Not long ago, I watched episodes of a miniseries: The Man in the High Castle. It depicts what life would be like if we had lost WWII, and Nazi Germany and Japan ruled the world. In the storyline, the United States is divided: the Greater Nazi Reich in the east and the Japanese Pacific States in the west. The Rocky Mountains serve as a neutral zone – kind of like the DMZ between North and […]

Let me give you a behind the screen view of how these notes come about. I read regularly.  My mom, an English teacher, cultivated a joy of reading when I was young.  I was a poor classroom student as a kid. More interested in sports and recess than the classroom.  But I loved reading.  It helped counter years of classroom neglect.  But if I could do it differently, I probably wouldn’t. Being a reader for 60 […]

The following is a quote sent to me by one of our IT team members: “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” – Robert Louis Stevenson Harvests are frequently subject to factors that are out of our control. You can plow the field. Sow the seeds. Spread the fertilizer. Diligently weed and water. But you can’t impact the weather or the rainfall. Winds tear through. The […]

“Physically loose. Mentally tight.” – Arthur Ashe Ashe was a Hall of Fame tennis player.  He was an African American playing in a traditionally “white” game in the 1960s and 1970s.  Because he was a pioneer in the sport, he knew that he must always remain on his best behavior.  His decorum had to be perfect. He could not draw unwanted attention. On the court though, it was different.  He could go wide open.  Leap.  […]

People either inspire you to greatness, or pull you down in the gutter. It’s that simple. “No one fails alone, and no one succeeds alone.” – Jon Bonhotal You’re either inspiring or you’re dragging someone down. You can consider whether that’s true for you, but I believe the idea is valid. Others watch what you do and consider the difference you are making. Do you show up on time? Do you work hard and make a strong effort? […]

I’m a day late on a Mother’s Day salute, but this made me chuckle because it’s true. Coach Krzyzewski, Hall of Famer, said: “Be as tough as your mothers. They show up every day.” It caused me to think about all the tough mothers I know. So many who work. So many are doing the parenting alone. So many have deep ambitions for their children and work hard to fulfill them. So many who have […]

One of the influential books in my life was The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey.  Though published in 1989, it’s still in print and judged to be one of the best 10 leadership books ever written.  It’s still in publication over 30 years later. While I highly recommend that you get a copy to read, or download a copy to listen to as you commute, it’s worth sharing a summary of […]

“The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice. Ironically, their virtues make them vulnerable.” – Ernest Hemingway Hemingway’s quote points out a tension that each one of us faces. To achieve things, you have to be willing to be vulnerable. Having “a feeling for beauty” means to me that you have a tender heart. Beautiful music, sights, and interactions make […]

This is a blatant cut-and-paste job on my part of a post by educator Danny Steele. I’ve adopted a couple of thoughts from reading about Teach for America, an innovative teacher training program that recruits non-traditional candidates to teach underserved students in impoverished areas. The thoughts are: “Teaching is leadership.” The teacher is committed to leading students to a better learning experience. “If the student hasn’t learned, the teacher hasn’t taught.” This statement challenges the […]

David Letterman retired from his gig on late-night television in May, 2015. In anticipation of his departure, he was profiled and interviewed by many. I saw him on CBS with Jane Pauley. During that interview he shared his feelings about change. Retiring from daily television is a major change. Letterman said he found major change to be “paralyzingly terrifying.” But in every case, after he found his way through to the other side, he said […]