As soon as we wish to be happier, we are no longer happy.  – Walter Landor

 

Life is about balance.  One area that is a personal challenge for me is the balance between my growth mindset and my appreciation for the present.  There are times I want to be content – just for a moment.  There are times I want to celebrate the now without looking ahead to how I can be better.  As soon as we achieve success, I tend to already be focusing on the “what’s next.”

 

For me, an area of improvement is to live in the moment.  I lean on those around me – on family and friends – to slow me down.  I have a strong support system to lend balance to my life.  Part of my need to Press Pause is in my happiness equation . . . the ability to enjoy the present without losing my vision for the future.  We all need people in our lives to make us better . . . life isn’t a solo journey.  Life is about relationships, clarity, and support.

Teachers change the world one child at a time.

 

Our society’s most important investment in the future is in our children.  The resources we put into our public schools, the work our teachers do in our classrooms, are the single most important factor in America’s future success.

 

Each child in our public schools has the potential to have a positive influence in the future.  Each individual student is a work in progress . . . our teachers are shaping our tomorrow.  We can provide the foundation of knowledge and support the development of values.

 

Our teachers are creating and building tomorrow one student at a time.  There is nothing more important!

Your calm mind is the ultimate weapon against your challenges.  So relax. – Bryant McGill

 

There are times that I get “ramped up” about different things in my world.  I have a mind that doesn’t really stop; I work to process different scenarios in my mind in order to be prepared for potential outcomes.  With this ability to process, also comes a risk of overthinking any given situation.

 

For me, the ability to find calm permits time for clear reflection and thinking.  On most days, by the evening hours my mind isn’t calm.  My calm time is in the early morning hours when I exercise.  This is my time . . . it is the time I get my mind right for the day.  I have my clearest, most productive thoughts when my mind is relax and rested.

 

When is your time?  When is the time that you have a calm mind and you can solve problems and meet challenges?  Be intentional in your actions and purposeful in your schedule.  Make time for yourself to have a calm mind and relax.

Do not let the circumstances alter your faith.  Let your faith alter the circumstances.  – Jon Gordon

 

Faith . . . complete and unwavering trust and confidence . . . the seeds of our beliefs are our faith.

 

We have spiritual faith, we have personal faith, and we have faith in others.  We have faith in ourselves, our abilities, and our values.  Strong faith leads to strong behavior and ultimately leads to successful results.  Weakness in our faith, cracks in our armor, leads to weak behavior and poor results.

 

When things get tough having faith in our purpose, having faith in our service to others, gets us through the tough times.  When organizations are tested, having faith in our team gets us through the challenges.

 

Don’t let the craziness of the world around you alter your faith.  Lean on your faith, lean on your team, and win each moment.

People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.  -Maya Angelou

 

One of the keys to effective leadership is being consistent.  The experiences we create for other people – our responses to the events in our lives – create experiences for other people.  It isn’t so much what people here from us that shapes feelings – it is how people experience us.

 

We earn trust when we are consistent in the experiences we create for others.  I want people to experience me – as a leader, as an educator, and as a friend – in a consistent manner.  It isn’t what I say . . . it is my actions.  It is this consistency of action that creates the feeling of trust.

 

You are in control.  You get to decide.  Do you want to be consistent and disciplined in your interactions with others?  Do you want people to experience you in a specific way?  If so, make the choice to meet your own expectations.  If you don’t have higher standards for yourself, than others have for you, you will consistently perform below your potential.

Don’t listen to the critic whose sole goal is to bring you down.  Listen to the one with advice who wants to lift you up and make you better.  – Jon Gordon

 

It is so easy for people to be critical.  It is exponentially easier to criticize than to help.  In today’s Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat world it is easy to emotionally post, bash, and criticize the action of just about anyone.  It is much more difficult to actually dive into problems with the intention of solving the problems.

 

Don’t let those who only want to bring you down succeed.  Don’t let those who feel better about themselves by complaining about others change your course.  We need to stand together so that optimistic, creative people can actually make the world a better place.  We need to win each moment, develop each idea, and get better every day.  We must lift each other up – not tear others down.  We can’t let the “blame, complain, and defend” critics stop our progress.

 

Stand up, lift up, and support those in your lives . . . it makes everyone better.

Life is change.  Growth is optional.  Choose wisely.

 

I’ve written a great deal about change – and the pace of change – in the world today.  We live our growth mindset.  We strive to improve each and every day.

 

Not to be hypocritical, but knowing when to change, when to shift, and when to stay the course are some of life’s most challenging decisions.  Life is changing and the world around us is evolving.  There are some things, some traditions, that don’t need to change for growth to take place.

 

There is a reason we press pause to get our minds right before making decisions.  Each day is full of choices – some are inconsequential and some are monumental.  We take the time to live discipline lives.  We strive to be intentional and purposeful in our behavior.  We hold tight to what is most important, we build on our core values, and we seek to be the best version of us we can be.  We are blessed with the opportunity to choose growth.

 

Students who are loved at home, come to school to learn, and students who aren’t, come to school to be loved.   – Nicholas Ferroni

 

I love this quote.  We ask our teachers to do more and more every year.  We’ve moved from teachers simply imparting academic wisdom to so much more.  As our community becomes more and more diverse, we ask more and more from our teachers and staff.

 

The Hilliard City School District welcomes the opportunity to educate the whole child.  We are committed to providing academic skills, life skills, and shared values within our school community.  With these opportunities come challenges . . . challenges to serve students with incredibly different needs and experiences.

 

We having amazing teachers, principals, and staff.  Our culture drives our behavior . . . we accept the challenge.  We teach and love the students in our schools . . . it is just what we do.

Tension is who you think you should be.  Relaxation is who you are.  – Chinese Proverb

 

Do you know your own values?  Have you taken the time to outline, to intentionally define, what you expect from your life?

 

Too often we find ourselves living our lives to the expectations and standards of others.  We permit others to define success for us.

 

Take time to define what you value.  Don’t think about what others want you to be.  Who are you?  Honestly, what are your values and are they aligned with your desired outcomes in life.

 

When you are comfortable with who you are, you are able to relax and live your life with purpose.

We must dare, and dare again, and go on daring.  – George Jacques Danton

 

When we dare to face our fear . . . when we dare to try something new . . . we are making progress.  Each day we dare to live our growth mindset.  We dare to try something new in the spirit of improvement.  On our journey to elite . . . on our daily commitment to be the best person we can be . . . we dare.

 

We are true to our core.  We are grounded in our foundation of values, but willing to step-out with new action.  Daring people don’t waiver from their core.  Daring organizations don’t stray from their culture.  Daring people are on a journey of action . . . action that is grounded in values.  We live a culture that encourages daring behavior and provides exceptional results.