The Right Thing

Dean Smith is the former head men's basketball coach at the University of North Carolina. He is retired now and is still highly respected throughout the sporting world. He has influenced thousands of people through his coaching and most importantly, through his personal life and character.

The story is told of how he helped to bring about social change in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and the home of the university. Desegregation was still part of the society in North Carolina at the time that he began his coaching career-especially in local restaurants. Dean apparently chose to fight this wrong in a very quiet and respectful way. After church one Sunday he invited a member of his church who happened to be black (and a personal friend) to have lunch with him after services. They dined peacefully at this local establishment and their efforts started the process of rectifying this wrong. Even though Dean was not the head coach at the time, he was respected enough that his quiet stance spoke about what was important.

One of the outstanding things about Dean is that when he was asked about this incident he responded by quietly speaking a powerful truth. He said, "You should never be proud of doing what's right. You should just do what's right." This is not only a testimony to his character, but a poignant reminder for each of us. We can do what is right while looking for the spotlight to shine on us or we can just do what should be done for the betterment of us all. Learn to look for ways to do the right thing just because it's the right thing to do. The rewards will be found in an improved society of like-minded people pursuing a mutually beneficial higher calling.