Life Lessons from John Wooden

This past week marked the passing of John Wooden, the greatest college basketball coach of all-time, perhaps the great coach of any sport. As an avid sports fan and someone who grew up playing basketball, Wooden has always been someone I greatly respect. As a coach he won 10 NCAA National Championships in a 12 year span, a feat that no one else has come close to reaching. As a human, though, Wooden greatly inspired the people he was in relationship with, helping everyone and anyone through life transformation.

Some people seemingly live life better than others, and Wooden is one of these people. He carried with him each day a card from his father with 7 wonderful pieces of advice for living well. I had read about these rules to live by years ago, but was reminded of them this past week and thought I would pass them along to you. While these might seem a bit cliche, I have a sneaky suspicion that we would all be better people if we adhered to these pieces of wisdom.

1. Be true to yourself.
   
2. Help others.
3. Make each day your masterpiece.
4. Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.
5. Make friendships a fine art.
6. Build a shelter against a rainy day.
7. Pray for guidance and count and give thanks for your blessings each day.