Good Monday morning! I wanted to share with you some random thoughts, videos and a question that came into my world this week. I hope they add value.
Quote of the Week:
“It’s hard to overcome soft parenting”- Erik Bakich University of Michigan Baseball. My takeaway: don’t be a soft parent to our four kids.
This one will make you Smile:
As you know, I love sports for many reasons but none other than the camaraderie and the ability to pull people from different backgrounds together. On March 30th, musician Bill Withers (“Lean on Me”) passed away. The video below is from a visit he made to USC football years ago. Mr Withers’ humility, humor, and joy ooze through the screen. I’ve watched this video at least ten times. This provided me a huge lift- I hope it does the same for you. Bill Withers visits USC Football
A Growth Opportunity:
Big news this week: I was accepted to take a course at Yale. Actually, anyone can. Here is a link to the most popular course in Yale history: The Science of Well-Being. The class is free and I’ve been enjoying the lessons thus far.
A Timely MLK Quote:
Saturday marked the 52nd Anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. I’m always amazed listening and reading Dr. King’s works. One quote felt particularly relevant, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
Character Education:
Like many of you, our children’s classroom has shifted to our home. The school district has done a great job of being creative. As an adjunct to the school’s curriculum, we’ve found these character education videos from Steve Hartman to be really good. Kindness 101
Shaping Learning Environments:
On Thursday night Jeremy Sheetinger, host of the Stick and Ball Podcast, facilitated a conversation between two great baseball minds and teachers: Kai Correa (Bench Coach for the San Fransisco Giants) and Erik Bakich. The topic was on team defense but it was really a doctorate level class on creating elite learning environments. The conversation reminded me of this video Three Counterintuitive Truths About Great Schools. My favorite quote from the 3-minute video: “the continuous improvement cycle is the key to elite performance.”
One Percent Better:
Finally, I was listening to my friend, Joe Ferraro’s podcast with Mike Gervais. Joe inquired about Gervais’s nighttime routine. Gervais commented that he doesn’t really have a routine at night, he just likes to laugh and enjoy his family. However, at the end of every day he asks, “Was I the person I aspire to be today?” It’s such a simple question but I think it is beautiful for two reasons. First, in order to answer the question you have to do the hard work to understand who you want to be. Second, it enforces the idea that knowing isn’t enough. It actually involves taking massive actions toward achieving the desired results. One Percent Better Podcast
Question for this week:
Are you moving closer to the person you aspire to be?
Make it a great week,
Mike
