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Success the John Wooden Way

Laurenzo Thomas • September 8, 2021

Success the John Wooden Way

I LOVE basketball! And there's no doubt I will have future blog posts center on my passion for the sport. One of my favorite quotes comes from one of the greatest basketball minds that ever lived - the legendary UCLA coach, John Wooden. John Wooden has many sayings and quotes that I appreciate, but one in particular really resonates because it highlights the focus of my blog - SUCCESS! What is the definition of true success according to John Wooden?

"Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you are capable." That is a fascinating quote! Why? Because you are learning what real success is from someone who was realistically more "successful' from a secular standpoint than most people could ever dream. And it had nothing to do with money, power. or fame.

John Wooden was not successful because he won ten, yes TEN, NCAA basketball championships. He was not successful because he was national coach of the year numerous times. He was not successful because he has an award named after him. John Wooden was successful because of his high moral character, tremendous work ethic, and sincere desire to help others which enabled him to achieve his noteworthy accomplishments. He would be the first to tell you that those accolades, as great as they were, did not define what true success was for him. The feeling of accomplishment, doing your absolute best regardless of outcome, and the peace of mind gained was what was most important.

So do not focus on the material, the financial, the fame, the glory...Pursue the things that really matter. Build strong character based on hard work ethic, being a good friend, displaying loyalty, showing a cooperative spirit, and exhibiting enthusiasm. Then you will have true success, success the John Wooden way.

Success The Right Way

By Laurenzo Thomas May 19, 2024
Hello to all! It has been awhile since I posted to my blog but this post is special to me and I hope others will be inspired by it. Today, May 18th, 2024 marks the 5th anniversary since I started on my plant-based journey. Yes, that means FIVE YEARS of no meat, no dairy, no eggs and 5 years of none of my wife's red beans and rice and classic spaghetti, my mom's gumbo and sweet potato pie, and other staples of the first 49 years of my life. It also meant no fried chicken strips from Ezell's, no Jones's BBQ, no teriyaki, no burgers from Dick's. You get it! I mention all of this to just highlight that it has not been easy and there are times I may crave fried chicken, a nice steak, or a juicy burger. But I resolved in my heart to to forge ahead on this path because it literally SAVED MY LIFE! So yes, May 18th is a special day for me. There have been struggles and setbacks but I am proud to say I have never touched meat, dairy, or eggs from day one. In the process of exploring the world of veganism and particularly, whole food plant based eating, I have learned so much about myself and the lifestyle. I have lost 85 lbs but it has come with many challenges. Over the last two months I did a 60-day personal challenge as I looked forward to my anniversary. Over the next few weeks I will share details of what that entailed as well as other things I have gleaned over the last 5 years. Stay tuned!
By Laurenzo Thomas June 2, 2022
There is absolutely no question that a plant-based diet and lifestyle has captured the minds and hearts of people everywhere. Whether it's for health reasons, for ethical reasons, or just a change from the ordinary, adopting a plant-based lifestyle is certainly a popular trend right now. But for those who truly see the amazing benefits it is definitely not just a trend. They recognize the tremendous impact it can have on one not just physically but mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually. Because of this many have made the decision to embark on the journey; they are in it for the long haul! Perhaps you also have made a conscientious decision to do the same. But are you ready? What does going plant-based really mean? In essence a plant-based diet involves centering your meal choices around plants, plant centric as it were. What do we mean by plants? That would include vegetables, fruits, legumes (i.e. lentils, beans, chickpeas, peas), tubers (i.e. potatoes, yams), root vegetables (i.e. carrots, beets), nuts, and seeds. Particularly, you should strive to have at least half your plate consist of vegetables especially green veggies like kale, collards. or broccoli. Now here at PREAM Nutrition, we emphasize a no meat, no eggs, no dairy diet. In other words, nothing with a mother as Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn would say. Because of this some would label that veganism and it's true sometimes the terms could be interchangeable. We will address that in a later blog, but suffice to say a plant-based diet may allow for meat, processed foods, fried foods , etc... However, if your goal is optimal health as you travel on this journey, you will definitely want to consider avoiding meat altogether as well as processed foods, and what some would term vegan junk foods (do you hear me Doritos and Oreo cookies?) Other obvious factors in this journey are your goals. Are you trying to lose weight? Do you want to prevent or perhaps reverse certain health conditions? Is your aim to lower your carbon footprint? Whatever your goals are, they should be clearly stated so you can keep them in focus as you pursue this plant-based adventure. Having support along the way is paramount to success as well and PREAM Nutrition is here to travel with you, support you, and guide you along the way! So are you ready for this plant-based journey? Take it one step at a time, one day at a time, brace yourself for the inevitable challenges along the way, and you can be sure of reaching your destination and finding success!
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