A Champion Long Before He Won the Title

“Gold medals aren't really made of gold. They're made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.”

-Dan Gable

  This past weekend a national champion was crowned. Arizona State wrestler Anthony Robles won the NCAA title in the 125lb weight class, and he did it on one leg. Based upon the interviews I've watched and everything I've read, it seems to me that his final victory only validated what was already true. Anthony Robles has a champion's heart. This title wasn't won this past weekend in Philadelphia. It was won over the course of several years of discipline, hard work, confidence, and determination.

"Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God."

-Leo Buscaglia

   Just like Anthony Robles, we all have strengths and weaknesses. Some are more obvious than others. Excuses and doubters are plentiful. No matter what you're trying to achieve, when it gets hard you don't have to look far to find a way out. There's never a shortage of people (including ourselves) who will expose our weaknesses and try to convince us that we can't achieve our goals because of them. Ultimately it comes down to a question of character. In sports we refer to this as "having heart". It's one of the most admirable qualities that people respond to in a leader.
   I train/mentor a group of high school athletes a few days a week. Our school is very blessed to have a first rate training facility. Even with this incredible facility and all of the state of the art equipment, there is still one basic truth. Nothing can replace hard work and dedication. There's no way around it.
  When I start working with a new group of kids there's an atmosphere of excitement and trepidation. The excitement stems from the results they have seen with other athletes that have trained with me. The trepidation is rooted in the rather intense work outs that I take those athletes through to get them there. The kids tend to think I have this secret workout knowledge that yields almost magical results. Well I'm going to share my big secret: You have greatness within you.

   My "magic" is that I can see it. The workouts are merely a tool I use to reveal it. Once athletes see it, believe in it, and take ownership of it, nothing can stop them. It's really not any more complicated than that. As I said before, these workouts are extremely intense. Every training session we work to our breaking point. We push our bodies to failure. That is the moment of our focus. This moment defines our character. We can pack it up and call it a day. Or, we can look deep inside ourselves; see our light; recognize our greatness; and push past all of the reasons for stopping. THAT is where character is defined. That is where greatness and success grow. It is this lesson that we carry with us onto the field or court, into the ring, or onto the mat.

   It is moments like this where a kid born with one leg moves beyond all the reasons he can't do it, and does it anyway. Anthony Robles was a champion long before he won the title.

March Madness

“March madness” is upon us. It is the time of year where Cinderella gets her invitation to the ball. Some teams’ dreams will be burst as others come true. In terms of identity, it’s a time of validation. Conference Champions are crowned as some seasons end. Some will go to the NIT while the truly elite will compete for the national championship. As Coach Parcells said, ”You are what your record says you are.”

This season of madness coincides with the season of Lent. The 40 days of Lent reflect the 40 days in the desert where Christ’s identity was forged. In the time of Jesus, a Jewish man would go into the desert to face his demons. We see this in multiple places in the bible. Moses is thrown into the desert only to re-emerge as the leader of the Hebrews. He then leads the Hebrews out of bondage and back into the desert where their identity as God’s people is solidified. John the Baptist goes off to live in the desert as a wild man where he embraces his role as the one who will announce the coming of the Messiah. Many come to the desert to have John baptize them and claim them for God, literally anointing them with their identity.

There are yet even more examples of people who retreat into seclusion and to find their identity. The Prophet Mohamed leaves Mecca and retreats into a cave where he receives his first revelation of God. The Buddha leaves his royal life of luxury to follow the ways of an ascetic. St. Francis of Asissi leaves his comfort and inheritance to live among the lepers and beggars.

All of these stories (and there are many, many more) are about leaders who seclude themselves to find out who they are; why they are; and to whom they belong. It is the beginning of the hero’s journey. In other words, when you turn inward and ask the important questions, you find your identity and that in turn defines your character. This will guide your decisions and actions hence forth. In the words of Joseph Campbell: "We're not on our journey to save the world but to save ourselves. But in doing that you save the world. The influence of a vital person vitalizes.”

As we begin Lent, we begin our walk into the desert and face our demons. Just as Christ is tempted by Satan but stands firm thus identifying Himself as the Messiah, you too must look at yourself and face your demons. How will you respond? You see it’s easy to make the right choice when people are watching. Very few thieves will rob your house while you are home. Most will wait until the house is empty. It’s the choices you make when no one is watching that define you. It is in these moments that you face your demons. It is those choices that shape your character. It is those aspirations that reveal your identity.
I use these examples when speaking to young people all the time:

Let’s say you stop at the store and buy a candy bar for a dollar. You hand the cashier a $5. The cashier accidently hands you back $10 too much in change. Do you acknowledge the mistake and correct the cashier or do you stay quiet and keep the money? Some would say what great luck and too bad for them. I would ask only this. What did you sell for a couple bucks? I would offer that your character and in fact your soul is worth much more than that.

What if you found the answer key to a high stakes test, a test that determined your eligibility, graduation or could award you a full scholarship to college. If you could use this and know that you would never get caught, would you? What is the cost? Your credentials from the test (i.e. your identity) would be built upon a lie. In the day and age we live in these types of choices are so prevalent that to many they don’t see an issue. I would offer that we as a population suffer from identity crisis. I would further submit that is why things like character and leadership ability seem to erode more and more each day.

We see examples all the time. Look at the use of performance enhancing drugs in sports. It comes from a “win at all costs” attitude. I believe the cost of cheating is too great.

So welcome to March Madness, a time when demons are either embraced or disgraced. This is a time when leaders are forged through choices and actions. Followers simply atrophy on the side lines. Which way will you go?

Coach Rice Leads By Example

  This week I saw a great example of how identity defines a leader. The Rutgers Scarlett Knights last hopes for making the NCAA tournament were extinguished when they were defeated by St. John’s 65-63. Unfortunately, the game ended with a lapse in officiating. This cost the Scarlett Knights an opportunity at over-time and possibly a win.
   In the melee of replays and scrutiny that followed, I was struck by Rutgers coach Mike Rice’s reaction during his post-game interviews. In a situation where most of us (myself included) would have lost our composure, Coach Rice took the high road. This comes back to identity. Coach Rice’s statement wasn’t written by his public relations people. His character shaped his reaction. This, in turn, defined the path his team will follow.

You can view his reaction here:

This Little Light of Mine...

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”                          
                                                                              - Marianne Williamson

   It all begins and ends with identity. Who am I? What is my purpose? To whom do I belong? For most of us these are difficult and sometimes scary questions to grapple with. Yet, until we can answer them we are left to be defined by others. We drift according to the ebb and flow of our environment. However when we are willing to do the work; look inside; and answer these questions, we open ourselves up and become the light of the world for those around us.

   Often times a leader’s most important decisions come in the heat of the moment. Whether it is during a game, in the classroom, at home, or hanging out with our friends, there will be unexpected situations where immediate choices need to be made. We can’t possibly hope to know all the questions, but when we know who we are, we have all the answers. Things like peer pressure don’t stand a chance against the pressure of our own values.

   When others see your conviction through your actions they will follow. When you hold yourself accountable to a greater purpose your direction becomes clear. When you embrace your light, you become a beacon through which others can find their way out of the darkness. 

As is stated in the beginning of the Gospel of John:

    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

...LET IT SHINE!!

So what's a "World-Shaker"?

world-shak·er

  /ˈwɜrldˌʃeɪkər/ Show Spelled[wurld-shey-ker]

–noun

something of sufficient importance to affect the entire world. 

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2011.

  The definition of the title for my blog seems as good a place as any to start my first post. I first became familiar with the term world-shaker in 7th grade, when my gym teacher/coach/mentor, (Coach B) would quote the film Cool Hand Luke all the time. At first I thought it was just some odd thing he would say, but it wasn't long before I sat down and watched the movie (several times) and was quoting it myself. Now over 25 years later as a teacher and coach myself, I still quote and refer to that movie with my students. I believe we're all "natural-born world-shakers". 

As Vince Lombardi famously said: 

“Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.”