“A child can teach an adult 3 things- to be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something, and to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires…” – Paulo Coelho
Coach Carroll’s philosophy “win forever, always compete” is something he began after being fired as New England’s head coach. From New England he went on to make 7 straight BCS appearances as the head coach at USC. During his last 3 seasons with Seattle Pete's kept the Seahawks busy with the same mantra, and our most recent trade aligns with the team’s focus. They seem to be working hard as individuals toward a common group goal- get to/Win the SuperBowl. Everyone seems willing to do their part.
But you can’t attain big success without big risk, which is what some say the move for Harvin is. In life, if you choose not to seize crucial moments out of fear- either from what others will think or of rejection- then you run the risk of denying yourself the chance to capitalize situations that may only come around once and could be game changers. The key is preparation.
It is vital that our students understand we work hard in life and in school because hard work is what awards opportunities. The ability to know which opportunities are worth seizing come via preparation and readiness. Like the Seahawks who are busy working hard every day in order to put themselves in a position to acquire potentially game changing players, we too need to busy ourselves with preparation for the future. This is of course so that when the right opportunity presents itself we are ready, educated, and unafraid to seize the moment and command… demand… that which we desire.
Carroll emphasizes the importance and influence of words. He talks about the lasting impact that words can have on one's ability to achieve what it is they set out to accomplish. In the same fashion that a locker room is a great place for a coach to use words to challenge and motivate athletes, the classroom is a great place to challenge students while simultaneously reminding them of all their potential. So long as they learn to busy themselves with preparation, they will earn the capability to demand future opportunities.
