I can’t recall how many times I’ve heard people--myself included--use the word “expectation.” And I believe it’s one of the most overused and misused words in our modern vocabulary. “Expectation,” as defined by dictionary.com, is “a strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future.” Having expectations for ourselves, our relationships …
Gratitude – The best free gift to yourself
I recently spoke with a principal who conducted a “gratitude challenge” in his school. Over a very short period of time, he wrote dozens of thank you notes to all the people who had a connection with his school-teachers, paraprofessionals, central office staff, PTO, etc. Then he hid those notes around the school. Students, upon …
What’s your GPS?
A few nights ago I was scrolling through Netflix and Hulu, as I often do in the evenings, and it struck me how many shows and movies exist in our popular culture that either originated in the 1980’s or are set in the 1980’s. The Goldbergs, This is Us, Fresh Off the Boat, Freaks and …
My 4th Grade Experience
I’ll get it out right away. I had to repeat the 4th grade. During my first year of 4th grade, I distinctly remember feeling like I was not the sharpest pencil in the box. I struggled to get “satisfactory” on my report card. I also disliked reading and my penmanship was so bad my father …
Purpose Check-Up
Happiness is a byproduct of purpose and there is a fair amount of research that connects an understanding of one’s purpose with better health, wellness and resiliency. Yet for years, I associated happiness with things I considered successes. As my career took me to new heights, I subconsciously conditioned myself to believe that my purpose …
Who would you put on Mt. Rushmore?
A few years ago on the way to ski jumping camp I stopped in Keystone, South Dakota so that I could see Mount Rushmore (the national memorial, not the rock band). And being a rock hound, I thought the idea of snapping a photo of some stacked rocks in front of the landmark would be …
Galvanized! Part 2
A while ago I wrote a blog entry titled, “Galvanized,” and described what I believe to be the next level on the continuum of organizational “greatness.” If you have not seen that post, I encourage you to scroll deeper into my archives and check it out first. Recently, I stumbled upon an article describing the …
