Keep Your Eyes on the Goal

“Obstacles are what you see when you lose sight of the goal.”

I was reminded of that this weekend while attending my nephew’s graduation from Seattle University.

There were nearly 1,000 graduates, and I would guess at least 70% of them graduated cum laude. It was inspiring to see so many young adults not only excelling academically, but genuinely optimistic about their future and the impact they hope to have on the world.

Seattle University’s motto is:

“Educating the whole person, professional formation, and empowering leaders for a just and humane world.”

I found that refreshing in a world where making money and gaining power often seem to dominate the conversation.

The students receiving top honors were impressive—not just because of their grades, but because of their contributions to science, innovation, and service. Simply put, they were remarkable.

Like many people in my generation, I sometimes worry about the future. AI, politics, inequality, climate change, and economic uncertainty can make it easy to focus on what might go wrong.

But after talking with my nephew, his girlfriend, and many of the other graduates, I left feeling hopeful.

Our future is in very capable hands.

Coincidentally, this week at Santa Cruz Boxing we’re working on head movement and slipping.

One of the first lessons we teach is not to freeze when a punch is coming. You don’t stare at the obstacle. You don’t panic. You keep your eyes on the target, move your head, and continue moving forward.

Life isn’t much different.

There will always be problems. There will always be uncertainty. But if we focus only on the obstacles, eventually that’s all we’ll see.

The goal isn’t to pretend obstacles don’t exist.

The goal is to keep moving.

Keep your eyes on the target.

Slip the obstacles.

Keep moving forward.

And after this weekend, I’m more convinced than ever that there are a lot of good people working hard to make tomorrow better than today.

That gives me hope.

Because our future is in very capable hands.

This week’s focus at Santa Cruz Boxing: Head Movement & Slipping

 Keep your eyes on the target.

 Slip the obstacles.

 Keep moving forward.

Because life, like boxing, isn’t about avoiding every punch.

It’s about learning how to handle the ones that come your way.

We are in your corner.

— Coach Brian Dunniway
Santa Cruz Boxing