It’s all about quality of life and finding a happy balance between work and friends and family. – Philip Green

Our quality of life isn’t about what we have; our quality of life is about living in balance. We are happy when our work has purpose and we have people around us we love – and who love us. Life can’t simply be about play . . . it lacks purpose. Life can’t be solely about work . . . it lacks love.

Vacations are joyful because they are a break; time to relax, rest, and enjoy what is essential if we are to be our best at work. A life of constant vacation – a life without purpose – won’t bring happiness either. A healthy, balanced life embraces both . . . work and play . . . to create the experiences that create joy, inspiration, and happiness.

 

Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving. -Albert Einstein

“We’ve always done it that way” is one quote that make my blood pressure increase immediately. I’m not against traditions; in fact I love some traditions. I also accept that traditions change, evolve, and sometimes even fade away.

Life isn’t about standing still or resisting change. Life is about evaluating the events in our lives and purposefully choosing how we are going to respond. There are times we cling to the past practices; there are times we improve and grow. In order to keep our balance, in order to keep balance in our lives, we are obliged to move forward with time.

Don’t try to stand on the pedal of life and balance without moving forward. Balance is achieved by moving, learning, and growing. It is our growth mindset at work.

It is neither wealth nor splendor; but tranquility and occupation which give you happiness. – Thomas Jefferson

We all know wealthy people, people who live lives of splendor that are seemingly unhappy. We know those who have climbed the mountain, reached the pinnacle, and are yet to be satisfied.

When we compare our lives to others, when we encourage students to compare their performance to the performance of others, we will never be satisfied.

Happiness is about balance. It is about living with purpose and finding tranquility in the journey. We are compelled to enjoy the ride . . . to embrace the journey of change. It isn’t about earning wealth nor splendor; it’s about growth and purpose.

Educating the mind without educating the heart is not education at all. – Aristotle

Our mission as public educators is to ensure that every student is Ready for Tomorrow. We are preparing the next generation of America’s leaders. Our task is monumental and our purpose is at our core. Education today is changing; we must embrace what is required of us.

Education is no longer solely about static facts or acquisition of knowledge. We can no longer measure our effectiveness utilizing simple assessments. The complexity of today’s challenges, the diversity of student needs, demands multifaceted analysis and solutions.

Public schools are obligated to educate both hearts and minds. We are required to inspire commitment to continued learning for today’s students, tomorrow’s leaders, will be required to continually learn, grow, and change. We are all students of life; we continue to seek alignment of heart and mind. We are compelled to stir the love of learning in the hearts of children for a life of educating the mind.

All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once they grow up. – Pablo Picasso

In our preschool and primary classrooms, all of our students are artists. They all color, draw, and express themselves free from fear of judgement. From the hand drawn depiction of vacation to the holiday drawing on the refrigerator, children are joyful creators.

As children grow and mature, those who develop their talent continue to live an artistic life. Those who fail to excel, who fail to be recognized for exceptional talent, seemingly abandon this form of creation and expression.

As educators, we must cultivate the inner artist in each student. The joy of creation, the process of expressing oneself with freedom and creativity, mustn’t be extinguished in any child. Educating the whole child, preparing students to be ready for a tomorrow of balance and happiness, requires us to sow a love of all the arts in our classrooms.

I never expect to see a perfect work from an imperfect man. – Alexander Hamilton

None of us is perfect . . . we should never expect perfection from anyone. When we expect perfection, either from people in public life or people with whom we have personal relationships, we are only setting ourselves up for disappointment. We all make mistakes; if we aren’t making mistakes, we aren’t trying new things.

What we can expect is honesty and values; we are compelled to expect alignment to a shared vision and purposed. Our district has been intentional, purposeful in aligning our values and behavior. We talk about, and more importantly strive to model, our focus and commitment to our culture. We all fall short from time to time, but our commitment to team inspires support and caring.

I never expect to see perfection because we are all imperfect. It’s easy for people to be critical – especially when they are hiding in anonymity behind their keyboards in the safety of their home. It’s easy to point out other people’s flaws. It takes work, it takes effort to learn from mistakes and live our Power of the Team. We accept our Stand Up and Own it approach to leading a district and learning in classrooms. We own our behavior, learn from failing-fast, and live our lives in humble imperfection.

Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm, and harmony. – Thomas Merton

We all know people, perhaps it is how you live your own life, that seem to be on a constant rollercoaster. People who are either extremely happy, or the exact antithesis, exceedingly despondent. For these folks there never seems to be balance; these people seem to completely miss content. They are either the life of the party or in need of consolation.

Living a happy life isn’t about maximizing the high-points while minimizing the canyons. Life is about creating balance; it’s about intentionally keeping our life in rhythm and harmony. When we are true to our values – when we live our lives guided by principles – we keep our priorities in order.