Have a Great Day and Work Hard!

      Growing up in the southern region of our United States a common salutation might include something along the lines of "I'll see you later and don't you work too hard." A nice thought with good intentions, right? As a matter of fact that phrase was one of my most common quotes as I would say my goodbyes to family and friends. I would chime out that decree without giving one thought to what I was actually invoking with my suggestion to not work too hard. The fact of the matter is when I would say "don't work too hard" I was actually promoting somebody to be lazy or to not give their best! Now that one hit me right in the face! I know many of you reading this are thinking "Oh it's just a saying, you aren't really meaning to say to not do your share of the work that needs to be accomplished." Yes, but the message I was sending was exactly that. Subliminally would it suggest it's not only okay, but it is what is expected of me to do? Is the best job expected to be less than the best effort we have to give? When I received my epiphany about what message this simple salutation was purveying I had to stop and give myself a reprimand for suggesting it is okay to slack and do less than your best.
     For me one of the most important qualities I should display to my family, friends, students, colleagues, and others that I come in contact with is a superior work ethic. Giving our best is a true reflection of who we are, what we stand for, and what we represent. You can take that on many different levels and from multiple perspectives. As a father we want to demonstrate the benefits of a good days work, as a coworker we need to do our fair share and at times more when necessary, and as an American we should be proud to work and support our family, our government, and our way of life. Most importantly, for my faith, it is imperative that I do my best in everything and anything I set out to do. The apostle Paul penned a scripture in Colossians 3:23 that has become my rallying cry as an educator, coach, coworker, parent, husband, or any other role that I might carry in my life. Paul's encouraging words challenge us by saying "Whatever you do, do it with all your heart, as you are doing it for the Lord and not for men". When you start thinking about the significance of how you go about your day's work it starts to change the purpose of what you are doing. Things no longer are just a job or just another day of work before you make it to another weekend. What you do and how you do it matter. People are watching you to see how you go about your business. Little eyes are set on you to learn how they should behave in their lives as contributors to this world.
     What I do is important, what you do is critically important to not only your livelihood but it will form the model of what your legacy will be in your circle of influence. How you go about your job, your responsibilities, and your daily routines will be a direct reflection on how you want to see others do their job. Instead of shouting out "don't work too hard" we should be encouraging and expecting our friends and families to "work hard", "give your best" "earn what you get", and "do more than what is expected". When we change our mindset to grasp the concept that how hard we work and the expectation of equally hard work from others makes a difference then we are on the road to real progress and real time pride in what we are doing! A hard days work never hurt anyone and expecting a hard days work from others is not asking for anything more than what they should be doing anyway.
     I created EXTREME TEAM sports as a way to get the message out that even in sports we should be giving our best every time we are on the mat or on the court. Think of it this way, Whatever you do, GO EXTREME, as if you doing it for the Lord and not for men. I'm not sure if Paul ever used the word extreme or not but the meaning is the same, give it all you got, go for it, and always do your best. If we adopt that mindset and if we display it in our lives and expect it in the lives of our family and friends our work takes on a whole new meaning. No longer will we be just making it through the day and doing just enough to get by, you know the "don't work too hard" concept, but instead when we are saying our send offs to those we come in contact with daily we will instead encourage them by saying "Work hard, do your best, and never give up!"
I work for a great big boss and I want to be the right kind of example and to make him proud!
Go for it and GO EXTREME!!
Coach Carter