The 7-point Creed

I keep meaning to explain this to you in a very conversational way, but somehow there never seems to be enough time to be able to really just "talk" to you.  This schedule really--what do you guys say? BMS? Is that right?  Well, if that's right then that is what this schedule does.

Anyway, my dude John Wooden used to tell his UCLA players that being successful on the court meant nothing without being successful as a human.  No surprise there, and certainly not an original idea but Wooden didn't just preach it--he made his players LIVE it.  They all had to come up with their own blueprint of success that was modeled around a few tenets which they could apply to all aspect of their lives. (a tenet is a principle or a belief)  He called this list of tenets a 7-point Creed. This was the name of a list his own father, Joshua, had given to him when he was about to go into middle school.  It read as follows:

* 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.

If you don't know who John Wooden is, look him up--his story is quite remarkable. As a coach, I deeply admire him and the things he has accomplished. As a human being, he is amazing in every sense of the word and one of the few people I can honestly say I aspire to emulate. As you know, I don't say that about very many people.  He is also the renowned author of last's week's blog title--I reallllly like the guy.

In any case, your task for this week is to come up with your own 7-Point Creed and share it here.
Along with the list of statements that encapsulate your belief, you should also provide some sort of description or explanation about how this belief inspires you, keeps you grounded, motivates you, etc.

 I know that this is not something you can do in two days. And this is why I am extending the deadline until Friday (Oct.26) night. You will really need to put a lot of thought into this.

 Ask yourself these questions to help you along:

What do I value?

What are my morals?

How do I want to be perceived by others?

What do I want my legacy to be?

What have I learned in my life?

What else do I want to learn?

Now, I certainly don't want you to answer those questions and consider that to be your creed. Remember, a creed is a sort of guideline for living, but it is also completely subjective. Look at Wooden's creed again. The statements there are kind of ambiguous and can be open to interpretation, don't you think? So, when you are doing this, try to keep that in mind. However, it is precisely BECAUSE the statements are ambiguous that you will have to explain what you mean by them, what they mean to you and why you chose them. Always the why.

What you are basically doing is creating a blueprint all your own, by which you can live your life. YOUR life. Nobody else's.

After all, who is more important than you?

"Don't Let What You Can't Do Keep You From Doing What You Can..."

The above quote is from one of my favorite coaches of all time, former UCLA basketball coach,  ''The Wizard of Westwood," John Wooden.  I talk a lot about him throughout the year because he's kind of a hero of mine, even though, usually, I claim not to have any.

This quote, one of his more well known ones, got me thinking about the state of the world we live in, and how one day soon, it will be up to all of you to fix it.  No pressure.  :(    But, if you even glance at the TV when the news is on, you know I speak truth.

We're in bad shape, and I am seriously doubting the world's so-called political leaders have a clue how to go about reversing the damage.
But, that's what I think is so great about kids.  Your potential is limitless, your perspectives are fresh, and your souls aren't yet weary (I truly hope).  All that simply means--if the world is going to change, it will be because you guys changed it.

Let's start with what you think is wrong.  Maybe you think it's racism, maybe you think it's a propensity for violence, maybe you think it's ignorance, maybe you think it's sexism or poverty, or the fact that we've had the same 2-party political system for the past 200 years.  Talk a little about what you think is truly wrong with the world. Think macro or microcosm (society at large, or Oakcrest society), and really tear into what needs to be changed and what, we, the adults in the room, did wrong.  How could you, would you, should you, do it better or simply differently?

What you're doing is more than a blog posts, pumpkins. It's more than an assignment, more than a Genesis entry--this is your world and eventually your lives.  Both of those things matter.  Show me how much.

<3

There's No Place Like Home...or School...or the Cove...

As a kid, I moved around A LOT. It wasn't until I was 15 and a sophomore in high school that I was ever in the same school for more than a year.
 Because of this--well, because of many things but this is just easier to point a finger at--I have never been able to go back to a place where I lived and say, "This was my home--I belonged here." Feeling as though we belong somewhere has a tremendous impact on who we are and who we may one day become.

The need to belong is an evolutionary one, embedded in most people's genetic make-up.
Abraham Maslow, a renowned psychologist who conceptualized what is now known as an individual's "Hierarchy of Needs,” reasoned that the need to belong is third on the pyramid to a fulfilling life (the first two are pretty basic--physiological and safety needs), and without that feeling, we simply cannot advance, grow or ever fully become the people we are destined to be.

So--what do you think?
 Do you, at the young and impressionable age of 16 or 17, feel the inherent need to belong?
 I bold that because feeling the need and feeling that you actually DO belong are sometimes two very different things. The most popular people you can imagine, the ones who are in every club, do every sport, go to every party--do you think THEY feel as though they belong?

If you feel like you do belong somewhere--where is it?
 What makes you feel that way?
What does that sense of belonging do for you and your self-esteem?

If you don't feel as though you belong somewhere--why not?
 What do you feel is missing?
 Are you misunderstood, undervalued, overlooked?
What does NOT feeling like you belong do for you and your self-esteem?
A lot to ponder over--trust me, I know. Give it some thought and tell me about it.

"I Am...Whatever You Say I am..."

Ahhh...the unwitting brilliance of Eminem. Waaaay before he was murdering MGK he was gifting us with some genuine pearls of wisdom...and I don't say that sarcastically.  When you think about it, other's perceptions of us often turn out to be true--even when we don't want them to be.  We can explore this idea later, and we will, but for now, just this.


How many times have you said to yourself, and for that matter, to anyone who would listen--"I don't care what anyone else thinks...".

I know I've said it at least once in the past month--please note, today is the first day of the month...so...yeah, already said it.

 In our heart of hearts, though, do we really believe that?

It seems an age-old question, but it is one that may not have just one answer: to what extent do other people's perceptions of you have an impact on the decisions you make?

Peer pressure, parental pressure, self-imposed pressure, all these outside, or inside, forces have the potential to make you act, or react, in ways that you normally might not if never exposed to those influences.
My question is: Why? Why do we care?
Why is it important?
Why do other people's perceptions or expectations of who we are have so much of an influence on us? Or do they? Be honest with yourself when you answer. After all, it's just us so you can be honest here.