Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Themes Resonate

"Everybody has something they want...I find out what people want, what they're afraid of, what makes them tick, and then I use it." - Suits 

Themes resonate. Imagine self-reflection. The wanting is in the not having. Once we have something, the 'wanting' declines. 

Ask 'what do we want?' Start with possibilities. Do any apply? Work on raising our emotional intelligence. 

Ego inflation. Excessive ego is 'overestimation of our importance'. Ego monitors and buttresses our self-worth. Everyone needs to feel valued. Everyone wants to feel useful. "I am the biggest, baddest #$&^%@ on the block." There is always someone smarter, richer, tougher, with more knowledge or insight. If we have insatiable ego, problems lurk nearby. 

Ryan Holiday's Ego Is the Enemy explores the dangers of excessive ego. "It’s a magnet for enemies and errors." People often love to see the mighty get their comeuppance. That reinforces, "see, they're not so great," "they're no better than I am," or "what a flawed person." 

Ego colors how we see others. "Yeah, but it took him six years to win his first NBA championship." Or, "he never would have won anything without boosters coloring outside the lines." Or, "my kid would be as good as she is with the same minutes and role." 

Money. The Bible says, "the love of money is the root of all evil" and depicts that with 'thirty pieces of silver'. Sometimes people have far more than they need, but money is how they keep score. "So-and-so is the highest paid coach in the league." 

Pursuit of money drives people to bad choices and unjustified risks. It can cause people to justify the indefensible. 

Respect. Everyone wants respect. Earn it by professionalism, punctuality and preparation. Earn it through maturity and sportsmanship. Earn it by having teams who compete and do not quit. "Make the big time wherever you are." 

Power. "You will address me as Coach Smith." There's a saying, "the bigger the ego the greater the insecurity." Position isn't the same as knowledge, wisdom, or street smarts. If you want power, then you better be prepared to battle. For Shakespeare fans, remember King Lear, "Oh, reason not the need." 

Redemption. Resilience and comebacks are regular themes in life and art. Great sport stories blend adversity and persistence. The gritty underdog fits, too. Hoosiers, Rocky, and The Mighty Macs quickly come to mind. 

Immaculata, the best team you may not know. 

Lagniappe. This MSU drill is another way to get 'volume shooting'. Make it competitive and track makes over three to five minutes. 

Lagniappe 2. 
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