Day 17 – Be Better to Do Better

It’s surprising how many motivations there are to tap into on the 365 Commitment journey.  I was thinking this morning about one of these.  I blogged about John Wooden https://the365commitment.com/blog/page/5/ earlier this month. In his TED talk, which I linked to, he said something that really hit me.  It convicted me, so to speak.  He said (I’m paraphrasing from memory here),  who the teacher is as a person, their example, their character, their being, has more impact on their students than the words they say, the lessons they provide, or the wisdom they dispense.

This past 23 days of focusing on my 365 Commitment goals and habits has brought the truth of John Wooden’s words into sharp focus for me. I realize, in a profound way, that I need to work on myself for the sake of everyone I come into contact with.  More to the point, my family, community, my co-workers, and customers.  Who I am, the character that I embody and live out has more impact on them than any words or advice I might give.  Who we are matters more than we may realize.  This probably sounds obvious and naïve to many who figured this out already.  I guess it is.

It goes to show that basic truths or common sayings don’t become real or meaningful until you live them out in your own experience.  When you don’t develop, you miss out on these kinds of revelatory experiences.  When your goals e fuzzy, so is your failure.  You’ll hardly even notice you are failing if you avoid commitment.  But, not noticing something doesn’t mean it isn’t there.  Clarify your goals and define what is important to you, you’ll get a reality check in high definition and full color.  You’ll see a clear path to walk.  This is a good thing. This is the power of the 365 Commitment, real growth, new revelations.

Moreover, if you do not embody what you assert, then you devalue the message you hope to share. Wow, that’s kinda sad, the thought of spoiling something you treasure.  Actions speak louder than words is the truism that applies here.  Better said, actions that contradict words reveal a lack of integrity on the part of the speaker.  Ouch.  This line of thinking has added more motivation to my commitment than any benefits I hope to gain personally as a result of my journey with the 365 Commitment.

Onward we go, with humble resolve to continue to be better in order to do better.   Fix you, and you fix the world.

Ben Wagner (23)

Member 365 Commitment