I’ve had a chance to listen to former NBA player Wayne Simien tell the story of being a part of the league championship team in Miami during his rookie season in 2006. After the initial celebrations and parade through the city, the team gathered in front of an enormous crowd, giving some of the players a chance to say a few words. As the pep rally unfolded, the crowd began to chant, “Repeat! Repeat!” Wayne remembers being struck at how quickly their adoring fans became dissatisfied with one title, and were now clamoring for another.
There’s a great lesson there, isn’t there? No matter how many games we win, it won’t be enough. No matter how many championships we win, it’s never going to completely satisfy us or those who support our program. That being the case, it seems like our options are to either chase a level of satisfaction we can never achieve, or pursue excellence for ourselves and others, while defining ultimate success in terms of something other than wins or trophies.
Chris Tiegreen has something intelligent to say on the subject:
“What is it about human nature that is always craving but is never content? We’ve all approached milestones in our lives with the thought that once the milestone is accomplished, we’ll be happy with our lives. But we never are. As soon as the next job is realized, the next house is bought, the next car is driven, the next relationship results in marriage, or whatever we’re looking forward to is accomplished, we set our sights on something new.
Whatever the reason, we can know at least one thing about our cravings: They indicate that we’re missing something deep within us. We have a gnawing hunger for more meaning, more purpose, more results. We can thank God that He made us that way; it’s His design for our fruit-bearing and our growing relationship with Him. But we also have to be aware of how sin has distorted that design. We turn it toward possessions, people, places and personal agendas. We’re looking for life in all the wrong places.”
As another school year comes to a close, perhaps this is the perfect time for each of us to evaluate how we can find enduring satisfaction in the coaching journey we are on, and encourage/teach/help others to do the same.