The Essential Eleven

This past weekend, I had the amazing opportunity to attend Felicia Hall Allen and Associates' A STEP UP symposium. WOW! What an event. There were so many great minds in the room that had nothing but wonderful ideas and great passion to share with one another. The people in the room wanted so badly to uplift not only themselves, but the game of women's basketball. The creativity, the enthusiasm, and the overall sense of community was evident and it TRULY made for a wonderful weekend, one that I certainly will never forget.

One of the featured speakers, Danielle Donehew (Associate Commissioner, Women's Basketball, Big East Conference) inspired us to understand our definition of success and develop our compass.  These are ideals that are meant to guide us through our daily decisions, and serve as a centering force in our lives.  Upon returning to the group the next day to share, I had developed 10 (I added another one while people were talking!) points to guide me.  Felicia so graciously asked me to share them with the entire group, and now I share them with you.

The Essential Eleven
Be there in mind, body and soul
Live present
Feel for others as if it happened to you
Believe in your and others’ ability to be great
Read as much as you eat; you must feed your mind 
Live with undeniable and indefatigable enthusiasm
Share your gifts with others; it is your responsibility
Never take more than you are willing to give
Live with pace and with peace; know when to speed up and slow down
In the quest to serve others, never forget about yourself
If it takes two minutes, just do it

Full disclosure: this is much easier said than done, especially for me!  But, we are all works in progress that must be molded just like an potter's clay.  Just as we try to mold our student-athletes and people in our lives, we can make a difference in others by adopting a compass for ourselves.

If you feel so inclined, please leave some feedback as to what your compass looks like and other ideas.  I'd like to make this an open forum for us all. 

--AR

Where Does Your Compass Take You?

A throwback to the haters?

Haters. Naysayers. Negative people. Everyone has them in their lives, and believe it or not, everyone needs them.  Those folks that make life a little "harder" because they "hate" you for what you do or who you are?  They are the reason success stories exist.  Everyone has/had someone tell them they couldn't, or they can't, or they won't.  Yet, we continually find a way to make it happen.  Here is something I wrote nearly 5 years ago, figured I'd post it here for you all. Enjoy.

Limitless

You can hate the way I live my life.

You can hate the way I deal with my strife

You can hate that I’m better than the best

But, just remember—it’s always been me helping you pass life’s test.

It’s hard to understand why people do what they do

You would think that, along with their bodies, their minds also grew

People will envy those with any semblance of success

Because they themselves know their own lives are a mess

Pressure is nothing but barometric change

No number on it is ever out of my range

I’ll take the weight of the world off your shoulders; I’ll pick up the slack

I’ll take the weight and put it right above the target you put on my back

  

This poem is dedicated to anyone and everyone who has been criticized for being better, being right, or being themselves.  Keep your character, even if others do not.  Life will test you, but above all else, if you believe in your abilities, there is no limit to what is possible.  

--AR


P.S. Here is a bonus video for ya: