Phil Jackson retired yesterday, after taking a record eleven teams to NBA championships. His basketball statistics–as a player and as a coach–are amazing, but I respect him more for his wisdom. He once wrote, “In basketball—as in life—true joy comes from being fully present in each and every moment, not just when things are going your way. Of course, it’s no accident that things are more likely to go your way when you stop worrying about whether you’re going to win or lose and focus your attention on what’s happening right this moment.”
He also said, “Like life, basketball is messy and unpredictable. It has its way with you, no matter how hard you try to control it. The trick is to experience each moment with a clear mind and open heart. When you do that, the game–and life–will take care of itself.”
Thank you, Phil, for the beautiful basketball your teams played, and for the life lessons I learned therefrom.
(See more Phil quotes at Lewis Kalop’s site)
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