Pyramid of Success

Pyramid of Success

The Pyramid of Success
John Wooden

Block 1: Industriousness

"There is no substitute for work. Worthwhile results come from hard work and careful planning."

The first block to John Wooden Pyramid of Success is Industriousness. Industriousness means to be actively engaged or occupied , to be industrious you need to be a hard working, energetically and devotedly person. An example of a Industriousness person can be a high school student who is working hard to get into college and become successful in life. Getting straight As is hard work because you have to focus and study every day and night , getting good grades is very hard because you can not slack of.

Block 2: Enthusiasm

"It is the engine that powers all blocks of the Pyramid. It is why I chose Industriousness and Enthusiasm as the cornerstones of my Pyramid of Success. It is where everything begins."

Block two to the pyramid of success is Enthusiasm, this means to be intense in enjoyment. An employee with enthusiasm comes across as someone who wants to be at work and who is willing to do what it takes to get the job done. The activities in this section seeks to teach participants about the important of enthusiasm and a positive attitude in the work place. You have to have a passion for what you are doing if you want to build enthusiasm for it. You need to be excited about it as you wake up in the morning and as you go to bed at night. This passion is what will keep your enthusiasm high, even during rough patches, which we all go through. Simply put, love what you do and enthusiasm will follow. One of the ways that I build my enthusiasm with my work and my business is that I always remind myself everything that it has given me. I express gratitude for all that I have and this helps me become even more excited about what I’m doing. As we go through the daily grind, it is very easy to forget about all the little things that make our life easier and comfortable. Remember all the good things that you have going on in your life and be grateful for being who you are today.

Block 3: Friendship

"Comes from mutual esteem, respect and devotion. Like marriage it must not be taken for granted but requires a joint effort." 

 A friend is a person that someone knows and likes People who are friends talk to each other and spend time together. They also help each other when they are in trouble or are hurt. Friends are people that can be looked up to and trusted. Usually friends have similar interests. A friend is one who admires a person's skill and helps or encourages them to make the right choices and do not get into any trouble at all. The strength of the bond of friendship between two people can vary. If the bond is very strong, they are called best friends. This can usually be achieved by possessing the elements of friendship, by being kind, generous, loyal, honest and by having fun. With these qualities you can truly enjoy the bliss of friendship .There are expectations, demands and complaints in friendship too. If friends don't match with your expectations, it does not mean you will break the friendship. It is all about understanding, realizing and helping whenever possible .Friendship is both good and necessary. Man cannot live all alone. He is a social being. He needs someone to share his joys and sorrows. Generally, it is only people of similar age, character and background, mentality, etc., who can understand him and his problems. Friends are needed for support and for sharing.

Block 4: Loyalty

"To yourself and to all those depending upon you. Keep your self-respect."

Loyalty is a strong feeling of support or allegiance; the quality of being loyal to someone or something. For example, lets say you're in a relationship , you have to be loyal to your partner as in being faithful to ones obligations. You can also be loyal to yourself by being true with others and stay committed. Someone who is loyal is trustworthy is worth keeping and you can be sure that this person will be there for you anytime, anywhere. Also someone who is loyal has a strong positive strong emotion in regard of others. "To yourself and to all those depending upon you. Keep your self-respect." You have to be loyal in life because it will take you to great places. For example in a job no one wants to hire someone untrustworthy. They want someone who can do the job and keep things confidential.

Block 5: Cooperation

"With all levels of your co-workers. Listen if you want to be heard. Be interested in finding the best way, not in having your own way. "

I agree with this quote about cooperation by John Wooden. Although you may not always agree with another persons thoughts/ideas, you should still be an active listener. If the tables were turned, you as well would want people to listen to your ideas. Cooperation means that both sides put in the equal amount of time and effort. Cooperation also means having an equal understanding of consensus on both sides. You need to be able to come to an agreement after all in order to cooperate with someone. Also, you should keep in mind that you are trying to find the best way of doing something, not just your way. It can be that the best way can be a mixture of everyone's ideas. You should not have a mindset and be stubborn that it has to be your way or not at all. We should not judge people based on looks because everyone has something different to bring to the table. For example, some people may have connections or resources needed to complete a specific task. In order to cooperate, you just need to have to be open minded and willing to put in your part.

Block 6: Ambition (For noble goals)

Ambition is something that we all need to have in order to succeed in our goals. If there is no ambition there is no strive to win or succeed only to fail. We always need to believe that we can win or achieve our goals. You need to have confidence and believe in yourself. That is why we need ambition in order to succeed. Ambition is a feeling or a desire to achieve a goal. Usually that goal revolves around a person’s definition of success or greatness. I believe we are most likely to succeed when ambition is focused on noble and worthy purposes and outcomes rather than on goals set out of selfishness. If our ambition is to be highly publicized, receive a lot of recognition, attain a position of power or prestige, or make a lot of money, we do not have noble goals. If we are focused away from ourselves and on the team and others, we possess noble goals. Desire for exertion or activity; energy: had no ambition to go dancing. 

Block 7: Self-Control

"Practice self-discipline and keep emotions under control. Good judgement and common sense are essential." 

Self-control separates us from our ancient ancestors and the rest of the animal kingdom, thanks to our large prefrontal cortex. It is the ability to subdue our impulses in order to achieve longer-term goals. Rather than responding to immediate impulses, we can plan, evaluate alternative actions, and, often enough, avoid doing things we'll later regret. The ability to exert self-control is typically called willpower. It is what allows us to direct our attention, and it underlies all kinds of achievement. There is significant debate in science as to whether or not willpower is a finite resource. Studies demonstrate that exercising willpower makes heavy demands on mental energy, notably on reserves of glucose, the brain's preferred fuel, creating ego depletion. It's one reason we're more apt to reach for that chocolate chip cookie when we're feeling stressed than when we're feeling on top of the world. Recently, scientists have failed to replicate some of the studies underlying the concept of ego depletion, and more research is underway. Many say that the first step to leadership is self-leadership.  The ability to discipline yourself is important in achieving any goal.  Whether a New Year’s resolution or a business goal, I am inspired by these quotes on the subject.  Mastering yourself is one of the hardest things to do.

Block 8: Alertness

"Be observing constantly. Stay open-minded. Be eager to learn and improve."

   Block 8 talks about alertness which means the quality of being alert. But in this case it's telling you how to be open-minded, observe, and learn. You should be able to stay alert and achieve great things in life if you are constantly trying to do your best even when it gets rough. An example of alertness would be when you are trying to learn new things and you may think, why even try, but you need to remember to always have faith in yourself and be open minded.  The quote explains how you should constantly be aware and seek not only to improve yourself but the team as well. I can apply this block into my daily life by taking opportunities and being eager to learn something new everyday as I come to school. Being alert includes the function of your brain and how you treat it. What this Block 8 means is that you should always be observing everything that goes on around you. You should always stay open-minded about different things/ideas. It is always a good thing to be eager to learn about different things to ultimately improve yourself.If you take on an eager attitude for things you do in life, you cannot go wrong. Learning new things can be exciting and it can also be intriguing to know about things you did not know before. You should always observe those things around you because you never know when something can happen. You should always be aware of your surroundings and also of opportunities that can be given to you. If you have an open mind, you will be able to achieve many things in life.

Block 9: Initiative

"Cultivate the ability to make decisions and think alone. Do not be afraid of failure, but learn from it."

This quote means is to be able to make decisions for yourself without having to depend on others. Not everyone is in the same situation as you, so sometimes you have to make decisions based on what's best for you. You should be able to take initiative and take the lead when there is no one else there to do it. You shouldn't be afraid to fail because in order to really succeed, you need to fall a couple times and pick yourself up. It is always a great help to have support from others, but unfortunately you will not always have people around you. In this case, you will need to step up and take the lead in order to make a decision that you will not regret. "Act like others, but think like yourself." You can act like the people around you, but it is important that for some things you have your own mindset and ways of thinking about things. When you fail, the failure doesn't live on forever, soon you will get over it and move on. Then you will try again to succeed because you really want to be successful in life. It also means the ability to assess and initiate things independently.

Block 10: Intentness

"Set a realistic goal. Concentrate on its achievement by resisting all temptations and being determined and persistent."

What this quote mean is that you shouldn't set a goal so unrealistically high that you get discouraged from it. You should set a goal that you know you can achieve, and then set another goal. Intentness is the thing that keeps a person reaching for the next achievement, to make each possibility a reality. The road to achievement may be difficult, but if you set realistic goals it can be a lot easier. Even if you have to try different methods, you should never quit. Be intent, persistent and determined to reach your realistic objective. Once you set a goal, you should be determined to reach it. You should not give up no matter what circumstances are put in your way. You should always try to overcome circumstances, no matter how hard they may get. The more obstacles you overcome, the stronger your mindset will be towards achieving your desired goal. It takes a lot of hard work and persistence to achieve a goal, but if you stay dedicated you will get there.
Block 11: Sincerity (keeps friends) 

Block 11 from John Wooden “ The Pyramid of Success ” is sincerity , sincerity means the quality of being free from pretense, deceit, or hypocrisy. Sincerity is the quality or state of being sincere; honesty and truthfully. If you are sincerity with your friends people will trust you, sincerity is really important in life because it shows your character and the type of person you are.  Being sincere is an important because it also makes you be more believable to people. Most of the time, you can tell straight out when someone is giving sincere thanks or meaning it in a fake way. A person who means what she/he says is a sincere person. When someone doesn't mean what she/he says, then that person may be a hypocrite .Sincerity should also be rational and intelligent and not foolish. It is not enough to be sincere, you must also be right. People will always want to be around you if you are sincere because it shows that you are trustworthy. When we have a genuine mindset of expressing what we feel, we learn a lot about ourselves as people. If we become truthful of ourselves and accept that we are not perfect, it allows room to grow and to improve. You should be honest and make the right decisions that will lead and guide you to a path of success that you can apply towards your life. 

Block 12: Adaptability (to any situation)

Adaptability is being able to adjust to new conditions wherever you go. In order to adapt, you need to have an open mind towards change. To adapt is to grow and change, and in order to do so you have to let go of what you think is "right" or "wrong." You have to be able to adjust to new thoughts and ideas that may not seem familiar to you. Another great quality of being an adaptable person, is not whining about a situation you cant change. An adaptable person will accept the situation for what it is and move on. Being an adaptable person also means that they will forego the old in order to adapt to something new. They’re not a victim to external influences because they’re proactive. An example of this can be shown through getting a new job. It may not be easy at first, but you have to learn to adapt to the new environment.

Block 13: Condition

"Mental-Moral-Physical. Rest, exercise and diet must be considered. Moderation must be practiced. Dissipation must be eliminated." 

I believe what this block is trying to say is to take care of yourself in all aspects. Make sure you are well rested and eat healthy for the physical component. Then for the mental component, you should take care of your mind by not over stressing and meditating. You should take care of your overall condition because it may affect you in the future. You should have a strong mentality that makes you always Choose the Right 24/7. You must be in physical condition, but also have mental and moral condition. Weak mental or moral condition precludes top physical Condition.

Block 14: Skill

"A knowledge of and the ability to properly and quickly execute the fundamentals. Be prepared and cover every little detail."

Having skills is a very important role in life, I Believe we all have a certain skill in life. Some of develop different skills in different ways. I can say that I'm very skill full in math, Spanish, basketball, and in counting money or being involve with money. There are many ways you can apply skills to your life , you can be have labor skills , life skills, people skills, social skills, soft skills, hard skills, and communication skills. Being able to have a skill is having the ability to carry out a task with determined results often within a given amount of time, energy or both. A very important skills we can apply to our lives is communication skills. Having the ability to learn new languages so we can be able to communicate with other around the world is the best skill we can develop. 

Block 15:  Team Spirit

"A genuine consideration for others. An eagerness to sacrifice personal interests of glory for the welfare of all."

Team spirit is the feeling of camaraderie among the members of a group, enabling them to cooperate and being a  willing collaborator to cooperate and work well together. Everyone has the same goal and mind set when you are in the same team, having team spirit can raise and boost the energy up and it would be easier to achieve the goal, it might take team effort but it definitely needs TEAM SPIRIT.  In order to be a willing collaborator you have to elaborate with the people around you. 

Block 16: Honesty (in thought and action)

"Honesty is the best policy." (Ben Franklin) 

This block talks about honesty, i will further analyze what this block means followed by the quote " Honesty is the best policy". So lets begin with what is honesty? Honesty means being true to what ever you do. Well there are many ways you can be honest, you can be honest with yourself and with others. Some few examples on how you could be honest with your self is by being true to yourself, if you say you are going to do something make sure to do it. Do not lie to your self or to others make sure you are loyal and truthful, if you made a mistake just be honest with your self and deal with the consequences you have. We all learn from our mistakes, it is like a lesson we learn but in a hard way.  In a marriage honesty is the key, i believe if you are not honest to the person who you are married to then the relationship will not work out. 

Block 17: Resourcefulness (proper judgment)
 “Make the most out of what you have.” (Anonymous)

"If you have a dream, if you have something you've always wanted to do, look within yourself because that is where resourcefulness resides; and go for it. (Jennifer Witterick) 

Making the most out of what you have means using everything you have to achieve your goal. For example if you have a lemons and you want juice, you can squeeze it as hard as you can and you can probably make a cup of lemonade. This is a great example on making the most you can because you are using everything to make something out of it that is more than just a simple lemon. Many people make the most out of what they can so you can apply it to you life style and you will get far in life if you really use everything you can. I can relate to this block because I've had made the most out of what i have like basketball. I really like the sport of basketball when i was a kid and i had no one to teach me how to play, i learned from what i saw on and i applied it to my life. During some time it was hard because it was just me by myself and i wish i had someone who taught me how to even shoot but with time i develop skills through out the way while playing against people and that is how i made the most out of what i had. All i had was a basketball, court, and seeing people play. Every time i played against some people i learned a skill from them and i applied it to myself. 

Block 18: Poise

"Just being yourself. Being at ease in any situation."

To be poised is to have both a mental and physical mastery over yourself. Its clarity and forthrightness under pressure. Its steadfast confidence and decisive, rational action. Its prognosis, strength, and composure. Poise is shown in the graceful and elegant bearing of a person. It is the lost skill of a lady. But you’d never the world didn’t have enough of it until it has sauntered passed you like a breath of fresh air. In general, there are three main tenets of poise: grace, posture, and composure. In order to embody grace and femininity you need to have poise. It is shown in the way you walk, speak, and present yourself. It’s what makes the difference between a Miley Cyrus and a Grace Kelly. People used to purposefully study to cultivate deportment, control, and refinement. You see that with the actress Grace Kelly. Miley Cyrus, the singer, is on the opposite end of the spectrum cultivates shock value instead. When you watch a Grace Kelly film, or many other old Hollywood films, you’ll see echoes of poise in the way the women behaved and carried themselves. They had a finesse in their manner and speech that was graceful and elegant, but strong. They commanded respect while subtlety exuding attractiveness and charm. 

Block 19: Confidence 

"Thorough preparation breeds confidence" Gerald Bell in
"The Carolina Way"

When you stop engaging in the present moment and begin to think about how you look, sound, feel, smell, etc., you’re creating an immediate disconnect. Whether you’re disconnecting from a conversation or general experience, the effect is the same: You immediately lose confidence .This loss of confidence creates an energetic wave that is felt by everyone in the same room, interacting with you or listening to you speak .It took me some time to understand this concept myself, but it’s amazing how someone else’s perception of and connection to you can change the instant that you disengage with the present moment and go into your head. It makes it harder for them to connect to your message or to you, leaving them uncertain and uninterested.

Block 20: Reliability (creates respect) 

Reliability means to be reliable, able to be trusted with. A few example of this is by keeping your promises and being proactive with what ever you do. Another example of being reliable is by keeping you word with what ever you say and not surprising other by doing the wrong thing. You have to get the job done even if it means being a willing collaborator. If you say something make sure to keep you word and stay true to what you say. Your past might be spotted but your future is spotless, you can become reliable by choosing the right and do right thing when is needed. 

Block 22: Competitive Greatness

" Be at your best when your best is needed. Enjoyment of a difficult challenge."

This block talks about competitive greatness and an example that was given was that you should be at your best when your best is needed. Like whenever you are taking a test, you need to give it your best so you can pass what ever it is. It is an enjoyment of a difficult time because when you try your best you are more likely to pass the exam and you will have joy for overcoming it. I, myself, can be called a competitive Greatness because I do try my best when it is needed and i enjoy the outcome because even though its hard i still try my best and succeed on what ever i put my mind. We are greatness waiting to happen just like how Mr C says it. Another example that can relate to this topic is a doctor, a doctor needs to be fully aware on what he is doing and still needs to try his best because this is when his best is need.  

Block 23: Integrity (purity of intention)

This Block talk about integrity, having integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles and doing the right thing in all circumstances, even if no one is watching you. Integrity also means you are true to yourself and would do nothing that demeans or dishonors you. Examples of integrity is doing the right thing like keeping your promises even if it takes extra effort, do not make talk down on someone or make fake assumptions on them, and remain true to your spouse or partner. You might not think doing the right thing matters right in that second, but if you make the right choice, later on in your life it will make a huge difference so HAVE INTEGRITY! There are several reasons why integrity is so important, First, living a life of integrity means that we never have to spend time or energy questioning ourselves. When we listen to our hearts and do the right thing, life becomes simple. 

Block 24: Faith (through prayer)

Believe and Achieve. Positive belief.

Over the years, I've met many people who talk about faith yet show no outward connection to God's viewpoint on the matter. They might say, "If I just have more faith, then this or that will happen." Later, they wondered why faith didn't seem to work for them. Teach your kids that faith isn't a feeling, and it's not a supernatural force to get God to give us what we desire. If faith isn't tied to God's truth, it accomplishes nothing. Faith is only as strong as the thing to which it is anchored. Indeed, a person might be full of faith even if she doesn't feel it. She might be willing to act in faith — to love an enemy, to protect the weak, to respect a grumpy teacher — simply because she believes that what God says is true, even if her emotions and reasoning do not compel the action. Faith is trust, assurance and confidence in God. Living faith is shown by service and obedience to God. God will increase our faith if we fervently ask and draw close to Him.

Block 25: Patience (good things take time)

Block 25 is patience, everything takes time no matter what, and if you rush anything it wont come out as great as if you would have taken your time. If you want to become a doctor you will need to cover a lot of classes and you will need patience because becoming a doctor isn't a over night thing. You will have to work as hard as you can for a long period of time and it will be all worth it at the very end. " The two most powerful warriors are patience and time. " this means that patience and time are two major factors that we can learn in life because with time and patience the right thing can happen. This quote is important because we will have to learn how to be patience in life no matter what. If we rush something , something bad might happen like for example if we are rushing our way home and pass the speed limit we might end up in a car crash or get pulled over for speeding. So, it is very important that we take our time so we wont make any mistakes. 

Reflection
What I learn from the Pyramid Of Success by John Wooden is that there are a lot of thing I need to apply into my life. We analyze and explain the 25 blocks that he had and from every bock I learned a few things. I learned that you need to be a hard working, energetically and devotedly person. Having loyalty was one block that i can relate to because having loyalty means to keep your word to yourself and to all those depending upon you. Another block that i can apply to my life is confidence, having confidence is really important because this can help you achieve your goal. Like for example if you have confidence in yourself when you are taking a test you will feel good about the answers you are writing down and you will do good on the test. I can relate to this because when I have  confidence in your shot in basketball it helps me improve my percentage. Resourcefulness is another great block that is important because you have to make the most out of what you have to achieve your goal.