Success the John Wooden Way
Laurenzo Thomas • September 8, 2021
Success the John Wooden Way
I LOVE basketball! And there's no doubt I will have future blog posts center on my passion for the sport. One of my favorite quotes comes from one of the greatest basketball minds that ever lived - the legendary UCLA coach, John Wooden. John Wooden has many sayings and quotes that I appreciate, but one in particular really resonates because it highlights the focus of my blog - SUCCESS! What is the definition of true success according to John Wooden?
"Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you are capable." That is a fascinating quote! Why? Because you are learning what real success is from someone who was realistically more "successful' from a secular standpoint than most people could ever dream. And it had nothing to do with money, power. or fame.
John Wooden was not successful because he won ten, yes TEN, NCAA basketball championships. He was not successful because he was national coach of the year numerous times. He was not successful because he has an award named after him. John Wooden was successful because of his high moral character, tremendous work ethic, and sincere desire to help others which enabled him to achieve his noteworthy accomplishments. He would be the first to tell you that those accolades, as great as they were, did not define what true success was for him. The feeling of accomplishment, doing your absolute best regardless of outcome, and the peace of mind gained was what was most important.
So do not focus on the material, the financial, the fame, the glory...Pursue the things that really matter. Build strong character based on hard work ethic, being a good friend, displaying loyalty, showing a cooperative spirit, and exhibiting enthusiasm. Then you will have true success, success the John Wooden way.
Success The Right Way
June 20th!!! The official first day of summer. So you hoped to be in shape by summer but alas, you haven't reached your goal and you feel getting that swimsuit body is beyond your reach. The fact is, it is NOT too late to achieve notable and noticeable health and fitness goals for the summer. It all starts with nutrition and summer is the perfect opportunity to start on that whole food plant based journey. Why is that so? Though many equate summer with grilling, BBQ, picnics and vacations that can lend themselves to excess calories and poor choices, the reality is that a lot of people actually eat less just because of the hot weather. But besides that things like fresh fruit (i.e berries, watermelon, grapes, mangoes) and salads of all sorts are preferable because they are refreshing and light. Even grilling can be healthy and fun as asparagus, portobello mushrooms, onions, pineapples are popular healthy alternatives that can help you shed pounds. And if you skip the sodas, juices, and yes even the beer and focus on good ole water you will see some definite changes in your body composition sooner than you think!!! Yes, summer can still be fun and you can head to the beach with confidence! Why not start TODAY? Give yourself 2 weeks and see how you feel. Better yet, do a 21 day or 30 day challenge. The results will motivate you to keep going and you will still have over half the summer left to enjoy your new found energy and zest for life! PREAM Nutrition is here to help you!
Hello to all! It has been awhile since I posted to my blog but this post is special to me and I hope others will be inspired by it. Today, May 18th, 2024 marks the 5th anniversary since I started on my plant-based journey. Yes, that means FIVE YEARS of no meat, no dairy, no eggs and 5 years of none of my wife's red beans and rice and classic spaghetti, my mom's gumbo and sweet potato pie, and other staples of the first 49 years of my life. It also meant no fried chicken strips from Ezell's, no Jones's BBQ, no teriyaki, no burgers from Dick's. You get it! I mention all of this to just highlight that it has not been easy and there are times I may crave fried chicken, a nice steak, or a juicy burger. But I resolved in my heart to to forge ahead on this path because it literally SAVED MY LIFE! So yes, May 18th is a special day for me. There have been struggles and setbacks but I am proud to say I have never touched meat, dairy, or eggs from day one. In the process of exploring the world of veganism and particularly, whole food plant based eating, I have learned so much about myself and the lifestyle. I have lost 85 lbs but it has come with many challenges. Over the last two months I did a 60-day personal challenge as I looked forward to my anniversary. Over the next few weeks I will share details of what that entailed as well as other things I have gleaned over the last 5 years. Stay tuned!
