Wooden's Wisdom - Volume 3 | Issue 153 |
Craig Impelman Speaking | Championship Coaches | Champion's Leadership Library Login | |
BUILD A SHELTER AGAINST A RAINY DAY
Click here to watch short video clip of Coach Wooden This favorite idea of Coach Wooden’s was one that he almost always spoke about when giving a speech; usually in the context of discussing the sixth item of his Father’s seven point creed: Build a shelter against a rainy day.
Coach put the principle in perspective this way:
Build a shelter against a rainy day – I don’t think Dad was thinking of an earthly shelter.
I think of Socrates when he was imprisoned and unjustly facing imminent death and yet he faced it with serenity. His jailers did not understand this and asked, why aren’t you preparing for death? Socrates replied: I’ve been preparing for death all my life with the life I’ve led.
Pat Williams, in his book John Wooden, gives this idea more clarity:
The way we build a shelter against a rainy day is not primarily by accumulating assets, but by becoming a certain kind of person. So the issue here is not one of accumulating material possessions, but one of accumulating values, virtues, character traits, faith in God, strong family relationships and enduring friendships. These are the “possessions” that will help us survive the rainstorms and floods of life.
These are things that cannot be taken away.
The basic principle of looking at other’s material possessions and being able to admire without feeling a need to acquire is helpful in keeping us focused on those things that cannot be taken away.
When I first got married, my wife Christy and I had a one bedroom apartment with no air conditioner in the sometimes rather warm San Fernando Valley.
I was an air conditioner away from being happy.
My landlord provided us with an air conditioner. A new challenge arose when my friend rented a condominium.
I was a condominium away from being happy.
We finally got the condo but my friend received a promotion and purchased a home.
I was home ownership away from being happy.
We finally made it big and purchased our first home in a nice city named La Crescenta.
Things were going well and then my son joined a basketball team in another city named La Canada. I was asked to coach the team.
The homes in La Canada were much nicer, larger and a lot more expensive than the homes in La Crescenta.
At night when I would drop off my son's teammates at their beautiful homes I would think: I wish I could buy a home like that for my family.
I was a zip code away from being happy.
One night when I was driving home from La Canada I thought about Coach Wooden and I realized that it was not a better zip code that would make me happy, but simply to stop and appreciate the fantastic family and friends I already have.
Those are great things that cannot be taken away.
Yours in Coaching,
Craig Impelman
Twitter: @woodenswisdom
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