Good Monday morning to you. I’ve not posted in a few weeks, due to a crazy busy schedule, and some health issues. I am feeling much better now, although I’m now dealing with a sinus infection caused by allergies.

As many of you know, I grew up in central North Carolina- almost in the absolute center of the state. In the spring time in our corner of the world, our lives become consumed with a little thing called “March Madness…” particularly ACC basketball. I’m a nearly life-long fan of North Carolina State University, and in 2010, I became a State alumnus when I finished my Master’s degree.

I’ve also been a longtime fan and admirer of the late, great James T. Valvano, a.k.a Jimmy V. He isn’t just renowned around these parts for this coaching prowess, or for his legendary 1983 NCAA win, but for his fighting spirit. Even in the midst of doubt, all odds being stacked against him, and later on, terminal cancer, he never gave up. If you haven’t watched his famous 1993 Arthur Ashe award acceptance speech, you should. I also highly recommend watching the ESPN documentary “Survive and Advance.”

Jimmy V famously carried a notecard in his sportcoat pocket with a list of his extraordinary goals he wanted to accomplish. In the end, he accomplished all of them but one: find a cure for cancer. Before his death, he founded the V Foundation for cancer research. Today, the V Foundation has written over 90,000 publications, been connected to over 1,000 clinical trials, and received over 5,500 grants that have generated $19 billion in cancer research (info taken from V Foundation website).

The Wolfpack’s recent ACC victory has got me thinking about Jimmy V. Their last ACC victory happened in 1987 when he was still coaching. He would have been absolutely stoked with their victory Saturday night.

If you made a notecard listing your audacious goals, what would it say?

Mine would have things like weigh 140 pounds again, pay off all debt, run a marathon, and finish my PhD. Mine would have some incredibly far-fetched goals on it, but so did Jimmy V’s….and he accomplished all of them but one.

We are all ordinary people. So was he. We are all capable of extraordinary things, just like he was.