“Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.”

-George Washington Carver

Every morning while I get ready for my day I have Good Morning America on in the background. Some days I just listen in passing, some days I turn it off when it comes to celebrity news because I honestly don’t care and then there are the days that I’m so into it I stop and watch.  Today was one of those days.

Robin Roberts went to Knoxville, Tennessee to interview Pat Summit, the head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team. She is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history of either a men’s or women’s team in any division and has led the Lady Vols to 8 National Championships (second only to the record 10 titles won by UCLA men’s coach John Wooden.) Many of you know these facts, but not all do and if you don’t know of her, you need to.

In August, Summitt announced that she had been diagnosed three months earlier with early-onset dementia at the age of 59. Rather than stop coaching, she plans to continue on. Well this morning, when asked why she made this decision she said, “Because I want to keep cutting down nets…win that 9th Championship…there are no excuses.” I froze!

I sat there for a few minutes, thinking of excuses I know that I make and I was disappointed in myself. What an amazing woman Coach Summit is and a role model for all of us. I had the honor of meeting her and speaking with her at a camp in 1997 or 98, can’t remember. Her presence of leadership and power and courage is unlike that of any one I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting and I hope that I can be as courageous and determined as her one day.

She does not fail because she does not make excuses and I CANNOT wait to watch her cut down her 9th net!

Stop making excuses!

“Who would we think is beautiful if society didn’t tell us who is beautiful?” – Unknown

Ever since I can remember, my Grandpa called me “Bella” when he was alive.  That was my name. It caught on with the rest of the family over time, and it became an extension of who I am. (Until Twilight went and made it trendy.) Any way, my Grandpa passed away 11 years ago today.  I cannot believe it has been that long. So I figured, in honor of him, I’d use my blog to write about the amazing man he was and how beautiful he always made me feel.

When I was little I didn’t follow E! News or the trashy magazines or even advertisements. I didn’t base the word “beautiful” on anything other than what my family told me and how they made me feel. I looked up to them and can’t think of many men that could hold a candle to the man my Grandpa was. Funny, talented, loving, hard-working, the list goes on and on.

At the end of the day, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There is no doubt that the media has tainted self body image and made our world judegmental and insecure. Today I’m making a new goal for myself. Whenever I’m doubting my beauty, I will remember the “Bella” that my Grandpa saw and be reminded what beauty really means.

It’s not all physical, beauty runs a lot deeper than that. So, my question to you is: Who would you think is beautiful if society didn’t tell you who is beautiful? Because, as corny and cheesy as it sounds, ALL of my friends are ‘bella’ to me!

Lawrence “Larry” Serafini LaViola

July 24, 1921 – November 3, 2000

“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S Truman 

I think that this is so important in today’s world, especially in the political mess we have put ourselves in. These words are true in business, politics, marriages, friendships, you name it.  If we stopped putting so much focus on who gets the credit, we could get so much more done.

Be humble…Be willing to share the lime-light…Be able to admit when you’re wrong and move on humbly when you’re right. At the end of the day, when a team works together right, all that matters is the accomplishment that was made at the end. Too many times ego and power get involved and get in the way of the bigger picture. Do things because you want to do them and believe in their outcome.

As I told one of my best friends just the other day, “It’s about the journey, not the destination.” Enjoy it and work together. There are very few things we can do alone. And, really, who cares who made it happen, just be proud to be part of something great!

There is a song by Norah Jones that I meditate to, which may surprise some of. Click the pie and it will take you there…Go ahead, take a slice!

“After twelve years of therapy my therapist said something that brought tears to my eyes. He said, ‘No hablo ingles.'”

I’m not sure who wrote this, there is no name next to it in my quote book, but I figured it was time for a laugh!

Funny thing about this quote, besides that it’s pretty damn funny, is that it actually does have a deeper message to it, well to me at least it does. Just shows that this person obviously felt like therapy was helping them, even though the therapist obviously never said anything, they were getting something out of it. Why else would you keep going?

I think we can all learn something from that. Whatever may be bothering you or fogging up your mind, talk it out with yourself, put it down on paper, don’t keep it all in. We don’t always need feedback and advice from others to get it all worked out. Sometimes it simply just takes getting it out.  Keeping the hard stuff in allows it to build up.

As Shrek said, “Better out than in!” Hey, who would have thought that a quote about passing gas could apply to other parts of life 😉 Hope everyone had a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!