Confidence Is Earned - Thin Mint Cheesecake
Few figures in American sport have left a legacy as enduring as the head coach who led the Green Bay Packers to five NFL championships and victories in the first two Super Bowls. His teams set the standard for excellence in the 1960s.
In the middle of that run was Vince Lombardi, known not just for winning, but for demanding discipline, resilience, and accountability. His words still resonate because they remind us that setbacks are inevitable, but getting back up is a choice.
The Warm Up
True confidence is not loud or performative. It does not need to prove itself. It comes from preparation, repetition, and evidence earned over time.
You build confidence by keeping promises to yourself. By finishing sessions when quitting would have been easier. By stacking enough honest work that doubt has less room to speak. When race day or pressure arrives, confidence is not something you hype into existence.
It is something you remember. You remember the miles, the discipline, the days you showed up tired. Give yourself the evidence, then let go of the noise. Trust what you built.
Show up! Put in the work! Regroup! Put in the work! Don't quit! Believe in yourself! Develop your skills! Process > outcome! Be okay with uncomfortable! Compete!
The Journey
Meal Time
It’s that time of year.
No, it’s not quite spring. The clocks haven’t sprung forward. But there is a sure sign those days are close. Girl Scout Cookies.
They may not seem quite as everywhere as they once were, but give it time. Somewhere near the entrance of your grocery store, a troop will be waiting patiently.
While I love a box of Samoas, not everyone is on board with coconut the way they are with Thin Mints. We all have our preferred method. Straight out of the sleeve. Stored in the freezer like my dad. Or blended into a milkshake with two scoops of vanilla and a full sleeve of cookies. Yes, a full sleeve.
This week, I want to give you another option for those fabulous calories. Thin Mint Cheesecake.
Thin Mint Cheesecake
Ingredients
1 (10 ounce) package Thin Mint cookies, crushed and divided
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 (8 ounce) packages reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1 (8 ounce) container light sour cream
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan with aluminum foil, allowing a few inches to extend over the sides.
Combine 1 1/2 cups crushed cookies with melted butter. Press firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Beat cream cheese at medium speed until smooth. Add sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Beat until well combined.
Add eggs one at a time, beating on low speed just until blended after each addition.
Pour batter into the prepared crust.
Microwave chocolate morsels in 30 second intervals, stirring until smooth.
Pour melted chocolate into the center of the batter and gently swirl with a spatula.
Bake 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, until the center is almost set.
Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
Run a knife around the edge to loosen. Remove pan sides and foil. Let stand 30 minutes before serving and sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.
If you make it, do yourself a favor. Hide a slice in the freezer before your family finds it.
This is What I Heard
It seems like every family has a crazy uncle.
Not mine. I’ve got a crazy cousin.
Russell Clay. Former semi pro softball player. Then Western theme park stuntman. Then stunt double on Walker, Texas Ranger. Then a Jimmy John’s commercial extra. Now a full blown movie producer and director.
That’s my cousin. Big Daddy Russ.
A couple weeks ago my son had to read The Most Dangerous Game in school. Four days later, Russ and his studio, Wacowood Films, released their latest short film, The Gambler, a modern twist on that same classic story.
If you have 25 minutes, I’d love for you to give it a watch and support a guy who’s never been afraid to chase something unconventional.
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