It’s not always easy to take the next step in life, especially when your first step was being a professional athlete.
There really are no places you can go to recreate the intensity and competitiveness that comes with pro sports. Fortunately for Yao Ming, the subject of this month’s Uniquely Houston, he’s found plenty to keep him both busy and fulfilled in his life after basketball.
He’s helped communities rebuild after devastating earthquakes and worked hard to raise awareness of what’s being done to wild animals in Africa through WildAid. He’s built a wine business with his family, and he’s created opportunities for children in China to grow as basketball players.
Yao is putting his status as a global icon to use to help others. The result is new support for important causes that will make the world a better place. As we kick off 2015, it’s a great time to consider what we can do to make our corner of the world better than it was in 2014. The business community has the power to make such a difference, and it’s a responsibility that must be taken seriously.
Last October, we spoke to Kevin Myer of LifeGift.
The 501(c)(3) organization seeks to help individuals needing transplants in 109 counties across Texas. Myer has worked in the field since 1990 and puts forth a great deal of effort to dispel misconceptions that people have about the organ donation process.
“We have to make sure the public understands that organ donation and allocation is fair and equitable and is not influenced by financial position, race or any other factor other than need,” Myer says. “It occurs in a highly regulated, highly reviewed manner.”
Myer says Texas has the fastest growing donor registry in the country having grown from about 75,000 donors just a few years ago to more than 5.8 million currently.
Whatever you can do to help others, take a moment to think about where you can make a difference. You have the power to change lives.
Ease the pressure
Robert W. Scharar of FCA Corp. has made a difference in the lives of many people through the business he built from the ground up. One of the keys to his leadership philosophy is a willingness to reach out to others and talk about ways that a job can be done better.
“We are under pressure,” Scharar says. “Oftentimes, we are reacting to today’s event and not tomorrows. We have to make a decision, and it doesn’t allow you to step back and look at what you’re doing. We’re often too reactionary.”
Scharar says you need to make the time to talk to others and gather different perspectives. You also need to give important matters the thought they require before rushing into a quick, uninformed decision.
“We often deal with things in too small of a segment to really make an intelligent decision,” Scharar says. “Some of my best ideas I have to sleep overnight on them. It’s always dangerous to react to something quickly without thinking about the other implications.” ●
