Legendary college basketball coach John Wooden is quoted as having said, "Things work out the best for those that make the best of the way things work out." I have always admired the no nonsense, keep it basic coach that Wooden was, his accomplishments speak for themselves, but his work ethic and philosophies on life are more of what intrigue me about Coach Wooden. For me this quote sums up John Wooden's attitude towards adversity, setbacks, and even defeat. You can either look at a flat tire and sit there thinking I'm stuck, or you can open the trunk, get out the tools and the spare and start fixing your flat. By the way, how we perceive adversity is an underscoring theme of Flat Tire Ministries, in case you haven't figured that out by now. The title of today's FTM thought for the week is "Attitude Determines Altitude”, for me "making the best of the way things work out" has so much to do with our attitude, which in turn has so much to do with how we succeed in life.
Find me someone that takes a setback and wallows in it and I will most likely show you a person with a negative attitude. "Half empty glass" folks just can't seem to look at the glass and see the remaining liquid as the focal point of their mindset. A common theme in the lives of those who take on a negative outlook on life's circumstances is that they tend to underachieve and ultimately do not advance up the ladder of success in whatever areas of life they pursue. I challenge you to find me a successful entrepreneur who saw failure as final, I believe you will struggle with that search. Hence the title today, our attitude and outlook on life's situations and circumstances is a huge determining factor in how successful and fulfilled our lives will be.
When we take on a positive mindset there is a chain of mental triggers that are invoked inside our minds. Paul, the author of the Book of Romans, explains it in this manner, "... we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." Romans 5:3-5. Maintaining a positive attitude in the face of loss or failure may appear futile or even toxic to some, yet the positive attitude isn't related to the negative experience that is taking place, but it is all about the hope that God has instilled in us that tells us whatever happens to us, can never be as big as the One who is living in us! (I John 4:4). When I think about the pessimistic view of the half empty glass mentality, I really struggle understanding how it could appear half empty. I can't see empty, if I was handed a glass with nothing in it at all, I would be thinking "okay I've got a glass now let’s go find something to put in it." I just can't focus on the hardship or struggle, and I believe those who rise and overcome are the very ones who don't allow a defeat to define them as a person.
There is a song from the late 1990's by a band named Chumbawamba that over and over again declares, "I get knocked down, but I get up again, you are never going to keep me down", which embodies the theme of today's Flat Tire Thought. I may get knocked down, but I'll get up again paraphrases our title today, regardless of how many times I get knocked down, I am not going to allow it to keep me down. My attitude is going to assist me in my altitude in life. When I climb a mountain, I may slip and I may even tumble back down, but I won't allow that to determine whether I ascend the mountain or not. My mindset is that the knowledge I gained through my tumbling down the hill experience will now assist me when I get to that spot in the mountain as I resume my ascent. "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9.
As I reflect on Coach Wooden's words of wisdom, I am convinced that his attitude was a major determining factor in the altitude to which he propelled the UCLA Bruins basketball program. The list of accolades includes four perfect 30-0 seasons, and 88 game winning streak, 38 straight NCAA tournament victories, and ten national championships, with seven of those ten being consecutively. The item that isn't often discussed is that John Wooden coached thirteen seasons at UCLA before they even made it to the NCAA Tournament. That year and the next two his teams lost their first-round game. Throughout those first sixteen seasons I feel certain that Coach John Wooden lived by the sentiment of his quote I shared today. Most certainly things worked out the best as Coach Wooden made the best out of what life handed him and his teams.
Keep your head up, keep pushing ahead, and by all means keep your attitude at a high altitude!
Coach Carter
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