Hello and welcome to this issue of The Bright Side!  Thanks so much for sharing your time reading this -- if you feel it is beneficial please encourage others to subscribe.   We have a "the more, the merrier" policy with this e-zine!  :-)

Well!  Our free coaching day was a huge success and I coached so many folks that my voice (and brain!) were worn out by the end of the day!  It was great fun to connect with so many of you and get to know you on a deeper level.  For those of you who did not have the opportunity to participate, I will announce another day sometime this summer.   What fun!

Thank God things have calmed down in many parts of the world now and peace is more prevalent today than when I last wrote to you.  My prayer is that peace will continue to spread to every heart and in every nook and cranny of the planet!

With Love,
Beth

Imagine being asked to sing the national anthem at a play-off sporting event.  Imagine the excitement and the honor of such a public and coveted place to share your talent.  Imagine your family, friends and the country watching you take your place and begin to sing.  Now imagine opening your mouth to sing and becoming so overwhelmed that you actually forget the words to the anthem.  Ooooh my!   Can't you just feel yourself shrinking right before your very eyes?

This is exactly what happened to Natalie Gilbert who sang the national anthem in the Portland TrailBlazers/Dallas Mavericks basketball game last week (April 25, 2003).   Natalie is a 13 year old girl who competed and won the opportunity to sing the national anthem in front of the 20,000 fans attending the playoff game in the Rose Garden.

Much to Natalie's horror, she stood still drawing a blank, not knowing what to do next when Portland Trailblazers Coach Maurice Cheeks walked over to the microphone, draped his arm around Natalie and began to sing the words with Natalie.  Soon, the 20,000 other people in the arena began singing as well.  What could have been a disaster, became a very important moment in the life of Natalie Gilbert.  Instead of shrinking, Natalie stood tall -- thanks to the actions of a very fine coach.

Coach Maurice Cheeks created the opportunity to show the world what coaches, whether in the athletic realm, the corporate world or in life, REALLY do.

Here is what you can learn about coaching from this situation:

1. Coach Cheeks saw the need for support and jumped right in.  "Come, on, Come on," he said as he strode over to help out. He was there as Natalie's compassionate partner, encouraging her to keep going and to keep trying. 

2. Coach Cheek empowered Natalie to continue in spite of her mistake.  He helped her recall the words, building on her skills and strengths. It was her young and lovely voice that carried the tune singing the anthem.

3. Coach Cheeks modeled his own vulnerability and courage by stepping up to the microphone with Natalie.  Let's be truthful, the man isn't famous for his singing voice. In fact, Coach Cheeks may know very little about singing, but his passion lies in seeing others achieve their dreams. What a powerful display of leadership!

4. Coach Cheeks' actions shows us that leadership is not so much about position, but about taking action and being an example in helping others be their very best.  Maurice Cheeks is COMMITTED to people building on their experiences to become successful.  He committed his time, resourcefulness, and heart to Natalie as she struggled with the anthem.

5. Coach Cheeks' took the potentially humiliating experience and showed Natalie where the "good" part of the experience was. He motioned for the crowd to join in the singing and before the end of the anthem, all 20,000 fans were on their feet singing along with Coach Cheeks and Natalie.  This single action totally changed Natalie's perception of what was taking place, moving her from a place of embarrassment to be a place of acceptance and love.

6.  When Coach Cheeks' motioned for the crowd to join in the sing-along, he exemplified a perfect example of asking for help when one needs it.  As a coach, this is a critical piece in letting clients know that no one has to do everything themselves and that others want to see them succeed.

7. At the end of the anthem, Coach Cheeks gave Natalie a warm embrace and told her not to worry -- everyone has a bad game every now and then.  He made it clear that dwelling on what HAS happened is not generally useful.  Focusing on what CAN happen is what moves people forward.

No doubt, Natalie will perform again -- she has been invited back by the Trailblazers.   Will she do it?  Absolutely.  Will she nail it next time?  No doubt!   She will be awesome standing all alone with the microphone next time!  Natalie will step up into her greatness -- thanks to a little impromptu coaching from a class-act coaches' coach, Maurice Cheeks.  Thanks, Coach!


To see Coach Cheeks in action go to: http://www.nba.com/blazers/features/Cheeks_Anthem_Assist-73713-41.html

My wish for you is that you recognize all the opportunities to help others become great and that you believe it is possible for yourself too. It is!  I know it because I see it every day!

Need a coach?  Let me know and I will do what I can to make it happen!

Warmest Wishes,
Beth Burns

Coach / Writer ... and so much more.