This I know — Version 2.0

When I was in grade school, I went out for pee wee football. As we lined up in rows and did our calisthenics before the start of practice — everything from jumping jacks to leg stretches to ab crunches — our coach would walk up and down each row offering a bit of wisdom, before whistling for us to start the next routine. 

I guess it was his way of keeping us listening to his voice, instead of focusing too much on the pain we were feeling and whining that we wanted to stop. His favorite piece of advice, “if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” He must have repeated that gem every practice. It’s so entrenched into my head.

Image by Timo Stern by Unsplash.

I occasionally think about my old coach. I suspect he would like today’s post. I occasionally like to write about what I believe and know in my heart. It’s like a personal mission statement that keeps pushing me forward. I add a few things, cut a few so that it doesn’t get incredibly long.

Like the 1950’s This I Believe radio program, hosted journalist Edward R. Murrow, and the essays featured in regular broadcasts on National Public Radio (NPR) in the United States from 2005 to 2009, here’s what I believe:

• Kindness, fairness, and justice matter.
• A sense of humor is a necessity to thriving in life. I’m serious about my work and others, but I try to not take myself too seriously. 
• Work hard. Give a full day’s work. other’s deserve your best.
• When you’ve done something wrong, say you’re sorry. It doesn’t mean we’re any less to say we were wrong. We made a decision with the best information we had. We were wrong. Be the bigger person and say you’re sorry. 
• It doesn’t matter what you call it — meditation, yoga, self actualizing — but spend a little time each day alone in silence.
• Laugh out loud. See number 2. 
• Smile often. 
• Be truthful, forthcoming, offer a firm handshake, and make only promises you can keep.
• Root for the underdog. Goliath may win nine times out ten, but the one time David wins will shock the world.
• The Power of the Written Word. Write out your thoughts and feelings a little each day. It will kickstart your creativity and take you places you never imagined.
• The goal for each day remains the same: Laugh each day, learn something, have your emotions moved to tears.

Image by Tobias Tullius by Unsplash.

• Challenge yourself. Beat your old record by 50 points. If you make it, great, raise it again. If you miss it, get back up on the horse and try again tomorrow. The goal is continuous growth.
• Have a dream. Share it with a friend.
• Remember the little people who helped you along the way.
• Have faith in something bigger. For me it’s my Christian faith and my family. For you, it could be something else, just make some time for something bigger than you.
• Volunteer. Give to others. Help someone else. You’ll feel better about yourself.
• In the words of my grandmother, be “good people” — the kind of person that others respect, love, and want to be around.
• Listen to others. Be empathetic to others. Remember that everyone carries a burden that you may never know or see. Try your best to give others the benefit of the doubt.
• Be genuine. We were out with family recently and the topic of a particular doctor came up. He’s brilliant, there’s no question, but he was described as being an egomaniac narcissist. I’m not a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon, I’ve never been in demand like one of those professions, but if someone described me in the same terms, I would be crushed.  
• Tell others who mean the world to you that you love them. Never be afraid of saying I love you. We don’t get a gold star for holding in our love.
• Be grateful and say thank you.

What do you believe? Thank you for reading.