I just read a story about Larry Bird and how he, Michael Jordan, and Magic Johnson have really never sat down as a trio to talk about their Dream Team experiences. Most people believe that the real basketball played was during the run-up to the Olympics and the practices that were held during that time. They beat the 8 teams they played by an average of almost 44 points per game, never called a timeout, and were basically looked at like gods during that time period. So, to keep the edge, they played HARD during practices, which I find incredible.

#therewasareasontheyaretheDreamTeam

Exactly.

So how does a story about the Dream Team lead to a slice?

Simple!

At about the same time the Dream Team was dominating everyone, I was developing a love for quotes from famous people. Whether it was from a famous artist, athlete, politician, or activist, I didn’t care. But if it made me stop and think, or copy their words down for later, they were on my list.

So, what I have today, a few of my favorites, from all walks ot life. And I’m hoping that there we be some nuggets of gold left in the comments too! 🙂

  1. “Stop walking through the world looking for confirmation that you don’t belong. You will always find it because you’ve made that your mission… No one belongs here more than you.” – Breme Brown
    • Now, this quote I had written down with a slightly different wording; however, the thought is all the same. If you look for reasons not to fit in, you will always find them. Whether a slight by a co-worker, an ignored text, or whatever, those signs are always around us. The goal is to find what brings you joy, and spend the rest of your life working to keep that joy flowing. We can always find the negative, the positives, they tend to hide. Keep looking for them!
  2. “If you can impact one person with your music, it is pretty much worth it. Sometimes in happens in 5 years, 10 years, but it’s definattly no goint to happen if you don’t go out there and try it yourself.” – DeadMaus
    • DeadMau5 is a Canadian producer and DJ of progressive house music. He made this quote in his masterclass. I’m not sure where I came up with it, but dang, if it doesn’t stick with EVERYTHING we do. His quote is about music, but you could replace music with teaching, parenting, or basketball. We CAN impact people, but we first have to step outside our comfort zone in order to do it. If we stay safe, we won’t impact someone the way we can if we stop worrying and start living!
  3. “Be in an attitude of gratitude.” – Anonymous
    • Nope, I have no idea who said anything like this, but I use this at the beginning of each year, teaching about what a precept is. This one drives me to just be better. I fail, and I mean FAIL a lot. In teaching, in coaching, in life, but I can also pick out that one positive thing in an ocean of yuck. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not, but I am grateful for so many things around me.
  4. ” Don’t let the things you can’t do stop you from doing what you can do.” – John Wooden
    • So many great quotes for the man who spent the first day of practice teaching his players how to put on socks so they won’t get blisters. This is one I drop on my students because they get frustrated with what they can’t do, and it messes with what they can do! Plus it’s one I’ll pull out for myself, because too many times, I get paralyzed by what I cannot do instead of working with what I can.
  5. ” What hurts the victim most is not the cruelty of the oppressor, but the silence of the bystander.” – Elie Wiesel
    • This is the quote of middle school and beyond. We talk a lot about “see something, say something” (thanks, Sharon), and how if they see something going on, it’s the moral obligation to report it, even if it’s anonymously. It fits right into how we stop bullying, but with youth and adults, being willing to stand up and say “stop it” when we see it happen, and if it does not, moving the complaint to the proper people. This quote leads to great conversations! 🙂

I have tons of quotes like these: inspiring, heartfelt, heart-wrenching, beautiful words, made to help us think and do better.

And it’s what life is all about? 🙂