“Leverage Worry and Fear”

I will admit that I am a sucker for those “list” posts. They are succinct, easy reads, and always give you something to think about.

One such post that I tweeted out this past week was “26 Daily Habits Highly Successful People Have (and the Rest of us Probably Don’t)“.  Do I think that successful people make a “list” of these 26 things and do them daily? Nope. (Even though the number one point was to write everything down….whoops!)  However, I do believe some things are in here that may push people to think about their weaknesses and grow from them.

The second point, which I read over and over again was “Leverage Worry and Fear.” Honestly, I was thrown off by the bold headline and then read the text that went along with it:

“Worry is interest paid on trouble before it is due. I’m a believer that harnessing fear by developing a strong backbone–not wishbone–is a key to success every day. Successful people don’t wish for success, they work at success in spite of their fears. Stay mentally and spiritually strong in the face of adversity in difficult and painful circumstances by replacing worry and fear with determination.”

–Miron Lulic

The line in bold (emphasis mine), really stuck with me.  I think that we always talk about people being fearful of failure, but there is also the fear of not being able to replicate past success.  We often find reasons why things won’t work, and talk ourselves out of things that we knew worked in the past in fear that they may fail in the future.

I have learned over and over again in my life that if I want something to work, it will happen if I put my energy into it. It might not happen the way I thought it would, as fast as I wanted, or even be the exact outcome that I once planned for, but I will always learn and grow from the process and achieve success in some way.  I have said this before but “hope” is not a strategy.  If you want things to happen, you have to make them so.

I would much rather try and fall on my face than to have given up because only one of those outcomes guarantees failure.

(One of my favorite little lessons from Jim Carrey that applies to so much personally and professionally.)

• July 10, 2011 This is not optional anymore…
• April 4, 2018 Innovation Does Not Happen in Isolation
• May 3, 2012 Social Media For Administrators (Blog Posts)
• January 18, 2014 3 Things We Should Stop Doing in Professional Development
• December 14, 2017 4 Ways to “Jolt” Yourself Toward Meaningful Change

from Connected Principals https://ift.tt/2rdJiAH

“Leverage Worry and Fear”

I will admit that I am a sucker for those “list” posts. They are succinct, easy reads, and always give you something to think about.

One such post that I tweeted out this past week was “26 Daily Habits Highly Successful People Have (and the Rest of us Probably Don’t)“.  Do I think that successful people make a “list” of these 26 things and do them daily? Nope. (Even though the number one point was to write everything down….whoops!)  However, I do believe some things are in here that may push people to think about their weaknesses and grow from them.

The second point, which I read over and over again was “Leverage Worry and Fear.” Honestly, I was thrown off by the bold headline and then read the text that went along with it:

“Worry is interest paid on trouble before it is due. I’m a believer that harnessing fear by developing a strong backbone–not wishbone–is a key to success every day. Successful people don’t wish for success, they work at success in spite of their fears. Stay mentally and spiritually strong in the face of adversity in difficult and painful circumstances by replacing worry and fear with determination.”

–Miron Lulic

The line in bold (emphasis mine), really stuck with me.  I think that we always talk about people being fearful of failure, but there is also the fear of not being able to replicate past success.  We often find reasons why things won’t work, and talk ourselves out of things that we knew worked in the past in fear that they may fail in the future.

I have learned over and over again in my life that if I want something to work, it will happen if I put my energy into it. It might not happen the way I thought it would, as fast as I wanted, or even be the exact outcome that I once planned for, but I will always learn and grow from the process and achieve success in some way.  I have said this before but “hope” is not a strategy.  If you want things to happen, you have to make them so.

I would much rather try and fall on my face than to have given up because only one of those outcomes guarantees failure.

(One of my favorite little lessons from Jim Carrey that applies to so much personally and professionally.)

• July 10, 2011 This is not optional anymore…
• April 4, 2018 Innovation Does Not Happen in Isolation
• May 3, 2012 Social Media For Administrators (Blog Posts)
• January 18, 2014 3 Things We Should Stop Doing in Professional Development
• December 14, 2017 4 Ways to “Jolt” Yourself Toward Meaningful Change

from Connected Principals https://ift.tt/2rdJiAH

May Reads: Revisiting a DNF and a Favorite Author

May brings me a lot of difficult choices in my reading. I've certainly got a lot of choices, and I'm having a hard time making a decision. But there are certainly a few books I'm determined to read this month, one way or another. May is kicking off a busy summer season, and May brings a graduation party, an out of town baptism, work, and scrambling to work on yard projects. Without further ado, here's what's on tap for May:

I'm reading this novel based on an actual horrific murder in 1959 Kansas. I've started it, become fascinated by the Cutter family, and want to know more. It is not an easy read, however, and I've got a few weeks to finish it before my book club meets.  Our group's theme this month was to read a book that was published the year we were born. One of those books I've always wanted to read, but never did. Until now. 

 Saw this at the bookstore and thought it looked like fun. Three women open a bookshop in Scotland and murder soon follows. I've read a lot of mixed reviews on this, so it will be interesting to see what I think of it. 

Bought this months ago, and finally plucked it off the bookshelf. A YA novel of mystery, magic, and adventure. 

While I await Sandra Dallas' next adult novel, I will read her children's book about a young girl and her family's struggle to homestead in 1910 Colorado. I absolutely love the cover art, and Sandra is a favorite author of mine. 

Oh, Homegoing. I tried and failed to read you before, and I'm giving it another go because I assigned it to a book group for May. Yes, I assigned this novel to make myself finish it this time. And I will. I look forward to discussing it with my group in a few weeks. 

I will probably read something fun and frothy, or at least lighter than what I've picked for May. Two are required for book groups; the others are my choice. I hope I enjoy them all--we'll just have to wait and see. 

Here's to sipping iced tea on the deck, enjoying the sun, and relaxed reading in warm weather. Cheers!



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Your Local Expertise

A lot of my work is with schools and districts, and although I discuss the power of networks to bring a “world-class education” into classrooms, I have been focusing a lot more on the local benefits of networks, not only the global connections.

If one teacher connects outside their school and brings great ideas to their students, but doesn’t connect within their community, we are still left with the “pockets of innovation” as opposed to a “culture of innovation.”  This does not serve the community as a whole. In fact, it could create animosity if ideas are not shared within the community.

This quote from “Multipliers” resonates:

“It isn’t how much you know that matters. What matters is how much access you have to what other people know. It isn’t just how intelligent your team members are; it is how much of that intelligence you can draw out and put to use.” Liz Wiseman and Greg McKeown

When schools do not tap into their collective intelligence, it is the organizational equivalent of only using ten percent of your brain.

I have been sharing this simple idea for years.

The impact of this simple action could be profound. I warn educators that if they do not want to start a hashtag for their school, an angry parent will eventually do it for them.  Schools need to share their own stories.

As I speak to groups all over, I remind educators that the “expert” is not in front of them, but sitting right beside them.  The “global” sharing does little for your school unless you tap into your local expertise.

• April 18, 2018 Wonder, Explore, Lead
• June 18, 2015 Personalize, Not Standardize
• December 16, 2016 4 Non-Negotiables for Schools
• November 27, 2016 “Telling will never be as effective as experiencing.”
• January 9, 2018 The Alignment of Vision and What is Valued

Source: George Couros

from Connected Principals https://ift.tt/2r9cjh0

Your Local Expertise

A lot of my work is with schools and districts, and although I discuss the power of networks to bring a “world-class education” into classrooms, I have been focusing a lot more on the local benefits of networks, not only the global connections.

If one teacher connects outside their school and brings great ideas to their students, but doesn’t connect within their community, we are still left with the “pockets of innovation” as opposed to a “culture of innovation.”  This does not serve the community as a whole. In fact, it could create animosity if ideas are not shared within the community.

This quote from “Multipliers” resonates:

“It isn’t how much you know that matters. What matters is how much access you have to what other people know. It isn’t just how intelligent your team members are; it is how much of that intelligence you can draw out and put to use.” Liz Wiseman and Greg McKeown

When schools do not tap into their collective intelligence, it is the organizational equivalent of only using ten percent of your brain.

I have been sharing this simple idea for years.

The impact of this simple action could be profound. I warn educators that if they do not want to start a hashtag for their school, an angry parent will eventually do it for them.  Schools need to share their own stories.

As I speak to groups all over, I remind educators that the “expert” is not in front of them, but sitting right beside them.  The “global” sharing does little for your school unless you tap into your local expertise.

• April 18, 2018 Wonder, Explore, Lead
• June 18, 2015 Personalize, Not Standardize
• December 16, 2016 4 Non-Negotiables for Schools
• November 27, 2016 “Telling will never be as effective as experiencing.”
• January 9, 2018 The Alignment of Vision and What is Valued

from Connected Principals https://ift.tt/2vUxI34

Your Local Expertise

A lot of my work is with schools and districts, and although I discuss the power of networks to bring a “world-class education” into classrooms, I have been focusing a lot more on the local benefits of networks, not only the global connections.

If one teacher connects outside their school and brings great ideas to their students, but doesn’t connect within their community, we are still left with the “pockets of innovation” as opposed to a “culture of innovation.”  This does not serve the community as a whole. In fact, it could create animosity if ideas are not shared within the community.

This quote from “Multipliers” resonates:

“It isn’t how much you know that matters. What matters is how much access you have to what other people know. It isn’t just how intelligent your team members are; it is how much of that intelligence you can draw out and put to use.” Liz Wiseman and Greg McKeown

When schools do not tap into their collective intelligence, it is the organizational equivalent of only using ten percent of your brain.

I have been sharing this simple idea for years.

The impact of this simple action could be profound. I warn educators that if they do not want to start a hashtag for their school, an angry parent will eventually do it for them.  Schools need to share their own stories.

As I speak to groups all over, I remind educators that the “expert” is not in front of them, but sitting right beside them.  The “global” sharing does little for your school unless you tap into your local expertise.

• April 18, 2018 Wonder, Explore, Lead
• June 18, 2015 Personalize, Not Standardize
• December 16, 2016 4 Non-Negotiables for Schools
• November 27, 2016 “Telling will never be as effective as experiencing.”
• January 9, 2018 The Alignment of Vision and What is Valued

from Connected Principals https://ift.tt/2vUxI34

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

It took me a few weeks, but I finally finished Children of Blood and Bone this morning. I  don't read a lot of YA novels and shame on me for missing some pretty good stuff in the past few years. The buzz around Tomi Adeyemi has been high, and I couldn't ignore it.  I bought a special edition at Barnes & Noble on the day it was released; it has an annotated chapter and a fold out map. It's always fun to read author notes and see what they were thinking as they wrote scenes, so if you have a chance, check it out. 

Adeyemi is a gifted writer, and she doesn't shy away from unpleasant situations. There are torture, death, and oppression in this tale of a people who were once magical, but have been murdered for their gifts out of fear and anger by King Saran, who rules Orisha.  Their children were spared, and without magic, they are the downtrodden; "maggots" taxed beyond their means, and treated like dirt. They are known by their snow white hair, which sets them apart from the rest of the people. 

Out of this, two sets of siblings meet and start on a journey to bring magic back.  Prince Inan and Princess Amari are the children of King Saran.  He's a nasty father, and regularly pits his children against each other in battle training. Zelie and Tzain are brother and sister, living in Ilorin, secretly being schooled in fighting, in the hope that one day the Maji and diviners will have a chance to rise up and regain their magic. When Amari is shattered by a close friend's brutal death, she  steals a scroll from her father that, with a few other tools, can bring magic back to Orisha. Running away from the palace, she runs into Zelie, who is selling fish to raise tax money. When the two meet, the story unfolds, and it's an adventure from that moment on to the final sentence on the last page. 

I don't want to give much away, because you should experience this novel on your own in your own way, without any input from me.  I will tell you that it does break down what looks to be a simple good vs. evil into something that reminds us nothing is ever that simple, and that easy to decide. Family loyalty? Vengeance? If magic comes back, how to keep those who would use it for harm from doing so, and creating another potential war? How do you balance the magic with a peaceful kingdom and those who do not have magic in their blood?  I won't even get started on the horrible parenting that Saran uses on his children. Abused kids for sure, yet Inan fights what he knows he should do with his sense of loyalty towards his father, who has never treated him well. It's a classic abuse issue. Amari is seen as a helpless young lady, but she's the one who grows the most in the novel. It's hard to keep remembering that all four characters, and most of the supporting cast, are teens. Yes, Adeyemi does a masterful job wiping that out of your head. That's why this novel is a great read for teens and adults, and anyone who loves mythology and magic. 

It's an adventure, and the characters grow on you. I will have to read the next novel, and I'm sure it will be just as excellent as the first. It's already been optioned for a movie.  In light of all the race issues we have in the United States right now, the immigration issues, the seeing people (we are all part of the human race!) as less than; well, those are all the bedrock of this tale. It has a lot to say. Definitely a book club selection, and I hope high school English classes read it, too.  

Rating:  6/6 for an incredible tale of rising up, fighting for what's right, even if it means you may lose. This tale of magic, adventure, love, and dreams was fantastic. I think of it, and I see so many colors-you'll find yourself smelling, hearing, and seeing the vibrant world of Zelie, Tzain, Inan, and Amari. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio.

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