Do Well!

Last week my youngest daughter, Meredith, was married in Malibu. It was a beautiful wedding and a special gathering of friends and family from all over the country. She and her new husband, Sergio, had friends from Denver who came to be with them. One of those friends was Nick, who came with his beautiful wife Sharon and their wonderful baby boy Jack. I had the good fortune of spending several mornings with Nick and Jack at breakfast, as well as moments with Nick and Sharon at the wedding, reflecting on their friendship with Meredith and Sergio among other things.


Nick was from New Zealand where in his history he had played a very competitive level of championship cricket. Having come from a competitive athletic background myself, we had several very interesting conversations. In one conversation about the wedding, I said in parting "good luck". I don't remember about what in specific. But, I do remember what it triggered from him. He said that when he played cricket in New Zealand, he and his teammates never said good luck to one another because, as professionals, performance is never a matter of luck. It is a product of preparation, planning and a lot of hard work. So, they never said good luck, rather they said, "Do well!"


I have thought a lot about that since our trip to the West Coast, and I really think Nick has it right. Professionals cannot afford to leave their results to luck. Of course, we all love to have unexpected things spin our way. We just can't afford to depend upon the unexpected for the success we hope to achieve. We must purpose them. We must anticipate, practice and master the disciplines we represent. Wearing the label of professional should be more than a matter of chance.


So, thanks Nick! I am thankful for having made a new friend from New Zealand, and I am thankful that he brought me a great piece of wisdom from down under. Do well, my friends!