A number of years ago, I read the autobiography of John Wooden. His book is titled They Call Me Coach (McGraw Hill).
Wooden was the legendary coach of the UCLA men’s basketball program. He passed away on June 4, 2010 at the venerable age of 99. He was not just a great teacher of basketball skills, but also of life skills.
Success in Wooden’s mind, was not measured in winning games or in amassing fame, glory, or fortune. He defined success as peace of mind which comes as a direct result of the self-satisfaction in knowing that you have given your maximum effort to become the best of which you are capable. As Wooden became an icon as an adult, when asked about the keys to his success, he was always quick to point out that he learned much about true success from his father’s teaching and example. One quality he inherited was a love of poetry. He would quote obscure verses often; all from memory. One rhyme he often recited was authored by a major league umpire named George Moriarty. It is titled The Road Ahead or the Road Behind.
Sometimes I think the fates must grin as we denounce them and insist the only reason we can’t win is the fates themselves that miss.
Yet there lives on the ancient claim: we win or lose within ourselves. The shining trophies on our shelves can never win tomorrow’s game.
You and I know deeper down, there’s always a chance to win the crown.
But when we fail to give our best, we simply haven’t met the test, of giving all and saving none until the game is really won.
Of showing what is meant by grit. Of playing through when others quit.
Of playing through, not letting up. It’s bearing down that wins the cup.
Of dreaming there’s a goal ahead. Of hoping when our dreams are dead.
Of praying when our hopes have fled.
Yet losing, not afraid to fall. If bravely, we have given all
For who can ask more of a man than giving all within his span. Giving all, it seems to me, is not so far from victory.
And so the fates are seldom wrong no matter how they twist and wind.
It’s up to you who make our fates – we open up or close the gates on the road ahead or the road behind.
Wooden lived and taught that, in life, your maximum best effort is the driver to attainment of success, however one chooses to identify it. In life, business, personal relationships – whatever the endeavor – we must truly believe, not just giving it lip-service, but really believe that things will work out as they should provided we do as we should.
For all but the most pessimistic of us, our tendency is to hope that things will turn out the way we want them to much of the time, but, sadly, too often we don’t do the things that are necessary to make those things become reality. As Coach Wooden put it, “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”
Another verse that Coach would often use when trying to make the point that a losing effort is not failure unless your effort was not your best goes like this:
At God’s footstool, to confess,
A poor soul knelt and bowed his head.
“I failed,” he cried. The master said,
“Thou didst thy best. That is success.”
I’ll close this week’s message with one last bit of wisdom Coach left for us to ponder, meditate and ultimately live by:
Talent is God-given; be humble. Fame is man-given; be grateful. Conceit is self-given; be careful.
Have an AWE-full weekend!
William “Bill” Bacque