Wooden Wins! - Joy
Our Pyramid of Success focus this month will be on Reliability and Joy. At American Heritage Charter Schools, we celebrate the core value of “Honoring One Another”.

There Is No Greater Joy in Life Than Helping Others
By Craig Impelman

Coach Wooden believed there was no greater joy in life than finding out that something you did or said was helpful to someone else in some small way.

After Coach retired, he kept his phone number listed and continued to make time for anybody to visit him and discuss anything if they called and asked. He never refused to sign an autograph and responded personally to all his correspondence.

Sometimes when people help others, it is viewed as the giver making a sacrifice, and enjoyment is often thought of as a result of acquiring something or having time for one’s self. Some folks felt that Coach was being taken advantage of because he was so generous.

The truth was that he recognized that the most enjoyment he had in life was helping others. He was not interested in acquiring material things for himself except to the extent that he could use them to help his family.

When Coach helped others, he did not feel that he was making a sacrifice, but rather that he was doing something he really enjoyed. Coach viewed making time for someone else in the same context that others view playing a round of golf—really fun.

When Tony Robbins asked Coach Wooden what advice he would give to wealthy, successful people who were unhappy, Coach replied, “They should go find some people to help.”

And when asked how he would like to remembered, Coach replied, “I’d like to be remembered as a normal person who was considerate of others.”

Coach Wooden had a simple formula: If your spirits are down a little, go help somebody. You’ll feel better right away.

Key Idea: “Nothing can give you greater joy than doing something for another.”

@Home 

What a beautiful time of year to focus on bringing JOY to others! Watch this video on Generosity and discuss how blessing others can bring joy to both the giver and the recipient. What is something tangible you can do as a family to offer your time, love and generosity to someone this Christmas season? Can you help serve a meal, donate to a charity, bake cookies for a neighbor, make cards and visit a retirement home, or maybe drop off a surprise gift to someone you know in need?  Have fun as a family thinking of how you might bring joy to someone this Christmas season with the gift of generosity.

On Campus

Activity: Watch this video about helping others and then respond to the questions below. 

Staff Response:  So much joy and happiness is created within our hearts when helping others or receiving help.  Think about all of the things that bring you joy.  Write them down.  What are some ways that you can help others?  How can you help create joyful experiences on campus for students and your colleagues? 

In the Class

Activity: Joy Activity PDF

Print out the PDF for your students to fill out on their own.  They will be writing down the things that bring them joy.  They can color the sheet when they have finished filling out the PDF. 

On the Field

Video: https://youtu.be/ra7uJtVj1bI

Discuss how your team finds joy in sport! What are the things that each individual loves about the game? How can you keep the joy of sport?