It Is One of the Most Beautiful Compensations of this Life
That No Man Can Sincerely Help Another
Without Helping Himself

Wooden’s Wisdom — Volume 3, Issue 141

September 22, 2021
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This quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson was a favorite of Coach Wooden’s and a guiding principle of his life and daily activities. With the same idea in mind, Emerson also said: "Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself."

When Coach talked about the second point in his Father’s seven point creed: Help Others, he explained the idea this way:

Help others, and I dare say that everyone in here today, if you just stop and think, your greatest joy comes when you have done something for someone else for no greater joy than something that has been said or done has been meaningful to another, especially when it was done with no thought of something in return.

Motivational speaker and author Anthony Robbins interviewed Coach Wooden and asked: "Coach I have interviewed several wealthy people who are not all that happy. What advice would you give them?"

Coach’s response was simple: "They should find somebody to help."

Nineteenth Century evangelist Henry Drummond summed the idea up beautifully:

Half the world is on the wrong scent in the pursuit of happiness. They think it consists in having and getting, and in being served by others. On the contrary it consists in giving and in serving others.

In his book Wooden, Coach commented on what he believed was the primary cause of unhappiness:

It is my observation that the primary cause of unhappiness for most people is simply wanting too much: expecting too much materially, chasing the dollar and overemphasizing the material things. When they don’t arrive, unhappiness does.

For over thirty years after his retirement, Coach was very well compensated for speaking appearances and writing. He never moved from his two bedroom condo, never wanted or got a new car or sought other material things.

It has been well documented how he gave of his time and wisdom to all who asked, while seeking nothing in return.

I always felt like Coach got up every morning and said to himself, let me see how many people I can help today.

I have never known a happier person.

"Do not run after happiness, but seek to do good, and you will find that happiness will run after you." James Freeman Clarke

Yours in Coaching,
Craig Impelman

Wooden Wisdom