Take inventory of our toolkit. No, I don't mean our family, possessions, the diplomas on the wall. What intangible resources do we bring to living our lives each day?
Attention.
The first price of learning is to pay attention. Improve our attention to verbal and non-verbal cues and to detail. What foot hits the floor first when we get out of bed?
Curiosity. Leonardo da Vinci was the most curious cat who ever lived. He studied light, the flight of birds, and fluid dynamics. He predicted Newton's laws hundreds of years before newton. In his resume' at age 30, in paragraph eleven, he added this:
11. I can carry out sculpture in marble, bronze, or clay, and also I can do in painting whatever may be done, as well as any other, be he who he may.
He invented musical instruments, designed churches, studied new mathematical concepts, designed 'ideal' cities. Who writes that they need to learn about the tongue of a woodpecker? Why don't woodpeckers get brain damage? Be curious. What works and why?
Persistence.
Never give in.
We either give in and give up or get up and get in. A willingness to "show up" can get a lot done against those with lesser commitment.
Positivity. At best, I was a glass half full person for most of life. I am definitely not Dr. Pangloss, as in "all is for the best in this best of all possible worlds." But reading Jon Gordon's The Positive Dog years ago helped convince me of the virtue of positivity. Add in some intensification with stoicism to reinforce the attitude. I closed tonight's practice by explaining to the girls that my glass is neither half full or half empty. I am thankful to have the glass and privileged to coach this group.
Preparation. Preparation isn't a burden; it's opportunity. Many have said that it's not the will to win, but the will to prepare that defines success.
Teaching. "Share something great." I don't have something great to put out there every day, but I'm always looking. Basketball thrives in the public domain. It's not what life gives us but what we leave behind that matters. I'm grateful to all those who taught me what I know; I only wish I knew all that they know.
Lagniappe:
There's no certainty that I corralled any black swans this week. But we reviewed important defensive assignments and zone offense, including the MSU "X".
And truth from the movie, Gifted.
