Dear Friends,
In his book Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On
and Off the Court, coach Wooden recounts a story he often told about seeing
the good in others.
There's an old story about a fellow who went to a small town in
Indiana with the thought of possibly moving his family there.
“What kind of people live around there,” he asked the attendant at
the local filling station?
“Well,” the attendant replied, “What were the kind of people like
back where you're from?”
The visitor took a swallow on his cherry soda and replied, “They
were ornery, mean and dishonest!”
The attendant looked up and answered, “Mister, you'll find them
about like that around here, too.”
A few weeks later, another gentleman stopped by the gas station on
a muggy July afternoon with the same question.
“Excuse me,” he said as he mopped off his brow. “I'm thinking
of moving to your town with my family. What kind of people live around these
parts?”
Again, the attendant asked, “Well, what kind of people live back
where you're from?”
The stranger thought for a moment and replied, “I find them to be
kind, decent and honest folks.”
The gas station attendant looked up and said, “Mister, you'll find
them about like that around here, too.”
It is so true that you often find what you are looking for.
As Mr. Wilford Peterson stated in his essay, The Art of Leadership:
the leader has faith in people, he believes in, trusts, and thus draws out the
best in them.
Coach Wooden often quoted Abraham Lincoln’s words on this topic.
“It is better to trust and occasionally be disappointed than to mistrust and be
miserable all the time.”
Coach Wooden had very strong feelings about the importance of
seeing the bad in ourselves: You can make mistakes, but you aren't a failure until
you start blaming others for those mistakes. When you blame others, you are
trying to excuse yourself. When you make excuses, you can't properly evaluate
yourself. Without proper self- evaluation, failure is inevitable.
The above story and information are quoted from an internet
devotional thought by Craig Impelman, one of basketball coach John Wooden’s
former players. It comes from an article, “Wooden’s Wisdom-Volume 3, Issue 117”
As I reflected on Craig’s story, I realize that what you see in
life is a pretty accurate reflection of who you are. I don’t know the
author of the following quote, but he was right in saying “The world around you
is a reflection, a mirror showing you the person you are”
And so, if we want to change what we see, then we
need to change who we are.
Yours in faith and friendship
Tom
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