NOT JUST A WIN -- BUT HOW WE WON

Wow! What an exciting finish!

We are so happy with the outcome of course, but what we are most proud of is the team effort that was showcased. It took all eleven of us to get through a tough Seattle team and that's what we did.  I'm so proud of each and everyone of my teammates for the fight and grit that we displayed.

With that said, we still have more work to do. We will take the little time that we have to get some things correct and then we will look forward to whomever we will have I'm the next round.

Thank you for all of your support it really helps and I truly appreciate it.

Meek

PROUD OF WIN BUT NOW ON TO GAME 3

Wow! What a total team effort that we had last night. I am so proud of each and everyone of my teammates for their efforts tonight. Like mentioned before it was win or go home and we weren't ready. That definitely showed in our performance. Candace Dupree stepped up big for us and I am so happy that she was able to do so -- I am very proud of her. We all went to war today, and the best part about it is that we went TOGETHER. We know that is not easy and its not going to be easy, but nothing that's worth fighting for never is anyway right?  We are now back in Seattle and have to do it all over again. We have to strap up those laces and play for forty minutes. I believe that we are ready for the task. Thank you all so much for all the love and support. It truly mean a lot.

Meek

USING DREAMS TO FUEL OUR FUTURE

Today's game is a win or go home one.  I don't think that we ready to go home just yet so that leaves us no other choice but to win.  We have had enough time to reflect on the things that we didn't do correctly, now we have to put it behind us and are now focusing on what's ahead of us. 

As I was reading John Maxwell's book "Teamwork 101," I came across some things that  I thought were interesting and I added some stuff with is well.  Check it out and let me know what you think.

Can my team accomplish the Dream?

There are two questions that I would like to share with you all today.  The first is what is my dream?

It all starts with that question because your answer reveals what could be.  Robert Greenleaf remarked, "Nothing must happens without a dream.  For something really great to happen, it takes a really great dream."

What lies in your heart?  What do you see as a possibility for your life?  What would you like to accomplish during your time on this earth?  Only a dream can properly set you on that path.

As Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes wrote:

Hold fast to dreams for if dreams die
Life is broken -- winged birds that cannot fly;
Hold fast to dreams for when dreams go
Life is a barren field frozen with snow.

If you want to do something great, you must have a dream.  But a dream is not enough.  You can fulfill a dream only if you are a part of a team.

When I read this I couldn't help but to think about where I am now.  I am a part of a great team, a team that works hard and strives to be better everyday.  As a team we will have one common goal and one dream and that is to win the ultimate prize in our game -- which is a championship.  We know that we need everyone to believe in this dream for it to come to pass.  It can't just be one of us believing it has to be all of us.  From top to bottom, head to toe, from the coach to the last person on the bench.  I believe in our team and believe that we accomplish our dreams.

The next question is who is on my team?

This question tells you what is.  It measures your current situation.  Your potential is only as good as your current team.  Thart's why you must examine who is joining you on your journey.  A great dream with a bad team is nothing more than a nightmare.

I think this is absolutely correct.  It is true that one bad apple can spoil the entire bunch.  But I am fortunate to be one a team that has:

Diana Taurasi
Penny TaylorDeWanna Bonner
Candace Dupree
Nakia Snaford
Ketia Swanier
Alexis Grey-Lawson
Sidney Spender
Marie Ferdinand-Harris
Krystal Thomas
And me -- Temeka Johnson

Also there is:
Corey Gaines (head coach)
Julie Hargrove (assistant coach)
Bridget Pettis
Ben Hadley (strength and conditioning)
Tamara Poole (trainer)

This is who is on my team and I am happy that we all want the same thing and have the same goal.

WE HAVE OUR EYES ON THE PRIZE!!!

But we know that this is a "take one game at a time" so our eyes will definitely be on our game with Seattle tonight.

INDIVIDUALS PLAY THE GAME BUT TEAMS WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS

I am reading another book and I think this one is real fitting for what it is that I do and  I also think It is fitting to you all that work with others as well. It is called "Teamwork 101" By John C. Maxwell. I can remember getting one of his books when were in school and I absolutely loved it.

The first question is why is Teamwork important? And I would like to start with the part that is Title The Value of Teamwork.

A Chinese proverb states, “Behind an able man there are always other able men.” The truth is that teamwork is at the heart of great achievement. The question isn’t whether teams have value. The question is whether we acknowledge that fact and become better team players. That’s why I assert that one is too small a number to achieve greatness. You cant do anything of real value alone.

I challenge you to think of one act of genuine significance in the history of humankind that was performed by a lone human being. No matter what you name, you will find that a team of people was involved. That is why President Lyndon Johnson said, “ There are no problems that we can not solve together, and very few that we can solve by ourselves.”

C. Gene Wilkes, in his book Jesus on Leadership, observed that the power of teams not only is evident in today’s modern business world, but it also has a deep history that is evident even in biblical times. Wilkes assert

·    Team involve more people, thus affording more resources, ideas, and energy than would an individual.

·    Teams maximize a leader’s potential and minimize her weakness. Strength and weaknesses are more exposed in individuals.

·    Teams provide multiple perspectives on how to meet a need or reach a goal, thus devising several alternatives for each situation. Individual insight is seldom as broad and deep as a group’s when it takes on a Problem

·    Teams share the credit for victories and the blame for losses. This fosters genuine humility and authentic community. Individuals take credit and blame alone. This fosters pride and sometimes a sense of failure

·    Teams Keep leaders accountable for the goal. Individuals connected to no one can change the goal without accountability.

·   Teams can simply do more than an individual.

If you want to reach your potential or strive for the seemingly impossible – such as communicating your message two thousand years after you are gone- you need to become a team player. It may be cliché, but it is nonetheless true; Individuals play the game but teams win championships.

INSPIRED BY A 12-YEAR OLD

Hey! This has been one heck of a week. We have been doing nothing but preparing for the playoffs. Yes that’s right, we are in the playoffs. Time has definitely flown and it’s down to the nitty gritty time. We will be facing Seattle this Thursday at 7pm PT on ESPN2 -- please be sure to tune in.

I would like to share with you what a great day I had yesterday. I went to speak to some kids at First New Life Church, which is also a school named Fay Landrum Academy.  As I walked into the classroom all the kids were chanting “Meek Meek Meek Meek.”  LOL!  It was really nice and they all had a Meek Moments book in their hands.  As I sat down I started talking to them and telling them a little about my story and from there I began to read the book and they followed along in their books. I had such a fun time with them and they were so attentive. After it was over I opened up for questions and they truly surprised me with some great questions.

One little boy asked me about my grandmother and what it was that she passed away with? As I answered him and told him cancer, he followed up by sharing his story of cancer talking over his mother’s body except for her brains and her toes. He was so strong and uplifting about it. I thought to myself this is such a strong 12 years old.  Here I am about to get choked up about my grandmother that I miss and think of everyday and this kid is telling me about the struggles of his own mother.

I shared with him about making it in this world and his vision that he has of one day walking into an NFL stadium and fulfilling his dream. He goes on to tell me that his mother told him to always compete against those that are better because it will cause you to be better. It was so cute and such an honor. I was really impressed with this young man and I am so thankful that he felt good enough around me to open up and share his story.

From there I went on to meet Pastor Aubrey Barnwell the Pastor of the church and we talk about the vision that he has and what he wants for the kids and how we could do some things together. It was such a good thing to hear and a blessing to be around someone that is just as passionate about giving back as I was.

I have been really working to get all that I needed to do together and so far it has been going well.  I will be focusing on playing throughout the playoffs but I will definitely keep you all updated.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!!!!!!

CELEBRATING A PLAYOFF SPOT AND A BIRTHDAY

I have to start off by letting you all know that I am extremely happy that we have clinched a spot in the playoffs. After our win against LA we were granted two days off and I used them for rest to the fullest. So I will say that it really did me some good but I do apologize for not being involved with you all during that time.

Now for the fun stuff, today is my birthday. Yep that's right I turned 29 today. So far it has been such a great day. It started out with a successful practice, which I have to share with you the rules to practice for birthdays. Whenever there is someone's birthday, we get to shoot one half court shot and if you make it there is no practice; so today Diana takes the half court shot and she usually will toss one up there before every practice and NEVER make it so in thinking "oh boy, my chances are slim." Low and behold she makes it today and we all jump up screaming and yelling as well as laughing.  So Corey is kind of in disbelief because he didn't think she was going to hit it either which made it even funnier. He looked and was like well that is a rule but at that moment I know he was hoping that it wasn't. So we went on to practice and called it a voluntary practice -- LOL. Then we celebrated with some season ticket holders and they all sing happy birthday to me and I was give my second cake of the day. I forgot to mention that our rookie teammate Krystal Thomas had baked me a delicious cake at her place and brought it to the locker room for me. From there I headed to buy myself something from the Mac store. Then Sidney and Krystal took me to Hillstone which is the old Houston's where I got my favorite Hawaiian ribeye and a movie to see planet of the apes. It was a great day and I want to thank you all for the well wishes for my birthday and all of your support.

Meek

LEARNING TO SERVE EACH OTHER

I was looking over one of my old LSU player notebooks and came across this motivational passout -- it was one of my favorites and I hope you enjoy it:

A man spoke with the Lord about heaven and hell.  The Lord said to the man, “Come, I will show you hell.”  They entered a room where a group of people sat around a huge pot of stew.  Everyone was famished, desperate and starving.  Each held a spoon that reached the pot, but each spoon had a handle so much longer than their own arm that it could be used to get the stew into their own mouths.  The suffering was terrible.

“Come, now I will show you heaven,” the Lord said after a while.  They entered another room, identical to the first — the pot of stew, the group of people, the same long-handled spoons.  But everyone was happy and well-nourished.

“I don’t understand,” said the man.  “Why are they happy here when they were miserable in the other room and everything was the same?”

The Lord smiled.  “Ah, it is simple,” he said.  “Here they have learned to serve each other.”