I Am Not What I Ought To Be

By: Exclusivia Team

“I am not what I ought to be,
Not what I want to be,
Not what I am going to be,
But I am Thankful that I am better than I used to be.”

I first read these lines in the book Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflection On and Off the Court. The more I’ve learned about Coach Wooden, the more I admire him. Among his many teachings, the core central theme that I always take away is that the focus needs to be on doing your best and committing to becoming the best version of yourself that you can be.

“Make each day your masterpiece.”

“Don’t worry about being better than somebody else, but never cease trying to be the best you can be. You have control over that, not the other.”

“Success is the peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best you are capable of becoming.”

Nowhere in his teachings does he ever equate success with the results that follow. Winning championships, making money, becoming powerful or famous are not the definition of success. It’s nice to be rewarded for efforts, but these were just by-products doing your very best.
How many people in life feel like they are on treadmill chasing these things? “If I make more money, get a bigger house, close this next business deal, become powerful, ect….. then I will be successful (or happy).”

Coach Wooden’s teachings tell us to focus on the process of doing our very best to be better each day. There is no perfect destination or version of ourselves. Doing our very best, is success.

“I am not who I ought to be”- I know I should be better
“Not who I want to be”- I want to be better
“Not what I am going to be”- I am going to be better
“But I am Thankful that I am better than I used to be.”

*This piece was written by the Exclusivia team, in coordination with the guidance of Coach Thomas Desotell who was a longtime friend of Coach Wooden’s.