Do this one thing, to feel better about your job. (And help your students, too.)

I wish I could remember where I read this tip, I would surely give it credit. It was a tip to those who work at desks, in business, who often say they work all day reading and typing, but feel at the end of every day as if they've accomplished . . .  nothing. In the words of Macbeth, "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day, to the last syllable of recorded time." Yikes! I should have titled this post, "How not to be Macbeth"!

So, here's the tip: even if the employee is alienated from his or her work (meaning that it isn't really meaningful other than the paycheck it brings -- see previous post), IF he or she will stop and ruminate at the end of the day on the progress made, it will bring at least a little sense of fulfillment. And, dispel a little of the what-am-I-really-doing-here spiritual malaise that I guess can be common in cubicle land. The article also advised managers to overtly remind their people about the progress they're making.

You and I have one head start in that we are involved in a great cause, preparing the next generation to be as able as it can be, for the good of our state, nation, and world. Plus, many of us teach curricula that progress from day to day, and it is clear we are farther ahead than a month ago. Still, the day to day can get ya down and down. So, stop and think about the progress you've made lately: the good you've done, the stuff the kids know or can do, that they couldn't a few short weeks ago. Hey - good job!

And why not remind the kids of the progress they've made, too? They're in a day-to-day grind perhaps even more than we are: they get no paycheck and feel as if the future we're preparing them for is light years away. "Hey, gang, let's stop a minute and look at the topics we've learned about. . . ."

Have a productive week as you bless others.

Read this great little story from Zig Ziglar to remember your calling.

Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar, in his new book, Born to Win, shares this story about having and remembering a higher purpose for what you do.

“Three men were busy at the same task, and a passerby stopped and asked each of the men what they were doing. The first man said, “I am cutting stone.” The second man said, “I am earning my living.” The third man said, “I am building a cathedral.” All three of the men were involved in cutting stone. The first man saw no purpose or value in what he was doing, and my guess is that his days were long and tedious. He probably went home tired and exhausted every night and dreaded going to work each day.


The second man had a different perspective . . .

Go, You!

"Nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come -- and you are that idea." 

 ~ Alan Cohen

Something good is going to happen to you this year!

Though I write this blog of encouragement, I have to work hard to be positive to whatever extent I am. The blog is as much to myself as to anyone; I am not naturally optimistic. So it's odd to me, to feel optimistic about a coming year. Most New Years I say to myself it's really arbitrary when a new year begins and ends. And the start of the school year always feels like more like an beginning, because it clearly is. Springtime too, is obviously a new beginning, as things become green again. Jan. 1 is so in the middle of things.

Nevertheless I feel oddly optimistic about 2012. I like the sound of it. "Twenty-eleven" is so odd- and prime-numberish, it feels like you're just hangin' there. "Twenty-twelve" sounds so much firmer. Hope the world doesn't end.

But no, I don't think it's going to, and I know there are many good things in store. Eons ago a friend introduced me to the motivational speaker, Joyce Meyer, via an audio cassette. Her prescription for worry and doubt was to repeat the phrase, "Something good is going to happen to me today." Saying this might not change the physical universe, but it surely changes how we view things. Colleague, many good things are going to happen to you, with you, and through you in 2012. Enjoy the ride as you bless others!

Thanks for Pasteur-izing kids who will forge all our tomorrows.

Thank you in advance for preparing some future thinker/discoverer:

"In the fields of observation, chance favors only the prepared mind."

~ Louis Pasteur

Babe Ruth wants to tell you one thing that could affect what you achieve.

I had a very nice day this past week. After presenting my civics classes detailed pie charts on federal revenue and spending, I formed them into groups to balance the budget. I didn't know how it would go; whether they would "get" it, or think it was dumb, but it went great.

Hearing them argue within their groups, seeing them bust out their calculators to do the math, hearing their frustration over why the real Congress can't just cooperate, hearing their ideas of how they would balance the budget . . .  a very good day for thinking and collaboration here on the shores of Lake Michigan. I'm glad I tried it. I learned some things to do better next year, too.

Here's what Babe Ruth had to say about taking a chance on something new: "Never let the fear of striking out get in your way."

David Lloyd George offers you this, if you're pondering a decision.

I am a cautious person, but several times I have taken a big risk and enjoyed the payoff. One was motivated by hearing our chorus sing Garth Brooks' "The River" at commencement. "I'll never reach my destination if I never try. . . "

So here is a thought that might have some meaning for you this week:

Don't be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated; you can't cross a chasm in two small jumps.

~ David Lloyd George