Red Mike Message 3-11-25 --- Save Yourself.

No one’s coming to save you. It’s just not happening.

Too many people wait for somebody to fix things—a leader, a mentor, a lucky break. But the truth is, no one’s coming to save you. As Prince would say: You’re on your own. So when the elevator tries to bring you down, go crazy—punch a higher floor.

A few examples:

John McClane didn’t wait for backup at Nakatomi Plaza. He didn’t sit around hoping the cavalry would come and save him. He figured out pretty quickly he was on his own. He assessed the situation, took action, and handled business. He was barefoot, bleeding, outgunned—and he won.

Same goes for Tom Brady. Sixth-round draft pick, 199th overall. Nobody expected him to be Tom Brady. They expected him to be more like Ryan Fitzpatrick.

You may remember Fitzpatrick—the perennial journeyman quarterback. He played for nine different teams: Rams, Bengals, Bills, Titans, Texans, Jets, Buccaneers, Dolphins, and Washington. And yes, they are the Redskins—I don’t care what anybody says. Fitzpatrick had a 17-year career. Would Brady have been happy if that had been his career? Probably, coming into the league.

But on that one fateful Sunday, Drew Bledsoe went down. Brady had a choice: step up or step aside. He took the reins. He made the most of his shot. (Thank you, Lin-Manuel Miranda—I'm not throwing away my shot.)

Brady didn’t look back. He kept going. And even though they lost that first game he played in, he went on to win seven Super Bowls. He played in ten. He was a five-time Super Bowl MVP.

That’s more than any franchise, let alone any player. And it all started with that single moment when he stepped in for Bledsoe.

Bottom Line:

If you want something, it’s on you. No excuses. No blaming circumstances. Just get it done.

Go Nike on it—just do it.

If you want to set your own path—like Tom Brady, like John McClane—stop waiting for permission. You don’t need it.

McClane didn’t hesitate before dropping Hans Gruber out the window. He just did it.

Brady didn’t wait for Bledsoe to come back and take the starting job back.

Stop making excuses. Circumstances are not an excuse—treat them as a starting point. You get knocked down? Okay. Get back up again. (Thank you, Chumbawamba.)

Even if that means crawling through a ventilation shaft with a lighter.

Even if that means stepping onto the field as an overlooked backup.

Do it. Get it done.

Stop waiting for the right moment—there isn’t one. Take your chances. Roll the dice. If it doesn’t work, regroup and do it again.

The only person stopping you is you.

Success isn’t given—it’s taken. So strap in, get to work, and if necessary, walk barefoot over the glass. Because life is going to throw that at you anyway.

Life is hard. And it’s going to keep being hard.

You want to look out for number one? Stop stepping in number two.

(Thank you, Rodney Dangerfield.)

So—get off the bench. Get in the game. Take over.

Make your own career. Make your own success. Make your own opportunities.

Again—the only person who can stop you is you.

Yippee-ki-yay, Mr. Falcon.

That’s right—get back in the game. Go do it. I know you can. But you have to know you can.

So go do it.

And that’s today’s Red Mike Message. I hope you enjoyed it and found it interesting.

This week, whoever gives me the most shares—regardless of platform—tag Red Mike Messages so I can see and track it. Sometimes people share, and I don’t always see it, but if you tag Red Mike Messages, I’ll definitely catch it.

Whoever has the most shares this week gets one of these Red Mike Messages tumblers. I’d appreciate it.

I appreciate you. See you next time.

And don’t forget: Life is short. Drink the bourbon.

Red Mike Messages are leadership and life lessons I’ve picked up from 25 years as a public servant, 16 years as a youth football coach and scouting volunteer, and 10 years as a mediocre athlete with far more heart than actual physical ability.