20 Seconds of Courage A number of years ago, I watched the movie We Bought a Zoo. It was really quite good--I found myself laughing and tearing up at the same time. The biggest takeaway for me, however, was during a poignant moment where Benjamin Mee, played by Matt Damon, offered advice to his on-screen …
Tag: life
Who do you want to be?
The memory of the first time that I was asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is vague. I know that I was very young. But the impact of that question, as well as my experiences for several years following, have had a profound effect on what I considered was my …
Only you can define you.
I was recently asked to talk to a group of 7th grade students as a part of our area “Leadership Academy.” The invitation was specifically to share my thoughts on “happiness,” which is understandable because “happiness” has been my “schtick” at work for the past few years. At work, I basically have a bully pulpit …
Rungs on a ladder
I was recently asked what professional accomplishments I was most proud of. It seems like a pretty simple question, right? Well, that was not the case, at least for me. The reason I had trouble answering the question is that the word “accomplishment” seems rather terminal...an end. For certain, I have had a lot of …
Oh Henry
My wife Kathy and I just adopted a puppy, and named him Henry. We adopted his big sister, Leland, two years ago. They’re both Goldendoodles. Also called “designer dogs,” “Doodles” are a cross-breed dog, obtained by breeding a Golden Retriever with a Poodle. Kathy and I often say that we are too selfish to have …
Create and be creative
Creativity is one of the most distinct differences between humans and other life forms on Earth. There’s a ton of research and resources available--many on the web--that explore the connection between creativity, the brain and overall wellness. In fact, there are so many great resources that I won’t attempt to reproduce that here. Instead, I …
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 my video streaming sites, and it struck me how many shows and movies exist in our popular culture that either originated or are set in the 1980’s. The Goldbergs, This is Us, Fresh Off the Boat, Freaks and Geeks, Stranger Things, The Americans, just to name a …
impassionED 