Friday, June 04, 2010
John Wooden
John Wooden, head basketball coach at UCLA from 1948 to 1975, died June 4, 2010, at the age of 99. He once defined success as the peace of mind “that comes from knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.” In 1993, Wooden provided the authors of The Book of Lists: The 90s Edition, David Wallechinsky and Amy Wallace, with his list of rules to live by. Here it is.
1. 1 Corinthians 13. (This Bible chapter addresses the importance of charity – love – and ends with the verse, “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”)
2. Make each day your masterpiece.
3. Drink deeply from good books.
4. Freedom from desire leads to inner peace (Lao-Tzu).
5. Failure to prepare is preparing to fail. I will get ready and then, perhaps, my chance will come.
6. Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there (Abraham Lincoln).
7. Help others.
8. It is better to trust and be disappointed occasionally than to distrust and be miserable all the time.
9. Almost anyone can stand adversity, but to test a person’s character, give them power (Abraham Lincoln).
10. Be more interested in your character, which is what is what you really are, than in your reputation, which is what others perceive you to be.
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