Pearls of Wisdom from John Wooden

John Wooden: much more than a Coach

If you love basket, maybe you are familiar with the name of John Wooden. He was (he died last June) one of the greatest basketball coaches of all history, who guided the Bruins to 10 national championships over two decades. Those who had the great gift to have met him or having him as a coach, they told about the great impact John Wooden had in their lives. It was more than a coach: he was a father figure, a teacher, a mentor and a master motivator.

I read an article about him, who was called “Wizard of Westwood” and I wanted to share with you some pearls of wisdom from him. His life changed at 12 years old, when his father gave him a piece of paper in which there was the creed to follow:

“Making the Most Oneself

Be true to yourself.

Make each day your masterpiece.

Help others.

Drink deeply from good books.

Make friendship a fine art.

Build shelter against a rainy day.

Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.”

Since then, he followed what was written in that piece of paper, that he kept in his wallet. He told he wasn’t perfect like all other human beings, but once he said: “Every day, I will still try to live up to the creed.”

Another thing I want to share with all of you is about his strategies to find happiness, which for him comes from making and keeping 9 promises:

1. Promise yourself that you will talk health, happiness and prosperity as often as possible.
2. Promise yourself to make all your friends know there is something in them that is special that you value.
3. Promise to think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best in yourself and others.
4. Promise to be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
5. Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
6. Promise to forget the mistakes of the past and press on to greater achievements in the future.
7. Promise to wear a cheerful appearance at all times and give every person you meet a smile.
8. Promise to give so much time improving that you have no time to criticize others.
9. Promise to be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and too happy to permit trouble to press on you.

Although John Wooden is passed away, his words are still inspiring people all over the world. Me for first!

Keep leading from within

Linda Lattuca