MESSAGE #1569 A MESSAGE FROM JOHN WOODEN
From John Wooden’s book, “Wooden”…
Preparation Is the Prize
Cervantes wrote, “The journey is better than the inn.” He is right and that is why I derived my greatest satisfaction out of the preparation—the “journey”-day after day, week after week, year after year.
Your journey is the important thing. A score, a trophy, a ribbon is simply the inn.
Thus, there were many, many games that gave me as much pleasure as any of the ten championship games we won, simply because we prepared fully and played near our highest level of ability.
The so-called importance of a particular game didn’t necessarily add to the satisfaction I felt in preparing for the contest. It was the journey I prized above all else.
Thanks to the great Fred Klatsky for sharing this with me.
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