Issue 711 - "Friendship 2025: Sincerity Keeps Friends"


Wooden's Wisdom - Volume 13	Issue 711
Craig Impelman Speaking \| Championship Coaches \| Champion's Leadership Library Login
"FRIENDSHIP 2025: SINCERITY KEEPS FRIENDS" John Wooden Video Clip (1 min. 36 sec.): Coach Wooden is asked: "Please share with us the poem Don’t look back?" With regards to Friendship, Coach Wooden said: "Work at it. Don’t take friendship for granted. If you do it may not last. And don’t just work at it from one side. Friendship comes from mutual esteem, respect and devotion. Just as in a successful marriage, both sides must work at it." In his revised Pyramid of Success, Coach Wooden changed his words from "Sincerity makes friends" to "Sincerity keeps friends." In his book "Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success" Coach wrote: "Sincerity may not make a friend, but it will keep one. It often takes a while to be validated, but once a person knows that our word, character and steadfastness have withstood the tests of life, a firm friendship can be established and maintained." Coach Wooden only had postal mail, land line telephones, and in-person meetings to maintain friendships. I don’t know how Coach would use today’s social media platforms, but if he did, I believe he would: ✅ Follow up after a friend’s post on Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram with a private message to just check in and see how they were doing with no ulterior motive of his own. Coach Wooden never once asked me for anything. He was just always there as my friend. Coach never chased "likes" he was always giving love and support. ✅ Be quick to pick up the phone, text, email or set up a meet-up. Coach never hid behind screens. ✅ Show up first when times were tough, proving sincerity by actions, not just words. Coach didn’t forget about people when his life got busy. He wouldn’t let the convenience of social media replace real presence. He summed up his feelings with this quote from Peyton March: "There is a wonderful mystical law of nature that the three things that man craves most in life — happiness, freedom and peace — are always attained by giving them to someone else." What can you do to keep friendships? Click here for personal development exercise: Issue 711. Click here for Printable Poetry: Issue 711. Yours in Coaching, Craig Impelman www.woodenswisdom.com Follow @woodenswisdom	COACH'S FAVORITE POETRY AND PROSE Good Books Good books are friendly things to own. If you are busy they will wait. They will not call you on the phone Or wake you if the hour is late. They stand together row by row, Upon the low shelf or the high. But if you're lonesome this you know: You have a friend or two nearby. The fellowship of books is real. They're never noisy when you're still. They won't disturb you at your meal. They'll comfort you when you are ill. The lonesome hours they'll always share. When slighted they will not complain. And though for them you've ceased to care Your constant friends they'll still remain. Good books your faults will never see Or tell about them round the town. If you would have their company You merely have to take them down. They'll help you pass the time away, They'll counsel give if that you need. He has true friends for night and day Who has a few good books to read. Edgar Albert Guest (1881-1959)
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