Self-doubt and uncertainty combine with pride during an athlete’s years of training as the winter games or any world-class contest can be quite a rollercoaster of feelings.

Hendrickson, although she believes herself to be the underdog, is also quite confident that her knee is healed and ready for her ski jump. “My knee is still five months out of surgery and I knew it would react a little bit” to the stress of training again, she said. “But it’s actually done pretty well. I’m confident in what I’ve done with it, and I’m confident in what I can do here in Sochi.”

Whether or not Hendrickson medals in the 2014 Winter Games, getting to this point was due to the focus and dedication she put in to get the job done.

Lindsey Vonn had quite another mix of emotions mulling around in her psyche being forced to watch the 2014 Olympics from the sidelines.

An Olympic downhill hopeful this year, Vonn was forced to withdraw after suffering damage to her knee. Vonn posted her emotional withdrawal to her Facebook page, “I am devastated to announce that I will not be able to compete in Sochi. I did everything I possibly could to somehow get strong enough to overcome having no ACL but the reality has sunk in that my knee is just too unstable to compete at this level.”

What about those athletes deciding that, after all of their training, that they must opt out of the Olympics? Shaun White, another American hopeful believed that the slopestyle course was too difficult and announced last minute that he would not compete in one event, instead focused his efforts on half-pipe. Emotional? You bet! “Difficult,” as Shaun exclaimed to his fans on Twitter.

Perhaps Shaun was also a bit intimidated by the course after seeing another Olympian take a spill, “It’s always disappointing when you see a fellow rider go down and is unable to compete,” White said after training. “It’s definitely intimidating when you’ve got to run the same course right after him.”

These 2014 Olympic Games will run the gamut of emotions for all participants!

When the jumps are over and the medals are received, the focus turns to relief that participation is now over. For certain gold medal winners, there will also be a unique surprise. Gold medal winners on day nine will have a piece of meteorite that crashed in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk earlier this year embedded into the metal.

A sense of achievement, a purpose to what these athletes have given up in exchange for a win and for the glory accompanies the gold.

In order to win at the dog track, a greyhound handicapper has to keep his wits about him. He has to focus on the program, then the race, then take notes after the race before he cashes his ticket or goes over why his ticket was a loser.

It’s hard to do this at a noisy track where hundreds of people are talking, yelling, arguing and cheering on their dogs. It’s even harder to do this if you bring your kids with you, but many people do just that. I’m a parent and I’ve taken my kids to the track more than once, but never when I was seriously handicapping. Here’s why.

If you’re a decent parent, whenever your kids are with you, a big part of you is focused on them. It’s only natural and it’s a good thing. Kids need a lot of attention and their safety and well-being should be our main concern at all times.

However, this just doesn’t work when you’re trying to handicap a race. I’ve seen fathers – and mothers, too – so deeply involved in their programs that they didn’t notice that their toddler was wandering away. Dog tracks are pretty safe places, but I wouldn’t let my young children wander around one on their own. It’s just common sense to make sure that your kids are by your side and under your eye whenever you’re in a crowd.

I think some parents bring their kids to the dog track because they feel guilty about going so often and leaving the kids behind. If that’s the case, maybe they should rethink whether the dog track has taken over too much of their lives.

You can’t raise a family if you’re never there. Maybe it’s time to take a day off from the track and spend it with your family. Maybe, better yet, you should designate one weekend day for family outings or just spending time together. And it’s also only fair that your spouse should be able to have some time off from the responsibility of the kids too, so don’t forget to make time for him or her too.

If you want to take your kids to the track, go as a family and focus on the kids. Don’t handicap heavily while you’re there. Either get the program early and put your bets down right when you get there, or just bet for fun. Let your kids pick numbers or colors or names.

Don’t bet too much. Just have fun with your kids and save the heavy handicapping for when you go by yourself. Balancing family and greyhound handicapping isn’t easy, but it can be done. If you do it right, you can be a winner at the track – and at home.

I had the good fortune (or misfortune depending on your climate perspective) of living in Minnesota for ten years. The Summers were beautiful, Fall was spectacular with the changing colors of the leaves on trees and winter was,…well, damn cold.

My neighbor, Harold was a nice old guy who had retired many years ago who hibernated all winter but loved to garden during the summer. The only time I saw Harold come out of his house was to put some bird food in the feeder he’d setup on his tree in the front yard.

Every year, as winter began to set in, I would see squirrels all around our front lawns gathering food. They’d scurry around digging and prodding hoping to fill their jowls with some food and return to their hole.

One day I saw Harold putting some metal sheets around the base of his tree where he kept his bird feeder. I didn’t understand why until another neighbor explained to me that Harold was trying to keep the squirrels from eating the bird food. By putting the metal sheets around the base Harold thought the squirrels wouldn’t be able to climb up the tree. The next morning, the food was gone.

Later that week I saw him wrap a jagged funnel around the base of the tree. It looked like those funnels dog’s wear around their neck so it won’t bite or lick its wounds. Well imagine one of those wrapped around the tree with the wide part pointing down with jagged edged. It looked like something out of a Frankenstein flick. Yet, the next day, the food was gone.

The following week Harold figured he’d put the bird feeder on a string and hang it from the tip of one of the branches. I believe his thinking was that the squirrel couldn’t go out to the edge of the branch because the branch wouldn’t support the weight thereby not allowing the squirrel to get to the feeder. Next day, you got it, the food was gone.

This battle between Harold and the squirrel went on for at least the 10 years I was his neighbor. I wanted to tell Harold that his attempts were futile and that he would never win this ‘War of the Feeder’; but I didn’t say anything. I just watched. It was cheap entertainment.

As this was happening, I started thinking about how unfair the match up was between a man and a squirrel. I didn’t feel sorry for the squirrel…I felt sorry for Harold. Although Harold was stronger and smarter than the squirrel, he lacked the one quality that would guarantee him victory, focus.

You see Harold thinks about ways of preventing the squirrel from getting the food on occasion, when he has time. The squirrel on the other hand has its mind on getting that food 24 hours a day. The squirrel’s very survival depends on it. Survival brings about, not just focus but an intense focus on solving a problem by removing an obstacle. Unless Harold shows that same level of 24 hour commitment and intensity, I have my money on the squirrel every time.

Success is not about who is stronger. Success is not about who has more money. Success is not about who has a better GPA. Success is about who is more focused and committed to achieving their objectives. You, the reader, can compete with any person no matter who they may be. The only thing you have to do is commit yourself to focusing in on the very subject that interests you. When you focus in on one thing, like the squirrel, all of your mind’s resources are directed at attaining your objective and obtaining your rewards. With focus, you begin to take in more information quickly because you’re interested in learning, you want know everything. You are consumed by your focus to succeed!

Harold was not an expert in stopping squirrels; it was a task that needed to be done and he attended to it when he had time. The squirrel on the other hand became an expert at bypassing obstacles and solving problems because he focused all its attention on obtaining the end goal, food.

In today’s market, too many people want to be generalist (i.e., good at a lot of things or jack of all trades but master of none). But the market DOES NOT REWARD generalists, they REWARD experts. The market wants people who are good at doing a particular task; an expert. You want job security? Become an expert in your field of expertise. How do you become an expert? Like the squirrel, you focus.

Harold was 92 and died the year we moved from Minnesota. I don’t know how long Harold fought the ‘War of the Feeder’ but as I drove off on the last day I looked back and saw a squirrel scurrying around the front lawn still trying to get to the bird feeder that still hung from the tree. Harold was gone but the squirrel was still around, still strategizing and still focused. The squirrel had won!

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Did you ever dream of living a luxurious life with everything you ever desired and all this available at the tip of your fingers? You did. Well, most of us did, but the million-dollar question is HOW?

The answer rather surprisingly is very plain and simple. But before giving you the answer let’s learn a bit or two about the person who devised this amazing technique to let us pursue our dreams and get what we wanted rather being satisfied with what we need. Sounds too good to be true? Read on to know what we are talking of.

The person in question is John Assaraf. He was just like any other teenager, wondering aimlessly with no direction in life and a shuddering desire for an ecstatic lifestyle. On his wild goose chase of fulfilling desires and leading a life with a purpose and meaning discovered a method of success in business and life through brain research and quantum physics as these subjects are relative. Through his dedication and hard work John Assaraf is a multi-millionaire and a proud owner of several companies of high repute.

So what exactly is this technique and how does one follow the prescribed method and effortlessly go on to be a millionaire. It is called the ” winning the inner game of money” and it works so amazingly well that you can’t believe it unless it happens to you. In this program John Assaraf will guide with the help of the advanced techniques like cutting-edge brain entrainment technology; sound wave patterns; 3-d / surround-sound technology; affirmations; subliminal messages; sophisticated audio interpretations and elements of emotional freedom technique; eye movement desensitization reprocessing; guided visualization sessions; and meditation tracks to program your mind to succeed in the monetary domain.

With the help of certain mastered techniques like ‘neuro re-conditioning’ John will guide you through a detailed procedure of altering your sub-conscious habits and beliefs which result in improvising your thought process about money, success and fame.

It wouldn’t sound incorrect if we regarded this technique as one of the most impactful discovery of this decade. This is a tried and tested method and the result are bound to leave in awe. The whole technique works based on the processing of mind and the response of our neurons to various stimuli. By varying the functioning of our brain with the help of these flawless techniques we can alter our thought process and think big money and success wise.

So, if you are someone who always had this desire of being a millionaire and had the courage to do the hard work, this program is custom-made for you. Moreover this is a hassle free and effortless method to make your dreams come true. Don’t wait for any genie to come out of a lamp and make your wish come true. Be the master of your own desires and click here to open the gateways of your success.

This familiar quote has haunted me throughout all my years of coaching, and I suspect I am not alone. In case you are reading this and have no idea, where this quote came from let me give you a little background. The saying “Winning isn’t Everything…it’s the Only thing” has for over 45 years been attributed to the legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers football team, the man for whom the Super Bowl trophy is named; the great Vince Lombardi. News flash: he never said it; what he did say is “winning isn’t everything -but wanting to win is.” The misquote comes from a Hollywood production starring John Wayne and Donna Reed, titled “Trouble Along the Way” (Warner Brothers 1953) that was filmed in black and white and was a story in which Wayne plays a coach and a single parent with a daughter at a private Catholic college and Donna Reed a social worker concerned about the child. In the film, a game is being played while Donna Reed and the little girl are up in the stands watching in a scene. The scene shifts between shots of the Duke pacing along the sideline barking out plays and getting his team fired up, then to a couple of priests waving the school colors and finally to Donna Reed and the little girl who looks to be about 10-12 years old. Donna Reed is commenting to the girl about how she hopes the boys are enjoying the game and giving their all or something like that, when the little girl responds back with the line….”well you know what father (so and so) always says….”Winning isn’t everything it’s the only thing.” This line came from a Hollywood production out of the mouth of a 10-year-old fictional character. Some how this line got attributed to Vince Lombardi ( some say due to his religious affiliation with the Catholic church) and he spent the rest of his life right down to his last days attempting to correct that mistake with sports commentators and writers.

I suspect like many others, that this kind of thinking, that winning is the only thing, has dominated many a coach and parent’s way of looking at sports competition, and when our children, our school’s team, or we are not winning at every contest then there must be something wrong. Is it possible that something else is being gained that for the moment neither I the parent nor I the coach can grasp in my moment of temporary setback? It is the notion of winning all the time that is so in grained in our society that we do all kinds of things including ignoring our higher sense of self to achieve it. At times, we are willing to do “whatever it takes” even if it means not doing the right thing. Confused yet? Of course you are because unfortunately, once we remove the mind set that “winning is everything “we are forced to look someplace else for the real purpose of these competitions. In looking, the answer I have discovered is not in my head. It lies truly in the heart with a capital H, and, I will come back to that in a minute.

If you look at winning and losing as a whole the fact of the matter is that every time you step onto a field your chances are 50/50. This is a simple truth, the world as we can perceive it, is made up of a set of opposites, hot vs. cold, up vs. down, win vs. lose etc. everything in creation is a world of duality. In fact, you cannot experience one without the other. Imagine living with only daylight? Only darkness? One compliments the other. Without sorrow, this is no joy. Without an opponent, we do not get to play the game. So how do we operate then in this world of duality? Moreover, where do we put our attention in order to succeed instead of fail? In addition, more to the point, how do we participate in competitive sports? The answer lies in our higher sense of self. There is a greater part of us that knows how to take all this duality and see it for what it is and what it is not. We are far more than just winners or loser’s in this game! We are in fact, the creators of our own destinies. And depending on how we notice and observe the workings of our own thoughts and the feelings they create we can see the good in both the winning and the losing. We can experience both the good and the bad of winning and losing, and not forget our true selves. This is not a new concept, Eastern forms of competition have been teaching this for thousands of years; they even refer to their sports as “arts” as in martial arts. The goals of which are not to annihilate or destroy opponents but to honor, respect and love them. The realization being that without an opponent the artist does not have anyway to demonstrate the skills he has mastered. The competition is based on both opponents demonstrating their best, giving 100% and enjoying the chance to compete. It is not in the winning or losing but in the competing that the athlete/artist is able to demonstrate his level of mastery. Vince Lombardi’s correction of the famous misquote “Winning isn’t everything-but wanting to win is.” Has a very subtle but powerful distinction from winning is the only thing. That distinction lies in the power of our attention and intention. Why participate in an activity unless you do it to the best of your ability? Our intention should always be to do our best to win or succeed, however if on any given day we do not have the outcome we would prefer we are not meant to take that personally. We give our best, learn from our mistakes and simply get better as we grow. I have a personal motto that goes like this: “Make it personal; don’t take it personal.” What I mean by that is I want to do things to the best of my ability, I want to personally make it my business to give all that I can, while at the same time, remembering that if I succeed or fail it is not a real reflection of who I truly am, it is just the result of the best of my efforts at that time.

I can remember a number of times in my coaching career and my parenting careers, when my son and I both learned lessons during his days as a peewee flag football player. One season, he was drafted onto a team that could not win a game. He would complain on our rides home and at one point told me, he did not want to play anymore. I understood his pain, having been there as a coach and player myself, but also knew that there would be some value in continuing and following through with what he had committed to doing. After much discussion and persuasion on my part, he agreed to finish the season and to simply give his best no matter what the score was in any given game. His team never did win a single game in the regular season, but lo and behold, a small miracle did occur. When it came time for the playoffs, his team was able to be successful at the two most important games of the year. That is right; they won the semi final and the championship games. I took the opportunity to point out to my son that had he quit, he would have missed out on being a champion. We also discussed how you never really know how things might turn out if you keep your commitments and your word and just give your best.

Earlier I mentioned a Hollywood movie that produced a very dangerous and unrealistic concept. Hollywood has also produced some very amazing and wonderful stories to inspire us as well. I recently watched “Friday Night Lights” another movie about football. It is all about the highly competitive game of Texas High School football. The best part was the scene in the locker room at half time of the “big game” when Coach Gary Gaines starts talking about “Being Perfect”, the team’s context for the season. He starts by telling the players to just forget about what is on the scoreboard, to forget about winning, and just go back out on the field to give their best, to give their all for each other and to do it with love in their hearts, and a sense of joy for playing the game. He tells them how much he loves each of them and models for them what he hopes they have learned…If they play the game to the best of their ability, and for all the right reasons, the final score is not their reward; the feeling they leave with will be. We are all looking for, the answer we find in our Heart with a capital H. this real answer. In the game of football or the game of life, if we play full out, giving our best and loving what we do, there will only be winners and champions no matter what the scoreboard says. Playing the game for all the right reasons is the key.

Finding and understanding the right reasons to compete was and is the biggest challenge I face on a daily basis no matter what the task. I live in this world of duality and by nature; I prefer only half of what makes up my perception of reality. I only want to win, I only want happiness etc. The problem is the more attached I am to what I want, the more I also become attached to their opposites. Reality is a dual edged sword. The answer to this puzzle is in not being attached, but rather to play the game from your heart and not your head. You see, it is your head and your ego that sees and experiences the duality and it is your head that creates the preferences based on all the information it has collected over a lifetime of living in this world of opposites. It is your head that will take the winning and losing personally; your heart on the other hand will just go with the flow feeling the joy and love of simply playing the game. It is love that takes you back to the game-time and time again-whether you are winning or losing. In other words, Love isn’t everything…it is the only thing. Winning is a happy byproduct.

A few years ago, while I was as an assistant coach at the high school level; I was listening to our head coach talk to the players at halftime of a varsity basketball game. He told them that in order to be winners they would have to work hard, play smart, have fun and do it together. I found that to be very good advice. And as I was listening to him speak these ideas, it dawned on me that before anyone would ever want to commit to all the hard work it takes to win, something else would need to be present as well. The reason we become real winners and champions in sports and in life, is mainly that – aside from committing to the hard work, the playing smart, the fun etc. – we have to truly love what we are doing.

If we love what we are doing, it is far easier to put in the work, rebound from the losses and show up to play the game over and over again. As it turns out, when you examine the mindsets and hearts of true champions (whether in sports or in life) what you see and hear from them is how much they love it. Whatever the “it” is for them. All great champions have this as the basis for participating in their chosen endeavors. All great people have learned to play the game from their heart and simply use their head as a compass-a tool to navigate their way to success. This is the most valuable lesson, sports and competition has taught me. This is the most valuable lesson we can teach our young athletes. “Winning isn’t everything-it’s loving what you do that means everything.”

With all things being equal, what is different about winning athletes? When elite athletes are competing, the gap in abilities between the first and last place athlete is relatively small. You’ll need to dig a little deeper to understand what separates the top 1% of elite athletes from all the rest.

Bryan Bennett, redshirt freshman quarterback for the University of Oregon Ducks, displayed the qualities of a great quarterback. He was given his chance to play in the game against Arizona State University after Darron Thomas, became injured. Many athletes have the physical ability, but it takes more than that to step into a close game and win. “I just tried to stay calm, cool and collected and go out there and play football and have fun,” Bennett said.

Proper training builds strength and endurance. Mindset strategies improve focus and build confidence. Both components, physical training combined with mental game strategies, are necessary for high performance.

Elite athletes view performance, and winning, from a different set of lenses. Where elite athletes place their focus and attention is different from average athletes.

1. Motivation – There is a burning desire to be the best you can be. Being good enough is not enough. Elite athletes possess a deep need to always improve, taking their performance to the next level.

2. Initiative – Driven athletes don’t wait to be given permission to do something. They are the leaders in all they do, setting the standard for excellence.

3. No Excuses – Full commitment is necessary to be the best. Instead of viewing obstacles as problems, elite athletes approach them as challenges to overcome. The goal is the primary focus.

4. Determination – All challenges have solutions. Elite athletes are actively looking for the opportunities to help them reach their goal. Failure is not an option.

5. Strengths Based Approach – Focus on strengths. Elite athletes know where they excel and use that to their advantage. Find the best approach based upon your strengths. Also develop the skills necessary to minimize weaknesses.

6. Extra mile – A strong commitment sets up elite athletes to go the extra mile. Even when no one is looking, they continue to push themselves to be the best they can.

7. Tough Minded – Athletes are expected to do things which stretch them all the time. Tough minded athletes acknowledge the discomfort, but don’t let it stop them. Taking risks, and pushing through their comfort zone, is part of the champion mindset.

A success mindset is more natural for some than for others. Fortunately, it is not a birthright. Similar to new techniques and skill sets, a champion mindset can be learned. It could have been easy for Bennett to panic, given the circumstances. It was a high pressure situation. When he stepped up to the challenge, his teammates positively responded to his confidence and ease.

The champion mindset focuses on the solutions, not the problems. Elite athletes are creative in their approach to challenges, willing to take a risk. Bennett was all about results. Focused attention on solutions, along with a positive mindset, affected his approach to a challenging game. He found opportunities to play his “A” game. Bennett’s champion mindset contributed to the Duck’s winning game.

Charles DeVille Wells was said to be “The Man Who Broke the Bank in Monte Carlo.” An enduring mystique has grown around this story even inspiring a song about it. It was also said that he accomplished this feat using the “Labouchere” or Cancellation System. It’s hard to say how much truth there is to the legend, but I do know this is an insidious little system that seems to win on balance until a long series of unfavorable decisions creates a catastrophic loss. Wells died broke in 1926.

Roulette is one of the simplest of all casino games but holds a remarkable fascination for it’s followers. The crudest recorded versions date back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. The modern game we know today began in France in the 1800’s. The name Roulette is a French word meaning “little wheel.”

In England a variation of the game was called E O (stood for even/odd) and in the 1800’s America’s wild west saloons they played another variation of a wheel game called Faro.

The European version of roulette is designed with 36 numbers and a single 0. With an odds payout of 35 to 1 the house percentage is vastly more favorable than the double zero wheel that is used on this side of the Atlantic.

With the single zero wheel and a feature called “en prison,” the house percentage is 2.7%. When the zero appears, all wagers on the outside of the table(odd/even, red/black, high/low) are not lost and remain on the table for the next spin or the player has the option to forfeit half his bet. These features reduce the casino’s percentage to 2.7% and on even money wagers it is further reduced to 1.35%.

Roulette in American casinos employs a zero/double zero on their wheel and is a world apart from the European ones. Using the 0/00 added to the 36 numbers increases the casino’s advantage to 5.26% which is why the game enjoys much greater popularity in European casinos than it does here in the U.S. The payoff on winning bets are the same, 35 to 1, the negative house percentage is double.

Despite the increased house edge against the player, there are still some advantages to playing roulette. First, it can be a very relaxing game and provides a nice diversion from some of the more serious table games. It can be an enjoyable way to pass the time.

Secondly, since it is a game with a low expectancy of a winning outcome, it can be played with very low table minimums or starting capital.

This is not to say that it is impossible for the intelligent player to win playing roulette. On the contrary, compared to wagering on slot machines or the BIG 6 wheel where the percentages range from 10% on certain machines, to as high as 18% against the player it is by far a better bet.

Although I regularly hear the “experts” say that the roulette wheel cannot be beaten, that the player is guaranteed to lose, I cannot help but to disagree. Losses do occur at times, but on balance, I have been a net winner my entire life. If it can’t be beaten, how is that possible?

In the 40 years I have spent gambling in casinos I have experimented with a wide variety of playing and betting methods. Some of these methods were marginal at best, but some that I’ve used were excellent performers. The long odds payoffs on the inside layout (the numbers) combined with a disciplined wagering system have the ability to produce exceptional results.

Although I agree that in the “long run” no system can overcome a negative expectancy, it is in the “short run” that the player must exercise the discipline to always quit when winning.

The game lends itself nicely to even money wagering on the outside of the table layout and most “up as you win” wagering systems tend to also be profitable when combined with reasonable expectations.

My problem with the “experts” regarding roulette is that they look at the negative house percentage and quickly dismiss it as a game that cannot be beaten. Their real life casino gambling seems to be either very limited or possibly nonexistent. My own personal experience is in sharp contrast.

The player’s advantages are clear. The low capital requirements make it ideal as a low risk venue. The pace is leisurely and the rules uncomplicated with low table minimums. There are playing strategies that will, in the short run, give the player the opportunity for very attractive gains.

These are a few of the rules that must be followed to be successful playing roulette.

1. Familiarize yourself with the correct playing and betting systems.

2. Do not vary from these playing methods by betting on hunches or riskier wagers.

3. Decide on the amount of capital you will risk and do not exceed that amount. If you lose that amount have the discipline to walk away.

4. Bet minimum amounts when losing and only increase your bet size after a winning wager. Never increase your bet size to try and recoup losses… ever.

5. Keep your playing sessions short.

6. The game of roulette was not designed to favor the player…

Always quit when you are winning!

7. Do not gamble with money you cannot afford to lose.

Greedy players are seldom if ever winning players. Do not try to “break the bank.” It cannot be done. But, with good judgment and a fair amount of discipline, roulette can be can be both enjoyable and very profitable. Play to win.

Sweepstakes are a gamble. They are typically used as a promotion strategy to introduce new products. But if you are lucky, they offer a good chance to make some quick cash and earn grand prizes. There are several sweepstakes available online, that you can participate in. However, it’s impossible to enter all of them. Here’s how to maximize you earning potential from sweepstakes.

1. Google search – Google’s your go to place for all kinds of sweepstakes. It’s a broad search that gives you every type of sweepstake, allowing you to choose what you want.

2. The prize – Instead of only typing “sweepstakes”, narrow you search based on the prize you want to win. Examples include for cars, travels, grocery items. You can also customize you search based on the end date.

3. Sweepstake sites – Like you have coupon sites, there are sites dedicated to sweepstakes. They collect and display information about and links to such contests making it easier for you to choose. They are updated on a daily basis and so give you the most recent.

4. Magazines – There is nothing wrong with the gold old way. Monthly magazines also provide information on the latest sweepstakes and giveaways. Most of the magazines today have an e-version or they manage and operate a website.

5. Stop by at blogs – Bloggers post sweepstakes and contests as a strategy to attract traffic to their platform. Thus, they scour the web for not only the latest but also sweepstakes with grand prizes.

6. Fewer entries – Most participants run for the popular sweepstakes. If you are really looking to raise your chances of winning, go for those that have fewer entries. Some are restricted to specific local areas disallowing people from other states or countries to participate. Sweepstakes are also designed to target a specific gender or age group.

7. Stick by the rules – Every contest has its set of rules. And, if you really want to up your chances of winning the grand prizes they offer, you have to play by the rules. There is no two ways to it. It includes simple things like the maximum number of entries, referrals and ways to get extra chances. Missing out on even one of the rules can get you disqualified.

8. Correct info – All sweepstakes ask you to provide personal information such as your name, email address, street address. Make sure it is accurate and up-to-date. If you do not want to mix sweepstake alerts with your personal messages, you can set up a separate email account.

9. Enter more often – Opt for contests that allow you to enter more often. Contests with bigger sponsors usually allow you to enter once every day. It is sometimes not possible to do so every day due to constraints of time; however, it significantly increases your odds of winning.

10. More prizes – There are sweepstakes that will have just one winner and those that offer multiple prizes. It is obvious that in case of the latter, the prizes will be of a lower value, but you can at least expect to win something. No matter how small, it will motivate you to enter more contests in future.

You know, we all have to serve something and somebody with genuine zeal to achieve something genuine. With that said, I begin this philosophical article. We all have a job operating an elevator that goes up and down consistently, but not owning or really controlling it. That elevator that does all that is called life, and we must live it to the best of our ability, going with the ebb, flow and everything else of it all. So, think about this deeply: We do not own the elevator of life, we just press the buttons and ride. Sometimes we make our destination perfectly, sometimes things happen wrong. But we cannot give up our patience, tolerance or understanding of how it all genuinely works, we must be faithful to it.

Yesterday, before I started writing this article, I was talking to a friend about my personal philosophy on the telephone as I have spoken to him about this issue many times in person and I was speaking in the vein I am writing in above in this way: The real meaning of faith is to be objectively patient, understanding and tolerant in all situations because life is like an elevator we press the buttons and ride on but do not genuinely own or rule. Sometimes it works, at other times we must work at it, press on and persist until we get it done. Either way though, reality comes down to how we take it, and how we live it.

Indeed, I do my best to weigh all sides of an issue and take sides only when genuinely justified honestly, right down to politics, religion and life itself. In my reality the good is having the character to do that, whatever the situation in an honest way even and especially when nobody is watching, judging or looking. Integrity, in my opinion is a public issue in a sense, but it is in my reality the most personal issue you or anyone can have in life. Integrity and reality go together anyway if you want to genuinely benefit yourself genuinely.

As I was coming up with this article, I was thinking of the Bob Dylan song, “You Have Got To Serve Somebody”. In a sense, that is the truth and honest reality about the elevator of life, you have got to take a position or genuinely lose trying to be “neutral forever without standing for something”. When I think about reality, I think about that, because if you do not pick a floor and push a button on the elevator, you go nowhere. It is the same with life, existence and everything.

John Robert Wooden was an All-American basketball player, coach, and teacher, and is the winning-est coach of all time. He won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period as head coach at UCLA, including a record seven in a row.

Regardless of if you are a basketball fan or not; Wooden’s life lessons will help you navigate the tumultuous waters of life and relationships.

Integrity is not tied to income.

When John Wooden was 8 years old, he and his older brother, and his parents, Joshua “Hugh” Wooden and Roxie Rothrock Wooden moved to a farm in Centerton, Indiana. Later, two younger brothers were born. Coach Wooden spoke of the gentle and loving way his parents interacted and the fact that his father’s favorite Abraham Lincoln quote was, “The best thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.”

The Wooden’s didn’t have much money during John’s childhood, “We had no electricity, plumbing or conveniences, and for entertainment Dad read books to us in the evening by the light of a coal-oil lamp… For my brothers and me, growing up on that little farm in Centerton was almost perfect.”… It was “a hard good life.” (“My Personal Best” by John Wooden & Steve Jamison)

John’s mother, Roxie, made all their clothes, washed them by hand, and cooking all their meals from the products they grew on the farm. When the Wooden boys expressed a desire to play basketball, but the family didn’t have the money to purchase one; Roxie created basketballs for her sons by stitching socks together and filling them with old rags. John’s father, Hugh, made a basket for his sons from knocking out the bottom of a tomato basket and nailing “it to the hayloft in the barn.” (“My Personal Best” by John Wooden & Steve Jamison)

Coach Wooden taught life skills needed for a successful life to his students, coaches, family members, and others for over 70 years. He developed his “Pyramid of Success” over a 14 year period, 1934- 1948 by identifying 25 behaviors he believed were necessary to achieve his idea of success.

Hugh and Roxie Wooden modeled the behavior they wanted to show their children. They had a long and loving marriage. They were married for 45 years until Hugh Wooden died. John Wooden and his wife Nell Wooden had a loving happy marriage also. They were married for 53 years until Nell died. Coach Wooden continued to write his wife love letters every month after her death.

Coach Wooden said, “I can just see my dad as I see you, if I close my eyes. By the shores of Gitche Gumee, / by the shining Big-Sea-Water, / stood the wigwam of Nokomis, / daughter of the moon Nokomis… Upon completing the verse by Longfellow, Wooden opened his eyes. “We had no electricity, no running water.”

More is caught than taught

Coach Wooden said, “My Father, Hugh Wooden, tried to get his ideas across, maybe not in so many words, but by action. He walked it.”

“Hugh didn’t lecture his boys so much as he sprinkled seeds along their paths.” (“Wooden: A Coaches Life” by Seth Davis)

When John Wooden graduated from 8th grade his father gave him a small hand written card with his “7 Things to Do” and his “Two Sets of 3” with a short poem by Reverend Henry Van Dyke and a two dollar bill. Joshua “Hugh” Wooden wanted to guide his sons by giving them a “moral compass and a powerful foundation”. Coach Wooden kept it in his wallet to read it. These words he lived by for his 99 years on earth. These were Coach Wooden’s “core principles” of his life, which he shared with his students, coaches, family, and others for over seven decades.

On the Wooden farm, John Wooden learned “the habits of discipline and hard work.” Farm chores and studying were a priority in the Wooden household.

Joshua Hugh Wooden’s “7 Things to Do” later Coach Wooden called it his “7 Point Creed”.

1. “Be true to yourself.”

2. “Help others.”

3. “Make each day your masterpiece.”

4. “Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.”

5. “Make friendship a fine art.”

6. “Build a shelter against a rainy day.”

7. “Pray for guidance and count and give thanks for your blessings every day.”

John Wooden’s 7-Point Creed: ‘Be True to Yourself’

Coach John Wooden’s parents, Hugh and Roxy Wooden were his most important teachers. They showed him by example how to have a loving home, to respect others, how to work hard with enthusiasm, and gave him a moral compass to live by.

Coach Wooden said, “Success is peace of mind attained only through self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you are capable.”

Coach Wooden’s first cornerstone of his “Pyramid of Success” is “Industriousness”. He says, “There is no substitute for work. Worthwhile results come from hard work and careful planning.”

The second cornerstone of Coach’s “Pyramid of Success is “Enthusiasm”. Coach Wooden says, “Having enjoyment and love for your task, job, or profession”. When we enjoy and love what we are doing, we work harder with more energy, are more focused and productive working with enthusiasm.

Coach Wooden’s father Joshua “Hugh” Wooden’s “7 Point Creed” and “Two Sets of Three” are words of timeless wisdom for you to live by just like Coach Wooden, his family, his students, and coaches have for over 70 years.