The Pyramid of Success

John Wooden

25 Blocks

Industriousness: There is no substitute for work. Worthwhile results come from hand work and careful planning.

This means hard work. For everything you do, you must show hard work. When you start to work, the manager always wants to see that you're a hard worker. You care about your job that you will get everything done without hesitation. There would be no slacking off or distractions. Before anything, you must have a plan. How you're going to get where you want to be and how you are going to accomplish it. Every dream of yours requires dedication and hard work. You have to not fall behind in school and make sure you keep up with all your classes. Everything will be stressful but at the end it's going to be worth it. Some people out there probably look back at when they were in school and tell themselves, "I wish I wouldn't have slacked off in high school, I could be where all my friends are in life." 

Friendship: Comes from mutual esteem, respect, and devotion. Like marriage it must not be taken for granted but requires a joint effort
Friendship is often in most schools. A person that you find that understands you, making him/her your friend. It's a wonderful feeling of friends having your back, keeping you company, and they are interesting in your point of view. There a few friends and then there are many, you don't just want some person, you want someone that can be trustworthy. Having a few friends is beneficial, they are your true friends since they are willing to spend time with you. Having a huge group of friends can be good as well, very fun times are awaiting people with a huge group of friends. All it takes is for one hangout to occur and there is a awesome afternoon. That type of bonds should never be fondled with. One wrong move and it can cause damage to that bond, less likely but be well aware. You care for them, respect them, losing them with break your heart. You can accomplish many things with a person that you get along with than a complete stranger.

Loyalty:To yourself and all those depending upon you, keep your self respect.

Loyalty is very important for every single human being to have. Showing loyalty to others proves how respectful you are towards others. Loyalty really marks you as a wonderful person. It's for the best to be loyal to others since not showing loyalty is disrespectful. Almost like respecting your seniors, the elderly, your friends, a higher ranking individual, and family. You must show your loyalty to others so you won't be seen as a bad person. People will respect you for how good you are treating others, showing that you earned their respect, and the cycle continues. Don't waste your breath on being loyal to people who don't respect you. There are times where you are loyal to everyone but you don't receive the respect the individual is suppose to give. Showing loyalty is key to getting respect.

Cooperation:With all levels of  your coworkers. Listen if you want to be heard. Be interested in finding the best way, not in having your own way.

We all cooperate in something in our lives. Whether it's in school or in a program or even at home, there is cooperation. It's mainly in when working together with someone else is when cooperation is key. Cooperating with your team can really change the outcome of your grade. The team will rely on each other and as expected, there will be amazing progress from the team. Without cooperation, you will be looked down upon and you will set yourself with a bad image. No one will even bother to work with you since you don't cooperate. Showing that you can cooperate will change everything, less stress for the whole group. Cooperation isn't just making your own way to get the job done, but the best way for the whole team can be less stressed, no confusion, and no frustration to get the job done. Cooperate so then everyone will be happy that you tried your best.

Enthusiasm: Brushes off upon those with whom you come in contact. You must truly enjoy what you are doing.

The second cornerstone of John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success is enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is an emotion. It’s how you feel about what you’re doing. If you’re not excited about your life, why should anyone else be? If you’re not excited about your work, why would anyone else get excited? It’s hard to attract customers, employers, subordinates, even a life partner without enthusiasm. You have to be enthusiastic about you so that others are enthusiastic about you and your prospects for success. The difference between success and failure is often small. The difference between big success and run-of-the mill success is even smaller. Enthusiasm is a critical component that makes the difference!

Ambition: (For noble cause)

Ambition is a strong desire to achieve something, it needs determination and hard work for you to be considered a ambitious person. What do you strive for in life? What are you willing to do to put more time on? I'm ambitious on certain things in my life that I'm interested on. I'm willing to work hard and work smart on my appearance, mainly my body image. I'm willing to feel pain, become filled with sweat dropping from my body, surpass my limits to achieve the dream body. Another is my future, mainly what will I work on and what would I like. I'm very ambitious to become a police man, I will get yelled at, it will be frustrated, always on high alert, and be 100% CTR. I'm Ambitious enough to still have the same dream and to still strive for it. I would love to have a family. I will be willing to spend time with my kids, love my wife and kids, take care of everyone, waste huge amounts of money than normally, and raise them well. I have ambition, I'll do whatever it takes to reach my goals. Everyone has their own dreams and reached and completed their goals, I'm sure you can to.

Alertness: "Be observing constantly. Stay open-minded. Be eager to learn and improve."

Alertness is being aware of your surroundings. This applies to school work, education, driving etc. If you're not alert on what's going on, you don't know what can happen. When you typically think of being alert, goal setting does not come into play. We need to stay alert while driving, be aware of our surroundings when we go from place to place, and work to remain focused and sometimes awake doing everyday tasks. Sometimes we work through our daily tasks without even thinking about them. We go to class, say hi as a formality to people we may not really know and finish our days not really thinking about whether we moved closer to any goal we had set for ourselves. In our hectic, busy and cell-phone filled lives, we may feel as if we are always alert because we are always on the go and connected to everyone and everything. Rather, the opposite is true. With our heads buried behind computer screens and phones, we may miss half the people that cross our paths. We may miss beautiful scenery or the opportunity for an important face to face conversation with a loved one or even someone new. It is often difficult to quiet our minds and to remain still, but this is when the most alertness occurs. We become completely present with our thoughts, where their taking us and what we want from our lives. Through quiet observations of ourselves and others, we become increasingly alert and sensitive to other’s needs as well as our own.

Initiative:"Cultivate the ability to make decisions and think alone. Do not be afraid of failure, but learn from it."

Initiative means having the courage to take action and make decisions. Keep in mind that we all are going to fail at times. You must understand this and not fear failure. None of us is perfect. But if you are afraid to fail you will never do the things you are capable of doing. If you have thoroughly prepared and are ready to give it everything you've got there is no shame if you fail - nothing to fear in failure. But fear of failure is what often prevents one from taking action - from using initiative.  Failure to act- lack of initiative - is often the greatest failure of all. Use good judgement based on all available information - and then use your initiative. A mistake may occur, but if it is not because of carelessness or sloppiness, poor thinking or rash judgement it must be accepted as part of your journey to success. The same is true everywhere in life. Initiative quickly but not carelessly or in a hurried manner.

Intentness:"Set a realistic goal. Concentrate on it's achievement by resisting all temptations and being determined and persistent."
  To have intentness means you are focused on your goals. When you have your mind set on a specific objective you want to accomplish. This is an important building block on the pyramid block of success. An example where this building block would be used would be for a competitive player. They will have their mind set on just winning. But this skill should not be exaggerated and you shouldn't be selfish. You should have your mind set on your goals but you shouldn't bring others down to accomplish yours. 

Sincerity:(keeps friends)

Sincerity is the mortar that binds together the blocks of friendship, loyalty, cooperation and team spirit. Therefore, sincerity is also necessary to reach the apex. Sincerity may not make a friend, but it will keep one. It often takes a while to be validated, but once a person knows that our word, character and steadfastness have withstood the test of life, a firm friendship can be established and maintained. When we realize that a friend can be counted on during times of need. When we see that his or her values don’t blow around in the breeze. When he or she stands up for us, we are far more appointed to stand up for him or her—and vice versa. Be the person that knows how to keep friends and help them out with any problems not the ones that leave them when they need you the most. Show that you are always going to be there for them no matter what problems you encounter. Show sincerity when they need to be comforted from

breakup or family loss. Don't lie to them and show they can trust you. 

Adaptability:(To any situation)

Adaptability is being able to adjust to any situation at any given time. In life, we all know that we can only be sure of a few things, specifically death and taxes. We can also count on change. We need to recognize change, grow with it and learn from it. Since change is inevitable, people who are inflexible, bullheaded or stubborn will never make it to the apex of the Pyramid. If we want to succeed, we must readily adapt to circumstances as they unfold—this includes both what we cannot change and what will take some time to change. If we fail to adapt, we fail to move forward.

  

Condition:"Mental-Moral-Physical. Rest, exercise and diet must be considered. Moderation must be practiced. Dissipation must be eliminated."

To condition you must prepare mentally and show moral restraint. So it is with us – we have to nourish our bodies, our minds, and our souls to be at the top of our game. On the physical side, it’s a blend of proper rest with a regular exercise regimen and a healthy diet. On the mental side, seek to learn at least one new thing every day. Also learn how to be mentally tough so you can withstand the inevitable ups and downs. Your condition depended on two things – how hard you work and how well you behaved when living in the outside world. You must condition into a new school or new job and do the things you need to do. If hard things come your way you must not give up. Keep on pushing through and you will make it far enough.

Skill:"A knowledge of and the ability to     and quickly execute the fundamentals. Be prepared and cover every little detail."

 To have skill it means you are good at a certain thing. Whether it's a game, or reading, or learning, you can do it no matter what. Skill is used in many things today in life as we know it. If you want to go out for a sport, you need to have some skill or experience for that particular sport. In school, you must have the skill to learn. The skill to always want to do your homework and help out the rest of your classmates no matter what. There's this quote by Will Smith and it states, "Talent you have naturally. Skill is only developed by hours and hours and hours of beating on your craft." This is saying that it takes a while for someone to have and get the skill that they want. Everyone has a talent. You may not know it but soon you will find it and embrace it. On the other hand, skill is something you must work hard to get. It takes time and practice for people that play sports to get the skill they need to play the game correctly. If you work hard enough, then the skill will come to you. Don't give up no matter how many times you failed at doing it. 

Team Spirit: "A genuine consideration for others. An eagerness to sacrifice personal interests of glory for the welfare of all."

Team spirit is the ability to cooperate and work well with others. You show each other that they can do it no matter what. You give supportive advice and help them succeed throughout anything. You have consideration for other people and don't let them give up. If they need help you are with them through it all and making sure they get it no matter what. The thought of being in a sport and having your team by your side cheering you on is the best thing in the world. This can apply to schoolwork and doing your job as well. In school, your friends will be there for you to make sure you past the test you need. They will give you a shoulder to cry on and remind you that you're not alone. In your job, your co-workers can help you on how to better your assignments or whatever it is your doing. In life, there are going to be people that want to see you fail but you shouldn't let it get to you. As long as you have those few friends that are going to be cheering you through all the good and the bad are the people that you want in your life. The ones that work well with you and help each other succeed. 

Honesty: "Honesty is the best policy."(Benjamin Franklin)

Honesty is something that is very hard for everyone to do. Being honest is the best solution, but not easy to admit, especially if you have done some wrong of any kind. I would be honest to my mother and father so then there are no confrontations, be honest with them means you love them dearly and would never hurt them. Of course, it's also easy to be honest when you are telling the truth. Knowing you have the answer to the solution, why lie, being honest is obviously what you should do. Honesty is important for maintaining trust from your family, friends, and any kind of relationship. Being dishonest with be the opposite, not being trusted from everyone around you. It's for the best that you are always honest. Always trusted and always relied on. Honesty is the best policy.

Resourcefulness (proper judgement): "Make the most out of what you have."(Anonymous)

"If you have a dream, if you have something you've always wanted to do, look within yourself because that is where resourcefulness resides; and go for it."(Jennifer Witterick)

Resourcefulness means the ability to find quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties. This means you are able to get over the bumpy roads you encounter throughout your life. You are able to enjoy what you have even if it's not what you expect. You make the most of what you have. You find ways that will make you happy no matter what. For example, I will make sure someone is happy even if at the time I'm not. It's just me but I love seeing someone else other than me with a smile on their face. It makes me happy that I'm able to help people and do the right thing without being asked because I know I would like for someone to do the same thing for me. Be motivated to make the best of what you can because things happen for a reason. If there is something good that happens, take the chance because it might not happen again. Take all the opportunities that you get and go with them. Who knows maybe it will be the thing you have always been looking for. So make the best of what you have because you only live once and enjoy life as it is. 

Poise: "Just being yourself. Being at ease in any situation."

"The key to winning is poise under stress. " This quote has meaning because it challenges you to stay calm even in hard situations. If you be yourself then you're already winning no matter what. Being under stress people tend to lose their minds and become someone they aren't. When I'm under stress I can't concentrate anymore and tend to give up. I still haven't learned how to control myself but now I do. Poise will help me calm myself down and be ease. I will be myself because being yourself will help you win in life. If you change and become someone that you aren't then you will be too busy focusing on that rather than yourself. You must learn how to come with ease in any situation and not make things harder on yourself. You have to stay calm and breathe and be yourself. Don't change who you are for anybody. Be yourself and they will like you for who you are and not who you want to be. If someone doesn't like who you are then it's because they want to be like you and just can't. Don't change, just be calm; ease no matter what. 

Confidence:"Through preparation breeds confidence"Gerald Bell in"The Carolina Way"

When you have confidence, you are never doubting yourself for what you do. When always keep your head up and keep the positive thoughts in your mind. You won't let negative things get to you because you know you are able to make it no matter what. You trust yourself in everything you do whether it's presenting or turning in an assignment. For example, I must work on my confidence for today at 6:30 pm. I will be presenting our IDP in front of many important people and I'm so nervous. I must keep in mind that I can do it and my group and I are going to do great on the presentation. I will keep my head high and breathe before and during everything. Everyone must have confidence because if not, that will hold them back. They will be too focused on the "I can't do it" and not on the "I can do it." If you know the things you are going to say and have everything memorized, then it shouldn't be a problem for you. Don't panic because it will bring you down. Have the confidence you had once you started the project to the ending of everything. If you keep it high and not let negative things get in your head, then nothing will be the matter anymore. 

Reliability: (creates respect)

Reliability is being able to count on someone and have their full trust. Someone who is trustworthy of what you say or do. One way reliability comes in handy is when doing a school project. For example, I had to rely on my team members for IDP to get all their slides done and show up for the showcase. I also had to rely on them to show up for our call to action presentation at Huntington Park City Hall. When you rely on someone, you show them that they can trust you no matter what. You are there to keep your word on the things you say. If you say you're going to show up for the presentation, then show up to it. Don't lie to not hurt someone's feelings. I want to be someone's friend if I see they are reliable and I can trust them. If someone has shown me many times that they aren't trustworthy at all, I have to let them go. I can't trust someone that doesn't keep their word. People that you can rely on would be your family. I have grown to realize that you don't quite have friends in your life. You have people that you know and talk to but that's it. You can have one or two best friends, the rest are just people you talk to. The ones you talk to won't be reliable. You can call them your "best friend" but who knows if they're as trustworthy. My family and my two best friends have always been there for me. I can trust them no matter what. On the other hand, the people I talk to I can rely on them but not all the time. I know they do things behind my back or make up fake excuses to not hang out with me. Depend on the people that are trustworthy and keep your trust, not the ones that play around with your trust and prove to you they can't be trusted. 

Fight: (determined effort)

Fight is a determined effort to do the very best we can do. It's digging in, gritting our teeth, standing our ground. When we have fight, we are always ready to respond. We are quick but we don't hurry. We make fewer mistakes because we have the level of our intensity under control. A player with fight has a contained fire burning in his or her belly. This emerges as focused passion. Players with fight never lose a game, they just run out of time. I always want to win, but I never fight with an opponent. My fight is within me. It is the struggle to be the best I can be at whatever I do. There is no such thing as losing when we've made the effort to do the best we can. No matter what, you are a winner no. As long as you know you went out and did the best you can, you already won. No everyone in life is going to win and not everyone is going to lose. If you do lose, don't give up. Use the mistakes you made and learn from them. If we use our fight and determination to do our best, success will take care of itself.

Competitive Greatness:"Be at your best when your best is needed. Enjoyment of a difficult challenge."

True competitive greatness is a learned trait that has been taught or discovered by anyone who has ever achieved greatness. To be great at anything in life including athletics, you need to have the skills, passion, and desire. To be truly great and achieve competitive greatness, you need more than this. You have to have that internal motivation to be your driving force. Sure you can become great utilizing external motivators, but if you can’t motivate yourself from within, and that is not the true, driving force that makes you tick; then I don’t believe you can ever achieve true competitive greatness. The first step towards competitive greatness comes from being competitive. Children in today’s society are taught that there are no winners and losers in sports; that just being involved makes everyone a winner. I agree to a certain point, everyone involved is a winner because they are putting a great effort into their sport; however, these children know better. They know whether or not they won or if their team won, so why not just tell them. Everyone can celebrate the fact that they have participated and gave their best effort, but the earlier these children learn the importance of competition in the world, the better off they will be.

Integrity: (purity of intention)

You could say that integrity is always doing the right thing, even when no one is looking, and even when the choice isn't easy. Or, you might see integrity as staying true to yourself and your word, even when you're faced with serious consequences for the choices that you're making. When we have integrity, we're whole and in perfect condition, and we're not compromised by awkward "inconsistencies." When we live our lives with integrity, it means that we're always honest, and we let our actions speak for who we are and what we believe in. Integrity is a choice we make, and it's a choice we must keep making, every moment of our lives. Living a life of integrity means that we never have to spend time or energy questioning ourselves. When we listen to our hearts and do the right thing, life becomes simple. Our life, and our actions, are open for everyone to see, and we don't have to worry about hiding anything.

Faith:(through prayer) Believe and Achieve. Positive Belief.

When you have faith, you believe that something will go as planned. You keep your head up and go on with life. When you have faith, you always have hope and confidence. You have to believe that you will get things done when you need it. You have faith that you're going to do good on the test you took or that you're going to get that dream job of yours. You can say a little prayer, if you believe in the lord, and believe that he can make things happen for you. Having faith comes with believing in yourself first. If you don't believe in yourself, then you won't have faith in the things you do. Keep your head high and don't let those goal buster come into your life. Kick them out because you know that you're going to be successful in the future. All of your hard is going to pay off. Believe in the things you do, because dreams do come true if you have a little faith in yourself. 

Patience: (Good things take time)

When you have patience it means you wait for your actions to come into place. Waiting patiently can build up anxiety because you just want to know the answer really quick. If you have the patience to wait, then good things will come. Good things come for those who wait. You can do so many good things in your life, but you're not going to get rewarded right at that moment. It will all take time. In time, good things will come to you for all the CTR experiences you had while growing up. If you don't have patience, then nothing will come into place. For example, when you apply for your dream college. You send in an application to attend the college you've wanted since you were smaller. Days, weeks, and months pass by and you still haven't got an email back. You get so impatient that you apply for the second college you wanted and get accepted in about a month from sending in the application. Months later, you received an email from your dream college saying you got in but you already enrolled in the classes for the upcoming year in the second college. Since you didn't have patience to wait for the email back, you now have to attend another college for a whole year until the next year to attend in the college of your dreams. Good things come for those who wait. There's nothing wrong with having a back up plan, but there's also nothing wrong with waiting. Patience is the key to success.