Endless Possibilities

I was asked to present with my dad at an upcoming Father/Son event at a local school.  My dad, being a graduate from this school, was a natural selection for this speaking engagement.  I, on the other hand, was not.  Still, what a great opportunity to show my appreciation for my dad and hopefully create a lasting memory for both of us.  As I prep for this talk, I have had to take inventory of my time with dad and it has been extremely worthwhile.  So many stories, events and incidents I recall that shaped me into the person I am.  Nevertheless, when I think of the best my dad always had to offer me it all comes back to the phrase, "endless possibilities."  This phrase resonates because dad gave all of his kids (6 of us) the belief and quiet confidence that we could be, do, and accomplish anything with the proper preparation and work ethic.  I have never doubted I could accomplish what I found to be a worthwhile task thanks to dad and his parenting influence.

I think this is the same thing parents want in a school.  When I ask parents what they want from our school, I never get answers like:  "I want my daughter to be proficient or advanced on the state test," or I hope they have 98% + attendance," or "I want my son to get a an 'A' in Biology."  On the contrary, I do hear that parents want their sons and daughters to "begin to find their passion," to "develop and grow in knowledge and character," and to "learn how to struggle to get to the good stuff."

I hope we are doing this at MRH High School.  I am grateful my dad was there to give me these "endless possibilities."

2013-"Bring It On!"

“I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!"-Dr. Seuss

The great Dr. Suess gets a bit aggressive with this quote and I love it!  Not because of an inference to bat wielding violence, but the idea that he is saying, "I've had enough and now it's time to act."  Most of the time when we get to the point of "having enough" it seems as if we are really fed up with ourselves and our own inaction.  "My troubles are going to have trouble with me," is a call to action with boldness.  We have all faced a point when something rises up inside of us and forces us to do something out of character.  It's an exhilarating and frightening moment in which we cross a threshold and take a stand.  It may be something so simple as not watching that silly show on TV that is really not doing anything positive for you, or it may something so bold as to stand up for someone when no one else is.  Regardless, I think we all have a desire to "take a stand" for something.  Let's be bold enough to take a stand on something that matters in 2013.  As those troubles come our way, as those negative thoughts enter our mind, it's time to welcome them and say, "Bring it 2013!  My troubles are going to have trouble with me!."

This Physically Hurts

Waking up this morning with a confused anger directed at a madman who was cowardly and evil enough to randomly kill innocent children and educators, I had to go to the gym.  The workout that followed was intense and filled with anger.  I didn't know what else to do.  It physically hurts to think of the holy innocent lives lost.  It physically hurts when I think of the pain the parents and family members of the victims feel.  I am fortunate enough to play with my kids today, get on their nerves at times, while a number of parents were robbed of that simple luxury in Connecticut.  It's so wrong.  It's so heinous.  It's so senseless.  It is so enraging.

I have had enough and I hope you have too.  We cannot continue on dealing with this nonsense in our society.  Armed to the hilt, shooting everyone in sight as if it were a video game...should outrage everyone.  Our nation has reached its tipping point and families, friends, caregivers need to speak up on this topic of violence, guns, and mental illness and responsibility.

Most fervent wishes and prayers to all the victims and their families.

Taking It Personal

Former Cardinals manager Tony Larussa won more games than any other manager in MLB history.  He also lost more games than any other manager.  I recall a local sportscaster informing me that Tony once told him that he "agonizes over every loss" and he took them all "personally."  Tony, in fact, stated that he preferred his players to "take it personally for a while."  The "for the while" point is well noted.  Tony knew that only when we take something personal do we really act to change it.  Yet, there is a delicate balance when we take things personally.  If we do so too much, we become a "drama"
king or queen and we overreact.

In the long run, we know nothing ever happens worthwhile without taking it personally.  When we see suffering and injustice, we should take it personally and then act upon it!

Let's just be smart in what we decide to take personal.

Seeing Ourselves the Way We Really Are

"There's nothing worse than being your own worst enemy."  I heard that from a former coach as a youth and never really understood it.  Now, as an adult, I see how that statement has manifested itself in my own life and the lives of so many others.  It's very difficult to see ourselves the way we really are and many times those misconceptions of self tend to lead us to poor decisions.  This is where having "good" friends and/or a spouse come into play.  I say  "good" because we really need the type of friends that will tell us when we are off course.  I'm not only referring to the friend who has the nerve to tell you that you have something stuck in between your teeth.  I am also referring to the friend that will flat out tell you that you are "wrong" in no uncertain amount of terms.  As adults, we play that role well for our children and students.  We immediately let them know when they are off course knowing that correction is sometimes the greatest form of affection.  Yet, with each other, we adults tend to avoid the courageous statement or conversation.  We let our social cues and "respect" for others lead us to allow our friends slide further down the slippery slope. 

I tell my colleagues that they need to tell me when I have something stuck in between my teeth.  In fact, if I go through an entire day, look at myself in the mirror, and see food in between my teeth, I am coming after them.  I need their correction...I just hope I am mature enough to take it!

When Our Idols Really Live Up to Our Expectations

It's rare when you get to meet someone you have admired from afar for years and get to know them on a deeper level.  It's even more rare when that person you admire lives up to those high expectations you had of them all along.  Most of our heroes, if we get to know them on a personal level,  let us down at some point and leave us deflated and deceived.  Well, for years I have been a huge fan of singer, songwriter and producer Javier Mendoza.  His song, "Me He Enamorado de Ti" (I've Fallen In Love With You) was the first song at my wedding in 1999 and I have been following his music ever since.  I have all 15 albums and can sing every song by heart.  Then, a couple years ago, I found out Javier was doing a show in Miami, the home of my good friends Artruro and Patricia and their children Emilio and Lily.  I sent an email to Javier hoping he could say something to the couple as they would attend his concert.  He had no idea who I was as we had never formally met.  I also explained to him that Arturo and Trish's daughter was suffering from a serious brain injury and the couple rarely got out of the house.  Javier responded immediately and took Arturo and Trish out to eat after the show in Miami.  It was then that he said he "wanted to help out their daughter Lily."  Since then, Javier has done 4 benefit concerts to raise money to support "Lily's Wellness."  His generosity and kindness are unparalleled to anything I have seen in the entertainment business. Always humble and down to earth, I am so grateful for the gift of his music and friendship. Javier's music is written, produced, promoted and totally created by him and him only.  I salute him on his musical journey in its most pure and artistic mode.

Mental Model Awareness

As I navigate through the systems thinking and sustainability learning conference in Tucson, Arizona, I have had to come face to face with many of my own mental models.  These mental models are best described as the "undiscussable theories we all hold in our minds."  They have a major impact on our daily decisions, how we view people, situations and events.  Often, our mental models lead us down the wrong path and the awareness of them allows us to refocus.  We all have our own ladders of inference that we need to understand so our leadership leads to sustainable growth.

I recently visited the mission San Xavier Church in Tucson (built by Jesuits in 1786) on the San Xavier Pappago Indian Reservation.  The church, and much of the community, have experienced little change over the past 240 years.  I left the reservation with a sense of respect and reverence for the resilient people and their beautiful culture.