Quick, think of a game. Any game. What is it? Doesn’t matter, I want to win. Tennis, video games, board games…whatever it is, I’ve always wanted to win. There is truly no limits to my competitive streak. But in my defense, I’m very clear about how competitive I am and anyone will see that about me within 5 minutes of meeting me. Fortunately, Jenn wasn’t totally scared away within those first 5 minutes.

I knew my girlfriend for about 4 years before we started dating, as we met through one of my best friends who implored me that I had to meet this girl he had a crush on. So when I first met Jenn, I had pretty high expectations. But boy did she live up to them in a big way. Beautiful, intelligent, witty and quiet confidence that you may not expect out of such a sweet blonde. She had everything going in her favor…except for one thing: she went to my rival high school. YUCK.

But such was the foundation for our friendship and now, our incredible relationship that has now powered on for almost two and a half years (my Mom is so proud)! Jenn always challenges me, in a good way of course, to be the best version of myself each and every day. There are no days off when it comes to our relationship, no time when we just throw in the towel on making the other person feel special. And even during the days that I was too concentrated on myself, Jenn constantly made the effort to let me know that sometimes being selfish is understandable. The word selfish is the last thing someone wants to hear when they’re wallowing in self-pity but it was accurate…and somehow, she encouraged it. Without a doubt, I could go on days about the things she does for me. But today, on Valentine’s Day, I will highlight two things that I hope you all can do for the people in your life.

No matter how badly I want to win at something, she makes me want to do it the right way. If I was in the Major Leagues, she’d be the first person to smack me upside the head if I even mentioned the word steroids. Now obviously that’s an extreme example but it gets to the point of the matter: there are times that we all want to take the easy way out when times get tough. But when I reach those breaking points, she reigns me back in. She reminds me why I started on this journey to my dreams, why I want to win so badly in the first place. We all deserve someone like Jenn that, in our moments of frustration, will bring us clarity and renewed focus on what is important.

No matter how badly I want to win at something, she makes me enjoy the journey. Dreams are meant to be fun, designed to make us happy. So why, when we get so focused on achieving one thing, do we make ourselves feel like everyday is a task or a burden? Jenn brings me the eternally optimistic perspective that our drive to the destination is always more important than actually arriving. Sound familiar? It’s no coincidence that the way Jenn makes me think is the influence for the birth of this website. A final score may prove you victorious but the times you will remember forever are the ones you took the time to cherish. Take Jenn’s advice: enjoy the ride and the bumps along the way won’t be so bad after all.

Now you may have read through this article and thought, boy, this guy is pretty cheesy. Is he in the doghouse and wrote this just to get out? I sure hope not but the truth is, when you’re with someone who drives you to be your best then you don’t really need a special reason to tell them how you feel. This is the same attitude I take to every game I play or every dream I chase: if you’re passionate about the goal you’re pursuing, you will find that you don’t always need a special reason to get motivated. But if you or someone else you know may be wavering, look no further than what Jenn has done for my life. Stay focused on your dream and be happy. Simple as that.

Previous Daily Driver (2/13)

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