Tuesday, January 25, 2011

passion

PASSION:
1) any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate.
2) strong amorous feeling or desire; love; ardor.




I had the ultimate privilege of hearing Sherri Coale speak at an event. For those of you who do not know who that is, she is the head women's basketball coach at the University of Oklahoma. Despite being named Big 12 Coach of the Year, coaching the Sooners to 3 regular season Big 12 Conference titles and bringing a university team back from the depths of losing, she maintains a down-to-earth personality. I've had the opportunity to hear Coach Coale speak on many occasions and she never lets me down. Tonights speech was about passion. 


do you have it? and what's it for?


She continued to tell the audience about her high school years in a tiny town in Oklahoma (with one stop light I might add). She entered her freshman year with three goals in mind; go to the "big house" to play in the state championship, be an all-stater, and receive a full ride for basketball. She posted these three goals on the back of her locker. When she changed her books after english to go to history she was reminded of these three goals. go to state, be an all-stater, get a full ride.


she worked all four years in order to achieve these goals. when her senior year rolled around she waited anxiously in the gym for the rest of her teammates. they continued to board a bus at the back of the school. fully decorated with banners and streamers. they rode through the town with the city people cheering them on to take state. she had reached her first goal.


one down, two to go.


weeks after the championship tournament, she rushed out of her house at 5 a.m. to the local gas station to pick up the paper. tingling with anticipation, she opened to the sports section to see her picture under the all-state recipients.


two down, one to go.


at the end of her senior year she signed with Oklahoma Christian University to play basketball. full ride. 


she told us she was no one special. it was her passion that made her special. she knew what she wanted and what she needed to do in order to accomplish it. 



this is one of the best pictures. coming to a school with a major losing record, (5-22 was their first season with Coale) the future didn't look bright. but Coale had a vision. she knew that her team could do whatever they put their minds to. so they set out. not only did they achieve their goal, they became one of the best teams in the Big 12. 


find something your passionate about and then go after it


never give up fighting for something you truly believe in. don't be afraid to mess up. failure is good in life. when you achieve your goal, its that much better knowing that you had to fight for it.


think of the passion Jesus had. has. for us. for His children. He was willing to take his life so that we may have a better one. now THAT'S passion. a desire so strong that nothing will stand in your way until you've achieved it. think of a goal. write it down somewhere. on your mirror. your ceiling as you lay down at night. planner. back of a school locker. any where that you know you will see every day. let it push you. don;t give up. fight until you've given it everything you can. that's when you've achieved your goal.