The Profound Power of Preparation

Good morning, everybody. Lee Brower here. Welcome to this week's edition of Meaningful Monday Message. I am grateful to be here, and I am glad to be here. Just do your best. Or the better one is, I did my best. I did my best. When we hear our kids, you know, they come out and say, well, how come that didn't work? Well, I did my best, Dad. Or you hear it from your worker, well, I just did my best. What does that mean? I just did my best. best.

Maybe it means that you did your best in the moment for what you were prepared for.

We're going to delve into a concept today that transcends the boundaries of mere moments, okay? That transcends the boundaries of mere results. It's the profound significance of preparation. And it's inspired by the wisdom of Coach John Wooden. I'm so grateful, so grateful for the time that I've been able to spend with that man during the last years of his life, Really, I mean, you know, and honestly, there is, I can't think of a moment when I've been with him that I didn't learn something.

You could not help but be around that man and not learn something. Listen to his definition of success.

Success is peace of mind that is a direct result of self-assurance in knowing you did your best to become the best you're capable of becoming. Now, how do you become the best you're capable of becoming? It doesn't happen in the moment. moment. You see, it happens in our past. It's what we did yesterday. It's what we did in the runway up to this moment that makes the difference. So we're informed by the work that we've done, and we build confidence from the work that we've done for the moment.

And then we look into the future, and the future is not just about reaching a destination. The future is about something about us continuing to grow our character and becoming to know that we are doing the best, that self-assurance of knowing, the peace of mind of knowing that we're doing the best we can do to become the best we can become.

So in the realm of sports, it's so coordinated with life. In sports, everybody thinks it's all about beating the opponent, but not according to John Wooden. John Wooden's philosophy was never about the victory in isolation, but about the journey towards it. He emphasized that if you are prepared, you'll have that peace of mind that It comes from knowing you are as ready as you can be. See, peace of mind for him was the true measure of success.

So in 1997, Coach Wooden distilled his philosophy. You know, he had the pyramid of success. In 1997, he distilled it down into eight keys for success.

All of them revolve around preparation. So the first one dealt with respect. Fear no opponent, but respect every opponent. Critical. They'd pull you out of the game if you didn't respect your opponent. They wouldn't even play you.

Number two, remember that it's the perfections of the smallest details that make big things happen. Small things constantly repeated and attended to, they ultimately become the big things that make the difference.

Hustle. Understand that hustle makes up for many a mistake.

Four, be more interested in character than reputation.

My favorite composure i've used this be quick but don't hurry do you see the difference it's composure number six diligence and we all know that the harder you work the more luck you will have and then it's about growing and how do we grow we recognize that valid self-analysis is crucial for improvement how can i become even better and then number eight do the work there's no substitute for hard work and careful planning.

So, conclusion. Embrace the preparation mindset. Don't just sit around and wait for the moment. You know, as we reflect on Coach Wooden's teachings, let's commit to the journey, not just to the destination. Doing your best isn't about the result.

You know you did your best before you know the result. You see, doing your best is about the a position you find yourself in when you show up. And over the long term, this is important, over the long term, the average person constantly puts themselves in a good position and beats the genius who finds themselves in a poor position.

The average person who constantly puts themselves in a good position beats the genius who finds themselves in a poor position. position. So what looks like talent is often good positioning. And the best way to put yourself in a good position is with good preparation.

You know, success isn't about all of the accolades, the scoreboards. It's about the satisfaction, the self-assurance of knowing we did our utmost to reach our potential. So have a meaningful week. Join me next week as we continue to explore the principles that lead to a meaningful and successful life.

Remember, preparation is the key to unlocking your best self. Have a meaningful week. We'll talk next week. Bye-bye.