This past Sunday our church, First Baptist Church of Starkville, hosted the Mississippi State University football team. Our pastor, Andy Brown interviewed Coach Tommy Bowden who was our guest speaker. Of course they began talking about football stories from the legendary Bowden family. Some time during the interview Coach Bowden began talking about the importance of making good decisions.
Everybody knows about bad decisions, and Bowden recounted some more or less recent poor decisions within the college football community and how much they had cost players and coaches. Then he gave criteria he uses to guide himself when making decisions: discipline, commitment, accountability, responsibility, and sacrifice.
We’re beginning a new year at MSU and the signs are all around us. A lot of decisions have already gone into students’ choosing to come here. The first few weeks of classes are critical for students to lay a solid foundation for succeeding over the long run.
Transitioning into any new phase of life is easier when we consider our decisions carefully. Time management is likely the biggest challenge for college students. Good routines or habits lead to good results. Sleeping late or pursuing new activities and interests at the expense of studying are not academically productive. Students who can discipline themselves into developing academically productive time will also lead them to enjoying free time without a nagging sense of anxiety.
We hear it all of the time: some people just can’t make a commitment. That’s true. Nevertheless, committing to making a good decision and sticking with it are key to improving one’s decision-making. For whatever reasons, today’s younger generations generally value commitment less than older generations. There are more ways to get out of commitments today, unfortunately. On a positive note, those who learn to keep commitments will likely learn other positive values too.
And, who is accountable today? It’s a rare thing for people to be accountable for bad decisions. We all make bad decisions and the urge is almost always there to deflect blame elsewhere. Deflecting blame to someone or something else is always a bad decision. It’s the coverup that gets us in the end. Perhaps that’s why those who are accountable stand out as trustworthy leaders.
Responsibility is one of those disciplines that gets into the minutiae, i.e. the little things make big differences. Can one be trusted? The Bible teaches that one who is trustworthy in small things can be trusted with bigger responsibilities. Responsibility is a decision in itself. We choose not only to do things right, but more so to do the right things.
Every good decision-maker knows decisions require sacrifices because we always have multiple choices at play. Can I commit to this and still do that? Think about our veterans who made the decision to enlist knowing they would be called on to sacrifice something. The most revered people among us are those who have sacrificed something for the benefit of others. Sacrificial giving is a universally admirable trait.
Coach Bowden offered our football players and other students valuable advice regarding making good decisions. Some of our older folks benefited too! Life is filled with an ever growing number of choices and decisions that affect a multitude of people whether we realize it now or later. Choose wisely.
Daniel L. Gardner is a columnist who lives in Starkville, MS. You may contact him at PJandMe2@gmail.com.
6 comments:
Work hard, exercise discipline, be accountable, think before you act...ah forget it. This is just more right wing, MAGA rhetoric from Gardner.
@3:27
From someone who doesn’t believe in hrd work, discipline, and accountability - now that’s a republican.
" For whatever reasons, today’s younger generations generally value commitment less than older generations."
This is the only sentence in the article in which I disagree. Its an over-generalization, and probably could have been worded differently, such as "Some people say, todays' younger...". Otherwise, its a very good article and full of of wise advice. Good job, Mr. Gardner.
Thanks Coach Bowden for inspiring DL's first cogent article.
Sad, but true, it's so easy to criticize someone else's advice, rather to examine yourself to get some good from it and then humbly stay silent, isn't it.
What a ridiculous way to spend a church service. Preach the Gospel. Don’t have people come in for TED talks.
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