May 30
What is your creed?
I was reading from a fantastic book this morning called “The Essential John Wooden.”. 
You may not have heard of him but he is considered the greatest college basketball coach in history, if not just coach in any sport. Aside from winning, Coach Wooden is known for having been a shaper of young men. His teams almost always won, but they often lacked superstars. Coach Wooden taught his players to be better men than players and that the team was more important than any one man. He considered them a success if they played as a team and had character. His players said, he would often get more mad at them when they won than when they lost, because maybe they won in a selfish or non-Wooden like way.
So to what does Coach Wooden attribute his success? The basis for his beliefs on what a person should be is a 7 Point Creed that his father taught him:
- Be true to yourself.
- Make each day your masterpiece.
- Help others.
- Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.
- Make friendship a fine art.
- Build a shelter against a rainy day.
- Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.
Do these things above and you’ll be successful in life, career, relationships, and finance. This is wisdom that anyone can relate to. I might add to the list, some things that I TRY to live by:
- Pursue a career that you enjoy.
- God first, wife second, kids third, job fourth, everyone else next.
- Live below your means; always tithe, always save.
- Practice generosity, daily
- Give people benefit of the doubt
- Be dependable/trustworthy
- Don’t lie, cheat, or steal
- Never present problems without solutions (i.e. gripe)
- Be just and fair, and protect those that are being unjustly accused or attacked.
There are so many more things that I could write down that I try to live my life by. When I drift on any of these, I’m always aware back deep in my subconscious that something “ain’t right”, as my Business Law professor used to say. What kind of creed do you live your life by? Are there any points on these lists that you disagree with or things that I’ve left off? Let me know!
Tags: leadership, integrity
May 31st, 2008 at 1:02 am
I try to live by these simple rules;
Always wash your hands.
Make lists.
Never, ever step on the cracks.
Don’t forget to make sure your doors are locked.
Look under the bed for monsters.
Make sure you turned off the oven.
Count the animals at the zoo. If the number is odd, count the zookeepers and add the two numbers. If the number is even, stop counting. If the number is still odd, count the animals, zookeepers, and the number of letters in the word “zoo” to finally make it an even number, and then stop counting.
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May 31st, 2008 at 7:36 am
Be thankful for your perch, roadkill and your breath. Live the rest by grace.
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