In an election year we hear a great deal about INTEGRITY yet we all know that most of what we are hearing is just a candidate tooting his own horn. The sad part is that there is a whole universe out there pleading for men and women of INTEGRITY to stand and be counted.
I think that desire is just as strong in the world of tennis officiating! Even though there will always be problems in any profession, we can continually be on the road to improvement if we will just adhere to one basic principle: Do our best to be men and women of INTEGRITY.
Definition: adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
There is a huge difference between "integrity in theory" and "integrity in practice." We are clearly in need of officials who do "integrity in practice." When we do, the following traits will surface:
1. Honesty is all our dealings, negotiations, and commitments. There will be no more manipulations and deception in our scheduling and fulfilling commitments.
2. Truth will be told. When we speak, we will always tell the truth. I know this is revolutionary but it sure would be refreshing that we know we can take a person at their word.
3. Criticism will still be present but it will only be CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. Men and women of integrity will stop the process that is so common among officials of "eating our own."
These are kind of simple but I think it would sure go a long way to making our officiating world a better place to live...
3 comments:
Your message on Integrity reminded me of my personal fictional friend Eeyore. He was always so accepting of his circumstances whatever they were and he never wanted to impose on anyone. Nothing ever rattled him and even when he was sure the sky was falling it was no big problem for him. After all it was just an old stick house anyhow. But Eeyore was always feeling down and even when his friends tried to cheer him up he stayed down. No matter what they did to make him feel better and to motivate him to do something he just didn’t seem to care.
Eeyore's philosophy of "No Expectations, No Disappointments!" might sound good on the surface, and I admit I lived by his philosophy for years. It seemed like a safe way to think about life and a good way to keep from getting into conflicts with other people. If I don’t expect anyone to treat me like a winner then I am not disappointed with them or with myself when they don’t. If I fail it is okay because I didn’t really think I would succeed anyway. When someone or some circumstances let me down I just laugh and say, "Of course not, It's just an old stick house anyhow." Then I would move on to the next thing. I even thought of expectations as dangerous because they often bring disappointments.
However as I looked around me at other more "driven" people who always seem to be leaving me behind I couldn’t help but wonder if there was some kind of secret that I didn’t know about that helped them to succeed, and I wondered if it was possible for me to succeed as well. I watched as others made sales and built careers doing the things I imagined myself doing. It is hard not to be envious of successful people who seem to be able to make money out of thin air. I decided to start asking them what it was that made seemingly everything work for them. The answers surprised me.
It is all about expectations! You get exactly what you expect to get. I have learned that expectations are vital! Without them you stay in the same place and worst of all you stay content in the same place. Not only are expectations important but even disappointments are important for a successful life. Disappointments are a natural part of success. In fact it would seem they could be used as a barometer for success, because they will show you what your expectations are and let you see how much you want the success you are striving for. They will also motivate you to reach your goals. No one wants to be disappointed but if we think of each disappointment as a redirection tool that will point us toward our goals, and keep moving on, sooner or later we will reach them.
So DO SOMETHING, Every time you are tempted to just accept where you find yourself stop and remember that expectations are a good thing and determine what you expect from the current situation. Don’t allow yourself to say that it doesn’t really matter. Decide what you want and choose to expect it. Write down your expectations if that helps.
I am tired of living in Eeyore's stick house! Let's move out and move on.
Hey eyesore.either put a cork in it or hire an analyst to help you with your personal problems. Randy would you please wield your editorial perogative and edit this totured soul's self introspection?
Dear Mr and/or Mrs Anonymous -
I have no personal problems. I'm just attempting to point out the obvious, which apparently isn't sinking into some of your more dense craniums down south in Tejas...
Why don't you step up to the plate and at least use a unique name so I can adequately respond. Anonymous is so, well.. anonymous. Kinda like talking to a brick wall in the middle of a forest.
If you play nice, I'll invite you to my upcoming birthday party next April. I believe the celebration will be held WSW of your current location in the Brazos valley (yes, I really do think I know who you are!)
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