Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices & Priorities of a Winning Life

Things will go wrong at times. You can't always control your attitude, approach, and response. You options are to complain or to look ahead and figure out how to make the situation better

You can't always control circumstances. However, you can always control your attitude, approach, and response. Your options are to complain or to look ahead and figure out how to make the situation better.

We often can't see what God is doing in our lives, but God sees the whole picture and His plan for us clearly.

Be a pro. • Act like a champion. • Respond to adversity; don’t react. • Be on time. Being late means either it’s not important to you or you can’t be relied upon. • Execute. Do what you’re supposed to do when you’re supposed to do it. Not almost. All the way. Not most of the time. All of the time. • Take ownership. Whatever it takes. No excuses, no explanations.

I have yet to hear God's audible voice, although I have often felt led by God in more subtle ways.

Speaking to five thousand people is no more important than quietly teaching one.

Coach Noll had always told me, “Being stubborn is a virtue when you’re right; it’s only a character flaw when you’re wrong.

Talent is God-given; be thankful. Praise is man-given; be humble. Conceit is self-given; be careful. Dave Driscoll

Our parents encouraged us to follow our dreams and told us that if we wanted to do something, we could do it. And, they said, if we did it the Lord's way, for the right reasons, we would be successful. Not that we would win every game or be wealthy, but that we would be successful in God's eyes if we did the things that glorify Him.

I was gratified by the way our players had approached each game throughout the season. They had remained focused on the task at hand, playing hard and smart week after week. We didn’t have any turmoil or distractions. We went about our business as usual. To do that in a setting that often was anything but usual is a testament to the character of our players and coaches. Our process worked; we simply picked a bad year to only be very good.

Other people were looking at my decision in terms of “retirement.” I guess that’s the right term—retirement—from the NFL, anyway, the only professional career I have ever known. However, I don’t think that God ever wants us to retire from relevance or significance. We faced a twofold question: what is the best setting for me to continue to do God’s work and how did this fit in with what was best for my family?

I love coaching football, and winning a Super Bowl was a goal I’ve had for a long time. But it has never been my purpose in life. My purpose in life is simply to glorify God.

This was the fourth time Lauren and I had seriously contemplated whether being a head coach in the National Football League was where the Lord wanted me to be. I was certain after I had been fired by the Bucs in 2001 that God was moving me and my family into a different role, but He had other plans. We evaluated our options again after the 2005 and 2006 seasons with the Colts, each time concluding that coaching the Colts was God’s will for me.

After twelve years as an NFL head coach—six with the Indianapolis Colts—I know that God has provided me with a significant platform that cannot be measured in sheer numbers alone. We are all role models to someone. Speaking to five thousand people is no more important than quietly teaching one. And as long as our hearts are right, God will honor both endeavors, accomplishing what He will in each setting.

I am thankful that in my current role I can mentor other coaches. I interact directly with seventeen coaches on my staff but I’m also trying to be an example to others outside the organization. I want to prove that it’s possible to win or lose while maintaining a calm dignity and respect toward your players, officials, and the opposition. My hope is that my profession can have an impact on countless youth who are looking to their coaches for guidance on sportsmanship, how effort pays off, and the other life lessons that come from competing.

It’s always disappointing when you have a good team but you don’t win it all. But as disappointed as I was, this past season was a good reminder of just how special the 2006 season had been. Most teams don’t end up winning that final game with that perfect ending—just like life. We are thankful for the one time that we did. Those “perfect ending” moments in life need to be savored, as well as the journey itself, whether it ends at the Super Bowl or not.