Learning to Grow Every Day

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My Running Life

I often assign my students to write about their reading life at least once a month. This allows them to reflect on what they have read and how it has impacted their life. It is a great exercise of the mind and gives great insight into what kinds of reading students like to do and what their interests are. However, we too often neglect reflecting on other areas of our life which give us balance and a sense of being centered. Running has always been that activity for me. Having run competitively from 7th grade through college, running has been a major part of my life. I have gone through different eras in my running career, from beginner to competitive, to a run-for-fitness adult. Each era has allowed me to set different goals and approach each run in a different way; however, one benefit that has remained constant is how I feel after a good run. This latest phase of my running life in which I run for fitness and the joy of running has been an interesting journey. I no longer h...

Mastering Your Fear

Over winter break, I read an article by Brandon Webb titled, “How to Master Your Fear Like a Navy Seal.” He began by discussing a situation in combat in which soldiers were literally facing down an enemy in a stressful situation. Of course, while I found it interesting, I figured it only applied to life-threatening or truly terrifying situations. However, as I continued reading, I began to see many applications in my life. Fear can come in many forms: it can come when faced with a life or death situation or it can come in the form of crippling anxiety, stress, depression, and worry. I find myself ruled by the fear of the latter set of circumstances. The article discusses how to control the inner monologue of our minds to not be ruled by fear but to use it in a positive way. Webb writes, “Whatever it is, you’ll deal with it in its time and place. Meanwhile, don’t let it swim around inside your head!” He also noted that our body language can give away our fear if we let it. In other...

Introduction to Grit

Recently, my classes have begun reading both Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (outside of class) and Grit: The Power and Passion of Perseverance by Angela Duckworth (in class). After kindness, I believe that persistence, work ethic, and attitude are a close second. I lumped all three of those traits into one category because Grit is more than just being determined. Duckworth defines Grit as “passion and perseverance for long-term goals.” Whether we develop that passion over time or it comes naturally to us, that passion is a necessary ingredient to our success. Author and motivational speaker Jon Gordon defines Grit as “...driven by love. Inspired by vision and purpose. Fueled by optimism and belief. Powered by faith and hope. Revived by resilience. Kept alive by stubbornness. And if we’re honest includes some fear of failure and desire to prove oneself.” Having Grit is not just one attribute and it does not happen overnight, but rather over an extended period of time and incl...

While this has been a slower reading month for me, it has also been a rewarding one. There is no greater feeling than being challenged by a book, and I have been challenged by two books this month. The Zookeeper’s Wife , by Diane Ackerman, was a book I listened to in my car on the way to school and back. Ackerman recounted the true story of Antonina and Jan Zabinski (the director of the Warsaw Zoo) and their risky act of kindness to save hundreds of Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto. I often ask myself what I would do in that situation. Would I risk my own life to save the lives of others? Of course, I would hope the answer would be yes, but one can never be sure. Even decades later, it is so inspiring to read the story of citizens who risked it all to save those who were being persecuted. Truly selfless acts of kindness sometimes require sacrificing ones’ own comfort or safety for the benefit of others. 9/11 is a transformative event that has so many different perspectives and storie...

Mobility Worldwide

I have some new blog ideas in the works; however, this past weekend my family had a community service experience that is worth sharing. Alas, my other blog ideas will have to wait a week. About a week ago, my wife caught wind of a family service opportunity through our church for an organization called Mobility Worldwide. Out of 25 locations across the country, the lone location in Ohio happens to be in Stow, Oh. This organization builds hand-driven carts for men and women who are immobile or don’t have legs. A team of volunteers, many of them retired, get together each week to put together these carts, which are then distributed worldwide to those in need. The genius of the operations lies in the setup. Although it took a while to set up, a group of men got together six years ago and began setting up a workshop with preconfigured jigs set up at each station; these jigs allow for producing a consistent product. Because they are set up this way, it allows volunteers ...

Habits of Success

In a moment of vulnerability, I would like to explore the idea of self-belief. This has not always come easy to me. Self-doubt so easily creeps into our minds on a daily basis and can cripple our productivity. When we believe the lies about ourselves, it is difficult to move from the impossible to the probable. Rather than thinking about ourselves as not talented enough, not athletic enough, not smart enough, we should focus on our strengths and developing the right habits. I have always been fascinated by grit and persistence, which I will blog more about later. However, I recently came across a tweet by author and motivational speaker, Jon Gordon . Gordon speaks in great detail about positivity and using our strengths to propel us forward. As you can see from the screenshot include in this post, Gordon speaks to those habits we can control rather than the arbitrary skill that is assigned to each of us by the world. Even if you don’t have the most skill, you can be on time, ...