Evaluate:  to determine the significance or quality of; assess

I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw. Proverbs 24:32

How many agree with this old saying?......"Experience is the best teacher."  The answer is NO.  Experience is a great teacher only if take the time to evaluate our experiences.

"Mindless activities create shallow thinking, while evaluated action broadens our perspective."

 

We can go through life at home, at work and in our preparation to be an official without any real sense of understanding whether our experience was right, wrong or indifferent.  The key is to observe, evaluate, learn and apply lessons.  Going back to evaluate our experiences is a very good use of our time.

Do you consider yourself an Employee or an Entrepreneur?  There is a big mindset difference between the two...................an employee sees failure as rejection; entrepreneur sees failure as correction.  Experiencing failure, for a successful entrepreneur is feedback, a way to learn and grow.  One of the greatest entrepreneur’s of our time, Bill Gates, said this….

It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.

Now, the quote from the beginning should be changed to "Evaluated experience is the best teacher."  We draw lessons from the past only when we study it.  So, don't just accept experiences for what they are.  Study them; see what you learned, and how or what you would change going forward, if anything.

“What a person knows at fifty that he did not know at twenty is not the knowledge of formulas or forms of words, but of people, places, actions—a knowledge gained by touch, sight, sound, victories, failures, sleeplessness, devotion, love—the human experiences and emotions of this earth and of oneself and of other men.”

~ Adlai Stevenson, former Governor of Illinois and two-time Democratic nominee for President of the United States

Success

 

How do you define success? 

The first key to success is FOCUS.  Our focus must be in the right place.  Officials want to be successful as individuals and as a crew and there is a delicate balance between individual success and crew success.

What happens if we are not successful?  Look at your FOCUS.  How quick do you learn and move on?  Does your lack of success compound into other failures?  Or, do you focus on how to be better going forward?  It’s not easy with so much emphasis placed on what is wrong or what has been missed.  Recognize our mistakes, learn from them, and keep our focus on how to be successful going forward using what we have learned from our mistakes/failures.

Here’s the challenge:  Keep the right focus, Lead with the right focus, and Learn with the right focus.

One success story from the Bible is King Uzziah.  His story is told in 2 Chronicles 26: 1-23. He was king for 52 years, becoming King at the age of 16. His achievements brought him fame.  He was skilled in organizing, delegating, building and was a great warrior.  But, as he achieved more and more success and fame, he became prideful in his later years as king which ultimately led to his failure and death.

Key to Success:  FOCUS

In 2 Chronicles 25: 5, King Uzziah success was a result of his focus on seeking God. 

2 Chronicles: 5:  He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.

One thing that destroys Success:  Pride

In 2 Chronicle 26: 16, King Uzziah became so prideful he thought he was god.

2 Chronicles 26: 16:  But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall.

How to maintain success:  Be humble and be thankful.

In all the verses concerning King Uzziah and his reign as king, there is no account of the Uzziah ever showing appreciation of the gifts, abilities and successes God provided him.

We are never closer to failure than during our greatest successes.

Be thankful for what you have accomplished.  Be humble that you have been given the opportunities you have received and continue to work hard to accomplish even greater performance.

Yes or No-Face

The following devotion was created from a devotion on www.fcaresources.com.

"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”  – Galatians 5:22

President Thomas Jefferson was traveling with a group across the country on horseback in the early 1800’s.  The group approached a large river that needed to be carefully crossed. A stranger appeared and wondered how he was going to get across. He looked at the President and asked if he could get a ride across the river. Thomas Jefferson said, “Sure, hop on!” As the stranger slid off the horse on the other side, someone questioned why he asked the President for a ride and not someone else in the group. The stranger replied, “I didn’t know he was the President. All I know is that his face said yes, and all your faces said no!”  For some of us, our face has already spoken before we even open our mouths.

Unfortunately, many officials, coaches, athletes, teachers, neighbors, bosses, and friends wear the No-Face. Many don’t realize they are coming across that way and don’t want to wear the No-Face.  But, some people are great at wearing the Yes-Face. Who has that been in your life--a coach, teacher, parent, spouse, or boss?

Coaches, Players, and Crewmates watch our non-verbal communication. They often know what we are saying without us saying a word.  What does a Yes-Face say? Here are 10 defining characteristics of a Yes-Face:

1.       Positive

2.       Trusting

3.       Confident

4.       Refreshing

5.       Smiling

6.       Available

7.       Approachable

8.       Inviting

9.       Gentle

10.   Forgiving

A Yes-Face is simply the outward expression of an inward experience. As followers of Christ, the inward experience is the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

“Just as water reflects your face, so your face mirrors your heart.”–Proverbs 27:19

1.          How can a crewmate(s) with a No-Face impact the crew dynamic? How about Yes-Face?

2.          Who in your life would win a Yes-Face gold medal?

3.          What is your face saying? What would your crew say?

10 Commandments of Officiating

Over the years, watching ESPN’s Top 10 Plays of the Day was something to look forward to late at night.  Now, you can even watch the “Not So Top 10.”  It’s amazing to watch how the greatest athletes in the world can make an amazing play and in the next minute, see some of the worst plays.  David Letterman also made his Top 10 list famous with his comical late-night list.  In the Bible, God created the original Top 10--Ten Commandments.   In Exodus 20: 2-17, the Ten Commandments are given by Moses…

1. Thou shall have no other gods before me.
2. Thou shall have no Idols.
3. Thou shall not take the name of the Lord God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor thy father and mother.
6. Thou shall not kill.
7. Thou shall not commit adultery.
8. Thou shall not steal.
9. Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor—love your neighbor as yourself.
10. Thou shall not covet.

The 10 Commandments in the Bible were God’s instructions on how we should live our lives on earth.  As I thought about these Commandments, I starting thinking—what would be the Ten Commandments of Officiating?  I want to challenge you (and me) to develop your 10 Commandments of Officiating.  As officials, we have great responsibility in our dealings with our crewmates, Supervisors, coaches, administrators, and players.  What are the underlying values/commandments that help us in officiating?