FROM THE WATER...
At my church, I'm in the last weeks of teaching an almost 10-part series on the life of Moses. It's been a blast to teach and has stirred many questions and discussions outside of Sunday morning. And today I'm more convinced than ever that, outside of Jesus, Moses might be the most influential human to ever live. The basic Judeo-Christian worldview today is still influenced by Moses. The Islamic worldview, too, is shaped by their interpretation of the life of Moses.
Several people have asked me what research/books informed my teaching during this series. So below are a few of the more significant ones...
The Bible (seriously if you want to study Moses, become a master of this text first)
The Gifts of the Jews by Thomas Cahill
Walking the Bible by Bruce Feiler
Moses: A Life by Jonathan Kirsch
CLEAN WATER...
A few years ago, led by U2's lead singer, Bono, the ONE campagin began (ONE.org). ONE is a global advocacy and campaigning organization backed by more than 2 million people from around the world dedicated to fighting extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa.
A good friend of mine, Steve, sent me this email today. The email was a forward from David Lane at ONE.org. Since the topic of the email is directly related to my passion (and the passion of many of my friends) to dig wells in Africa (our church has teamed up with our local community to help dig six so far) and the ultimate goal--to be part of bringing clean, safe water to all of Africa--I thought I'd copy/paste part of David Lane's email for you to read....
BEGIN QUOTE
In his Inaugural Address, President Obama said, "let clean waters flow." With those words, he brought recognition to the suffering of 884 million people who do not have access to clean water and 2.5 billion without adequate sanitation.
Senators Durbin and Corker introduced S. 624, The Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2009, a bipartisan bill to make clean water a reality. But with only five cosponsors, the bill isn’t getting the attention it needs for a hearing and further action by Senate leaders. It must have at least 20 cosponsors to move forward.
Now is the time to follow through on Obama’s inaugural pledge to poor countries. Ask your senators, Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, to cosponsor S. 624 now:
http://www.one.org/us/waterfortheworld/o.pl?id=982-3282311-46zd42x&t=2
The petition reads:
Please cosponsor the Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2009 (S. 624), and help provide 100 million people with first-time, sustainable access to clean water and sanitation by 2015.
Together, unclean water and poor sanitation are a leading cause of child mortality: an estimated 4,100 children die every day from diarrheal diseases spread through poor sanitation and hygiene. That such conditions continue to exist demonstrates a failure on the part of all nations to provide access to the most basic life-sustaining element: clean water.
The Water for the World Act targets underdeveloped countries with focused initiatives to improve access to clean water and sanitation; fosters global cooperation on research and development; provides technical assistance and capacity-building; provides seed money for the deployment of clean water and sanitation technologies; and strengthens the human infrastructure at USAID and the State Department to implement clean water and sanitation programs.
This bill will help establish the capacity and momentum we need to meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on increasing access to water and sanitation by 2015. If those MDG targets are met, the benefits will include a total annual economic return of $22 billion for Africa in saved time, increased productivity and reduced health costs. And 203,000 fewer children will die in 2015 from lack of access to clean water and sanitation.
Thank you for making a difference,
David Lane, ONE.org
END QUOTE
I'm not familiar with all the nuances and all the pros and cons of this bill, but I love the passion and vision and hope behind it.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Influence
A recent issue of a popular news magazine highlighted 100 of the world’s most influential people. Each “influential” person was highlighted with a brief essay written about them, written by another individual who has witnessed this person’s influence.
I loved reading the magazine. Cover to cover. And while I did not agree with every person selected, the quality of the writing (the sheer excellence in the handling of the English language) and the emotions and ideals it evoked were inspiring, challenging and beautiful all at once.
Below are excerpts from just six of the one-hundred essays. Each excerpt below was written about a different person.
With one exception, I’ve deleted the names of the people being written about. I’ve done so for two reasons. First, it allows you to put your own name in the blank…."what if these things were being written about me and were true of me?" Second, it eliminates potential bias you might have against the person and their selection in the “Top 100” which could result in an inability to wrestle with the qualities being written about. The point isn’t whether or not you agree with each author’s analysis, but the ideals and qualities it calls out in each of us.
#1
If I ever had to be stuck in a long line. I would like to be stuck there with _______. It wouldn’t matter what we were waiting for or how long it would take to get it. It wouldn’t even matter if it was the kind of line we had to camp out on because it went around the block. It’s nice to stand around with ______. He’s interesting because he’s interested. He asks great questions, and he waits for the answers. He has a sort of wondrous capacity for wonder.
#2
His courage—the courage to go first, to lead, where none have gone before—is unmatched. When he speaks, he gives those who hear him confidence: not in him but in themselves. It was said of
#3
She is a fighter for causes that count. Whether people agree with _____________ or not, they learn quickly that it is worth paying attention to what she has to say.
#4
I have never seen such tenacity, such ambition, such fight and such honor go into every shot as when I watch Rafael Nadal.
#5
It has been said that after meeting with the great British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone, you left feeling he was the smartest person in the world, but after meeting with his rival Benjamin Disraeli, you left thinking you were the smartest person. That latter touch is the essence of _____________.
#6
It’s said the average human has 100,000 heartbeats a day. ________ may not have more of them than the rest of us, but each one is powered by purpose. And every year, somehow she reminds us anew of the song that plays in our best dreams.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Lists
Time Magazine's cover a few weeks ago was all about lists. It was called "The List Issue" and had dozens of "best of 2008" lists including things like "Top Ten TV Series," "Top 10 Crime Stories," "Top 10 Buzzwords," and "Top 10 Medical Breakthroughs."
So I thought I'd make a few 2008 lists of my own.
Top Five Movies I Saw:
1. Gran Torino
2. Charlie Wilson's War
3. Body of Lies
4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
5. Horton Hears a Who (on a "date" with my five-year old daughter)
Top Five Websites I Visited:
1. Ted.com
2. Thunderstruck.org
3. Pandora.com
4. Tarheelblue.com
5. CNN.com & CBSsportsline.com
Top Five Books I Read:
1. Surprised By Hope by N.T. Wright
2. The Language of God by Francis Collins
3. The End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs
4. God and Empire: Jesus Against Rome, Then and Now by John Dominic Crossan
5. This Is Your Brain on Music by Daniel Levitin
Top Five Restaurants I Ate At:
1. Cheesecake Factory
2. La Parilla
3. Ledo's Pizza
4. Sid's Pizza
5. Frontera's
Top Five Things I'm Really Glad I Spent My Time Doing:
1. Growing my relationship with my wife and children
2. Tutoring kids at Esther Jackson Elementary School
3. Helping fund the digging of freshwater wells in Africa
4. Being with my church family on Sunday mornings.
5. Spending time with friends (esp. watching football at Taco Mac and hanging out at Starbucks)
I'd recommend making a few lists of your own. In addition to being fun, it's a good exercise in reflecting on how/where you spent your time/energy in 2008 and where you want to focus your time/energy in 2009.
So I thought I'd make a few 2008 lists of my own.
Top Five Movies I Saw:
1. Gran Torino
2. Charlie Wilson's War
3. Body of Lies
4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
5. Horton Hears a Who (on a "date" with my five-year old daughter)
Top Five Websites I Visited:
1. Ted.com
2. Thunderstruck.org
3. Pandora.com
4. Tarheelblue.com
5. CNN.com & CBSsportsline.com
Top Five Books I Read:
1. Surprised By Hope by N.T. Wright
2. The Language of God by Francis Collins
3. The End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs
4. God and Empire: Jesus Against Rome, Then and Now by John Dominic Crossan
5. This Is Your Brain on Music by Daniel Levitin
Top Five Restaurants I Ate At:
1. Cheesecake Factory
2. La Parilla
3. Ledo's Pizza
4. Sid's Pizza
5. Frontera's
Top Five Things I'm Really Glad I Spent My Time Doing:
1. Growing my relationship with my wife and children
2. Tutoring kids at Esther Jackson Elementary School
3. Helping fund the digging of freshwater wells in Africa
4. Being with my church family on Sunday mornings.
5. Spending time with friends (esp. watching football at Taco Mac and hanging out at Starbucks)
I'd recommend making a few lists of your own. In addition to being fun, it's a good exercise in reflecting on how/where you spent your time/energy in 2008 and where you want to focus your time/energy in 2009.
Friday, December 19, 2008
O Christmas Tree
Sarah, Ethan, Emma and I drove to Home Depot to buy our Christmas tree a couple weeks ago. The day after Thanksgiving, to be exact. We waited until late afternoon because it had rained all day, and we were hoping it would stop before we went. But when we climbed into the caravan, a lazy drizzle was still falling, and it was cold (in the mid-40s). But it was the day after Thanksgiving. And ever since we’ve been married, we always get our tree on that day.
I didn’t grab a jacket (I was wearing a long sleeved shirt) because Home Depot is only a few minutes from our house, and I figured we’d only be outside for five or ten minutes while we picked the tree. Emma didn’t want to bring a jacket, either, and she was adamant about wearing flip flops. We figured we would let her since it was a minor thing and, after all, good parents “major in the majors” and “minor in the minors.”
When we arrived at Home Depot we walked to the outdoor section where the trees were being sold. Douglas Firs, Balsam Firs, Fraser Firs, Scotch Pines, White Pines, White Spruces, Norway Spruces and Blue Spruces—there are lots of varieties to choose from. We always get Fraser Firs, so that decision was easy. And we figured the selection process would be quick since we were the only customers outside and would have unhindered access to the Fraser Fir section. Easy and Quick. Quick and Easy.
We often vacillate between purchasing the 7-8 feet-tall firs or the 8-9 feet-tall firs. So we checked the prices and decided that the first option was the best for us. And about that time Emma said, “Daddy, I’m cold.”
The problem was there were only five or six Fraser Firs left (a new shipment would be arriving in the next day or two), and they had clearly been picked over by a stream of previous customers earlier in the day. Nevertheless, I stood each one up, shook it out and held it straight as Sarah stood several yards away to see how it looked. Height, girth, even distribution of branches, needle-color and overall shape are all things that must be considered.
The first tree was too short (more like 6’ 11” than 7-8 ft.). The second was too thin. The third had a gaping hole absent of branches about two thirds of the way up. The fourth had a definite yellow tint to the needles. The last one looked like the leaning tower of Pisa even when I held the trunk straight. And I promise I held the trunk as straight as I could. Emma, meanwhile, needed the shared body heat of being held. And I didn’t blame her. Fifteen minutes in the cold drizzle had me wishing I had brought a jacket.
Sarah held Emma most of the time since my shirt was getting soaked from “shaking out” the trees. But I did pick her up when Sarah walked to the entrance to ask a Home Depot employee when the next shipment of trees would be arriving. As we admired the 9-10 ft. firs, we talked about how much we wished we’d brought jackets and about the sticky sap that was all over my hands.
A few minutes later we were back in the caravan, windshield wipers wiping as we headed….to Lowe’s.
Lowe’s is only a couple miles from the Home Depot, and we turned the heat on full-blast as we sang Christmas carols at the top of our lungs with 104.7 The Fish, a local radio station that plays all Christmas music from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Unfortunately it takes a couple miles before the engine heats up enough to allow the car vents to actually blow hot air. So the hot air of our singing voices was about the only thing helping us get warm.
When we pulled into Lowe’s we parked in front of the outdoor Christmas tree section and walked through the cold drizzle towards the 7-8 ft. Fraser Firs. One other couple was already there. They were older than Sarah and I, and apparently wiser. They were both bundled up in warm coats. The woman was wearing ear muffs and the man was wearing warm gloves, no doubt sap-resistant.
Sarah and I looked at each other and our kids who were patiently huddled near us, and I said, “This is Christmas. This is not about stress, but about joy and creating memories with the family.”
“Don’t worry, we won’t forget this,” Sarah said.
A full twenty minutes later, Ethan patiently helping us pick a tree and Emma patiently snuggled in Sarah’s arms, her cold feet tucked under the bottom of Sarah’s shirt, we finally found the perfect tree. It was in the 7-8 ft. section, but measured more like 8’ 11’’. It stood straight. Its needles were green. Its branches were evenly dispersed. And its girth was not too thin and not too wide.
Now all that was left was tying it to the top of the van, driving it home, carrying it into the house, and securing it in one of those Christmas tree stands.
Memories…
I didn’t grab a jacket (I was wearing a long sleeved shirt) because Home Depot is only a few minutes from our house, and I figured we’d only be outside for five or ten minutes while we picked the tree. Emma didn’t want to bring a jacket, either, and she was adamant about wearing flip flops. We figured we would let her since it was a minor thing and, after all, good parents “major in the majors” and “minor in the minors.”
When we arrived at Home Depot we walked to the outdoor section where the trees were being sold. Douglas Firs, Balsam Firs, Fraser Firs, Scotch Pines, White Pines, White Spruces, Norway Spruces and Blue Spruces—there are lots of varieties to choose from. We always get Fraser Firs, so that decision was easy. And we figured the selection process would be quick since we were the only customers outside and would have unhindered access to the Fraser Fir section. Easy and Quick. Quick and Easy.
We often vacillate between purchasing the 7-8 feet-tall firs or the 8-9 feet-tall firs. So we checked the prices and decided that the first option was the best for us. And about that time Emma said, “Daddy, I’m cold.”
The problem was there were only five or six Fraser Firs left (a new shipment would be arriving in the next day or two), and they had clearly been picked over by a stream of previous customers earlier in the day. Nevertheless, I stood each one up, shook it out and held it straight as Sarah stood several yards away to see how it looked. Height, girth, even distribution of branches, needle-color and overall shape are all things that must be considered.
The first tree was too short (more like 6’ 11” than 7-8 ft.). The second was too thin. The third had a gaping hole absent of branches about two thirds of the way up. The fourth had a definite yellow tint to the needles. The last one looked like the leaning tower of Pisa even when I held the trunk straight. And I promise I held the trunk as straight as I could. Emma, meanwhile, needed the shared body heat of being held. And I didn’t blame her. Fifteen minutes in the cold drizzle had me wishing I had brought a jacket.
Sarah held Emma most of the time since my shirt was getting soaked from “shaking out” the trees. But I did pick her up when Sarah walked to the entrance to ask a Home Depot employee when the next shipment of trees would be arriving. As we admired the 9-10 ft. firs, we talked about how much we wished we’d brought jackets and about the sticky sap that was all over my hands.
A few minutes later we were back in the caravan, windshield wipers wiping as we headed….to Lowe’s.
Lowe’s is only a couple miles from the Home Depot, and we turned the heat on full-blast as we sang Christmas carols at the top of our lungs with 104.7 The Fish, a local radio station that plays all Christmas music from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Unfortunately it takes a couple miles before the engine heats up enough to allow the car vents to actually blow hot air. So the hot air of our singing voices was about the only thing helping us get warm.
When we pulled into Lowe’s we parked in front of the outdoor Christmas tree section and walked through the cold drizzle towards the 7-8 ft. Fraser Firs. One other couple was already there. They were older than Sarah and I, and apparently wiser. They were both bundled up in warm coats. The woman was wearing ear muffs and the man was wearing warm gloves, no doubt sap-resistant.
Sarah and I looked at each other and our kids who were patiently huddled near us, and I said, “This is Christmas. This is not about stress, but about joy and creating memories with the family.”
“Don’t worry, we won’t forget this,” Sarah said.
A full twenty minutes later, Ethan patiently helping us pick a tree and Emma patiently snuggled in Sarah’s arms, her cold feet tucked under the bottom of Sarah’s shirt, we finally found the perfect tree. It was in the 7-8 ft. section, but measured more like 8’ 11’’. It stood straight. Its needles were green. Its branches were evenly dispersed. And its girth was not too thin and not too wide.
Now all that was left was tying it to the top of the van, driving it home, carrying it into the house, and securing it in one of those Christmas tree stands.
Memories…
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
I Can Love the Tarheels and Still Like "Coach K"
I’m a big University of North Carolina Tarheels basketball fan.
I grew up in North Carolina, and I’ve rooted for the ‘Heels since I can remember.
I remember Michael Jordan’s championship-winning baseline jumper in 1982, and I follow who they are recruiting for the 2010-2011 incoming class.
I believe Dean Smith is the greatest college basketball coach of all time, followed, in order, by Roy Williams, John Wooden and Bobby Knight.
I’ve partied on Franklin St. in Chapel Hill after a victory.
I believe that the reason God created the sky blue is because he loves the Tarheels.
I intensely dislike (hate is such a harsh word) our arch-rival, the Duke Blue Devils.
I say all that, because several weeks ago, a friend of mine recommended that I read a book by Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K). The book is titled, Leading With the Heart.
Now there was a day that I would have never picked up a book by Coach K, simply because he was affiliated with Duke. But I’ve discovered over the years the dangers of a life-approach that says, “I will only be taught by those whom I like and those whom already share my same basic beliefs.” It’s a narrow-minded approach that leads to intellectual stagnation, limited perspective, untested ideas, and ultimately fear.
So, as I write this, I am in the concluding chapters of Coach K’s book. And it’s good.
It’s filled with lessons, stories and counsel about ways to successfully lead yourself, your family, and any team of people who are part of your sphere of influence.
There are dozens of life tips (or as my high school friend was fond of saying, “pithy maxims”) that are worth thinking about and figuring out how to better implement—lessons on leadership, personal development, people development, administrative techniques, how to handle a crisis and much more. In fact, at the end of this, I’ll list a few of these “pithy maxims.” But there are three things I want to mention in a little more detail here, because I think they are particularly relevant these days.
(the all-caps wording of these three ideas is mine, but the concepts are straight from the book)
IDEA 1: LEARN FROM EVERYONE AND IN EVERY SITUATION.
Coach K says tells a great story about learning from the janitor who cleans out the locker room. He writes: “I’ll ask D.C., the person who cleans our locker room.”
“Are they [the players] sloppier than usual, D.C.?”
“No, Coach, they’re pretty good.”
“Do you think any of the kids are having any personal problems?”
“Not that I can tell.”
“Will you keep an eye on them for me, D.C.?”
“Sure will, Coach.”
Well, there have been times when I’ve been working in the locker room on something and D.C., who’s been cleaning in the background, will pipe up with a comment.
“Hey Coach, I think Nate might have gotten a bad grade on a test. Doesn’t seem to be himself right now..”
“Thanks, D.C. I’ll keep an eye on him in practice tomorrow.”
Coach K goes on to talk about how he listens and learns from everyone. “Good ideas can come from anywhere and everywhere,” he writes.
I love his spirit. Contrast that with this. I know Republicans who “tune out” when Hillary or Bill or Obama speak, and therefore they refuse to learn. I know Democrats who “tune out” when George W. Bush or Rush Limbaugh speak, and therefore they refuse to learn. I know of Christians who have never read a book by an atheist (or even someone outside their own religious denomination) and I know of atheists who refuse to have an open mind towards matters of God. And much of the time it leads to judgmentalism, dislike and fear toward those things and people they aren’t open to listening to or learning from. It builds walls and destroys the possibility of an honest, meaningful relationship or dialogue. Nobody wins.
IDEA 2: I MUST EMBRACE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
Coach K writes:
"[While in school at West Point], I was walking across an open area with my roommate. We were in our uniforms and we were required to walk in a straight, erect manner.
"Well, my roommate stepped in a puddle of water and splashed up a little bit of mud on my shoes. We kept on walking and suddenly I heard the worst word in the world that a plebe can hear.
“Halt!” commanded one of two upperclassmen coming toward us….
“These two guys take a look at my roommate and say, “You’re Okay.”
“Then they look at me and see my name tag. “What the **** is your name?,” one of them asked.”
“Krzyzewski, sir.”
“What kind of name is that?”
I didn’t say anything.
“Well, Mr. Alphabet, or whoever the **** you are, your shoes are cruddy. You’re a crudball. How did that happen?”
"Now, in real life, 99 percent of the people would want to explain what happened. “Look, we were walking across the area,” I wanted to say, “and my knucklehead roommate stepped in a puddle and he got the mud on my shoes. It’s not my fault.”
"But at West Point, that story’s not acceptable. So my answer was, “No excuse, sir.”
“That’s right! You have no excuses! You’re a crudball!”
"They told my roommate to get going and for the next few minutes one of these upperclassmen just reamed me out. Then he wrote me up and, of course, I received demerits for having mud on my shoes.
"So when I finally got back to the dorm, I was angry at my roommate…..
"Later I began to look at that entire incident from a different perspective.
When my roommate stepped in that puddle and splashed mud on my shoes, I had a choice to make. They were my shoes and I was responsible for them. I kept walking and took the chance that I wouldn’t be caught. I could have gone back but I didn’t. That was my choice. The truth is that I had no right to be mad at my roommate. I should have been mad at myself. And later, when I understood the reality of the situation, I was angry with myself."
I love that story because when life throws crud on your shoes, or on your face or on your home or family (and it will happen), we can choose how we will respond. Coach K says we can either
look for excuses or “reasons.” We can blame. Or we can look at our own role and “embrace the hell out of personal responsibility.” He’s right.
In my life I’ve learned that it’s fine, often wise, to evaluate the crud and learn from the crud, but it rarely leads to joy, peace or renewed purpose and confidence without a sense of personal responsibility and a game-plan for future action.
IDEA 3: IF I THINK I’VE WON, BUT THE TEAM LOSES, THEN I’VE REALLY LOST, TOO.
There is a direct connection between personal success and team success, whether that team be my family, my church, my co-workers or my community.
There are two sides to this. The first side is that I am responsible for what I contribute to the team. When I get better, we all get better.
But second, since I am part of something larger than myself, I also have to help the team succeed if I want to win.
Again Coach K tells a great story to get at this:
In our platoon, there were about thirty plebes and we were assigned three to a room. We’d all be outside the barracks dressed in our fatigues when the order would come: “Okay, you’ve got two minutes to get back here in full dress uniform.” Well, there was no way we could get from fatigues to full dress uniforms in two minutes. It was just impossible.
But when the squad leader would yell, “Dismissed!” we’d all run to our rooms and frantically start changing. One guy would be ready first and he’d head out. Then I’d be next and bolt out the door while my other buddy was still changing. We filtered out one by on, we were all late, and we had to get in the late line.
“Why are you late, mister?”
“No excuse, sir.”
“That’s right, there’s no excuse.”
But then we were asked other questions.
“Why aren’t you out here with your roommates? Why aren’t you out here together?”
“No excuse, sir.”
“Listen up, mister, if one of you is late, all of you are late. Do you understand that? It’s not about you getting out here on time, it’s about you and your roommates getting out here on time.”
And then this application from coaching his basketball team:
“I recall when freshmen Johnny Dawkins and Mark Alarie were late for a team bus. We didn’t know where they were, they had not called, and every other member of the team was on time. So we left them behind. Eventually, the two caught up to us and I remember being ready to hammer them. But after hearing that they had overslept, I began to wonder why other members of our team had not checked up on them. So I talked to the entire team about setting up buddy system where everyone looked out for one another. “If one of us is late,” I told them, “all of us are late.”
The only way I can win is if my team wins. I like this idea a lot.
I'll stop here. Being a Tarheels fan, I don’t really want to write or quote “Coach K” more than I have to! But as promised I end with a few other pithy maxims from the author.
• “Everything we do has our own personal signature on it.”
• “Whatever a leader does now sets up what he does later. And there’s always a later.”
• “Believe you CAN win it all, but don’t assume that you WILL win it all.”
• “Luck favors teams who trust one another.”
• “You hear, You forget. You See, You Remember. You Do, You Understand.”
(I want to teach a whole series on this one someday)
I grew up in North Carolina, and I’ve rooted for the ‘Heels since I can remember.
I remember Michael Jordan’s championship-winning baseline jumper in 1982, and I follow who they are recruiting for the 2010-2011 incoming class.
I believe Dean Smith is the greatest college basketball coach of all time, followed, in order, by Roy Williams, John Wooden and Bobby Knight.
I’ve partied on Franklin St. in Chapel Hill after a victory.
I believe that the reason God created the sky blue is because he loves the Tarheels.
I intensely dislike (hate is such a harsh word) our arch-rival, the Duke Blue Devils.
I say all that, because several weeks ago, a friend of mine recommended that I read a book by Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K). The book is titled, Leading With the Heart.
Now there was a day that I would have never picked up a book by Coach K, simply because he was affiliated with Duke. But I’ve discovered over the years the dangers of a life-approach that says, “I will only be taught by those whom I like and those whom already share my same basic beliefs.” It’s a narrow-minded approach that leads to intellectual stagnation, limited perspective, untested ideas, and ultimately fear.
So, as I write this, I am in the concluding chapters of Coach K’s book. And it’s good.
It’s filled with lessons, stories and counsel about ways to successfully lead yourself, your family, and any team of people who are part of your sphere of influence.
There are dozens of life tips (or as my high school friend was fond of saying, “pithy maxims”) that are worth thinking about and figuring out how to better implement—lessons on leadership, personal development, people development, administrative techniques, how to handle a crisis and much more. In fact, at the end of this, I’ll list a few of these “pithy maxims.” But there are three things I want to mention in a little more detail here, because I think they are particularly relevant these days.
(the all-caps wording of these three ideas is mine, but the concepts are straight from the book)
IDEA 1: LEARN FROM EVERYONE AND IN EVERY SITUATION.
Coach K says tells a great story about learning from the janitor who cleans out the locker room. He writes: “I’ll ask D.C., the person who cleans our locker room.”
“Are they [the players] sloppier than usual, D.C.?”
“No, Coach, they’re pretty good.”
“Do you think any of the kids are having any personal problems?”
“Not that I can tell.”
“Will you keep an eye on them for me, D.C.?”
“Sure will, Coach.”
Well, there have been times when I’ve been working in the locker room on something and D.C., who’s been cleaning in the background, will pipe up with a comment.
“Hey Coach, I think Nate might have gotten a bad grade on a test. Doesn’t seem to be himself right now..”
“Thanks, D.C. I’ll keep an eye on him in practice tomorrow.”
Coach K goes on to talk about how he listens and learns from everyone. “Good ideas can come from anywhere and everywhere,” he writes.
I love his spirit. Contrast that with this. I know Republicans who “tune out” when Hillary or Bill or Obama speak, and therefore they refuse to learn. I know Democrats who “tune out” when George W. Bush or Rush Limbaugh speak, and therefore they refuse to learn. I know of Christians who have never read a book by an atheist (or even someone outside their own religious denomination) and I know of atheists who refuse to have an open mind towards matters of God. And much of the time it leads to judgmentalism, dislike and fear toward those things and people they aren’t open to listening to or learning from. It builds walls and destroys the possibility of an honest, meaningful relationship or dialogue. Nobody wins.
IDEA 2: I MUST EMBRACE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
Coach K writes:
"[While in school at West Point], I was walking across an open area with my roommate. We were in our uniforms and we were required to walk in a straight, erect manner.
"Well, my roommate stepped in a puddle of water and splashed up a little bit of mud on my shoes. We kept on walking and suddenly I heard the worst word in the world that a plebe can hear.
“Halt!” commanded one of two upperclassmen coming toward us….
“These two guys take a look at my roommate and say, “You’re Okay.”
“Then they look at me and see my name tag. “What the **** is your name?,” one of them asked.”
“Krzyzewski, sir.”
“What kind of name is that?”
I didn’t say anything.
“Well, Mr. Alphabet, or whoever the **** you are, your shoes are cruddy. You’re a crudball. How did that happen?”
"Now, in real life, 99 percent of the people would want to explain what happened. “Look, we were walking across the area,” I wanted to say, “and my knucklehead roommate stepped in a puddle and he got the mud on my shoes. It’s not my fault.”
"But at West Point, that story’s not acceptable. So my answer was, “No excuse, sir.”
“That’s right! You have no excuses! You’re a crudball!”
"They told my roommate to get going and for the next few minutes one of these upperclassmen just reamed me out. Then he wrote me up and, of course, I received demerits for having mud on my shoes.
"So when I finally got back to the dorm, I was angry at my roommate…..
"Later I began to look at that entire incident from a different perspective.
When my roommate stepped in that puddle and splashed mud on my shoes, I had a choice to make. They were my shoes and I was responsible for them. I kept walking and took the chance that I wouldn’t be caught. I could have gone back but I didn’t. That was my choice. The truth is that I had no right to be mad at my roommate. I should have been mad at myself. And later, when I understood the reality of the situation, I was angry with myself."
I love that story because when life throws crud on your shoes, or on your face or on your home or family (and it will happen), we can choose how we will respond. Coach K says we can either
look for excuses or “reasons.” We can blame. Or we can look at our own role and “embrace the hell out of personal responsibility.” He’s right.
In my life I’ve learned that it’s fine, often wise, to evaluate the crud and learn from the crud, but it rarely leads to joy, peace or renewed purpose and confidence without a sense of personal responsibility and a game-plan for future action.
IDEA 3: IF I THINK I’VE WON, BUT THE TEAM LOSES, THEN I’VE REALLY LOST, TOO.
There is a direct connection between personal success and team success, whether that team be my family, my church, my co-workers or my community.
There are two sides to this. The first side is that I am responsible for what I contribute to the team. When I get better, we all get better.
But second, since I am part of something larger than myself, I also have to help the team succeed if I want to win.
Again Coach K tells a great story to get at this:
In our platoon, there were about thirty plebes and we were assigned three to a room. We’d all be outside the barracks dressed in our fatigues when the order would come: “Okay, you’ve got two minutes to get back here in full dress uniform.” Well, there was no way we could get from fatigues to full dress uniforms in two minutes. It was just impossible.
But when the squad leader would yell, “Dismissed!” we’d all run to our rooms and frantically start changing. One guy would be ready first and he’d head out. Then I’d be next and bolt out the door while my other buddy was still changing. We filtered out one by on, we were all late, and we had to get in the late line.
“Why are you late, mister?”
“No excuse, sir.”
“That’s right, there’s no excuse.”
But then we were asked other questions.
“Why aren’t you out here with your roommates? Why aren’t you out here together?”
“No excuse, sir.”
“Listen up, mister, if one of you is late, all of you are late. Do you understand that? It’s not about you getting out here on time, it’s about you and your roommates getting out here on time.”
And then this application from coaching his basketball team:
“I recall when freshmen Johnny Dawkins and Mark Alarie were late for a team bus. We didn’t know where they were, they had not called, and every other member of the team was on time. So we left them behind. Eventually, the two caught up to us and I remember being ready to hammer them. But after hearing that they had overslept, I began to wonder why other members of our team had not checked up on them. So I talked to the entire team about setting up buddy system where everyone looked out for one another. “If one of us is late,” I told them, “all of us are late.”
The only way I can win is if my team wins. I like this idea a lot.
I'll stop here. Being a Tarheels fan, I don’t really want to write or quote “Coach K” more than I have to! But as promised I end with a few other pithy maxims from the author.
• “Everything we do has our own personal signature on it.”
• “Whatever a leader does now sets up what he does later. And there’s always a later.”
• “Believe you CAN win it all, but don’t assume that you WILL win it all.”
• “Luck favors teams who trust one another.”
• “You hear, You forget. You See, You Remember. You Do, You Understand.”
(I want to teach a whole series on this one someday)
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