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Potatoes, Eggs and Coffee
Once upon a time, a daughter complained to her father that her life was miserable and that she didn't know how she was going to make it. She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time. It seemed just as one problem was solved, another one soon followed.
Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil, he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot, and ground coffee beans in the third pot. He then let them sit and boil, without saying a word to his daughter.
The daughter moaned and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. After twenty minutes, he turned off the burners. He took the potatoes out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. He then ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup.
Turning to her, he asked, "Daughter, what do you see?"
"Potatoes, eggs, and coffee," she hastily replied.
"Look closer," he said, "and touch the potatoes." She did and noted that they were soft.
He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.
Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Its rich aroma brought a smile to her face.
"Father, what does this mean?" she asked.
He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs, and coffee beans had each faced the same adversity, the boiling water. However, each one reacted differently.
The potato went in strong, hard and unrelenting, but in boiling water it became soft and weak. The egg was fragile with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid interior until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard.
However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new.
"Which are you?" he asked his daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you resopnd? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee bean?"
In life, things happen around us and things happen to us, but the only thing that truly matters is what happens within us.
~author unknown
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The Art of Leadership
By Wilfred Peterson
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The leader is a servant. As the Master of Men expressed it, “And whosoever would be chief among you, let him be your servant.”
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The leader sees through the eyes of the followers.
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The leader says, “Let’s go!” and leads the way rather than “Get going!”
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The leader assumes his followers are working with him, not for him. He sees that they share in the rewards and glorifies the team spirit.
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The leader is a man builder. The more men he can build, the stronger the organization will be, himself included.
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The leader has faith in people. He believes in them, trusts them, and thus draws out the best in them.
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The leader uses his heart as well as his head.
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The leader plans and sets things in motion. He is a man of action as well as a man of thought.
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The leader has a sense of humor. He has a humble spirit and can laugh at himself.
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The leader can be led. He is not interested in having his own way, but in finding the best way. He has an open mind.
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The leader keeps his eyes on high goals. He strives to make the efforts of his followers and himself contribute to the enrichment of personality, the achievement of more abundant living for all, and the improvement of all.
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10 Pointers For Winning A State Championship
From a former state championship coach
1. Get There
Gear up for it
Everything is pointed to getting there!
Practice to beat the best
2. When There - It's NOT a Big Deal
Attitude - we are going there to WIN!
Don't make getting there such a Big Deal
3. Do What You Did To Get There
Play to your strengths
Play to the team strengths
4. Be Aggressive
Play to win . . . not to lose
Look for ways to win
Press on the first play - set the tone
5. Rest
Mentally & Physically - short intense practices
6. Give No Easy Baskets
No Lay ups
No Uncontested Shots
No Putbacks
7. Get Easy Baskets
Offensive Rebounds
Run the floor
Get fouled
8. Make Free Throws
Goal of 70% or higher for season
Make 10 before you leave practice
9. Make Lay Ups
Perfect Layups in practice - no rim touches
10. Team First Mentality
Make everything you do for the TEAM
No personal goals - only team goals
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Do It Anyway
People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.
LOVE THEM ANYWAY.
If you do good, people accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
DO GOOD ANYWAY.
If you are successful, you win false and true enemies.
SUCCEED ANYWAY.
The good you do will be forgotten tomorrow.
DO GOOD ANYWAY.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
BE HONEST AND FRANK ANYWAY.
What you spent years building may be destroyed overnight.
BUILD ANYWAY.
People really need help but may attack you if you help them.
HELP PEOPLE ANYWAY.
Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
GIVE THE WORLD THE BEST YOU'VE GOT ANYWAY.
~From a sign in Mother Teresa's children's home of Shushu Bhavan, Calcutta, India
Author unknown
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