About 50 years ago, my father took a job teaching at UCLA and my family packed up and moved from Michigan to Southern California. It was the late 60’s and the most successful college basketball coach of all time, John Wooden, was coaching the Bruins to national title after national title.
Coach Wooden is one of my heroes. Coincidentally, he and I share the same birthday. Nicknamed the “Wizard of Westwood,” he won seven national college basketball championships in a row and ten over a twelve year span. Over one stretch his team won 88 consecutive games.
John Wooden passed away in 2010 at age 99, but his wisdom and legacy lives on. Through his role as coach he equipped those he led with tools for a lifetime of success. His life lesson arena just happened to arise from the basketball court.
I came across an article titled “10 Lessons from John Wooden.” The article expanded basketball lessons into life lessons. In honor of Coach Wooden and his lasting legacy, I will share his wisdom with you.
Lesson number one is to “Be True to Yourself.” This is the first creed that was passed down to Coach Wooden from his father. To make an impact on others in the lives we live, we must first take a look at ourselves. Our ability to impact others begins from within. We must understand ourselves and the gifts, talents and weaknesses that each of us have been given. Stay true to what you are best suited for and do not compromise your values.
Lesson number two is to “Always Keep Moving.” Whether it is on the basketball floor or in life, we each need to “Move, move, move!” We must be people of action. Whether we are coming off a success or a failure, stopping is not an option. Regardless of what happened yesterday, we must take action today. We can’t influence the world without taking action. Coach Wooden would say “Be quick, but not in a hurry.”
Lesson three is “Make Each Day Your Masterpiece.” Carpe diem. Seize the day. If we measure our lives one day at a time, we will recognize that every day has a value. Coach Wooden said “Perform at your best when your best is required, and your best is required each day.” When you go to bed tonight, has your day today been a masterpiece?
Lesson four is “Help Others.” We often live our lives being selfish rather than maximizing our gifts for the benefit of others. Live with a compassionate and understanding heart for others. Living solely for yourself will lead to a lonely and singular existence. What you receive dies with you, what you give lives on after you are gone.
Lesson five is “Earned, Not Entitled.” I think this is a major problem with the world we live in today. If we live life with the “entitled” mentality, we live disappointed because of what we don’t get. If we live life with an “earned” mentality, we will appreciate what we work hard for and what we receive in return. It is the difference between an “others centered world” and an “I am entitled to” selfish existence. To truly go far in life, realize you’re not owed anything and if you want something, work unbelievably hard for it.
Lesson six is “Drink Deeply From Good Books, Especially the Bible.” The concept here is to be careful what you pour into your head. The formula is simple, junk in equals junk out. What are you allowing to influence you? Coach Wooden would say to carefully filter and analyze the content and motives of your sources of information. Read well to live well.
Lesson seven is “Make Friendship a Fine Art.” Choose wisely who you surround yourself with. Each friend you keep is an influence on you, good or bad. Cherish close relationships and work on them the same way you work on family relationships. End a bad relationship if necessary.
Lesson eight is “Build a Shelter Against a Rainy Day.” Too often life is lived without being prepared for the storm ahead. Rainy days will come to each of us, understand and accept this. There is a saying that our lives are always lived in one of three arenas: entering a storm, in a storm, or leaving a storm. Whether it is a financial crisis, the loss of a loved one, or any other unexpected happening, be prepared in advance, before the storm hits.
Lesson nine is “Gratitude.” Live life with an attitude of gratitude. Coach Wooden taught his players to point to the player who passed them the ball after they score a basket. What we are able to accomplish is always based on the contribution of others. Create a daily habit of taking a moment of solitude to humbly express gratitude for the great many blessings of this life. Let others know you’re grateful for them. Be the most grateful person you know.
Lesson ten is “Character Matters.” The heart of Coach Wooden’s message was the life he lived. Your actions and deeds spread far and wide. None of us will ever know how far our influence on others spreads. Some influences extend outward to countless lives and downward to generations that follow. Live a life of good moral character, one that is worth others following.
Ten lessons that expand beyond the basketball floor from a coach who made a difference one life at a time and in the process influenced millions.
My challenge to you today is to take your God given gifts and put them in action making each day of your life a masterpiece. Help others as you earn what you receive without an entitlement mentality. Choose good influences in your life as you develop friendships while preparing for the storm ahead. Live a life of gratitude with character that is worth others catching.
Put these ten lessons together and go out there and be a winner on the basketball court of life that would make Coach Wooden proud of you. One that makes a positive impact on those you interact with.
Just a thought...
Rick Kraft is a motivational speaker, a syndicated columnist, a published author, and an attorney. To submit comments, contributions, or ideas, e-mail to rkraft@kraftlawfirm.orgmailto:thekraftlawfirm@aol.com or write to P.O. Box 850, Roswell, New Mexico, 88202 - 0850.
