A wise man spoke to the author and instilled lessons of gentleness and making the most of each day. The author shares these lessons and reflections from his 100 years in a book. He hopes to convey the love and principles that guided his life, including faith. Living with purpose each day and becoming your best self is the most important success according to the wisdom passed down from his father.

1. A Wise Man. When he spoke, I listened.
Wisdom is often in the eye of the beholder. the considerable time we’ve known each you can’t possible comprehend as well
What is profound for one may be less so other. I’ve added my reflections to them. as I do—at least not until you get to be
for another; meaningful for me may be At the top of the list of things I hope my age: life goes by in a flicker, and then
meaningless for you. For example, Joshua our book conveys is the great amount of you’re gone. We are all pilgrims passing
hugh Wooden, my father, told me over love that has filled my life—family first through on our way to eternity.
and over that “nothing is stronger than (Nellie, my dear wife and sweetheart, and From the earliest age I learned from
gentleness.” I came to see how true and Nan and Jim, our son and daughter; and my dear mother, roxie Anna, and father
powerful this is. the grandchildren, great-grandchildren, that time is precious and absolutely irre-
Nevertheless, I know from my own and coming up—a great-great-grandchild placeable; each day matters. You only get
experience in sharing this idea with others and hopefully many more) and then my this one blessed opportunity to make the
that some relate to it; others just roll their extended family—those I taught and effort to do your best. And then it’s over.
eyes. that’s all right. I, too, have rolled my worked with (students, student-athletes, No second chance. the good lord judges
eyes occasionally in the face of wisdom; coaches, trainers, managers, teachers, you on what you’ve done and who you’ve
we’re only human. however, I’m pleased athletic directors, principals, and chancel- been.
to say that I had sense enough never to lors), friends, acquaintances, and more thus, if I may offer you one piece
roll my eyes when my father said some- and more these days complete strangers of advice that I hope you’ll apply after
thing. When he spoke, I listened. who come up and say, “hi, Coach Wooden. reading our book, it is this suggestion
this book is from a lifetime’s living We love you.” from my father: “Make each day your
and learning—a century. For some, the Love is the greatest word in the masterpiece.” When you do that as the
observations and information within may english dictionary. What joy it brings. We weeks and months and years (and, for me,
be useful; for others, not so much. You should all say it more often to those we century) unfold behind you, you’ll have
may find common sense within these pages love. Don’t be shy about it! the deepest self-satisfaction knowing your
or make no sense of it at all. Wisdom? I also hope our book shares in a life has really meant something. You will
I know my dad was wise. When I quote meaningful manner the fundamental prin- have achieved the most important kind of
him, I am conveying what I believe is ciples I’ve used in teaching and coaching success, namely, becoming the best that
wisdom. When I branch out with my own and living my life. And, of course, faith is you are capable of becoming. It is impos-
ideas, you can decide for yourself what it is. and has been so important to me and is sible to accomplish more than that. My
For this book, my longtime friend present within these pages. father taught me this, and it has been at
and collaborator, steve Jamison, gathered one hundred years. that’s a long the center of my thinking since the day I
photographs going back one hundred time. I personally don’t know anybody left home and went out on my own.
years, including many that he took during older than me, so let me share something
—JohN WooDeN