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Monthly Archives: January 2009
What we can learn from McNabb and the Eagles
On the night of November 23rd, the Philadelphia Eagles had just been thoroughly embarrassed by the Baltimore Ravens, losing 36-7. The first half performance by Eagles’ quarterback Donovan McNabb was so bad, that he was benched. He had thrown two interceptions and fumbled the ball in one half. This was after he had thrown three interceptions and lost a fumble in a humiliatingly bad overtime tie with the awful Cincinnati Bengals. After this blowout loss and benching of the quarterback, the Eagles could have self-destructed, could have blamed each other, could have written off the season, but they didn’t. McNabb could have raised hell and gone on TV and radio telling everyone how he was humiliated and that it wasn’t fair for such a successful quarterback to be benched, but he didn’t.
What was McNabb’s reaction after the first time he was ever benched during a game in his career?
“My first (reaction) was, ‘Wow.’ But you go along with it,” McNabb said. “I am upset about us losing the game, and I’m upset that I wasn’t able to contribute. But I am going to focus on trying to help this team get better by eliminating mistakes and turnovers.”
(That quote was pulled from a yahoo sports story after the game: (McNabb quote )
Instead of bitching and moaning, the Eagles re-committed themselves to each other, to winning, to getting better and to the team and not to the individual. The result was that they turned around and blew out Arizona four days later (because of the Thanksgiving Day game). McNabb broke out of his funk and threw four touchdowns. The Eagles won four out of five to end the season, including a destruction of what should have been a super Bowl bound team, the Dallas Cowboys.
The Dallas Cowboys are the exact opposite of the Eagles in every way. With spoiled players who only think of me, me and me. You constantly hear them chattering away to anyone who will listen in the media about how they aren’t being used right. Led by a egotistic owner Jerry Jones, who is constantly interfering with player personnel and coaches, this team has consistently self-destructed. (Just look as a comparison to how Eagles’ owner Jeffrey Lurie has been in the shadows and yet grew a beard with the rest of his players to show solidarity in their improbable playoff run.)
Now the team Eagles are one game away from the Super Bowl and playing the best and loosest football of the playoffs. Personally, even though I’m not an Eagles fan, I will be rooting them on. McNabb despite a stellar career has constantly and consistently been criticized and harassed despite a great career. He has always been an example of how to conduct yourself, despite playing in a city that once booed Santa Claus (Philly fans are a rough lot).
The Eagles despite tremendous criticism this season including calls for coach Andy Reid to be fired, stuck together and never criticized each other. But more importantly, they never gave up. They never quit. You could see the fight and toughness in them on Sunday against the Giants, especially on two fourth down defensive stands. Their lesson of perseverance, despite long odds and tough times is an excellent lesson for life and especially these tough times.
Are your friends worth a whopper?
Burger King has launched a Facebook app that if you remove ten friends on Facebook you win a free whopper. Check it the below link for more info on the offer and on how to back into a Facebook valuation:
What happens when money and business define you?
The economic crisis descending upon us is having a profound impact on many people’s lives. One of the most troubling things to witness is the rise in suicides, especially high profile suicides. The past two days news of US property mogul, Sheldon Good, and the German business magnate, Adolph Merckle, have graced the front pages of newspapers. They join the French investor who was conned by Bernie Madoff, Thierry Magon de La Villehuchet. This news is very sad not just because they are dead, but more sad that they chose to end their lives as if there was no more point to living.
These men were described as honest, hard working and generally good, smart people. I didn’t know know them when they were alive, but they chose to end their lives once their businesses and fortunes collapsed. Why just because your money is gone, your life is forfeit and has no value? How utterly sad is that? How sad is it that these people only defined themselves by business, materiality and money?
There is so much more to life than the material things we accumulate only to give up later when we die or give away before we die. There is family and friends. There is nature and beauty. There is love and goodwill. And most importantly is service to others.
Our ego mind lies to us. It convinces us that what is important is the kind of clothes on our backs, the shoes that we wear, the car that we drive, the house that we live in is paramount in our lives. The ego mind convinces us that our business stature and how other people regard us is what is important. But this is all a lie. Is this what our soul really wants? Is this who we are? Of course not, but years of listening to our ego and worrying what other people think create habits of mind and this is what we become. So that in the end, if suddenly our business, money and fame is taken from us, we are left with nothing. And what else is there to live for?
Imagine instead what these three very capable, very smart men could have done in terms of service to investors, their families, friends or just one person if they hadn’t killed themselves. What lessons could they teach investors? How could they be of help to family members or friends in need of help, advice or just someone’s presence? What help are they now? How much suffering has their deaths caused?
What if even in their hour of darkness, they had broken out to volunteer or do service for another person? This is one selfish reason, I volunteer. In one of my darkest times in 2003, when my love life, business career and health all failed at once, I’m convinced that volunteering at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta hospital kept me grounded and functioning, and it kept me from the darker thoughts that obviously consumed the three men mentioned above.
In 2008, I had the worst business performance of my life. It was terrible and it hurt me greatly that the clients that had entrusted money to me had lost so much money. And things are very uncertain now in many ways in my life. But what I have learned is that I can only do my best, work hard, learn from my mistakes and move forward. In the meantime, there is way too much for me to do that isn’t business, including: service, volunteering and good deeds. There are friends and family that may need me for a myriad of problems or advice or just to listen.
My advice to those that are hurting economically is to get out of your ego for a moment and do service for someone else. In times like these, I can guarantee you that there are people in circumstances that are much worse than yours. Try to help someone else. And in the end your giving of yourself will end up helping you in ways that are so much more important than material possessions and money. The meaning and the joy that you will receive will make you richer than you can possibly imagine.
G-dcast Recommendation
A great way to follow the Torah portion of the week is by following the blog: G-dcast.com. They have a guest narrator, narrate a summary and some thoughts on the Torah portion of the week set to flash animation. What is great is that the whole thing takes only 3-4 minutes a week.
This week’s portion is narrated by someone I know Marcus Freed and I really enjoyed it, especially his thoughts at the end. I recommend this site wholeheartedly. (Marcus is an actor who specializes in bringing Biblical stories alive through theater. He’s a good guy)
Here is the link: G-dcast link
Sex Trafficking and William Wilberforce
Nicholas Kristof has an excellent NY Times editorial about sex trafficking, where young women are kidnapped and brought into brothels and forced to work as prostitutes. They are regularly tortured and beaten into submission. This is very clearly slavery and this is a blight upon humanity. Read the editorial though some of it is very disturbing:
So what does this have to do with William Wilberforce?
The Obama administration will have a new tool to fight traffickers: the Wilberforce Act, just passed by Congress, which strengthens sanctions on countries that wink at sex slavery.
The Wilberforce Act, named after William Wilberforce, is based upon his lifelong quest against slavery of any kind and to use laws and moral suasion to change the world for the better. About two hundred years after he battled against slavery, his name is invoked for a new fight in a country not even his own. This is the impact one person can make on the world, long after he dies.
If you didn’t see my post on William Wilberforce here it is: Wilberforce post