The Pyramid of Success 

John Wooden 

 

Industriousness: working energetically and devotedly; hard-working; diligent                                                                          Quote: “If you are lazy, and accept your lot, you may live in it. If you are willing to work, you can write your name anywhere you choose.”  Gene Stratton-Porter                                                  What this means is that you should be a hard working person who is devoted on learning new skills everyday. If you develop these skills you will be very successful and for the looks of it a very happy person too. You will have many people looking up to you who are going to want to look like you because you are a very bright man with a bright job with a good future. One example is when you are out looking for a job, you need to take a look at yourself and ask what type of person you are and they type the new manager is going to want to see so he is impressed. Make sure your resume is outstanding that it is better than anyone else in the room so you could surprise this manager and show him that you are willing to work hard and are devoted to working as you are into putting a resume together.

Enthusiasm: Intense and eager enjoyment, interest or approval                                                                         Quotes: "It is the engine that powers all blocks of the pyramid. It is why I chose Enthusiasm as it is where everything begins. "                                                       What this means I believe is that enthusiasm is was creates industriousness which means that with out one you can't have the other. Having enthusiasm helps get all the other blocks involved. It's all the other blocks because it gives you energy. It gives you the power and the mindset to do anything. People that have enthusiasm and are passionate are most likely going to work harder than anyone else. Keeping the topic of basketball, many players that are in the NBA draft come from low income families. For example, Kyle Kuzma a player for the Lakers. He came from a low income family in Michigan. He said in an interview that he did not like it there because there was violence, gangs, and drugs. Since he didn't want to stay there he develop a enthusiasm and passion to work hard in playing basketball so he could get a scholarship.

Friendship: Is a relationship of  mutual affection between two or more people.                                                                      Quotes: "Comes from mutual esteem, respect and devotion. Like marriage it must not be taken for granted but requires a joint effort."                                                                                        What this means is that a friendship can lead you to so many great things. For example if you have great friends then you are deemed to have a great future and a great path of success, but if your friends get you into trouble then those friends are going to put you into a path of horror and bad. When you are with great friends you develop great manners and great ways to succeed in life. You are more enthusiastic and more happy in life. When you are in a relationship with someone you are with someone who makes you happy and that's how it should be , you learn from one another's mistakes. You should be open to new things as you must learn something new each day. 

Loyalty : the quality of being loyal to someone or something       Quotes: "To yourself and to all those depending upon you. Keep your self-respect."                                                               What I believe this means is that when you are loyal you are respected and cared for. When you are loyal to your parents, partner, and friends you are opened doors to new opportunities. When you are loyal you are committed to a person, group or sport. For example Martin Luther king was loyal to his people and promised them a changed and he fought till the end till he got what  he got. That is what being loyal means.  You work hard and are committed to something to the end. You show effort to fight for something you want. 

Cooperation: The process of working together at the same end. Quotes: " With all levels of  your co-workers. Listen if you want to be  heard. Be interested in finding the best way, not in having your own way."                                                                        What  I believe this means is that you should be open to new ideas, listen to the people  around you since they might have new ideas. You should also be part of the group and share your new ideas. Working together helps people accomplish things quicker and makes them learn more about each other and other things that may be helpful. An example is if you are in a table with your boss and your job is for you and your crew to give a presentation on how you guys can bring more people in. You should cooperate and talk to your group so you all can pith in ideas and you guys can put in all your ideas.

Ambition: a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work                                           Quotes: “The desire to reach for the stars is ambitious. The desire to reach hearts is wise.” Maya Angelou                                               What I believe this means is that when you work hard for something that you deeply desire then most likely you will accomplish it. When you have a goal and your are determined to go out and live it, then that is an ambition.  To have ambition is wanting to achieve a goal. Ambition is working hard on achieving goals. I remember when Paul George was entering his peak of his career. He was so good at the time that he got selected to be in the USA national team. Unfortunately, while playing a scrimmage against each other Paul went up for a block, but landed awkward and broke his leg in the process. I believe at the time of the injury he was 25 or 26.

Self-control: the ability to control oneself, in particular one's emotions and desires or the expression of them in one's behavior, especially in difficult situations                           Quotes: " Practice self- discipline and keep emotions under control. Good judgment and common sense are essential."                             What I believe this means is that you should be able to control your self and your actions. If you do something you should be able to acknowledge that you are doing that and that you are either doing something good or bad. If you can control yourself and be able to do things without people being able to tell  you what to do then you have mastered your self-control.  Self control means deciding what you can do but deciding what you wont do because it is a no. When you have self control you are determined to yourself and doing something.  

Alertness : The quality of being alert                                               Quotes: "Be observing constantly. Stay open minded. Be eager to learn and improve."                                                             What I believe this means is that you should be aware of the things you do. You should know what is right and what is wrong and know the difference between both. Make sure you do what is right and not wrong because if you do what is wrong you may cause something bad tp happen either to yourself or someone else and that id not good. One good example of alertness if the Las Vegas shooting. The man who shot was not thinking and because he did not thing of the quality of other around him he killed 59 people. That was a tragic thing to watch but that is why we should alert our fellow student and peer about the power of doing good and choosing the right. 

Initiative : the ability to assess and initiate things independently                                            Quotes: "A lot of people usually don't use their initiative because no one told them to. "  What I believe this is that you should do thing at the point when you are able to. Do things independently and at your own pace. Be prepared to do the things you do and be ready to move on. An example of this is when you are ready to move out and go to college. My cousin currently attends UCR. She is a great student with nothing but straight A's.  She is a great example of this because it shows how she was prepared to go to college, she got a full paid scholarship to Riverside and is now attending there having to pay nothing but her rent .She was prepared to move out because she knows she studied hard in her high school years to get good grades and deserve that scholarship. She was ready to move on with her life and go on to college and study . She did this all by herself with no ones help. 

Intentness : 

Sincerity: the quality of being free from pretense, deceit, or hypocrisy.                                                                                Quotes : The secret of success is sincerity                                       What I believe this means is that  you should be more sincere on what you want. Being sincere is a great quality because it allows you to make friends easier. It's easy to make friends because you will be honest and truthful. People that are honest and truthful tend to be well like around others. I always try to be sincere because it shows people your characteristics and values you have. It's also goes for when making friends. You want to surround yourself with people that are also sincere. For example, if you have friends that aren't trustworthy and aren't responsible, then you want to associate yourself with them. But if there are trustworthy and responsible you are going to associate yourself with them. Once you find friends that are sincere then you can ask for favors because they are responsible. People that are sincere are more likely yo get jobs. They are more likely to make more money because of their acquaintances. Sincerity just provides many opportunities.

Adaptability: The ability of being able to adjust to new abilities. Quotes: "Adaptability is not imitation. It means power of resistance and assimilation."                                                          What I believe this means is that you should be able to adapt to your surroundings in both community and friend-wise. You should know which friends you are comfortable with and which you are not. Know your community if you know you will be able to survive with your surroundings. Being adaptive to a change is a big deal because you are changing so much of what was your so called routine. One example is when you are moving away for college. What do you do in order to survive, for food, water, bills, books, and other fees. You need a local hospital, market, library as well. You need to make sure you do research on things like this so you feel comfortable and are adaptive to your new home. 

Condition: the state of something with regard to its appearance, quality, or working order.   Quotes: "Mental-Moral-Physical. Rest,  exercise and diet must be considered. Moderation must be practiced. Dissipation must be eliminated."

What I believe this means is that you must condition your mind and your body to be successful. Some ways to condition your mind is by reading an hour a day. Another way to condition your mind is by studying/ practicing to get better. To condition your body is by exercising regular and live a healthy life. Also eating healthy helps you to be focus throughout the day. By conditioning your mental, moral and physical health is creates equilibrium in your life. For example, athletes have routines that help them stay focus. I have an everyday routine it consist of a hour nap, than going to play some basketball and after all that finish my homework. This routine helps me condition my mental health by taking a nap. It also helps my physical health by taking short naps to rest my mind.

Skill:The Ability to do something well  Quotes: "A knowledge of and the ability to properly and quickly execute the fundamentals. Be prepared and cover every little detail."                                                  What I believe this means is that you should be prepared by having something you are good at. You should be able to show this power of yours and practice it no matter how good you are already. For example in a job in a medical place, the person hiring wants a person with a lot a skill because that person is showing he or she knows how to do something well and in a orderly way. That person is prepared and know show to cover every little detail. It's true whether you're an athlete or an attorney,  a surgeon or a sales rep, or anything else. You'd better be able to execute properly and quickly.The most effective leaders are those who realize it's what you learn after you know it all that counts most 

Team Spirit: feelings of camaraderie among the members of a group, enabling them to cooperate and work well together.          Quotes: "A genuine consideration for others.  An eagerness to sacrifice personal interests of glory for the welfare of all."          What I believe this means is that you must work together with other people in order to get things done well and better. You could work in an efficient way with a group when you all have a positive attitude and cooperate.   When you work together the way you are suppose to, you get more work done. If you all cooperate into the work project and put in a good attitude then the grade you get will reflect the work you put. When you work as a team spirit you learn to come together as one to get things done in a well organize way to become coherence. An example is the IDP, when you are partnered in the IDP most of the time you don't know you re group members. Well Tea Spirits teaches you to work together no matter what because friends or not you have to get the work done. If you work the way you are suppose to you will get the work you want to get done at the time that you want but if you do not cooperate with your group then most likely you will fall behind and fail. 

Honesty: The habit of being honest                    Quotes:"Honesty is the best policy."(Ben Franklin)                                                      What I believe this means is that you should be honest to not only yourself but to others too. You should never lie because you could be know as not trust worthy and if you are honest other know they can trust you. If you tell the truth and don't lie you build reliability. For example if someone asks  you to babysit and they pay but you say you can't because you are out of town but in reality you are home doing nothing that is not honesty. But if you say sure go ahead and you follow their directions and the kids say good things about you then you are being honest and you have built reliability. 

Resourcefulness: the ability to find quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties.                                                            Quotes: "Make the most out of what you've got."                          What I think this means is that you should always try and curve your obstacles and work with what you have already. This is one block that I really do relate too in ways. I believe I always find ways to use things over and over again as a way to recycle. I enjoy to create crafts and sometimes those little pieces of paper I cut of another one I use it to make another craft. For example if you have many loose boxes laying around and have nothing to do with them. Well go recycle them and get some extra cash or you can go online and search ways to reuse them at home.. Resourceful people turn challenges into advantages. I think this is a great way to learn great qualities like to be more GREEN and even an entrepreneur and a leader. 

Poise: Graceful and elegant bearing a person.                                Quotes: Just being yourself. Being at ease at any situation."         What I think this means is that you should be mature. Being poise is like showing others that you have manners. People who are poise are often calm and are natural leaders. When I think about having poise I think of Karl Antony Towns. I think about Karl because when he was interviewed coming out of college he was so calm answering questions. He was also a great player from the begin of the season and was the consensus Rookie of the year. Just like Karl I try to in-cooperate poise in my everyday life. For example, when hanging with your friends you can act like them, but always make sure to make your own decisions. Also being yourself takes alot of confidence and being able to believe in yourself. 

Confidence:  the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust. Quotes:"Thorough preparation breeds confidence"                                                          What I think this means is the trust you have towards a person. The amount of it will equal the confidence you have towards a person. It's always good to have confidence.An example of confidence starts from the quietly confident doctor whose advice we rely on, to the charismatic confidence of an inspiring speaker, self-confident people have qualities that everyone admires. Confidence shows you have a great demeanor to yourself. Confidence is a quality you strive to have. I always try to be confident because when you are confident in what you are doing you do it at the best of your capability. Confidence shows that you are very expressive. It also shows that you are bold. Confidence is a key to success. 

Reliability: creates respect                                                          Quotes: " A man who lacks reliability is utterly useless."              I think this means that  when we are reliable, others know they can depend on us. They know we will make the effort to do our best, whatever the situation might be. They know we won’t run, cower or become paralyzed by fear. They have learned to count on our consistency and trustworthiness. We’ll still be there making the effort to do our best long after the weaker ones have faded. People can bet the farm on us and still be able to sleep at night. Reliability earns the respect of those around us.  We want to collect reliable people in our lives. We do not want to deal with those who aren't. Reliable people get and keep friends more easily, forge deeper relationships, receive the best opportunities, are granted more autonomy at work, have more self-confidence, live with integrity, and carry a clear conscience. So, to realize these benefits of being reliable, here are eight simple actions you can take.

Fight: Determine Effort                                                                    Quotes: "Courage doesn't always roar, sometimes its the quiet voice at the end of the day whispering I will try again tomorrow."                                                                                  What this mean sis that you should always go out and about towards your goals and wants. If you really want to do something you know that destiny is the away and stopping is a no. You should think positive when fighting towards the things you want, a relationship, school, sport, or simply just achieve something. My brother is a great example of this because even though he is just 14 he knows what he wants. He loves to play soccer and has since he was 5. He has never stopped practicing and his goal is to make it to the big leagues. He has won his spots in so many great teams, many coaches call my dad to offer my brother a place in their team where he will not have to pay nothing. This is a great example because it shows how he has been fighting for what he wants and with the effort put in he has earned it. 

Competitive Greatness: performing at your best when you're required.                      Quotes: "Be at your best when your best is needed. Enjoyment of a difficult challenge."     What this means is that  each day, week, month you should go on living as performing the best. You should play showing you greatest strength when you are required to  show up in the biggest moments. For example, the Toronto Raptors have a history of playing well in the regular season, but once the play offs start they choke. While on the other hand, teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers that don't do as well step up in the play offs and have that competitive greatness to live up greatness in big moments. I like to think that I have competitive greatness because in my soccer team when the team needed me to guard the other teams best player I did. Not only is it having competitive greatness its also having confidence. Confidence in shooting a penalty, game winning shot or home run. People that have competitive greatness look for these big moments. 

Integrity:  the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles                          Quotes: "Success with out Integrity is failure"    What this means is that one should always be honest and have positive goals. When one has great moral and having pure intentions they have a good life. Integrity is a great quality because it shows that you are honest and have great morals. Everyone can have integrity, but only a very few use it on a daily basis. People that have integrity are loyal and honest. And people with integrity get more jobs. For example, If i am interviewing two men to be the manager of my company. One of the two men meets all the requirements, but he is not always honest and tell a fib. On the other hand, you have a person who doesn't meet all the requirement, but he has integrity.

Faith: To have faith means to have hope in one. Having faith is great because it provides hope. Hope gives you this satisfaction that you'll get through anything. Having faith in yourself gives you confidence that you'll pull through and succeed. Believe in yourself and you will accomplish anything. Always having that positive mentally which gives others a positive mentally.Faith can also mean believing in a religion. For example, in basketball games coaches give the ball to the one they have most faith in. For example, yesterday barcelona's coach gave the ball to messi  in the final penalty shot. Why? Well  because he has the utter most faith in him to make the shot. Guess what happen, messi made the shot. This is just having faith in his go to scorer. Quote: Believe and Achieve. Positive belief. 

Patience: Good things take time . What this means is that you really take you time. Having patience is a great quality because its shows you can be calm and collective in any situation. People who have patience are more likely going to a better job because they will take their time in finishing. Patience shows that you can be a leader because you won't get irritated while people are talking all at the same time. Like leaders of teams have to deal with others messing around and put them to work. Another good example of patience are Moms. Moms have to deal with kids and have patience with them. I always try to have patience. It's always come natural to me.                                                                                                                                                    Quote: "Patience is not the ability to wait but how you act while you're waiting."

Reflection: The Pyramid of Success has taught me that you should have confident about yourself to do things you have not tried before. In doing all the pyramid of success trait i have realized that all of these traits benefit my whole life. By being industrious and working hard to become the best in that area.  Having enthusiasm with a positive attitude  everyday will bring successful and friends because everyone wants to be around you. Going back to friends, you need to have friendships that will last and that are good ones not toxic ones. Loyalty is my favorite quality because it shows that you are willing and able to anything that someone brings to you. Working together and giving everyone a say on what to do. To complete any of these goals you need to have ambition to start and finish something. Self control is a great quality because it helps you control your self on whats good or bad to do. Being aware of surrounding and whats going on in your community and in others life that are around you. Having the initiative to do something like starting a company or business. You make it happen not others that will forge your future. Being genuine and having that real conversation that feels good and not forced. Being able to adapt to any situation whether that be different state or simple as moving seats in a classroom being able to adapt. You also need your brain rest and condition yourself so that you do not burn out. Have the skills to do anything that someone provides you. Having team spirit and doing everything as a team while having everyone participate.