Life Lessons:
Derek Anderson
Are you happy at the moment?
Happiness is an emotion that comes and goes but at this very moment… Yes! LOL! I enjoy every second of the day and those that seek happiness will have it more often then not.
If you could go back and say anything to your 16-year-old self now – what would it be?
I would tell myself to “Stay focused on meeting as many people as you could so you can tell the difference between friends and people you just meet. Everyone isn’t meant to be called a friend…even family members.”
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned this year?
How to NOT let others slow me down when I want more than they do. Most people forget how they became successful or how disappointed they were when they were turned away and they in-turn become arrogant or bitter and try and make others suffer as they once had to. I believe this…“Never allow someone’s opinion of you to become your reality.” I’ve learned to not accept NO, but to find another way!
What do you most want to achieve in the next 12 months?
To have my book Stamina made into a documentary and feature film to open peoples eyes in a blind world.
What’s your secret to happiness?
I always watch some kind of comedy when I get bad news or disappointed with business. I laugh so much that I forget what I was mad at…been doing that for 25 years.
What one ritual or practice keeps you grounded?
Saying to myself every morning “Today is going to be the best day ever!” I can have a bad day but I will still say it again and again to make me feel like it’s going to happen eventually and that way I have something to look forward to everyday.
What’s your biggest regret?
No regrets ever! Everyone would like to change things but regret means you want to be different by changing that certain decision. I am fine with being who I am.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve taught your kid(s)?
To know a Bible verse before they know a music verse.
What bad habit would you most like to change about yourself?
My bad habit is trying to help those who I care for when they aren’t ready. I eventually cut them off but the energy is wasted. I don’t drink, smoke, gamble, or club so I don’t have any bad habits besides working too much.
Aside from motherhood/fatherhood and marriage what are you most proud of in your life?
The proudest moments in my life are when I went and searched for my parents after they left me at age 10 and 11. It was 20 years later that I found them and forgave them and I did that of my own free will…it showed my strength in forgiving and loving like God does for me.
When were you happiest?
The day I was able to see my children being born was and will always be the happiest moments in my life…a gift that money nor fame can give me!
What ten words best describe you?
Godly. Loving. Loyal. Polite. Respectful. Friendly. Forgiving. Family Man. Leader. Finisher.
Derek Anderson is a man that believes success is defined by your character more than your occupation. He was left abandoned in a hallway at the age of 11, moved from house to house for a few years and even had a child at the tender age of 14. Derek never drank, smoked, stole, or broke any law because his thought was to work hard everyday to live to see another day. He worked numerous jobs from selling candy at school, doing paper routes and even carrying grocery bags for people for a nickel or dime to feed himself and his young son. Derek says “The one thing that helped me make it out of my situation was my positive attitude and my work ethic! I would always smile and be polite and that’s when other people just gave me the opportunity to better myself. That’s all I ever wanted was the opportunity!” Derek went on to win an NCAA and NBA Championship as well as start the Derek Anderson Foundation for abused and battered women and children who are without guidance. He is now a screenwriter and the author of his life memoir “Stamina,” in which he is again showing that your character is the key to success. Read More At… DerekAndersonWorks.com and follow Derek on Twitter @DerekLAnderson.
