Joe Posnanski is one of the great sports writers of this generation. His post, from December 31 though, has nothing to do with sports. It starts with a hair cut, an odd thought for a man like Posnanski who possesses very little hair. It weaves into a story about searching for an American Doll in a mall in Atlanta, getting a great shave, and a Bruce Springsteen concert in Oakland, California, from a few weeks before.

But in the end, though, this article has nothing to do with American Dolls, Springsteen, haircuts or shaves. It’s about a lesson he wants to teach his daughters. As Posnanski said, it’s about never mailing it in, “that life is about delivering your best effort, giving the best you have, all the time, even when you’re tired, even when you’re discouraged, even when you are alone, even when other people will not see it or acknowledge it or even accept it.”

It’s a fabulous article from a fabulous writer. I highly recommend reading the entire post.