No matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.  – Maya Angelou

We live our lives with a growth mindset.  We don’t, we can’t believe that there is a capacity for our growth.  We’d never say, “we are done learning and we can’t learning anymore.”

Each event we encounter, each experience in our lives, is an opportunity to learn . . . an opportunity to grow.  Through our experiences we get better.  Yes, we have bad days and we encounter challenging experiences.  There are times we fail and there are experiences that hurt.  We strive to fail-forward.  We choose to learn from failures.  We heal . . . we get better . . . we pursue excellence.

Our passion for growth is grounded in the faith . . . with optimism and passion . . . that together we will achieve great things.  There are days that test us; there are days that reveal our true resolve.  We live those days knowing that each test makes us stronger, each challenge we overcome prepares us to be better in the future.

For educators, summer provides a time for productive reflection.  We embrace our growth mindset and purposefully begin the process of planning for the year to come.  We rest, we relax, and we recharge.  The work we do with students requires us to be at our best; it is mentally, emotionally, and physically demanding.  Our productive reflection is essential in the growth process.  It’s difficult to reflect during periods of constant stress and chaos – say the last month of a school year.  Now is the time . . . be intentional in your thoughts . . . because life does go on, and you will be better tomorrow.

Greek philosopher Epictetus says, “Wealth consistent not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.”

As we break for the summer months . . . as we press a prolonged pause from the day-to-day events of the school year and take time to refresh ourselves . . . it is important that we evaluate our own wants and needs. The world of public education is changing rapidly; we continued to strive to find balance. Our goal . . . a balance between the traditional and the developing. We strive to find the balance between foundational knowledge and personal choice. We take pride in our work . . . and enjoy our freedom.

As you spend time this summer reflecting on your accomplishments from the past year – as you begin the planning process for the coming year – take a moment to think about what you want and what you need.

We are blessed . . . we are incredibly wealthy . . . because we get to do what we love. It isn’t about our salary or our schedule; it isn’t about the curriculum or the assessments. We do what we do . . . we shape the future because we want to live our purpose.  We are intentional in our lives; we have discipline and strong values.  We want to help young people grow. We want to be part of a team. Our wealth is in the work that we do each and every day.

Walt Whitman writes, “Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you.”

As the school year comes to an end . . . as the summer sunshine warms our days and provides daylight well into the evening hours . . . it is important that we continue to move forward. Our growth mindset is predicated on being better tomorrow than we were today. I am confident that the next school year is going to better than the past year. Looking forward, with our shadow at our backs, we will learn from past mistakes and improve year to year.

Reflect on the past year, build on successes and learn from failures, and begin to plan for next year. Keep your face toward the sunshine . . . don’t dwell on the past . . . learn from it.

Aristotle says, “Happiness depends on ourselves.”

Our mindset ultimately determines our happiness. Honestly . . . it is up to you. Yes, there are events in our lives that require our action. Yes, we interact with dozens – sometimes hundreds – of people per day. Nevertheless, at the end of the day only you can determine your level of happiness.

Think about it . . . are you generally happy or unhappy? If you are a generally happy person – if you face life with a positive outlook day after day – you are mostly happy.

If you are mostly negative – if you live your life from a pessimistic point of view – you are probably unhappy. Go one step further . . . in your mind’s eye think about a positive person you know – I bet they are generally happy. Now, think about that pessimist who is part of your team, a part of your life, I bet they are generally unhappy.

So, it is simple, who do you want to be? It is completely up to you. Is the glass half-full or half-empty? Your happiness depends on you. If, even at the end of a school year, are you unhappy? If you are . . . only you have the power to turn things around.

Brain Rule #12 – We are powerful and natural explorers. – John Medina, Brain Rules, 2008

Throughout the history of man we have been explorers.  We left the caves and organized into villages, we looked over the hill and saw fire, we crossed oceans and pioneered new lands, we explored the sky and landed men on the moon . . . mankind always seeks what’s next.  We are on a timeline of exploration.  It is how we are wired; it is what we do.

As individuals we are wired to be explorers too.  We test, we hypothesize, we experiment, and we learn.  Parts of our brain apply a scientific approach; we test a hypothesis before exploring.  The emotional part of our brain takes a more trial and error approach; we use trial and error with little fear of failure.  We continue to create new neurons – new pathways to learn new things throughout life.

Our passion for growth, our desire to be better today than we were yesterday, is predicated on our instinctive desire to explore.  We weigh the options of productive discomfort and emotional fears.  We strive to be coachable and live discipline lives of focus and purpose.  You are reading a daily blog, reflecting, and exploring for a thought that will quench a thirst for knowledge.  You want to be better, to do better, and to serve better.

You are a powerful explorer with the opportunity to change lives.  Don’t fight the natural instinct to go further; don’t resist that urge to climb higher.

We left the caves . . . we crossed the hills . . . and the sky is no longer your limit.

Rule # 11 – Male and female brains are different. – John Medina, Brain Rules, 2008 

According to John Medina, the way men and women handle acute stress is very different. For women, stress activates the left hemisphere of the brain and women remember emotional details. For men, it’s the right amygdala and they are more detail focused.

Now . . . and please note we are speaking in generalities here . . . how we handle stress is a huge component to how we work as a team. We are, by nature, collaborative. We all can agree that the relationships we build and develop – both at work and at home – are the cornerstone of our happiness. We are successful, or we fail, based on the way we work and play with others.

Understanding those with whom we associate, being able to process situations to determine the desired outcome is essential for powerful teams. The more we work together, the stronger our bonds, the better we support and push each other. As we embrace our growth mindset we must also commit to the power of our team.

Understanding each other doesn’t have to start from “ground zero.” Our past experiences – the science behind Brain Rules – can help us frame our perspective to have the best possible outcomes. The best professional staffs I’ve worked with have balance – it is men and women professionally working together to reach shared goals. This balance is necessary. The balance of emotion and detail; the difference lenses to solve problems, to understand situations, and to set goals is part of a high functioning team.

We must invest the time to care listen and communicate with each other, to ask for help and give help, and to respect our differences. This is how we embrace the power of the team.

Brain Rule #10 – Vision trumps all other senses. – John Medina, Brain Rules, 2008 

While smell evokes powerful memories . . . often without conscious thought . . . vision takes up half of the brain’s resources. We learn best through pictures, not through written or spoken words.

Here is the amazing part – we only see what our brain tells us to see. How our brain decodes the signals from the retina through to cortex and finally back to what we think we see is complex. There are times that two people – watching the same event – will have different recollections of the event based on their personal perspective.

It is important for us to make sure we provide clear, repeated visual experiences over time. When we see an instant replay on television of a sporting event, that second viewing changes our perspective – it encodes the same visual in a slightly different way. When we see that replay in super-slow-motion it again encodes the signals to the brain in a different way.  

When you are looking at a piece of art or climb to the top of a mountain to catch a breathtaking view – you naturally change your perspective. Each different view, each time we change the visual we encode that specific visual into our memory.

When you want a group – when you want yourself – to remember something it is best to provide the visual stimuli in different ways and from different lenses. Change your perspective – or – change the perspective of your audience. Say it – show it – and show it again from a different perspective.

Brain Rule #9 – Stimulate more of the senses at the same time. – John Medina, Brain Rules, 2008 

Smells . . . smells seem to bring back the most powerful memories. According to John Medina, this is because smells bypass the thalamus and head straight to the amygdala . . . right to the part of the brain that supervises emotions. This is why certain aromas take us right back to a certain experience . . . we are immediately overcome with a specific feeling.

From the smell of freshly cut grass to that fresh pine smell that brings us back to our childhood memories of Christmas. From the smell of a specific beach to the fragrance of your spouse’s perfume or cologne – smell evokes memories and emotion.

The more senses we stimulate at any given time the more likely we are to remember any given situation. The electrical signals that disperse throughout our brain are connected . . . they are hooks . . . and the more hooks the more deep-seated a memory becomes.

How does this relate to our work? Is this guy really suggesting we introduce smells into our work as teachers, leaders, and colleagues? Seriously?

No, I am not suggestion you walk around with cans of Axe or Glade to use during a meeting. I am suggesting that you go beyond simply connecting with words or presentations. Think about what you want people to remember – pairing multiple sensory approaches stimulate memory . . . it stimulates growth. From music to videos . . . from touch to hearing . . . from seeing to feeling . . . be purposeful and intentional in your approach. If you want people to remember, stimulate more of the senses at the same time.

Brain Rule #8 – Stressed brains don’t learn the same way – John Medina, Brain Rules, 2008

There are two major types of stress – immediate stress and chronic stress. In circumstances of immediate stress the body releases adrenaline and cortisol; we face and handle the immediacy of the situation. In these crisis situations, we react to the situation, we step-up, and then the danger or immediacy ends. We have the opportunity to “crash” to relax and to recover.

The second type of stress is actually more dangerous to our health. The second type of stress deregulates a system built to deal with short term threats. This second type of stress creates scars in our blood vessels, damages cells in our brain, and cripples our ability to learn. Chronic stress impacts across society. On our children, chronic stress inhibits their ability to learn. For adults, chronic stress destroys culture and challenges relationships.

The sense of helplessness is often a significant contributing factor to chronic stress; having no control or ability to improve a situation.

We must breakdown walls, overcome barriers, and empower each individual to embrace hope. We make each other better . . . we listen, care, and communicate. We can’t, we won’t permit chronic stress to be part of our workplace. When you see it – stop it. When you feel it – talk about it.

Finally, if you find yourself feeling hopeless and helpless and things aren’t getting better, then make a change. Only you can control you – you aren’t trapped. There is always hope; there is always help.

Brain Rule #7 – Sleep well, think well – John Medina, Brain Rules, 2008
Confession of the author . . . this is a challenge for me.  
As with many of these rules, there is a time when and a place where “stuff happens.” We know that exercise is important. We know that we must create experiences for events to transfer to memories. Come on man . . . there is only so much time in a day!
Yes, people vary in the amount of sleep they require. Some are blessed with the ability to function on 6-7 hours of sleep . . . other may required 8-9 hours per night. Regardless, my guess is that there are days – maybe weeks – when you never feel rested and rejuvenated. There are times – and we know it – when we are not at our best.
We create predictable events when we don’t get enough sleep. Our filter becomes porous -some of those self-talk thoughts are actually verbalized (and often with negative consequences.) We forget to press pause. We lose patience quickly and we process information with less accuracy. This is predicable . . . it can’t be a surprise.
Our sleep habits require prioritization. If we don’t take care of ourselves we will be unable to serve and take care of others. Furthermore – and taking this to the next level – when you know you aren’t at your best, don’t put yourself in a position to make bad decisions. When a meeting runs really late and you don’t get a good night of sleep, keep that at the forefront of your mind during the next day.  
There are some preventable mistakes if we remember our Brain Rules. You are in control of you – and you are part of a great collaborative team. Ask for help when you need it – give help when others need it. There is great power in the team!