Winning is important to me, but...

 

Phil Jackson has won 13 NBA championships: 2 as a player and 11 as a coach.

So he sure knows how to win, but more important than that is his approach and what he has to say about winning which is important to living a good life...

Phil Jackson is known for his "zen" approach to the game of basketball. He coaches about focusing on the We rather than the me. A lesson for a team sport as well as for life in general. 

He has written a thought-provoking memoir in which he shows how he encourages his players to work with a clear mind - not thinking, just doing. 

Sacred Hoops: SPIRITUAL LESSONS OF A HARDWOOD WARRIOR by Phil Jackson.

"An earnest and refreshing answer to the dollar driven soullessness of modern professional sports." -- People

Phil Jackson is an American original. A two-time All-American at the University of North Dakota, in 1967 he was drafted by the New York Knicks, where he played for 11 years and was a member of the 1970 and 1973 championship teams. 

Jackson guided the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships in his nine years as head coach from 1989-1998, and guided the LA Lakers to three titles as their head coach from 1999-2004.

You can find out more about the book here. It can be purchased on kindle for only 2.99 or also as a paperback. 

Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson aka the Zen Master.

Philip Douglas "Phil" Jackson (born September 17, 1945) is an American professional basketball executive, former coach and former player, currently serving as president of the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). 

Jackson was the head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 until 1998, during which Chicago won six NBA championships. His next team, the Los Angeles Lakers, won five championships from 2000 until 2010. 

Jackson in 2009

In total, Jackson has won 11 NBA titles as a coach, surpassing the previous record of nine set by Red Auerbach. 

Jackson is known for his use of Tex Winter's triangle offense as well as a holistic approach to coaching that is influenced by Eastern philosophy, earning him the nickname "Zen Master".

Jackson cites Robert Pirsig's book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance as one of the major guiding forces in his life. He also applies Native American spiritual practices as documented in his book Sacred Hoops. He is the author of several candid books about his teams and his basketball strategies. 

In 2007, Jackson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. In 1996, as part of celebrations for the National Basketball Association's 50th anniversary, Jackson was named one of the 10 greatest coaches in league history. He retired from coaching in 2011 before joining the Knicks as an executive in March 2014.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 

Photo by Keith Allison from Baltimore, USA (RO9A3387) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

“There’s a Zen saying I often cite that goes, “Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.” The point: Stay focused on the task at hand rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.”
― Phil Jackson, Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success.

Love of the mountains

This amazing photograph by Sébastien Montaz-Rosset shows sky runner Kilian Jornet and his passion for the mountains and his sport.
"I am a person that loves mountains. I can go with skis when there's snow, and I can go running when it's summer. Doing all this stuff—it's the possibility to live in the mountains and to live my passion. It doesn’t really matter if I win or whether I finish last." says Kilian Jornet who grew up in a small ski village in the Catalan Pyrenees. Read more about his passion and his winning adventures in mountain sports at National Geographic.

How I changed my life

 

In the past I have made resolutions and never kept them. I have started diets and never maintained them. I have tried to get organized and de clutter my house and wardrobe but it all just seemed too hard.

Changing my life seemed complicated and my whole life seemed a complicated mess but without knowing I found a secret that changed my life.

You can read my full article about How I Changed My Life for Good by clicking here.

You know I chose this photo, the butterfly, because I do feel the freedom of a butterfly coming out of a chrysalis.

Master of Surprise Ian Thorpe

Swimming superstar Ian Thorpe, age 28, has announced today that he will be returning to compete in the pool. This surprise announcement is very exciting for Australian sport and Australian swimming, Thorpedo being our most award winning sport's medalist of all time.

Thorpe's Olympic Games Medals:
Gold 2000 Sydney 400 m freestyle
Gold 2000 Sydney 4 × 100 m freestyle
Gold 2000 Sydney 4 × 200 m freestyle
Gold 2004 Athens 200 m freestyle
Gold 2004 Athens 400 m freestyle
Silver 2000 Sydney 200 m freestyle
Silver 2000 Sydney 4 × 100 m medley
Silver 2004 Athens 4 × 200 m freestyle
Bronze 2004 Athens 100 m freestyle

Thorpey has shocked the world of swimming before when he announced, at the young age of 24, that he was quitting the pool.

THANKS TO XIAMING FOR THIS 2008 PHOTO