JAMODI is a made up word. It stands for, “Just a matter of doing it.” It is a term I learned when speaking with high school basketball coach and former Baylor University player Matt Sayman. His coach used to tell him when he practiced as a kid, JAMODI, “Just a matter of doing it.” That was the way he would meet his goals. When Sayman was in college, he experienced a traumatic incident: One of his teammates murdered another teammate. His dreams of being a college star ended because of the actions of others. His faith in God faltered, he hit rock bottom, and he substituted parties for God. In conversation, Coach Sayman compared his journey to Joshua and Moses. Moses hits the rock instead of speaking to it, and in turn, he cannot enter the Promised Land. He hit the rock out of frustration of the people he led. As the greatest leader of our people, Moses’ small actions mattered most in his quest to enter the land of Israel. Those are what his followers observed, and his small mistake was the one that prevented him from entering the Promised Land.
After a ten year battle with depression, Coach Sayman has regained his faith. JAMODI is still his mantra, but he has changed the meaning of the word.
JAMODI: Joy, Attitude, Motivation, Opportunity, Determination, and Impact. We cannot walk through our lives with the motto of simply getting by, “Just a matter of doing it.” However, when we change our perspective of JAMODI, our lives can change as well. Choose joy when you wake up, have an attitude for gratitude, motivate yourself, make each moment an opportunity to be a light unto another, be determined in your day, and impact others.
With this perspective, the Promised Land lies right in front of our eyes. Just take one step at a time to get there.
