Building on even the smallest successes Published Aug. 5, 2012 By Chaplain (Maj.) Craig Abee 315th Airlift Wing JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. -- I learned an important lesson from a four-year-old. That four-year-old, my nephew William, was visiting from Virginia, and I thought it would be fun to take him bowling here, at the base bowling alley. He had never bowled before. My family and I enjoy bowling, so ten of us met there and paid for two lanes. The adults bowled on one and the children on the other. The adults were very competitive. If we knocked down eight pins we would feel obligated to explain what went wrong and why we didn't know down all ten. We focused on technique and tried to tweak our form. The older children in the next lane had apparently learned some of this from us, as they would walk away disappointed when they knocked down only a few pins. The four-year-old William, however, would jump for joy and offer high-fives and hugs all around on every occasion that he knocked down any pins, even if it were only one! William knew the value and importance of celebrating the smallest accomplishment; a lesson the adults needed to learn again. He taught us the importance of celebrating what we could do and not wallowing in angst over that small slice of unmet accomplishment. NBA Head Coach Phil Jackson, whose parents were, by the way, ministers, once said, "Winning is important to me. But what brings me real joy is the experience of being fully engaged in whatever I'm doing." It is important to want to do your best, but when the striving to achieve creates more discontent and cynicism than joy in your life, job and family, I recommend that you re-consider the difference between what is important and what is of ultimate importance. You know that difference. I simply encourage you to practice living it. God bless you and I hope you have a wonderful UTA. Thank you.