in what they’re building, and each person takes responsibility for their part in it.
This morning, I led a leadership training session for the directors of the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Arkansas.
Leaders often find themselves caught between the way things are and the way things should be. They see the needs, the hurt, and the gaps where people are going without the help they deserve.
And they step up to fill the void.
That’s what these leaders do. They choose to take responsibility, speak up for children, and work toward something better. Even when progress is slow and the weight is heavy, they keep showing up.
Grateful for the opportunity to invest in leaders who refuse to accept the way things are as the way things have to be.
Don’t turn someone else’s good news, big moment, or accomplishment into a story about you.
Most of us don’t realize we’re doing it. We’re trying to relate. Something they say reminds us of something we’ve experienced, and before we know it, we’ve taken over the conversation.
Someone tells us about their vacation, and we start describing ours. They share an accomplishment, and we mention something we’ve done. Their child reaches a milestone, and suddenly we’re talking about our kids.
We may not be trying to compete. But we’ve shifted the attention before they’ve had a chance to enjoy sharing their news.
There’s nothing wrong with sharing your experiences. But before you add your story, spend some time in theirs.
Ask how it happened. Ask what they’re most excited about. Tell them you’re happy for them. Let them finish without making them hurry toward the part where you get to talk.
Pay attention to yourself this week. When someone shares something good, are you listening to learn more, or waiting to tell them what it reminds you of?
You don’t have to add something impressive to make a conversation meaningful. Sometimes the best thing you can give someone is your interest.
Let them have their moment.
As we begin a new week, I want you to think about how you treat people. Are you as patient with the person who needs your help as you are with the person you want to impress?
It’s easy to be kind to someone who can open a door for you. But if you’re only kind because of what you might get in return, that’s not really kindness. That’s a transaction.
The challenge is showing kindness when there’s nothing to gain and your patience is being tested.
Pay attention to those moments this week. How do you respond when you’re interrupted? What does your tone sound like when someone makes a mistake? How do you treat the person who needs something from you when you’re already behind?
Every person you encounter is someone God loves. You may never know what they’re carrying or how much your patience could mean to them.
This week, don’t make people earn your kindness. Make it your habit, regardless of who’s in front of you.
Not everyone wants to see you win. But be careful that you don’t become so focused on who isn’t cheering that you overlook the people who are.
Disappointment has a way of getting our attention. One negative comment can follow us longer than ten encouraging ones. We can spend more time wondering why someone didn’t support us than thanking the people who showed up.
Today, I want you to think about the people who have encouraged you, opened doors for you, and celebrated your progress. The ones who check in, ask how it went, and get excited when you share good news. Those people deserve more of your attention than the ones trying to tear you down.
Send one of those people a text today. Tell them what their encouragement has meant to you. Be specific about a moment when their words helped or their support made a difference.
And to the people trying to tear you down? Win anyway. But don’t let their negativity change your heart. You can keep moving forward and still be someone who cheers for others.
I’m on the way to speak to Arkansas juvenile probation officers this morning. I can’t stop thinking about how different my life could have been without the investment of some people and the endurance of others.
Coaches, teachers, pastors, and my parents. Some gave me opportunities. Some gave me direction. Others had to tell me the same thing more than once, have difficult conversations, and keep showing up when I was struggling.
The older I get, the more thankful I am for all of them. I understand more now about the patience they showed, the time they gave, and the belief they had in who I could become.
This morning, I get to encourage people who work with young people who have messed up. Some have made bigger mistakes than others. These officers hold them accountable while helping them see that their worst decision doesn’t have to determine the rest of their lives.
They don’t always see the results of their work or hear the thanks they deserve. But I know from my own life how much it matters that someone keeps showing up.
Maybe this morning you’re wondering whether your words are getting through or your effort is making a difference. You may have to repeat yourself or have another hard conversation. You may not see the growth as quickly as you hoped. But don’t underestimate the difference your patience and investment can make.
I’m thankful for the people who never gave up on me. I want to be that person for someone else.
I wonder if we've made life so convenient that we're missing some of what made it meaningful.
Remember walking the aisles of Blockbuster on a Friday night, trying to agree on a movie? Or spending a Saturday at the mall, going from store to store, stopping for lunch, and enjoying the day together?
And what about those trips to the grocery store with your mom when you were a kid? Begging for your favorite cereal, trying to sneak something extra into the cart, and hoping she'd buy you a treat.
Today, we stream movies instantly, shop from our phones, order groceries to our front doors, and have dinner delivered without leaving the house.
And I'll be the first to admit, I love the convenience! But some of the things we've eliminated weren't just errands. They were opportunities to spend time together.
The conversations in the car. The unexpected stops. The laughter along the way. The people we ran into. The ordinary moments we didn't realize were becoming memories.
Technology has given us incredible ways to save time. But what are we doing with the time we're saving? Are we spending more of it with the people we love, or simply filling it with more distractions?
I'm not suggesting we go back to doing everything the hard way. I'm thankful for the conveniences we have. But I wonder if we've become so focused on making life easier that we've overlooked something important.
We used to spend time together doing things we had to do. Now we have to be intentional about spending time together because we no longer have to do those things.
A more convenient life isn't necessarily a more connected life.
What a great morning with @HLions_Football! Proud of these guys and excited for what’s ahead.
My message this morning: Embrace the moment, trust your preparation, play for each other, and make the most of the opportunity you’ve earned.
Let it rip! #FinishEmpty
You can be right and still handle it wrong.
You can have the facts on your side, make a perfectly reasonable argument, and still be completely wrong in the way you treat someone. Being right doesn't give you permission to be rude, disrespectful, impatient, or unkind.
Think about it. Have you ever won an argument but damaged a relationship in the process? Have you ever been so determined to make your point that you stopped listening to the other person? Sometimes our desire to prove we're right becomes more important than the person standing in front of us.
And here's something worth remembering. The way you communicate the truth can determine whether someone is willing to hear it.
You don't have to compromise your convictions to demonstrate compassion. You don't have to abandon what you believe to treat someone with respect. And you don't have to win every disagreement.
Before you respond today, ask yourself two questions: Is what I'm saying right? And am I saying it the right way?
Don't become so focused on winning an argument that you lose sight of how you're treating people. Being right matters. How you treat people matters too.
Don’t let what happens on social media determine who you become in real life.
You can wake up in a great mood and spend ten minutes scrolling yourself into anger. A headline, a comment, or someone you’ve never met gets under your skin.
Before you know it, the people you love are getting the worst of you because of something they had nothing to do with.
That’s a problem.
Social media algorithms have learned that outrage gets attention. Anger generates engagement. Division keeps people scrolling. But just because something is designed to get a reaction doesn't mean you have to give it one.
You don't have to have an opinion about everything. You don't have to respond to every disagreement. And you certainly don't have to allow strangers on the internet to determine how you treat the people standing right in front of you.
Be careful what you allow to influence your attitude. The people in your real life deserve the best of you, not what's left of you after you've spent an hour being angry at the internet.
Today, don't let a screen steal your peace or change the way you treat people.
Your attention is valuable.
Your peace is valuable.
Your relationships are valuable.
Protect them.
Happy Birthday, Courtney!
I love you so much for so many reasons.
You have a way of making everything and everyone around you better… and everyone loves you. You are kind, compassionate, thoughtful, gentle, and generous. You make everyone feel special.
You have a servant’s heart and are constantly finding ways to help others. You don’t need attention, recognition, or credit. You simply see a need and do something about it. Not many people are like that.
You are strong, tough, and resilient, yet full of grace and tenderness. You are one of the most dependable people I know. Everyone in your life knows they can count on you no matter what
You are beautiful inside and out. Somehow, I think you are getting younger too! You are absolutely gorgeous.
Today, I hope you feel as loved as you make everyone else feel. You make our family stronger, our home loving, and life better.
I’m so thankful for you. Happy Birthday! I love you!
Third session of the fall today with @GoChoctaws_BB! Proud of the guys and the work they’ve put in. I love seeing their growth as players, but I’m even more excited about the men they’re becoming. The impact of that work will reach far beyond the baseball field.