Well, I decided to take a step back today and look at WHO inspires me. A dear friend of mine made a comment on my facebook the other day saying how this blog inspires her, and I'm not gonna lie, that made every single day of hell worth it! While I haven't changed the world with this blog, there are a few people who inspire me! I think every person has a hero and I'd like to share with you a couple of mine.
Besides the obvious women in my life, my mom, my sister, my aunts, etc, there's one woman in History who, every time she opened her mouth, inspiration came pouring out! Eleanor Roosevelt was the definition of strong! She went through Hell and back with her husband, however, in history, she's not known only as "the first lady," no, she IS Eleanor Roosevelt. Starting from a young age, she was a world traveler. Even in marriage she went against what people thought was "right." Even with the public saying it wasn't right, Eleanor kept on her own political agenda. She was active in the African American civil rights, she was active in world relations, creating peace among the other countries. In 1945, she was appointed to the United Nations by Harry S. Truman. She spoke out actively against many popular political beliefs. I could go on, and on, and on about how she held her own among everyone! I'll let her do the speaking:
"A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water."
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people."
"Have convictions. Be friendly. Stick to your beliefs as they stick to theirs. Work as hard as they do."
"I think that somehow, we learn who we really are and then live with that decision."
"It is not fair to ask of others what you are not willing to do yourself."
"We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot. "
My next inspiration is John Wooden. While he isn't in the history books, what he has done that inspires me, is his outlook on leadership. While the U of MN blew their chances with him, Wooden was a coach at UCLA and won 10 championships in 12 years! Impressive? Yes, but even more was taking his ideals from the court to the real world. When Wooden graduated from grammar school, his father gave him a 7 point creed:
- Be true to yourself.
- Make each day your 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 and give thanks for your blessings every day
Also among Wooden's legacy is his pyramid of success. It was his theory that he used both on and off the court:
My dad introduced me to Wooden and his philosophies. Ever since I learned about him, I've done nothing but want to learn more. In an article following his death, Kareen Abdul-Jabar was quoted:
"There “was no ranting and raving, no histrionics or theatrics.” He continued: “To lead the way Coach Wooden led takes a tremendous amount of faith. He was almost mystical in his approach, yet that approach only strengthened our confidence. Coach Wooden enjoyed winning, but he did not put winning above everything. He was more concerned that we became successful as human beings, that we earned our degrees, that we learned to make the right choices as adults and as parents.
“In essence,” Abdul-Jabbar concluded, “he was preparing us for life.”"
And FINALLY, but certainly not last, is my unsung hero, Tony Dungy. Many of you know him as the man who does Monday Night NFL commentary. Some of you may remember his coaching days in Minnesota, then to Tampa Bay, then onto the Colts, where he finally got his Super Bowl ring.
I however, know him as not only a GREAT coach whose players respected him, but, as he put it, a teacher who always put his family and faith above any game. This man was a football miracle. Any team he touched transformed, yet he always knew where his priorities lay. He has the philosophy that it took a whole team to win, so while he had his starters, he trained the 33rd player on the team just the same as the 1st. What a philosophy for life. Teamwork has to be equal!
Tony's personal life is one we all should admire as well. Even with losing his son, Tony has dedicated his life to helping everyone. From starting charities in Tampa to simply giving his time to Big Brothers/Big Sisters, he once considered leaving football to focus on prison ministries.
He's a quiet man who will never go into our history books, however, he's a man of convictions. He stands up for what he believes in, no matter the popularity. I know there are many like this, but there are very few people who give as much of themselves as Tony Dungy.
So folks, those are my top three heroes. Odd mix, I know, however all three strong leaders in their own rights. As a future officer it's important to take the lessons they teach me onto the Army. Why change what is already right?
In closing, what I learned from each:
Eleanor Roosevelt: Don't take crap from anyone!! Know that, even as a woman, I am one hell of a leader!
John Wooden: Be true to yourself and be loyal. No matter the situation give it your all, and do your absolute best!!
Tony Dungy: Give to others. You have a lot of life and a lot of love, you can spare some of the love and share it with everyone. No one is past the hopeless point!
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