Jeny got to see both of our son’s and their wives on Mother’s Day. Scott had the good sense to make a 6 o’clock reservation. At 6:45 we were seated and told the meal would take up to two hours, but appetizers would not take long. We filled up on appetizers, enjoyed the fellowship and skipped the meal. Momma was happy and when momma’s happy …….
More Quotes. The readers’ reactions to the coaches’ ideas in last weeks’ blog sent me down memory lane. In the span between 1964 and the 1975 season John Wooden coached the UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team to 10 NCAA national championships. His teams won seven championships in a row. No other coach has won more than four. His overall record was 664 wins, 162 losses.
In addition to coaching, he was well known for his short pithy statements designed to help his players have success in basketball and life. I googled John Wooden quotes and the list was extensive and informative. I selected a few for today.
As a sport psychologist and fan, I am always interested in observing who a coach hires for assistants. John Wooden stated a strong suggestion for hiring assistants he stated in two slightly different ways:
Surround yourself with people strong enough to change your mind.
Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who’ll argue with you.
Too often a young coach surrounds himself or herself with younger coaches who have less knowledge that the head coach. Typically, the head coach is threatened by an assistant knowing more or having more experience.
However, the best decisions are made by having the best information. If no one knows more than the head coach, then the best decisions are not made.
Great coaches seek the best information and understand they are responsible for the final decisions. They surround themselves with smart people who’ll argue with them.
The same mistake can be observed in organizations other than athletic teams — businesses, non-profits, educational institutions and governments. If any organization has a leader who is surrounded by yes people then the organization will not have the best possible performance .
Limiting Ego. John Wooden also had several suggestions about limiting egos for success:
A strong leader accepts blame and gives the credit. A weak leader gives blame and accepts the credit.
What is right is more important than who is right.
You are not a failure until you start blaming others for your mistakes.
The ability to see the good in others and the bad in ourselves is perfect vision.
It is amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit.
You must be interested in finding the best way, not in having your own way.
Be more concerned with what you can do for others than what others can do for you. You’ll be surprised at the results.
I took a long time and digested these quotes. What a marvelous collection.
Again, the sayings are appropriate for more than just athletics. We would live in a much better world if people took these sayings to heart.
Asylum. We never traveled to Haiti, Cuba, Venezuela, or Nicaragua because of safety concerns. We have traveled to South Africa.
We had a great and very safe travel experience in South Africa. Our experience mirrors the following quotes:
“None of the arriving Afrikaners are known to have fled active violence or government persecution in South Africa. “
“Despite the end of apartheid three decades ago, White South Africans — who make up less than 10% of the population — continue to own roughly three-quarters of all private land and maintain average household wealth nearly 20 times higher than their Black compatriots.”
US welcomes white South African ‘refugees’ as critics decry racial bias – Businessday NG
Trump to Bring White South Africans as Refugees to U.S. While Cutting Everyone Else Out
In light of our experience in South Africa. The concept that legal asylum for refugees from Haiti, Cuba, Venezuela, or Nicaragua should be overturned and that Afrikaners from South Africans should be welcomed is puzzling. If anyone has insight into this decision I would welcome reading it.
Good News
Kindness
Czech Citizens Rally To Pay Off Travel Debt Of 99-Year-Old American WWII Hero
https://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news/5765/Watch-Missing-Child-With-Autism-Rescued-From-Busy-Freeway
Peace
Jerry
0 Comments