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Random archive letters from other years part 7 |
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Optimists Are Open-Minded
Friday, February 16, 2007
Good day, Sequoyah Fantastics!
A person that is optimistic is willing to be open about tough times. The optimistic person will talk freely about things that are viewed as negative. Some things viewed as negative are really only sad. Optimists feel sad like anyone else, and yet they are able to communicate with people they care for deeply. When someone loses a loved one to death, it is natural for him or her to grieve. The sadness is expected and is normal. Optimists are open to working through their grief. Listen to this anonymous quote:
Tears are often a gift from God,
and sadness is a healthy emotion.
One of the couples I admire most in the world is well known. They were once the President and First Lady of the United States. I respect and admire them most because of the example they have presented of themselves as parents. Some of you have guessed that I am talking about George and Barbara Bush. There are many stories that have been in the press and on television about the current Bush family and the extended family, but this one hasn’t been talked about much. Listen closely to the words of this story your teacher reads.
One day in the spring of 1953, George and Barbara Bush were told that their three-year-old daughter, Robin, had leukemia. She hung on for eight months, with her mother, Barbara, whose hair turned white, sitting at her bedside. Friends say that George and Barbara Bush “handed their grief back and forth, acting alternately as mourner and supporter.” It is the ideal way for two optimistic people to process a tragic event. Mrs. Bush says, “George held me tight and wouldn’t let me go. You know, many people who lose children get divorced because one doesn’t talk to the other. He did not allow that.”
Did you see how optimistic people worked through their sadness? Did you catch how they met each other’s needs? Optimistic people will find that once they work through their grief they then will look for some good in the bad situations. Even if they struggle to find it, they don’t give up looking for it.
Remember that optimistic people are open-minded and willing to discuss negative and difficult situations. I encourage you to be optimistic in approaching life. Like everything else, it too is a choice.
With words that I would like you to consider and reflect upon, make yours an exceptional life – or not. The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to choose. Please choose wisely.
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Thoroughness in the Details
Monday, February 5, 2007
Good day, Sequoyah Thorough Ones!
This is the last letter I will write for a while about thoroughness. I just wanted to be thorough with the subject. I would guess that the area where most of us fail most often in thoroughness is in the details of our work or tasks. Our culture has become one of instant response and near immediate gratification with things. We have allowed the pace of life to pick up to the point that it has become easier to overlook details of tasks or assignments. Sometimes successfully completing the details in work is required to be successful at all.
The most common detail in a public school student’s life now, and even when I was a kid back in the dark ages, is putting your name on the assignment being turned in for grading. Year after year, a day does not go by that at least one student in each school turns in their paper with “no name” on it. It usually gets placed in a dead paper file and of course, rarely gets anyone any credit.
Usually if the details aren’t noticed it is because the effort to give attention to the details isn’t present. Here is another solid example. Have you ever studied the pictures that have hidden images in them? I have one on my wall in the office. At first notice it is simply a picture that has a mother cougar with her two cubs. That is all that most people see, but the truth is that the framed picture has 14 cougars in it. Eleven of them are hidden in the artwork. A person only sees them when he is looking at the details of the picture. I invite any student interested in seeing it, to stop by the office after school someday and study the picture to find the 14 cougars.
Listen to this anonymous quote.
In most cases in education, the success is found
in the details of the matter.
This quote reminds us that when we are trying to be successful, no matter what the task may be, we have to pay attention to the details. Our success lies in the details being completed thoroughly. If we are thorough, then the details get done.
When I think of individuals that are considered masters or experts in their specific areas of interest or work, I am convinced that they are detail oriented thorough people. The world’s best tennis player, Roger Federer gives attention to detail. The world’s best magician, the world’s best doctor, the world’s best writer, the world’s best actress, and the world’s best inventor, all seek completion of the details in their areas. The world’s best golfer, Tiger Woods is a detail-oriented freak. He lets no detail go unfinished or unpracticed. That’s why he is the best. I encourage and challenge every student at Sequoyah to take care of their business at hand and to be thorough with the details of being the best student possible within themselves.
With words that I would like you to consider and reflect upon, make yours an exceptional life – or not. The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to choose. Please choose wisely.
Your Personal Tapestry
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Good day, Sequoyah Cougars!
I have a painting in my office that my brother painted. It is a six-foot by six-foot image of Bruce Jenner long jumping in the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games. The long jump was one of ten events he completed in the decathlon. The decathlon requires athletes to be the best in jumping, throwing, running quick and running with endurance. Bruce Jenner ended the 2-day competition by winning the Gold Medal and being called “the World’s Greatest Athlete.”
I also have a black and white picture of myself when I was six months old. I was just sitting at the bottom of a stairway in a white cloth diaper. The photo is faded and only a 3-inch square. Both images say something about the person reflected.
Another photograph I have comes from my children. My son and daughter have once walked inside the Sistine Chapel in Rome and viewed the ceiling murals painted by Michelangelo. Centuries ago, the man and his assistants presented these stunning images in that structure that took years to paint.
Another couple of images I want to share with you are from Hearst Castle. One was the indoor personal swimming pool that is three times the size of our gym and covered in a million beautiful tiles that are one-inch squares. In fact, many of the tiles are inlaid gold. Hanging in the private library is a 20-foot by 20-foot European tapestry with another amazing image. It is a five hundred-year-old remarkable portrait of a saint praying. It is unique and could never be replaced.
What is the point of bringing these images to your attention? Why do I want you to be aware of a valuable, irreplaceable tapestry?
It is because we are all responsible for our own personal image. We are the artists or photographers that create and develop what others see about us. We control whether our lives are presented in simple black and white terms or whether people see us in our full-majestic colorful uniqueness. Listen to these wise anonymous words.
People’s lives are like tapestries; the colors are based
on who you love and what you do for others.
If these words are true, then our lives depend very much on whom we love and how we care for others to complete the beauty of our tapestry. If these words are true, then our lives also reflect what we do for others and probably how we treat them. How we treat others will always impact our image, or our picture, or our personal tapestry.
If your life’s tapestry were hung in the main lobby of our building like the American flag is, what would people say about it? What impression would they have of you? What would they see on the piece of artwork? How would they see it change over the next several years? I encourage you to answer these questions and then spend some time reflecting on your life’s tapestry.
With words that I would like you to consider and reflect upon, make yours an exceptional life – or not. The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to choose. Please choose wisely.
Good Days vs. Bad Days
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Good day, Sequoyah Cougars!
Do you notice that I begin my letters with the same two words almost always? It is because I wish each of you a good day. I do that whether it is 8:00 a.m. or 1:45 p.m. I hope for you a good day. In fact, I hope that all days are great days for you. I am not naïve though, because I know that out of 989 students that some of you have had a bad day. I would bet this probably changes from day to day. I know it does for me. Fortunately my good days far outnumber the bad days.
Listen to these wise anonymous words.
You have to accept that some days you’re the pigeon, and other days you’re the statue.
In real life this means that some days are going to be good, and other days aren’t. Everyone at some point has to take the consequences that come with being the statue. We can’t always predict what will happen to us each day and so that will lead us to have good days and bad days. It’s just a part of life. We really do have to accept that fact.
Here is another fact tied to that truth. Although we don’t have complete control over what our days are going to be like and what happens to us, we do have control over how we are going to respond to what happens. On bad days we could choose to crawl under the bed and stay there or we can face the days, (yes even the worst ones), with a positive attitude no matter what the day presents for us.
How do you respond to life on bad days?
Do you play the cards that you are dealt?
Do you fold them and crawl under the bed?
Are you the type of person that will really use the power to choose?
Remember, it is your choice each and every day, each and every moment.
With words that I would like you to consider and reflect upon, make yours an exceptional life – or not. The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to choose. Please choose wisely.
A Spoonful of Medicine
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Good day, Sequoyah Hopefuls!
When I was a little kid, I hated taking any kind of medicine. In those days, parents did most of the medicating for their children unless it was something serious enough to visit the doctor. Once in awhile the doctor actually made a home visit. Now, that was service! I remember times that I had a bad scrape or I had a cut, my parents first response was to clean it and put some iodine on it. Iodine was used to prevent infection and it burned like the dickens. It was not unusual to have a three-year-old kid screaming, “Blow on it! Blow on it!”
Another aspect to taking medicine was that it was tough for a little kid to swallow some of the pills; there were no gel caps or capsules. My mom and dad found that I would take an aspirin by crunching it up in a spoon with a bit of water. Somehow that made the medicine acceptable even though it tasted gross. Almost all medicines that had to be taken orally, tasted awful. I guess manufacturers didn’t care what it tasted like as long as it made people well. I can recall my parents always promising me that the medicine was going to make me feel better. I know now that it was not just a promise with the medicine, but it was also the hope with their love for me.
Here is a quote I want you to listen to from Orison Swett Marden.
There is no medicine like hope,
no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful
as expectation of something tomorrow.
He also says the hopeful person sees success where others see failure, sunshine where others see shadows and storms. Those words remind me of a commercial that the NFL put together for Super Bowl XXXVIII. I saw it again last Friday when CBS was showing great Super Bowl commercials from the past. It started with retired Dallas Cowboys coach, Bill Parcels and owner, Jerry Jones walking across the stadium football field. Jerry Jones says to Coach Parcels, “Don’t worry, Coach, the sun will come out tomorrow!” At that point there are several different players of the NFL that sing the song from the Broadway musical “Annie.” The commercial is humorous to a point, but the real message is that hope for better things is present. The hope for the NFL players and coaches is the possibility to be in the Super Bowl the next year. Hope is a good medicine. In fact, many people would say it is the best medicine.
The dictionary explains hope as entertaining a wish for something with some expectation, and to look forward to it with confidence of fulfillment. It is a definite expectation with a driving desire to completion.
Do you take the time to examine your hope medicine cabinet? How do you entertain your wishes? What do you look forward to with confidence that it will be fulfilled? If I were to call you into the office and ask you what definite expectation you are driving towards with a strong desire to complete it; could you answer the question? I encourage you to consider your hopes, think about them often and reflect on the responsibilities you have to fulfill them.
With words that I would like you to consider and reflect upon, make yours an exceptional life – or not. The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to choose. Please choose wisely.
Winning Is a Habit
Friday, February 9, 2007
Good day, Sequoyah Champions!
Another football season is finally coming to a close. The college football bowl games are complete, the 41st Super Bowl has entertained millions and millions, and this weekend the National Football League’s All-Pro game is in Hawaii. Football has come a long way in its hundred or so years. There have been many great moments for fans and athletes. There have also been overwhelmingly sad periods of time as well.
The biggest difference between me watching the game as a middle school student in the past, and any of you watching now, is the big show mentality. I remember the first college football game I ever went to was when I was in fourth grade. It cost me 50 cents to get in the gate. At the first Super Bowl game in 1967 in Los Angeles, California there were two ticket prices: the $6.00 ticket and the expensive $12.00 ticket. They didn’t even sell out the first Super Bowl. This last Sunday, the lowest priced admission into the game in Miami was a whopping $650.00.
Whether we talk about a game in 1900 or 1950 or last Sunday, the whole point of the contest is to win. Winning is an important aspect of the human make up, and it’s tied to the trait of survival, and that natural trait surfaces in just about all competitions. It gets magnified in professional and college sports, but it is present in everything that we do. People, who are considered winners by others, maintain one difference over most people. That difference is that they saturate themselves with the habit of winning. Listen to these winning words by legendary coach Vince Lombardi, the namesake for the NFL Championship Trophy. Coach Lombardi said,
“Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all the time thing.
You don’t win once in a while, you don’t do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time.
Winning is a habit.
Unfortunately, so is losing.”
If winning really is a habit, then it is something that can be learned and obtained by any of us. Keeping winning as an attitude is a prerequisite to keeping it as a habit. Choosing to do the right things all the time leads individuals to winning all the time. At the very least, the habit results in a person that wins most of the time, and responds to a few losses with coming back to win at the earliest opportunity. If there were one habit that I would love to see everyone pick up and keep it would be the habit of winning. Make it an all the time thing in your own life.
With words that I would like you to consider and reflect upon, make yours an exceptional life – or not. The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to choose. Please choose wisely.
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Again With Truthfulness
Monday, January 22, 2007
Good day, Sequoyah Cougars!
Welcome back from another long winter break. I hope everyone is wanting to be here to be with each other and to continue on the learning experience. The last letter I wrote discussed a little about truthfulness. I have a couple of more things to say. Listen to these questions and think about possible answers:
What would happen if mapmakers deliberately drew their maps incorrectly to lead drivers astray?
What would happen if cash registers at department stores calculated prices at random and you had to pay whatever number registered, regardless of what the price tags said?
What would happen if you went to one store to order a pound of M & M’s and received only half the amount another store marketed as being a pound of M & M’s?
What would happen if you purchased a computer and when you set it up at home it didn’t do everything the salesperson had said it would do?
What would happen if the IRS were making citizens pay more than the law was requiring?
What would happen if a restaurant advertised providing steaks for their customers, but they weren’t beefsteaks?
What would happen if a parent took young children to a movie with a rating of “G” but it had things that people see in an “R” rated movie?
In our world, in order for it to function safely and properly, we live with written and unwritten rules. They are standards that we depend upon daily. For example, we expect people to be honest and practice truthfulness with us.
Listen to this quote from Benjamin Franklin:
“Half truth is often a great lie.”
This quote is absolutely true when a person knows that they are presenting a half-truth. Here is an example. A lady sees a dog standing next to a man and she wants to pet it. So she asks the man, “Does your dog bite?” and he replies no it doesn’t. When she bends down to pet the dog it snaps at her and almost takes a finger or two. The lady said, “I thought you said that your dog doesn’t bite!” and the man says, “That is not my dog.” He told a half-truth because he let the lady assume that the dog next to him was his own.
Remember how important the complete truth is. Don’t get caught up in half-truths. Truthfulness in life is extremely important to all of us.
With words that I would like you to consider and reflect upon, make yours an exceptional life – or not. The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to choose. Please choose wisely.
Truthfulness in Relationships
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Good day, Sequoyah Terrifics!
My favorite president to read about or hear stories about was the sixteenth President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. He has been my favorite, I believe, since Mrs. Fitzgerald first read a biography about him to my class in third grade. All the myths and truths about the man, made him appealing as a hero to me.
Listen to this story of good character about him:
When Abraham Lincoln was a young man living at home with his parents he would rise early each day with first light, and take his favorite tool in his hand and head to the woods that he was clearing for farmland. His favorite tool was a two-sided ax. One day in his near future he would be known around several counties as a rail-splitter. He was well liked by his brothers and sisters and they use to hang with him, even when he was busy working. One sister, Tilda, wanted to go with him to the woods, but their mother would not permit it. Tilda disobeyed her mother and took off after Abe as he went to clear trees.
She kept well back and Abe was unaware that she was following him. All of a sudden she sprinted and caught him from behind and jumped on his back. The surprise caused Abe to fall to the ground and roll over with Tilda on him. As they rolled, the axe that Abe carried made a severe cut in Tilda’s ankle. She immediately started crying as her brother tore his shirt to make a bandage. He did his best to fix the wound.
After Tilda calmed down, Abe asked her what she was going to tell their mother about the injury. He wanted to know how she would explain coming into the woods and disobeying their mother.
“Tell her I did it with the axe,” she sniffled, “That will be the truth, won’t it?”
“Yes,” Abe told her. “That’s the truth, but it’s not all the truth. Tell the whole truth, Tilda, and trust your good mother for the rest.” **
I first learned that story reading a biography of Abraham Lincoln when I was in the 8th grade. The remarkable aspect about President Lincoln was that he was known for his honesty and truthfulness in his relationships. Even his enemies did not question his truthfulness. Listen to this quote from Joseph Sugarman:
Each time you are honest and conduct yourself with honesty, a success force will drive you toward greater success. Each time you lie, even with a little white lie, there are strong forces pushing you toward failure.
I encourage all of you to choose the success force that comes with truthfulness.
With words that I would like you to consider and reflect upon, make yours an exceptional life – or not. The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to choose. Please choose wisely.
**Obtained from the Character First Curriculum.
Failing in Truthfulness
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Good day, Sequoyah Great Ones!
What happens when truthfulness is missing a few times in your life? How does it impact your life? What action is necessary to get back on track? Is it easier to practice truthfulness or is it easier to practice deception?
Well, the last question is one that we all can answer, and agree on. It is definitely tougher to maintain truthfulness in your life than it is to practice deception. One lie can easily lead to more lies. The person who is a practiced liar --- lies easily and lies often. In fact some liars get so good at lying that they can’t remember what the truth is like. They even believe their own lies.
Although it is harder to practice truthfulness, everyone knows that it is worth a great deal more to us all. To be trusted is magnificent! To be believed is absolutely wonderful! It is something an individual should treasure and protect. There was a movie a few years ago with Jim Carey as the star. It was called “Liar! Liar!” If you have seen it, you will remember that it was about a man that never practiced truthfulness. He told lies, made half-truths, and broke promises. It didn’t make any difference who he spoke with because he lied to his mother, his coworkers, his clients, and even his own son. The character Jim Carey portrayed saw no problem with lying. He failed in truthfulness repeatedly and that led to repeated failure in his relationships.
The poor relationship with his son reached a point of despair at his son’s birthday party. Max used his one birthday wish before blowing out his candles to wish that his father could only tell the truth for 24 hours; one whole day. Although it led to many humorous episodes during the day, the practice of truthfulness eventually led to freedom and a renewed relationship with his son and his ex-wife. Telling the truth, even when he didn’t want to do so, helped him recognize what was really important in life. Truthfulness in relationships should be everyone’s priority. Listen to this quote that is centuries old.
The truth shall set you free.
If a person fails in truthfulness, he or she must repair the situation as soon as possible. The first step to repair is recognizing the failure and then asking for forgiveness from the person or people offended by the deception. The times that students have done that with me have turned negative situations in to positive relationships. It is important that once the repair is completed that you be faithful to your renewed commitment not to deceive. The truth shall set you free.
I challenge you to practice truthfulness and practice truthfulness, and then practice truthfulness again. Do it daily all your life. You will live longer, and you will live better.
With words that I would like you to consider and reflect upon, make yours an exceptional life – or not. The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to choose. Please choose wisely.
Why Lies Are Dangerous
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Good day Sequoyah Truth Bringers!
There are times that lies are actually dangerous to all of us. The truth needs to be complete all the time, but without it some situations can be harmful. An example would be if a food company sold a product to us and we used it in our cafeteria thinking it was safe. Our food is safe, but what if the product sold to us did not have one ingredient listed? What if it had peanut oil in it? For a few students it could be a lethal mistake. We have students that are allergic to peanut products, including peanut oil, and if they ingest it, it could kill them.
Regrettably, people choose to lie to cover up mistakes. Sometimes in order to feel better about ourselves we brand lies with phrases like “stretching the truth” or “it’s a white lie,” or we think that they are okay if we call them “fibs.”
Not telling a school the truth about the ingredients in a food product may not seem like a big deal. And it may not be for most everyone, but it could be a life-threatening error for others. I realize it could just make people ill, but it still would be a dangerous lie.
I was standing in line last Monday night at a Walgreen’s pharmacy waiting to pick up a prescription. If you know me, you know it was no problem waiting in line because it gave me an opportunity to observe others. The man in front of me wanted his medicine and he wanted to go home. At one point, he said to the clerk, “I don’t care if it is right, I just want my son’s medicine so I can get out of here!” Had I heard him right? If the pharmacist had just handed him a prescription with the wrong medicine, he would be okay. Would he go home and give the medicine, knowing it was wrong to his son and tell his son he would feel better later? Would he lie to his son about the medicine? Fortunately, the pharmacist and clerk did what was right and they had the man wait a little longer so that the correct prescription could be processed.
Is it a problem if the manufacturer of baby blankets advertised a blanket as made with fire retardant materials, and they meant that only 20% of the materials were nonflammable? It’s just “stretching the truth” a little.
Is it a problem if a person leaves a party and drives his car and tells his friends that he is fine because he didn’t really have anything to drink? It’s just a little “white lie.”
Is it a problem if a kid tells a blind man that the street is clear to cross? It’s just a little “fib.” Listen to this quote.
Lying in your words is the same as poison in your food. Nothing good can come from it.
Eliminate lying and refuse it just like you would refuse poison. Your life will be better and you will be safe from the danger that lying creates.
With words that I would like you to consider and reflect upon, make yours an exceptional life – or not. The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to choose. Please choose wisely.
Teaching Leadership
Friday, January 26, 2007
Good day, Sequoyah Ladies and Gentlemen!
After being a remarkable leader as a general on the field of battle in two wars, Robert E. Lee became an outstanding teacher in college. He was asked to take the presidency of a small liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia. At that time it was called Washington College, now it is know as Washington & Lee College.
He spent his last years of life presenting his ideas about leadership, which he had refined after years of military responsibilities. This was a time that allowed him to reflect on his experiences in life and then teach to students by his best ability what characteristics are needed for leadership. He approached it like many things in his life with a sense of duty. He stated his main goal. This was a century and a half before people wrote mission statements. Listen carefully.
My only objective is to endeavor to make them see their truest interest, to teach them to labor diligently for their improvement, and to prepare themselves for the great work of life.
He wanted the students of the college to work hard for everything that will make them better people. He spoke of life, not in the sense of living it, but in the manner of it being a work or a piece of art that one could reflect upon and receive a great deal of satisfaction in what was seen. He wanted his students to be able to view their lives as masterpieces that they themselves produced with sound judgment and wisdom.
Robert E. Lee believed that students had responsibility for governing themselves. That means that they made decisions that were in the best interest of others as well as for themselves. He believed that they were responsible for their own behavior. He did not believe in excuses for bad behavior. Students shouldn’t try to explain away what they did that was wrong. He believed in forgiveness but only if the student conceded that what he did was actually wrong.
Listen to this quote from Robert E. Lee:
A true student leader does not rely on force,
but on the power of example.
From my experience, this last statement is absolutely true. The students in this building over the years that have been true leaders have been so by example, not force. What kind of student leader are you? True, by example or false, by force?
With words that I would like you to consider and reflect upon, make yours an exceptional life – or not. The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to choose. Please choose wisely.
 -Melodic Time- · Mon Jun 16, 2008 @ 05:01am · 0 Comments |
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The Journal Of DOOOM! 
