Life Goals

Friday has arrived and another week of January is behind us. As we all continue to find ourselves in the middle of the pandemic, we must remember that this is a very difficult time for everyone. Coping can be difficult. For me, I try to focus on what I can control, which is my emotions and my actions.  That, of course, has not always been the case but I have tried to improve personally and professionally in that category.  Years ago, I committed to three goals in my life: To be the best father I can be; to be the best husband I can be; and to be the best human I can be.  Recently, I added to those daily goals after I recovered from a near death experience with COVID-19. I added, “Be Upright”. Though there are days that I fail miserably at all, my daily goals remain. With those failures, I have learned to pause, consider the impact of my actions, apologize when needed, reflect, and most of all make it right. This personal reflection I believe has made me a better educator. I wish you all a most excellent weekend…Go BEARS! (cue Josh Radin - Brand New Day).

Until next time...

Looking on the Bright Side

We have made it to the end of another week and it is astounding how quickly it passed.  As the ‘new guy’ on campus, I have much to learn. Sometimes I feel like I am drinking through a fire hose. Though that is the case, I will always look on the bright side, at least I am hydrated. All kidding aside, the return from break is always a tough one but this one started even more difficult. The loss of one of our students will always be taken horribly.  Delivering condolences on behalf of the staff was my role and though I have done it before, it always stays with me. The words of the father will forever resonate in my head with the question “Did I do enough?” It is impossible to have a conversation like that and not be affected.  People matter. Connections matter. Differences among us all are reduced to trivial when tragedy strikes. Having said that, take a moment to reach out to a student or colleague today and say a kind word or two. You just never know the impact you may have. Have an outstanding Friday and an even better 3-day weekend. Go BEARS!(cue Cranberries, Linger)

Until next time...

You Never Know...

Hall of Fame recording artist Billy Joel credits his high school music history teacher for his success.  As a sophomore at Hicksville High School, his music history teacher, Mr. Chuck Arnold was inspired by the skill Billy Joel had playing the piano. As Billy Joel describes it, one day while fooling around on a piano, playing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Minor, Op. 23, Mr. Arnold noticed his talent and made a very simple comment.  He told Billy Joel that with his talent, he could be a professional musician. Previous to that moment, Billy Joel had never thought about music that way and credits Mr. Arnold for giving him his start in the music industry. Moral of this story:  You never know the impact your words can have on a student.

Until next time...

TGIF

How many times do we hear the acronym TGIF?  Originating in 1965 with the restaurant chain TGI Friday’s, it was popularized and shortened to TGIF in 1978 with the release of the movie “Thank God It’s Friday”.  Now the acronym is popularized in many ways, but it still stands for the same thing. It stands as a banner message to signify the end of a grinding week and the beginning of the weekend. We have all heard the message of TGIF and we all understand the sentiment.  That being the case, I would challenge you to use TGIF as a time to reflect.  Instead of seeing TGIF as a phrase to celebrate the end of the week, see it as a few words:  Trust, Grateful, Inspired, Fun. By plugging in those words we can then ask ourselves the following questions in reflection of the week:

T - What did you Trust in this week?

G - What were you Grateful for this week?

I - What Inspired you this week?

F - What was Fun this week?

Of course, the ‘What’ can always be interchanged by ‘Who’.  By framing the acronym into these simple questions, one can completely change their state of mind and become more reflective.  Have a phenomenal weekend...Go PUPS! (cue Cranberries, Linger).

Until next time...

Good Guys and the Bad Guys

On the way to work this morning,  I was intrigued by the original soundtrack of the Magnificent Seven written by Elmer Bernstein. I started thinking about how we in society treat ‘good guys’ and the ‘bad guys’.  How intriguing it is to me that music can represent very clearly the good and the bad.  We all know that our basic understanding of good and bad is rooted in our moral upbringing. If you are anything like me, I had a very clear understanding of what is right and what is wrong from my parents however, the musical side has been taught through the movies. In the old westerns, the good guys wore the white hats and we all knew who wore the black hats. Not only that, but the music that accompanied them was also very identifiable. Fast forward to more current movies and the music continues to identify the villain. In the hugely successful Star Wars movies, the imposing Imperial March let us all know Vadar was on his way. In contrast, the Theme of the Jedi conjures a completely different feeling. It is simple to figure out the good guys and the bad guys.  In the real world however, things are not so simple. Nobody has a soundtrack that plays so we can hear.  In real life, sometimes, the ‘bad guys’ are packaged as a ‘good guys’. It is not as easy as in the films. Who really knows?  That’s one reason why I just try to focus on my actions.  I want to be the ‘good guy’ in the white hat.  I choose to do right by people and be comfortable in my skin. I want to be the best person that I can be. In my mind, I’m wearing the white hat with the music of the magnificent seven playing in the background as I ride off into the sunset...roll credits.  Have an exceptional weekend. Enjoy the beautiful weather...Go PUPS! (cue Elmer Bernstein, Magnificent Seven)

Until next time...