Words That Deceive

I tell students that we should always seek a worthwhile challenge.  Many times, we seem to make the choice that requires the least amount of effort or resistance, and we end up not getting the result we wanted.  I think back to a speech a good friend of mine gave to a group of students years ago on this same topic.  He mentioned that there were some words/concepts that seem positive, but are really deceiving.  Words like "easy, effortless, painless, and inherited."  On the other hand, there are also words that seem intimidating, but are really positive like, "sacrifice, discipline, commitment, suffering, and pain."
I know we all strive to be happy to some extent in this life, but I think we sometimes forget that our happiness and joy is magnified when we have gone through a "struggle, pain, or some suffering."  It's true that our joy is always preceded by some misery and pain.  I can promise you that we all have some misery and pain with our name on it out there somewhere.  When it comes, we need to meet it head on and fight past it knowing there is great joy on the other side!  The misery, in fact, does not detract from that joy, it adds to it!
-Thanks for the thoughts RK.

Thank the Thankless

How many times in life can we honestly say, "I did it all by myself?"  Whether we succeeded on a test or in the field of play, there are always others that helped us achieve our goals.  I recently attended a beautiful charity concert that was put together by myself and a number of others.  When it all came together so nicely, I could only feel humbled and thankful for its success.  When I reflected on how this success was achieved I realized that I had little, if anything, to do with it. 

When we achieve something I hope we take time to thank all those involved; even those who may not be so obvious.  I watched an NCAA basketball game and as the winning team celebrated one player walked over and shook the referee's hand.  I saw a student who stayed after school to work with a teacher last week thank her for staying after.  I heard my son say during dinner tonight, "Thanks to whoever made this dinner for us."  All of these gracious thoughts are healthy for not only the person receiving the "thanks," but also for the one giving the "thanks." 

It's hard to be our best when we are not grateful for the things that aren't so obvious.  Let's take time to thank the thankless this week.

What's Holding You Back?

     Sometimes in life we run into, hear about indirectly, or meet someone whose life humbles our own.  I mean they are so impressive in some arena that we can only hope to have a fraction of their talent, desire, or discipline.  One person that gave me that impression was Randy Pausch.  Although I never met him, he left me with a profound impression. 
     Randy Pausch, college professor and author of The Last Lecture, was an incredible guy.  I watched some of his speeches, interviews, and home movies the other day to get some perspective.  For those of you that don't know about Mr. Pausch here's a brief rundown of the last year of his life:
     He was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer and 3-6 months to live.  He knew he had limited time so he decided to spend his last months (he died in 2008) promoting and exemplifying how to live a great life for his children.  He made home movies, wrote a book, and presented his famous "Last Lecture" all for the benefit of his kids.  In the end, he won the hearts and minds of millions  and left his children, and us,  with an incredible example of courage, dignity, and the value of a focused mind. 
     One thing I really appreciated about Randy, besides his incredible valor and love for his family, was his ability to identify a problem (a life and death one at that), and figure out the best way to attack it.  "I have things I can do that will make difference for my wife, my kids, and society.  The woe is me attitude is not going to help anybody.  I might as well make the best out of it while I can.  The lecture and the book are not comparable to being a living dad, but the question I ask myself is, 'what do I do with the months I have left?'" 
     He once said, "I don't know how to not have fun.  I am dying and I am having fun." I can't imagine having that much courage.  Yes, Randy Pausch was an average guy on the surface, but because he lived his life with such zeal (even before the arrival of his sickness), it was not so daunting for him to continue living with this passion after the sickness came.
     He makes me wonder what talents we all have inside of us that we are not utilizing.  Do we have to be faced with a life and death situation to be our best?   What's holding you back from being your best now?  What's holding me back? 
     I urge you all to take some time to think about that this week.