I think he understands what Henry Kaiser once said, “When your work speaks for itself, don’t interrupt.”

Wooden has shown us what a legend looks like. He not only was a gentlemen on the court, he holds records that may never be broken. His 10 national championships, his 88 game winning streak, his phenomenal winning percentage, the players he groomed for stardom in the NBA — this is his legacy; he has no reason to add the title of “outspoken critic” to the list.

In your life and mine, in your work and mine, there are a number of potential (even “worthy”) targets of our own outspoken criticism. If we’re not careful, they can take up all of our time. If we’re not careful, we can be sidetracked into thinking our opinions are more important than our actions.

It’s what you do that ultimately makes a difference. Talk isn’t enough. Opinions aren’t enough. Criticism, no matter how on-target or well-articulated it might be, isn’t enough. You prove who you are by the way that you live.

Paul asked, “So why do you condemn another Christian? Why do you look down on another Christian? Remember, each of us will stand personally before the judgment seat of God.” (Romans 14:10)

Let’s strive toward leaving a legacy built, not upon our estimation of others, but upon our own measurable accomplishments. Criticize less, do more. That’s what a legend looks like.

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Havens has always tried to be a good husband. He worked around the house, took care of the yard, carried out the trash, and even helped with the dishes. One day his wife complained that he wasn’t doing it right, and Harry decided that enough was enough. He said, “All right, if that’s how you feel, I’m going to bed. I’ll stay there for the rest of my life and I don’t want to see you ever again.”

Harry went to bed, put a blindfold over his eyes, and stayed there. He finally got up again when the bed started to feel uncomfortable…seven years later.

The article’s headline states, “Man Spites His Wife By Staying Blindfolded in Bed Seven Years.” Maybe his exile did get on her nerves somewhat, but who did Harry really spite? Who was the biggest loser in this extended temper tantrum? It was Harry himself. He lost seven years of his life. He lived seven years in darkness. No reading. No walks in the sunshine. No laughter with friends. Just seven long, miserable years trying to settle a score that maybe was never settled.

The writer of Hebrews said, See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. (Hebrews 12:15)

Bitterness can damage a relationship, true. Most of all, it damages you. It destroys your happiness and peace of mind, and it causes you to miss out on the grace that God offers to each of us.

It reminds me of what Nelson Mandela once said: “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”

It took Harry Havens seven years to decide that his refuge of bitterness felt uncomfortable. How long will you wait to let your bitterness go?

In 1982, People Magazine reported that he was dead. In 1987 a news reporter referred to him as “the late Abe Vigoda.” Vigoda took the false reports in stride. It has become a running joke, and Abe often takes part in it on shows such as Conan OBrian and David Letterman. There’s even a website, AbeVigoda.com, that lists his current status as dead or alive.

In spite of the fact that many people think he’s passed on, Abe Vigoda just keeps going. He’s 88 now, and he’s still working.

When Nehemiah was rebuilding the wall in Jerusalem, there were many who said that Nehemiah was the wrong leader and that his ambitious project was doomed from the start, but Nehemiah kept working.

Paul’s critics misrepresented his doctrine and celebrated his incarceration, and yet Paul kept on preaching, kept on writing letters, kept on serving churches.

From time to time there might be one or two who are ready to pronounce you, or your ideas, or your ministry, dead on arrival. There’s only one way to prove them wrong. Take it in stride. Keep showing up. Keep plugging away. When you get knocked down, get back up. It’s not what anyone says that matters, or even what they think that matters. It only matters what you do.

We need to remember the words of Paul: Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10)