Special

Looking back on my recent posts, I am painfully aware of just how few there are. I must confess, I've been a little overwhelmed by the end-of-the-semester stuff going on. With Christmas break upon us, I have elected to take a short period off. I plan to be back publishing on my normal schedule come February, but for now, the posts may be few and far between.

Thinking on the overall theme that I've cultivated with this blog, I believe this quote from Albert Einstein hits close to home. I don't have any special writing talents. I don't know any of the latest and greatest blogging techniques. But I do have my curiosity and my core drive to post.

What do you have? I'm guessing that like me, you don't have (m)any special talents. Others can beat your records, they can be better than you. But they can never take away your passion, your curiosity, your drive to succeed. Looking at this, I bet you look at my question in a little different light. So, what do you have?s

Direction

I found today's Thought yesterday while reading a rather intriguing article on classroom management. I decided to pull this picture, as it's a really good visual representation of what the author is trying to say. As this chart says, when a teacher gets frustrated and angry, he or she has a choice: retaliate with punishment or push students in a new direction. Each of these options has a whole other set of outcomes, some positive, some negative.

Just a quick look at the flowchart shows me which option I'd choose. I think this flowchart really illustrates the benefits a shift in direction can bring. For instance, this past summer, a shift happened in my life. I moved six hours away from home for an internship, I discovered that my true calling is in the classroom and I made many new friends. This change in direction really helped me to see where I needed to go.

Have you changed direction? Maybe it was a big event in your life that sparked a revolution in your own thinking. Or maybe it was something very small that had far-reaching consequences, consequences you were unaware of at the time. I'm willing to bet that a change in direction has in some way resulted in growth by you. As this flowchart shows, redirecting students can avoid even more frustration and anger and instead lead to growth by both teacher and student. Take those times of frustration, those times where it doesn't seem worth it anymore, and look for a direction shift. Who knows, you might just find something amazing on the other side of a redirection.

Inspiration

Today's Thought is a simple one: Inspiration.

As a teacher, so much of what I end up doing, is inspiring kids to follow their dreams. Granted, a lot of that is hard, not-always-successful work trying to get them to find their dream. I think part of the reason that superhero movies are popular is the sheer inspiration that they offer. Take the general template: an unassuming regular joe finds out that (s)he has some special talent that renders him or her above the population. He or she must then grapple with how to use this power to serve the greater good.
Teachers, while they inspire, are just one source for inspiration. Who inspires you? Maybe it was a teacher. I was inspired by my high school teachers to pursue a career in education. Remember you inspired you, then use that to inspire yet another generation of superheroes.

Vision

As you should well know by now, the visionary Nelson Mandela passed from our presence yesterday.

I think Mandela's story is one so awe-inspiring, it's hard to know where to start. For me, the pure vision of this man was incredible. How many of us would, upon emerging from wrongful incarceration for decades, be willing to work with our captors to bring about a complete paradigm shift? I know I would struggle with this charge. You see, Mandela had a vision. He saw a united South Africa all working toward a common goal, regardless of race, creed, sex or religion. Not only that, but he was willing to swallow his bruised and beaten pride to make it happen.

What is your vision? Whether it's enacting a shift in the way an entire country thinks or simply a vision for your personal life, we all must look to the future. We must find something to hang our hats on, something to work toward. Nelson Mandela had a vision of positive change. What is your vision?

Fresh

Well, yesterday it happened. It finally snowed. A good bit. 7" of heavy, wet, wonderfully white snow.

As I sat in my room trying to work on homework and final projects, my glance kept darting toward the window to see the falling snow. I wish I was able to get a good picture, alas, I had to use someone else's fresh-snow fall picture. I'm not sure what it is, but there's just something hopeful, an anticipation in the fresh snow.

What's fresh? Maybe you've had some life-change lately (or on the horizon) that you can't help gaze at in wonderment. It's that sense of anticipation. That sense of a fresh start that is so incredible. If you've never just sat and stared at the freshly falling snow, take a minute out of your busy day to do it. Think of those 'fresh' things in your life. Gaze in wonderment.

Why

Today's Thought comes from, as Calvin puts it, 'my powerful brain'. While I can't speak much to the power of my brain, I can speak to Hobbes' last question: "How come?" I think this question of why is so powerful and enigmatic. How many of us have ever prayed, or even exclaimed in frustration, 'Why!?' The actual question perhaps isn't the important part, rather, what the answer to the question of why is what really matters.

What is your answer? Perhaps you have been like Calvin, using silly reasons as justification when asked why. Anyone who has had a parent say attest to the statement "Because I said so!" I think so much of the time, we scarcely think of why we are doing things before we do them. In order to be truly successful, we must begin asking ourselves, "why?" You may be surprised by the answer you find.

Talk

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving break! It's been far too long since I've plied the keyboard on this page. Today's Thought is particularly relevant for my agricultural educators out there. This week is the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) Convention in Las Vegas. Location notwithstanding, this is a professional development conference aimed at giving teachers a chance to meet up and talk education. It's a chance for many to hear about practices from across the country that may otherwise have never been shared.

I think one of the keys for successful professionals is an ability to be constantly learning on the job. For many, this means joining a career organization such as the NAAE. In order to serve customers to the best of our abilities, we must seek out opportunities to share ideas and talk to others in similar positions. Will you talk? Instead of sequestering yourself, put yourself out there. Get to know someone in a similar situation as you. Who knows, you just might end up helping each other out.

Plenty

Today's Thought, while not originally mine, certainly struck a chord with my own gardening experience. Back home in Johnsburg my dad and I would stock our garden full of tomatoes, potatoes, beans and even peas every spring. And every year we would have a bounty of plenty come harvest time. So much so that there was no way our family would be able to eat all the produce. So, invariably around late July, I would peddle our free veggies to the neighbors. Every year it was this way. The hope of spring would eventually give away to an inordinate amount of produce.

What is your plenty? My garden is very symbolic of our very lives. You see, Warren Buffet once said that we have won the Ovarian Lottery. Simply by being born in this country, with everything we have, we have been blessed and lucky beyond measure.

Keeping with this season of thanksgiving, take some time to think about what you have plenty of, what you have so much of that you can't help but give it away. I think we all have those things that we enter into so excitedly and innocently, only to be overwhelmed by the fruits of our labor. Maybe you can relate to this, except you've never thought to give your excess away. I would encourage you to do so. They say it takes a village to raise a child. Well, even a child can sustain a village, giving of him or herself. What is your plenty?

Thanks

I have to say I have no idea who John Green is. However, I do enjoy his sentiment in today's Thought. In all the things that I'm thankful for, near the top of the list has to be the educational system providing for our country. Yes, I think we all realize that there are issues that must be addressed. Within this system (or maybe in spite of it), education at the local levels is amazing. How many others out there continue to hold pride for the high school they graduated from year earlier (Go Rebels!)? Maybe I'm a bit biased as I'm studying to be a teacher, but I for one am thankful that I don't live in a country (completely) filled with stupid people.

What are you thankful for? Moreover, are you thankful just this one week out of the year? Or do you find ways to express thanks throughout the year? Maybe you're thankful for a set of parents who have steered you through life. Or perhaps it's a teacher who showed you how to make a career doing what you love. No matter who or what you are thankful for, show that you are thankful in your words and actions. Yes, for sure, do so this week. But don't stop there. Continue to show your thanks throughout the year.

Humility

Today's Thought is courtesy of Calvin and his incessant bully, Moe. I'd like to look at Calvin's last word in this strip: Taunt. For better or for worse, the first thing I think of when I see that word is the National Football League and the players need to taunt and tease the opposing teams. When you taunt, you are attempting to assert your dominance or why someone should be worried about messing with you. Is this really what we want to be doing?

What about humility? What if it didn't matter what we said, rather what we do is what matters? Now I'm not saying let's eliminate all of this grandstanding that at times can be quite entertaining and exhilarating. Rather, let's never forget to be humble individuals. It doesn't matter what we say. What matters is what we do and how we do it.

Targets

What can I say, I'm a teacher at heart. The core question that every lesson planning session begins with is "What do I want my students to learn?" What's the target?

We all have something we are aiming for. Cheesy classroom posters notwithstanding (Shoot for the moon, at least you'll land among the stars!), there's always that end goal, that target that we want to achieve. What is your target?

No matter what your target is, don't hesitate in following it. No matter how crazy, how out there your dream and target seems, just go for it. Just like opening gifts, the journey to your target will bring many surprises-some pleasant, some not so pleasant-to your life. Some of my best targets haven't led me to where I thought I wanted to go. I think my best targets led me to a place that I wasn't necessarily expecting to be but rather the exact place I needed to be. What's your target?

Insane

I can't remember if I've use this Thought before. But, it is a good one, so I figure there is no harm in using it again. Today in class, we started a unit on electrical wiring. The thing with wiring is that it's a lot like a puzzle. It's just a matter of getting all the pieces in the right spot. While struggling to figure out the puzzle, I kept catching myself trying to make it work by putting old pieces in the same spots. You can imagine, this didn't work. I was being quite insane.

Have you ever been insane? And if so, what can we do about it? I find that if just step away, take a break then come back later my problems seem much easier to solve. What are some of your favorite strategies?

Evolution

Today's Thought comes from that wonderful beast known as the internet. I think this image of the ape beginning to walk is fairly synonymous with the idea of evolution. Today's post is not about how man came to be. Instead, it about this idea of evolution in our own, personal lives. Looking back at my own life, my career aspirations have evolved considerably. First, I wanted to be a marine biologist. Due to my intense enjoyment of fishing, I wanted to manage the fisheries I used. However, I gradually discovered my love of teaching and sought to make a career teaching agriculture.

How have you, in your own life, evolved? Perhaps your personal worldview has evolved. Like me, maybe your career aspirations have changed considerably. No matter what has evolved, I daresay each and every one of us can identify some form of evolution in our own lives. What has your evolution meant for you? We should all strive to make positive evolutions in our lives. Without positive change, what are we doing? Regressing, or even worse, stagnating? Don't stop evolving.

Beyond

As I sit watching the last few episodes of How I Met Your Mother, I have to come back to this Thought. I've used Barney Stinson's famous saying before in a post, but I wanted to come back to it today. You see, tonight is one of the famous Cup Games between FarmHouse Fraternity and Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity. As a member of FarmHouse, I have been getting excited about this for the whole week.

You see, in order for us to be successful, we have to move beyond the ordinary. What is this beyond? Some say it's extraordinary. Stinson would call it legendary. No matter what you call it, it is the same idea.
 Have you ever been beyond ordinary? I think everyone has at least one of those stories how it just seemed like everything clicked. Perhaps it was in a competition. In my own life, I've felt that experience while playing piano, while acting and even while teaching. For each person, moving beyond the ordinary, to the legendary, means something different.

In order to succeed, must stop being ordinary. No matter the effort required, we must go beyond. In order to succeed, we must be legendary.

Fall

Despite it no longer being October and World Series won weeks ago, I still wanted to get this Thought out there. Not only does it involve one of my favorite sports, but it kicks off a sense of thought and wonderment at the changing season.

Every fall amazes me. Here are the living things, these trees around us, that suddenly decide, "I think I'm going to drop all my leaves today". Not only is it an incredible site to see, but the pure adaptation by these species is incredible. As humans we barely have to get ready for winter. Sure, we might grow our hair a little longer and we might wear heavier clothing, but on the whole, we don't change a whole lot. Not so for the trees. Many go through a complete transformation. I know I've found myself surprised at the network of branches that are suddenly visible once the leaves have dropped. What surprises you? Perhaps there is something about fall that is utterly awe-inspiring and amazing to you. Think about that. Look around. Appreciate the natural beauty all around us.

Constants

Today's Thought is courtesy of that wonderful television show known as Doctor Who. I think the message of this image is fairly clear. However, what about Doctor Who has allowed it to stick around this long? This isn't meant as an exhaustive essay on the merits of the show, rather a discussion and a question about the idea of holding power.

Think back to you own life. How many things have changed since you were born? What has stayed the same? The first thing I think of is technology. Even in the last five years, the changes have been stark. However, the thing that hasn't changed is the fact that we still need people to use technology. Despite our best efforts, we still can't replicate the human touch. Thank goodness for that, without this impossibility so many of us, myself included, would be out of a job. I suppose it is a little scary to think of how rapidly change happens. However, I also think it is very reassuring that some things haven't changed. Despite all the changes, we still have constants to hold onto. What has stayed the same?

Connected

This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend Agriculture Future of America Leaders Conference in my final year of eligibility. For those of you unaware, AFA is a professional development organization serving outstanding college men and women pursuing degrees in the agricultural field. Throughout the weekend I met and interacted with numerous people, from CEOs of the top agricultural companies to collegiate peers just starting out in the journey called life after college. However, it didn't really hit me until this morning just what this experience meant to me.

Throughout the day today I have been receiving various emails, tweets, LinkedIn Connections and friend requests from people I met. Despite the fact that we are all miles apart, we still seek a way to stay connected. It's quite amazing the network that I have built along with my fellow agricultural professionals.

I will confess, I have no idea where this image comes from. I found it in a simple Google Image search and I thought it summed up this idea of being connected quite well. You see, it doesn't matter where life takes us, what matters is the fact that we continue to keep these connections alive. This connection is our life-blood. Without it, we would be lost, confused, out on our own in what can be an unforgiving professional world. Will you be connected? Don't let yourself sit out there alone. Find people. Make friendships. Who knows, years down the road, these connections might just save your life.

Place

Today's Thought is one of those rare gems that comes from a textbook in school. In my time in school, there's always been a building to go to. No matter what, there's a physical place you go to. However, is this really what matters? You see, school is a mindset, a concept. What is your mindset?

I think we all have those things that we have just always had in mind. Whether it's school as a place or something else that we just can't help but see one way, it's time to let go. Let go of those mindsets that may be limiting you and move onto the possibilities.

Remember

Remember remember, the fifth of November... I don't know about you, but every time I watch the movie V for Vendetta I always get goosebumps when V gives his speeches. Seen as it is November 5, I thought this was an appropriate post. So, what will you remember?

In the National FFA Organization Creed, there is a line that goes "...in the promise of better days through better ways, even as the better things we now enjoy have come to us through the struggles of former years." Again, what will you remember? Will you remember those struggles, those moments when all seemed lost yet success and victory was just around the corner? Will you remember those moments so important, that an act of treason must be taken? I see no reason why they should ever be forgot.

Kids

A few weekends back, I had the honor to meet my girlfriend's family for the first time. As expected, I was a bit nervous to be meeting these folks, after all, I suspect their opinion holds a bit of sway. Perhaps the person I was most nervous about meeting was her seven year old sister who simply adores my girlfriend. I will say, all went well, but it started my mind thinking.

Why do kids matter? What is it about them that made me so nervous? I think the answer lies in this panel. Kids, our children, they are the future. By nature, they are smaller, more easily influenced by adults and other stimuli. And yet, they seem to have limitless energy and enthusiasm for life.

I think it's so easy for us as young adults to forget our childish things. Rather than forgetting them, pack them away. Put them aside, but always have them ready for when a child enters your life. Perhaps it's a niece or nephew. Perhaps it's even your own child. Don't throw away your childish things. You might just be throwing away someones future.

Motivation

Today's Thought is one of those 'diamonds in the rough' found in the slew of Facebook chain posts that so often clog my newsfeed. While I must admit that it took me a minute to 'get' it, once I did I had to chuckle and simply agree with it's sentiment.

In so many of my education courses at the University of Minnesota, the topic of student motivation is brought up. How do we motivate students? What keeps us motivated? Many times when we ask ourselves that last question, we have to think a minute before we can come up with an actual answer. You see, motivation isn't some 'finger-snap' solution. It can't be turned on like a tap. It has to be cultivated, coaxed and pushed in order to grow not only in our students, but ourselves as well. It's rarely inspired by a poster. Instead it could be inspired by a desire to obtain a better job, a desire to learn or even a desire to make a difference. What motivates you? I'm guessing that it takes more than a poster.

Coloring

I suppose you could say it's some curse, this being my 70th post (who knew I had that much to say?!), but in all honesty I have been much too busy lately to write a blog post. Tonight that will change. Having this Thought on my door for multiple days has given me a lot of time to think. This past weekend I had a fantastic time introducing my girlfriend to my family. Specifically, introducing her to my 18 month old niece, Anya.

I think the best moment came when Anya decided she wanted to color with her crayons. Now being only 18 months old, coloring generally meant just drawing squiggles and other lines on a blank sheet. Now maybe this isn't that big of deal, but as my girlfriend and I were coloring with Anya, I realized just what we were doing. Instead of a passive experience of putting crayon to paper, we were asking Anya what the various colors were. And more times than not, she got it correct on the first try.

This whole idea of teachers in our lives is a powerful one. Sure, we can probably learn a lot by passively doing an activity. However, our learning is multiplied a thousand-fold when we have a great teacher guiding us on our journey. Are you a teacher? Perhaps you can relate to my story, maybe you have your own experiences of being taught or teaching someone else. Sure, we can study all we want, but another person, a teacher is what makes the difference.

Hindsight

Today's Thought is another gem from Calvin & Hobbes. This whole idea of change over time is an interesting one. So hard to see at the time it's happening, yet so enduring and obvious after the fact. How many times have you said, "hindsight is always 20/20"?

Looking back on my life, many small changes have taken effect, seemingly without me noticing. Take my school pictures. From about third grade, I have worn glasses. Looking back on all my pictures, I'm amazed by how much my choice in glasses have changed. And yet, at the time I really didn't notice the changes happening. While this example is relatively benign, I think some of the most enduring and consequence-laden changes occur without our knowledge.

What are your glasses? What are those changes that in hindsight, totally jump out at you? I'm willing to bet that it's nothing big. Maybe just a hair style, or a career change. And yet I'm also willing to bet that the consequences are far reaching. You see, it's not about anticipating these consequences. Sometimes it's ok to just look back in wonder. Everything you do have made you who you are today. What are your glasses?

Critic

Teddy really does say it all in today's Thought. Without expounding on his wisdom too much, I'd like to ask a few questions for all of us to think about.

Who do you identify with? Are you the critic? Or are you the man in the arena? I think we can be both, something simultaneously. It doesn't matter which entity we are, what does matter is which one we allow to bubble to the surface, to control our thoughts and actions.

Compete

It's been a while since I got anything from Calvin and Hobbes, so today's Thought is a welcome addition. When I was a young child, I took piano lessons. Not only did I take lessons, but I competed. There were two contests that I took part in. One was again all the other players entered - I had to play better than them in order to win. The other contest I entered was against myself. All I had to do was play better than I did the year before. In the end, my performance was compared to two entities - myself and everyone else.

Think back to a time when you competed with someone else. For many, I know the spirit of competition, the drive to be better than someone else, is very powerful. And there's nothing wrong with that. However, it is important to remember that the only person we really have to compete against is ourselves. Rather than beat out every other piano player, our mission should be to beat our previous years performance. Who do you compete with? Yourself? Or everyone else?

Lips

It has come to my attention that some of my actions over the past 72 hours were seen as inappropriate and offensive. For those of you affected, I do apologize. Throughout my life I have been known to make snap decisions based my thoughts and emotions. I maintain that sharing my honest, albeit occasionally offensive, opinion is a course of action that has served me well and will always resolve itself as it should. In the words of an old saying, "loose lips sink ships". There is no time that illustrates this more than now.

That being said, I cannot claim full responsibility for all opinions and emotions garnered over the past few days and I refuse to bend to the will of those who would have me believe so. It will take much time and effort on the part of all parties involved, myself included, to regain a level of trust and respect enjoyed prior to these events. Perhaps some wounds will never heal. But as I maintain, everything will work out as it should.

In conclusion, I do apologize for any of my own actions that may have been seen as offensive and inappropriate. I hope that everyone involved may learn relevant lessons that will continue to endure for many years into the future.

Excuses

When I was a college freshman, one of the gentleman in my fraternity had a tendency to parrot back a quote whenever someone would complain about a task: "Results or Excuses?" While not directly related to this quote by Booker T. Washington, it was the inspiration behind today's Thought.

How many times have we been presented with a difficult task? Perhaps it wasn't even a task, maybe it was a decision we had to make. How did you react? Did you come up with some excuse? Or did you suck it up, rub some dirt in it and make it happen? Far too often in my own life, I've opted for the former. Now I know that we all have far too many obligations to get results on all of them, but it's time to stop giving excuses for those things that truly do matter. Do you want results? Or do you want excuses?

Belief

I can honestly say that the first time I found this Thought, I laughed out loud. However, I think there's something much deeper here that deserves discussion. That is the idea of belief. Growing up Catholic, there are many teachings of the Catholic church that I firmly believe. How did I come to have these beliefs? It's an interesting question that I don't think has a singular, neat answer. Instead, it is a complex web, always evolving and always being evaluated.

What do you believe? How did you come to hold that belief? Perhaps it was a teacher or a friend or a parent. No matter where you obtained that belief, WHY do you believe what you believe? I can't say that I have the answers. Everyone has different reasons for believing what they believe. You owe it to yourself to explore your belief. Embrace it. Make it part of your daily life. After all, don't you believe it?

Ears

I'm not sure where I found today's Thought, but I do know why it resonates with me. I am firmly a believer that we are all learners. While I am studying to be a teacher, I am also a learner. I've written before about how I believe that a day in which you learned nothing is a day lost. This plays right into that sentiment. We have two ears and one mouth. If we just take the time to use our ears, how can we go wrong?

Have you ever gotten in trouble because of something you said? I know I have. Conversely, have you ever gotten in trouble because of something you heard? If you have, I'd bet that listening didn't result in as bad of trouble as when you said something. Do you use your ears? I know I don't use mine nearly enough. So much of the time we are consumed with the idea that what we have to say, what we know is the one and only right thing. If we are right, it doesn't matter what anyone else says, right? Don't fall into this trap. Listen. Hear. Understand. Don't be afraid to let go and listen to what someone else thinks is right. Odds are, you'll both learn something.

SOS

Today's Thought is a neat bit of satire related to education that I found a while back. How many of us remember making little designs in those bubble sheets before you realized they were actually important? Yeah, me too. SOS was adopted as the international distress signal in 1908. While it was phased out, it still is a visual distress signal today. Think about that. Over 100 years later, SOS holds true. However, this Thought isn't about standardized testing, nor is it about marine exploration.

Lately in class we've been talking about this topic of significant learning. This learning is that information which you remember for at least three years after you learn it. Quite a lasting legacy if you ask me.
What do you remember? I bet that it doesn't have much to do with facts or figures or concepts. Rather, the things you truly remember are those emotions. SOS is a signal for distress, one of the strongest emotions out there. Love, hate, anger, forgiveness, happiness, fear, bravery; they're all emotions that you feel every day. Don't be afraid to embrace those emotions. Odds are, you'll remember something significant if you do. What do you remember? Remember your emotions.

Individuality

It's been a while since I pulled a thought from M*A*S*H so I thought the time was right today. I suppose in the climate that this show was produced the idea of individuality was a big deal (read: Communist Russia). This isn't the way that I took the idea of individuality the first time I read this quote.

The last couple years I've really been exploring and modeling the idea of blazing your own trail and not going with the herd. So what about individuality? I say that this sense of trailblazing is a the purest form of expressing your individuality. Be honest with yourself, when was the last time you did something absolutely trail-blazing because you honestly thought it was the right thing to do? I think there's precious few people out there who can find a personal example. Don't forget about your individuality. Go exploring. Don't worry so much about going with the group, go your own way.

Details

Today's Thought is one that I initially never would have picked up on. After all, the Nike swoop is just clever branding, right? That changed with one email this summer. My supervisor and mentor sent a message to me with the idea that we need to "Just Do It". He said, "...think about that idea that you thought was next to impossible, and "Just Do It". Take that first step, the rest will sort itself out."

Have you ever had an idea that you thought was utterly impossible? In my life there have been many times where it seems like I simply CANNOT be a good teacher. And yet I am still here working toward my licensure. You see, don't sweat the small details. I think so much of the time we get caught up in the little issues that seem to be HUGE roadblocks and yet are relatively insignificant. Think back to your own life. Has there ever been times when you have a fantastic idea? My guess is that at least in some of these situations all you could see were the small details blocking your way. I bet you didn't follow through on your idea. Don't sweat the details. Just take that first step toward your crazy impossible idea. Just Do It.

Roles

I think one of the ongoing debates in education circles is the definition of the teacher's role in the classroom. Today's Thought sums up my thoughts on this debate fairly well. Today was my first day of teaching at my fall placement site, the School of Environmental Studies. As I taught my lessons, it somewhat hit me just how much as a teacher my goal is to inspire students. After teaching I looked back in my lesson plan to see that a vast majority of my lesson was made up of activities meant to get the brain juices flowing. Granted, this was through content-specific activities, but the overarching theme was toward encouraging students to think on their own.

I think this whole idea of roles is an important one, no matter what your profession is. What is your role? Is your role that of encourager, mentor, leader or visionary? Or is it of doer, worker-bee or manual labor? I think no matter what our situation is we can be part of the former category. I challenge you to think about how you can be a leader, encourager or mentor in your life. What is your role? Are you providing ready-made products? Or are you creating conditions for new inventions?

Failure

I think that Alfred Pennyworth is the most underrated character in the Dark Knight Trilogy. Today's Thought is just one of his many words of wisdom that he shares throughout the movies. Hearing this quote I always think back to the many times that I have failed. As a youth I took piano lessons for a number of years. There was always a big state competition that I took part in, always with the goal to make it to the state competition. Time after time, I prepared for weeks. And time after time, I failed to reach my ultimate goal of getting to state. Yet, I kept trying, I kept learning to pick myself up and try again. Finally, in my last year of eligibility, I made it to state. Quite a turnaround I'd say.

One of my least favorite interview questions has to be, "If you knew you could not fail, what would you do?" My life is all about learning. I firmly believe that failure is the best way that we can learn. Without failure, how can we have learning?
Perhaps you came out of a failure with not quite the best attitude. Have faith, your failure is only setting you up for future success. Just like my piano competitions, failure is teaching us to pick ourselves up and try again. Don't be afraid of failure. Embrace it and learn from your failures. Learn to pick yourself up.

Perspective

I must confess, today's Thought was posted yesterday, I simply forgot to write a blog post. But all wrongs are righted and so here I am. I'm not sure when I first heard this, but I can't help but think back to my own personal experience. As a senior in college, you tend to reflect back on the past 12 years of your life. What has changed? Have I changed?

Looking back at my years, I have indeed changed. I can't help but give a little cringe when I think back to myself in freshman year. Just the way I held myself was very different than it is today. I'd like to think that most of this change is for the better. I'd like to believe that I'm a better person than I was four years ago. So what has changed? My perspective.

Do you see the world the same today as you did four years ago? Perspective is a powerful thing. It affects how we act, how we speak, how we dress, even who our friends are. As we get older I am convinced that we become wiser. That's not to say that our young perspective is bad, it simply isn't as well developed. How do you look at the world today? Has your perspective changed?

Honor

In today's Thought I return once again to the manly mind of Ron Swanson. British english aside, I truly believe that this quote holds a lot of truth. As I've gone through a number of my courses designed to train me as a teacher, I have consistently found an issue explaining what I feel. It's as if I KNOW what the professors are talking about and I KNOW what it looks like in the classroom. Sometimes I even KNOW how to put an idea into practice. Yet despite all this, I can't explain it.

Honor is in the same boat. When people ask what it means to be an honorable person, I simply don't have an answer for them. It's something that comes from within. Like religion, it means something different to everyone else. And like my education ideas and concepts, it cannot be verbalized. If you need it defined in order to know if you have it, you don't have honor. It's one of those things that is only apparent and explainable through actions and thoughts. Can you define it? I say no.

Kings

I must admit, today's Thought has garnered more than one quizzical look followed by a cryptic answer on my part. As it turns out, each of the four kings in a deck is representative of a real 'king'. The king of spades represents King David (of Biblical origin), the king of hearts represents Charlemagne, the king of clubs represents Alexander the Great and the king of diamonds represents Julius Caesar. What do all of these have in common? The fact that each was a great leader in his time.

However, each had his own faults. For instance, Alexander the Great killed thousands of innocent people, Julius Caesar's hubris led to his eventual murder and even King David was guilty of adultery and countless other heinous crimes. And yet, I think each of us would strive to be, at least in some part, like each of these great leaders. What faults do you have? Do these faults significantly limit the influence you are able to exert as a leader? I would bet that a majority of your faults, like mine, are hidden behind closed doors. You see, despite all of our faults, we all have the potential to be great leaders. It doesn't matter what kind of leader. Maybe you could lead a sports team, a club, a nation, a WORLD. The key is not being afraid of these faults. Always do what you think is right. Realize that even great leaders stumble sometimes. Lead with no fear.

Bro

I must confess, today's Thought is on the humorous side. If anyone's familiar, the gentleman in the bowtie is none other than Bill Nye, the science guy. Awesomely enough, he's actually a well respected scientist. But onto the meat of tonights Thought. How many times have you said a question to this effect? I think the classic one is "Bro, you mad?" While most of these are meant to be humorous, the fact that you are asking someone a question in the context of being a brother (bro) shows a level of care and concern for another's welfare.

Do you care for your fellow human being? I think a lot of us care much more than we care to admit, even going so far as to camouflage this caring under the guise of a humorous questions. This has gone on far too long. Don't be afraid to show just how much you care. Instead of "Hey Bro, you mad?" let's try for a little more of "Hey Bro, how can I help you?" It's a basic human emotion to want to belong. Don't be afraid to show someone that they indeed belong to you. Don't be afraid to show you care.

Hope

Today's Thought is an image from the fifth and final season of Fringe. If you are unfamiliar, in this season the (future) world has been taken over by the totalitarian government of the Observers. These men are characterized by their hats and suit-and-tie dress. The poster in the background of this picture is a symbol of the Resistance. It is a symbol of hope for all the human inhabitants of Earth.

Today I was able to hear a phrase from the National FFA Creed: "in the promise of better days through better ways". You see it's this whole idea of hope that keeps us going. While we may not be oppressed by a dictatorial government, we too hold on to hope of better days ahead by doing our best in the present day. It's the American Dream. If I work hard today and play square with those around me, I can reasonably expect that my efforts today will be rewarded tomorrow. Will you provide hope? Will you do your best to ensure a bright future?

Teach

Yesterday one of my professors brought up a quote that I felt was very profound, at least in my experience. Thus, today's Thought was found.

I have long held the belief that as a teacher, I am constantly learning. However, this Thought put a whole new spin on my philosophy. Sure you can learn something. You may even be able to pass a test on it. But can you teach it?

You see, in order to teach a topic, you have to know that topic inside and out, right side up and upside down. As a student you have the luxury of only learning something the way it makes sense for you. As a teacher you have to learn something so that it makes sense to everyone you're teaching.

Many times I hear stories of teachers 'learning' something the night before they are supposed to teach it. I suppose throughout the next year this will become familiar to me as I continue my quest toward being a high school teacher. You see, it's not as if these folks are truly learning an idea the night before, they are simply taking a new look at it, finding all the angles so that they may more effectively teach their students.

Pride

When I originally saved this picture to use as a Thought of the Day, I had one thing in mind. However, as time has gone on, I have found a new meaning for this phrase, a new foundation to tie this Thought to.

A line of my fraternity's Object states that "every member shall be honest with himself, as with his brothers."A key part of that honesty is knowing when to ask for help and when to speak your mind. This is something that I particularly have struggled with at times. You see, I hate asking for help. I hate appearing weak and unable to take care of my own business. By not asking for help, I sometimes do not tell my brothers what is actually going on in my life.

I think we all can relate to this situation. As prideful humans, we don't want to appear that we need help. Let go of your pride. Be honest with your brothers, your friends, your family. Will you ask for help?

Happiness

I must confess, today's Thought was one of those happy coincidences that just fell into place. Heck, I didn't even find this Thought. Usually when I wake up I look for a new Thought of the Day and I post it on my fraternity's bulletin board. As luck would have it, someone beat me to it today. To be completely honest with you, I have no idea whether this story is actually something that happened. For all I know, the poster could have made it all up.

But I prefer to believe in the goodness of humanity, so we'll roll with this Thought today. Buddha is implying that in order to find happiness, you must remove ego and desire from your life. I can see the merits of this. How many times have you messed something up because your ego prevented you from admitting that you were wrong? I know I've been there. But is finding happiness really this easy?

Each and every one of us has a unique take on happiness. We all find joy and happiness is something different. One of my greatest sources of happiness has been teaching. Something about seeing a student understand an idea and apply that idea to their own life just gets me every time. For me, teaching isn't an isolated event that happens only in the confines of a classroom. For me, teaching is a way of life. And by extension, the happiness wrought from that teaching is a way of life. You see, teaching is one of the most selfless acts out there. It's not about you, it's about the students. It doesn't matter what recognition you want. It's going to come down to what the students want. With that, desire and ego is gone. All that is left is happiness. What does it mean to live out happiness in your life?

Hungry

Today's Thought comes from the great mind of the late Steve Jobs. While this isn't his most popular quote, I do believe it speaks strongly to folks of my age. It's so easy to get caught up in trying to do things by the book, get the A+, get a good job that we forget what it's like to be hungry and foolish.

At the beginning of my summer, I thought back to another great summer experience: attending Washington Leadership Conference (WLC) through FFA in Washington DC. What made WLC such a great experience? What made it fun? In the end, I came down to two points: 1) I had no expectations and 2) I had a desire to prove myself. In short, I was hungry to show what I was all about, I wanted to prove my worth.

Think back to one of your best experiences in your life. What made it so great? I'd venture a guess that you too had this sense of hunger to prove yourself. Or maybe it was on the other side of the spectrum. Maybe you just didn't care what people thought of you. You found a way to stay foolish. So don't worry so much about what's supposed to happen. Don't worry about following the path. Maintain that sense of hunger. Stay foolish.

Rabbits

Now I realize a lot of you are likely confused by this Thought. What does it mean? After all, isn't it just a stuffed energizer bunny? Well, yes, you would be right. It is 'just' a stuffed rabbit. However, the message behind it is what I am trying to get at.

Throughout this summer I was always amazed at the ability of my co-workers to identify and stay true to our organization's mission and vision. Sure, they were always looking for new ways to fulfill that purpose, but the purpose itself was never in doubt.

I wondered about this until the CEO and President told me a story. He said that a number of years ago, when the organization was just starting out and starting to gain traction and expand, there were many many different directions the organization could go. The temptation was great to stray from the core mission of the organization into other (very worthy) causes. For Christmas one year, his co-workers gave him this stuffed rabbit. It came with the message "Don't chase the rabbit". Wait, what? What rabbit? Don't worry, I was confused for a second too.

You see, his co-workers equated these worthy, though ultimately off target ideas to rabbits. So by saying "don't chase the rabbit" they were telling him to stay on target, stay on sight with the organizations purpose.

Have you ever gotten off target? It's easy to do. With life, there is no manual. We just have to go with what feels right. And many times, there are ideas or activities that while seeming to be ok, are truly off target with the people we are striving to be. This target or purpose would be called your values and morals by many people. Strive to stay on target. Don't get away from the values, purposes and visions that you hold dearest. Don't chase the rabbit.

Repair Man

I have to start out by saying, I love this line. I thought this line from the television show Community hits particularly close to home. My fraternity has the motto "Builders of Men". This motto sums up our entire purpose, our Object that I wrote about in an earlier post. I believe that this line says the same thing.

Recently, I have been struggling with a very difficult decision. I can't say what that decision is but I can tell you that it's one of the hardest things I've ever done. It seemed like no matter what I did, I would be in the wrong. As is usually the case though, someone is always there. In this case it was one of my best friends and best brothers from my fraternity. He spoke truth that I wasn't able to speak to myself. In the end, he was simply looking to help me, he was looking to repair man. Maybe you have someone like this. Maybe you're that person. No matter what your place is now, we all can be a True Repair Man. In all things, seek to help your fellow man. Seek to be a True Repair Man. Will you repair man?

One

Today's Thought comes from the character that is Ron Swanson of the television show that is Parks & Recreation. I apologize if anyone is upset by the language present in this piece, but I believe it is a great message.

How many times do we multi-task in life? Tonight at my fraternity's meeting, one of our advisors spoke a few words on the idea of multi-tasking. I'm not sure of the exact text of her speech, but it had something to do with this idea of doing too many things at once. When we divide our attention, we don't do any of our tasks justice. We must devote our full attention to one thing at a time.

Do you 'whole-ass' one thing? Or are you more of a person to nibble around the edges of multiple projects? I know in my life I have struggled at times to maintain the balance. At those times nothing that I was working on turned out very well. Correspondingly, when I focused my entire attention on one thing, it turned out pretty good. Don't divide your attention. Do one thing and do it all in.

Awakening

I suppose I should be grateful to have any readers after my brief hiatus. It has certainly been an eventful last few weeks. Let me take you through it. First, I ended my internship in Kansas City. That experience alone was huge for me, I owe so much to the people I encountered and worked with. Next, I moved to Minnesota just in time to work all twelve days of the Minnesota State Fair. Neither heat, humidity nor crowds stopped me from doing my job. Which brings us to today. Tomorrow is the first day of classes at the University of Minnesota, also the first day of my last year at college. After a while of all this moving around, you get a little run down, feeling like you just are in a fog. You need to wake up.

Today's Thought is courtesy of Anonymous from the movie V for Vendetta. Fantastic movie with an interesting social justice-y type theme. In the movie, Anonymous is trying to upset the established order, a tyrannical dystopia controlled by a wealthy few. He calls for this idea of global awakening. While starting school is no earth-shattering awakening, it is a nice reminder to constantly be awake to the new day's opportunities. My awakening from the fog of constantly changing jobs and venues is loading. Tomorrow it takes it's flight. What awakening are you seeking? Perhaps it's taking the next step in your education. Maybe it's a little deeper than that, waking up some dormant internal state that urges you onward. Begin loading your awakening so that when tomorrow comes, you are prepared to seize the opportunity.

Party

I suppose today's Thought is a pre-emptive apology. Over the next 12 days, I will be working as a Social Media Intern at the Minnesota State Fair. If you're around, be sure to stop by the 4-H Building and say hello!

The idea of the state fair brings about thoughts of a party. Where else can you find millions of people gathering over twelve days for such an event. Best yet, there's something for everyone. Livestock, 4-H exhibits, rides, food, you name it, it's there. What are you celebrating? Perhaps like me, you are celebrating the accomplishments and future of thousands of young 4-H members. Or maybe you are celebrating that weekend off, seeing the sights with your family.

The time, activities and venue aren't what is important. The fact of celebration is the important part. I think it's easy to get sucked into a life where there is precious little worthy of celebration. Well, it's time to ditch that mindset. Take some time and celebrate your life and your day. While I can't promise victory in a war, I can promise that the person celebrating wins the day.

Thinking

Today's Thought is courtesy of one of the greatest minds ever, Albert Einstein. I've long been a fan of his quotes, this one at the forefront.

This week I have been back working prepping to run social media during the Minnesota State Fair. The unique part of this is that I did this job last year so I have a pretty good idea of what worked and what didn't. This brings up an issue. How do we solve the problems, the things that didn't work? The only answer is to change our thinking. Change how we view the problem. Otherwise, we can have no hope of solving whatever problem we have.

How have you changed your thinking? I assure you, it's not easy to change. However, if we are to move forward, we MUST change. If I am to reach and engage a new audience, or the same audience in a new way, I can't keep doing the same thing. The same is true for you. Perhaps you are struggling with an issue now. Instead of focusing on solving the problem, first focus on changing how you look at the problem. Who knows, the answer might become painfully obvious. Obvious, but only obvious to a new way of thinking.

Trust

I'm slowly realizing that I pull a lot of my references and Thoughts from television and movies. So I suppose it's no surprise that today's thought is from the television show Chuck. In the very first episode, Sarah Walker asks Chuck to trust her. Sarah is a spy and inadvertently, Chuck has been thrown into a world of espionage. I could get into the whole backstory of Chuck, but that would take far too much time and space.

Now I know it's only a TV show, but I still enjoy this thought. Have you ever been asked to trust someone? It's not an easy thing to say yes to. What if they let you down? For me personally, trust has been a big issue that I struggle with. But it's the basis of life itself. Think about all the times you trust someone. You trust that car to stop for you as you cross the road. You trust your coworkers to do their job to the best of their abilities. You trust the weatherman (maybe) to tell you what the day will be like outside. The point is, at some point you have to learn how to trust. You have to answer that question. Will you trust me?