Coach John Wooden won 10 national championships as basketball coach of the U.C.L.A. Bruins, and is considered one of the greatest coaches in history.  He always carried a piece of paper with a message from his father that read: "Be true to yourself. Make each day a masterpiece. Help others. Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible. Make friendship a fine art. Build a shelter against a rainy day. Pray for guidance, count and give thanks for your blessings every day."  

 

During his presidency, Abraham Lincoln carried a newspaper clipping in his pocket that contained a quote from the British statesman, John Bright. It said, "Abraham Lincoln is the greatest leader of men." Lincoln drew strength from these words during the troubling times of the Civil War when self-doubt caused him to question his leadership.

 

Hearing these stories reminds us to carry with us the wisdom and encouraging words of those we look up to. It can be life-changing because words are powerful, especially when they come from our heroes. It's amazing how the right words at the right time can have a lasting impact.

 

My son (age 32) recently told me that he remembers me telling him during his high school years, "Every choice you make has some consequence...so choose carefully." I actually don't remember that conversation but, most importantly, he does. My dad's eternal optimism and positive outlook was part of his legacy to me. No matter how discouraging the situation, he was never without hope of a turnaround. 

 

A legacy is often thought to be a financial gift left to one's children. However we create a much more valuable legacy by how we live our lives and the wisdom we pass along to our children. Rasheed Ogunlaru has written, "Legacy is not what's left tomorrow when you're gone. It's what you give, create, impact and contribute today while you're here that then happens to live on."

 

What legacy are you creating for your children during these challenging times?

 

What lessons are you teaching about hope, patience, and perseverance while what was normal isn't normal anymore?

 

Your legacy includes what your children will remember most about the lessons you taught during unprecedented times, and take that with them into the future.

 

 

 

 

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"David's Daughter Tells Her Story—An Interview With Tarah Benzel Mikacich"

What-Do-I-Do- When…?

 

"My child wants to play every sport. I think it's too much."

 

Parents often feel an obligation to provide every opportunity to their children and therefore always say "yes." It feels right because sports are healthy...right? Homework is healthy too, but would you want him to have six hours of it each night? Life works best when balanced with your family's values. Sometimes "No" is the correct answer.                                                                                  

Action Items:

1. Through family discussion, reflect on your family's top five core values and associated activities, and what it takes to honor each one. How much time, energy, money, and recovery is required for each.

2. Agree on the reality of certain limitations (24 hours in a day, money, energy to perform well), and that to honor each of your core values requires everyone to make choices—some of which are tough!

3. Remind everyone that there are long term consequences for ignoring some areas of life for the sake of pouring too much time into one area. There are also rewards for living by your values.

 

Please CLICK HERE to watch "Class On Court" and complete your Discussion Guide so you can apply a valuable lesson from tennis champion Naomi Osaka from the 2019 U.S. Open.

 

 

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