Why

Wow. Looking back, it has been quite a while since I've last posted here. I think I was just waiting for the perfect story to go along with this wonderful Thought.

Today I had the first day of teaching my 8th graders. Let me just say it is going to be a fun challenge, they are so full of energy! However, I will say they are always questioning. Even on a boring topic of silk worms, they kept asking why it happens like it does. While it's super frustrating not being able to answer their questions, I couldn't be more happy that they kept asking them.
This whole issue of asking 'why' is not a new one. In so many cases, we can learn so much more just by asking that little three letter word. Have you asked 'why?' today? Don't be afraid of going down the rabbit hole, while tangents will abound by asking why, I find that they are often very good learning opportunities. Who knows what you'll learn!

History

I think at some point everyone has asked the question of how history will remember them. Today's Thought from Calvin and Hobbes offers a good look at how I think many of those questions become answered. I know even while writing this blog I have had those thoughts of how will history think of me for writing it. How will history remember? I don't think any of use can truly answer that question.

That being said, history will never remember us the way we'd like. We will never be remembered for frivolous things that we attempt to do to be remembered by. Rather, history will remember us for the things that we never set out to do. Those things that end up changing the world and yet that we never originally intended to do. Don't be so concerned with how you want to be remembered. Be concerned with how you are living right now, history will take care of the rest.

Cold

I'm officially declaring it that time of the winter. The time where you don't care what happens, it's just been so cold for so long that you're ready for it all to be done. I think everyone has a natural tendency to get a little grumpy. However, some people deal with it better than others. Some even end up being happy. How do they do it?
I think the winter doldrums really challenge us and our ability to adapt and accept our situations. Think about it, there are these situations where we just have to gut it out and survive. How will you adapt?

Blindside

The seed for today's Thought was planted in the heat of battle. Here I was, feeling very overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work to be done. Even worse, this workload wasn't anticipated. I was blindsided. I think this comic from Calvin and Hobbes shows the issue of a blindside in a quite humorous manner. I think so many times I get in the mindset that I am invincible. I know everything that's going on, I know exactly what's coming my way and I am prepared to annihilate that task. Sometimes though, the Hobbes' of my life come in and show me that I am completely unprepared.

What is your blindside? What are we to do when we get totally overwhelmed, totally blindsided by life? I think a large part of life is learning to take all the curveballs and roll with them. I for one, have much work to do on this. Instead of hiding in my 'impenetrable' snow fort, I must make more of an effort to roll with the punches and truly be ready for anything.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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?

Seized

As I believe I've mentioned before Calvin and Hobbes is one of my favorite comic strips. This strip in particular is one of my favorites. For me, it invokes a quintessential feeling of summer youth.

The message here isn't that hard to find. I remember back in my days of grade school summers. It was the best of times. From running to the neighbors house across the road, to riding my bike everywhere around the countryside, it was truly a time to seize the day. At that age I'm sure a lot of people could say they seized the day.

So what changes? Why when we get older do we suddenly start feeling like the days aren't quite as full, as if there's something still out there to be grasped? When was the last day you utterly seized the day? Sometimes, all it takes is a chance to be a little kid again. No matter what gives you that feeling, you deserve to do it, at least every once in a while. And if you are lucky enough to make a career out of something you love so much as to seize the day, everyday, hats off to you. Join me in echoing Hobbes, because I say, consider this day seized.

Stupid

Today's rather large Thought is another one of my favorite Calvin and Hobbes comic strips. In my days, I think I've seen some pretty pointless things. This strip points out the utter ridiculousness of war and fighting. Now I don't care what your views on war and peace are, but it is an interesting thought. In the last frame, Calvin remarks on the stupidity of their game. Perhaps he has hit on something here.

It seems that with every stage in my life, I have been able to look back and think, "What was I thinking?" I believe that this feeling, this realization of the stupidity of youth is a sign of growth. If you look at the work the same at 22 as you did at 12, something's wrong. The thing is though, you can't consciously try to remedy this. It's something that happens organically. It's a combination of your innate abilities, your drive for knowledge, and many other factors. I realize today's thought may not be the most well-planned or even the best I've ever had, but I think it's worthwhile to revisit. Are you able to say that your choices have led you a better worldview? Are you still playing the game?

Compensation

Have you ever wondered why it is that athletes are paid millions of dollars while teachers get paid very little?  I have, and I had to chuckle when I saw today's Thought.

This summer I'm reading a book for my internship called The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann.  It's a story about a powerful business idea and focuses on The Five Laws for Stratospheric Success.  This comic strip is an interesting commentary on one of these laws: The Law of Compensation.  This law states: "Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them."

Thinking about professional sports, this makes a lot of sense.  These athletes serve a lot of people.  The viewership on any given football Sunday certainly is in the millions of people.  Now I'm not saying that everyone should run out and become a professional athlete (there's gold in them thar stadiums!).  Rather, we should reconsider our idea of compensation.

As a future teacher, money scares me.  What if I don't have enough?  I sure could go make a more comfortable living doing something else.  So why do I do it?  I keep coming back to the idea that my compensation as a teacher isn't about the money.  It's more than that.  It's not only about my money, it's about the money and the lives that my students will have as a result of my teaching.  It's about the relationships, the people you impact.  What is your TRUE compensation?