I wrote a book about fifteen years ago titled, Winning Created. It’s highly unlikely you ever heard of it, and that’s OK. I’ve actually written four additional books since then, Unconditional Coaching, Be a S.P.U.D. (Same Person Up or Down), Five Things Coaches Want Parents to Know, and my latest, a fiction novel titled, Red Dirt Redemption. I give everybody reading this column permission to go to Amazon and purchase as many as you’d like!

Winning Created is a simple read about what it takes to create an environment of success. I’ve spent my entire professional career dealing with athletic teams and without question teamwork does not just happen via the big bang theory. It has to be created by hand through commitment and selflessness. Whether one is coaching a softball team or running a restaurant, creating a winning environment is essential to success and it’s not a comfortable process.

Even in my personal life, I must work to create the person I want to be. I can’t simply cram all of my hopes and dreams into a pillowcase, swirl it around my head four or five times, throw it against a wall expecting something beautiful to fall out. I have to work at creating the life I want every day, especially when I don’t feel like it.

CREATE is defined as follows; To cause to come into being, as something that is not made by ordinary processes. To evolve from one’s own thought or imagination, as a work of art or an invention. To cause it to happen; bring about; arrange, as by intention or design. To produce, construct, design, give rise to.

What a phenomenal definition. I especially love the last two sentences; To cause it to happen; bring about; arrange, as by intention or design. To produce, construct, design, give rise to. If I want a fulfilling life, be it business or personal, then I must intentionally produce it – construct it – design it – and give rise to it.

I was reminded of this responsibility to create my own life when I visited the John Wayne Experience Museum a few weeks ago at the Ft. Worth Stockyards. I’m a huge John Wayne fan, and like many men my age, I grew up watching his movies.

I have some favorites; The Searchers, True Grit, and The Shootist. I know Hollywood released a new version of True Grit a few years ago, but that is blasphemy, and I refuse to watch it.

But without question, my number one John Wayne movie is The Cowboys. The basis of the movie is that John Wayne’s character, rancher Will Anderson, can’t find any grown men to help him drive his cattle four hundred miles to market. All the men had headed out for the hills to join the gold rush and all he could find to work were schoolboys. The Cowboys should be mandatory viewing for every boy between the ages of six and thirteen. I’ve heard rumors of a remake, but some things are best left alone, and political correctness will only muddy the message.

Walking into the John Wayne Museum, I noticed a large wall with the words, John Wayne Was Never Born, He Was Created. That statement has bounced around in my head since reading it two weeks ago.

I guess in many ways that simple statement applies to all of us. We create what we become in life.

But I do know this much, it is my thoughts, my words and my actions that will create the life I live. I can create peace in my life with myself and others, or I can create chaos. My choice, not yours.

Even though I turned sixty a few years ago, I have time, although limited, to create a celebratory future. It’s my sole responsibility, and it will be the intentions behind the decisions I make that will determine the life I create.

The person I am today was not born; I created this dude, and I have no one to blame but myself if I don’t like what I see.

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Todd Howey is a columnist for BrownwoodNews.com whose articles appear on Fridays. Email comments to [email protected].