MVP

Aloe Blacc - The Man

http://youtu.be/fm660vIn8Tg

When one reaches the pinnacle of success in a given profession or task they are often referred to as the MVP!  Just recently I had the opportunity to observe a MVP of the NBA and came away with the following thoughts:

1. It is a HUGE responsibility. 

2.  It can be a BURDEN. 

3.  It's ALL EYES ON MVP.

The HUGE responsibility comes due to the need to be the go to person at all times and everyone is counting on you to make it happen. When the MVP is performing at a level lower than his normal capability his team is not able to win the competitions. 

When the team did not perform well enough to pull out the victory, the weight of the city and team fell directly on the MVP.  No matter what he was going through or the off night he may have had everyone wanted MORE!  Therefore you could see the BURDEN that was placed on his shoulders. It was later revealed in an interview that he was having some back issues!  The burden has began to cause more issues than just a tight jumper, it is actually like a BURDEN gorilla has jumped on his back!

So now everyone wants to see what the MVP's next move will be. Each decision or move that he makes in the next few days will be placed under a microscope and critiqued to the maximum extent possible. ALL EYES ON MVP will now begin to take on another meaning as they will now want to see if the MVP can pull the team out of the slump. If the team fails to accomplish it's goal which is a third straight NBA championship, ALL EYES ON MVP!

So in life one can clearly see that when you wish to become the top dog in your profession better known as the MVP, you have to be ready to accept the HUGE BURDEN of ALL EYES ON MVP!  Once you make it to the top it is not all praise and glory. It is actually more of the downside then the upside and calls for you constantly performing in your ZOP (zone of optimal performance)! If you perform at a less than maximum level or your team is not successful then the ultimate blame will fall on your shoulders. So the climb to the top in life should come with severe turbulence and growing pains in order to prepare one for the MVP treatment. 

Join NBT for the Super Bowl of chats Sunday night at 6:30 for the pre-chat and 7:00 pm CST for the chat!  We will discuss MVP status!!!!

4th Quarter Education

Sports are a great place to learn life long lessons that can help one deal with life issues. In games there are periods, halves, laps, innings, sets and quarters!  Whichever sporting event you are most comfortable with you can insert the phrase. For today's blog we are going to focus on 4th quarter execution!

In a school year one begins the first quarter in the Dog Days of Summer with professional development and preparationfor the first day with students. The first quarter is filled with introductions and lays the foundation for the upcoming year. No Box Thinking strategy we used before theyear ever started was to host parents for meet and greet with the teacher. Parents were scheduled throughout the day at their convenience. This assisted us in creating a positive contact before the year even began and diminished the hectic, fast paced, impersonal madness known as Meet the Teacher. This quarter is important as teachers need to get started on the right path and be able to compete, reach, and ultimately teach each student. This time for administration is crucial because they should also reach out to each teacher and begin the evaluation process early so that plans for improvement can be put into place. With No Box Thinking I was able to complete all of my teacher evaluations in the first quarter and it assisted with the ability to truly help teachers in need. Once you get to October you are now ready to transition into the second quarter of the year. 

In the second quarter the school year has now really taken off and the teachers are taking the students deeper into the standards for learning. No Box Thinking parental involvement series has now began and the parents are brought in monthly to reinforce strategies or concepts being taught in class. Instead of having the traditional Open House we used No Box Thinking to have our first annual Talk or Treat on Halloween, where parents and students visited classrooms to talk about what was taking place at school. Of course, students were provided a treat! The teacher has performed all the prior year review and beginning of the year evaluations at this point. The classroom as a whole has begun to shape into what it will ultimately look like at the end of the year. From the administrator standpoint they have now started the assistance for teachers who may have shown they need assistance early in the year. They have also began to reach out to students who have shown the need for reinforcement from a discipline standpoint. By being proactive the administrator is able to curtail some of the undesired behaviors that students have began to display. This quarter runs through December and takes one to Christmas Break!  This year we used No Box Thinking to implement Fired Up Fridays and intentionally use Friday as a launching point for in depth learning to occur!  We also implemented another No Box Thinking strategy known as Winter's Writers Workshop, where parents joined us to learn different writing enhancement tips and strategies to assist students with writing at home!

When one comes back from the two week Christmas Break, it is now time to almost revisit the  first quarter of the year due to the restart process that occurs. Each teacher and administrator must take this time to go back over the rules and regulations to ensure that optimal learning occurs as soon as possible. Once that foundation has been laid again one must look at data and determine what standards the students have mastered for the first half of the year and which standards need to be spiraled back in for reteach!  The third quarter goes a little long and wraps up right after spring break which is a week long break from the school year. After returning from this break the end of the year is in sight and the last push is now at hand. During the third quarter we hosted two No Box Thinking engagements. The first one was Fall In Love With Reading, a night filled with reading and conferring strategies to assist parents in actively assisting their students at home with the learning process. We also had a March Madness night where we had a Student vs. Staff basketball game to increase the relationships and bonds between the two groups. It was an excellent event that was standing room only!!!

We have now turned the page to the fourth quarter of the school year and the following you tube clip was the message given http://youtu.be/qNZQCwKZnvo. 
At this point of the year we are at the pivotal point for success and must pour our entire being into this quarter in order to reach the peak of our success. Notice I mentioned not caring about results due to trusting the process that has been out in place to ensure student and staff success. We are creating a learning environment that all stakeholders can be proud of and a standardized test has never been our measuring stick!  We believe that by creating a rigorous student centered environment that infuses No Box Thinking Strategies we have done our job of educating all STUDENTS!  This school is on the path to greatness and the engagement of all has been at an all time level!  We are excited to finish the game in the fourth quarter and not need to go into overtime to Win The Day!

CLIMATE CHANGING

Kate Miller-Heidke - The Last Day on Earth

http://youtu.be/KhQ5seprs6s

What type of CLIMATE are you currently performing in?  Has it been created and formed to ensure your ultimate success?  Are you taking the CLIMATE given and enhancing it or deteriorating it?

These questions come to mind when thinking about all facets of life. CLIMATES are all around us and we pass through toxic and pleasure filled environments at the blink of an eye. This post is meant to challenge your thinking and get you to begin to assess what type of environment you are in at any given time. I will then attempt to provide you with some basic strategies to positively effect the CLIMATE!  

When one thinks about a school environment they think about a certain way that their favorite and least favorite teacher made them feel. They think about the smell, safety, taste of food, grades, feedback given and greetings they received each day.  If you are an educator I want you to think about the type of CLIMATE that your school currently has in place and what you have done to effect the CLIMATE?

When one thinks about the home CLIMATE they think about the way that their significant others made them feel, the smell, the size, safety or non safety and most importantly LOVE!  What type of CLIMATE currently exist at your home and what LOVE have you shown lately to make it more enjoyable for everyone who enters?

When one thinks about the CLIMATE of their job they think about the way their co-workers made them feel, the success or failure at the task at hand, the autonomy to reach the end goal in their own style and most importantly the way their supervisor makes them feel. 

With these examples one can see how important CLIMATE is in all walks of life. Do something today to ensure that you are a CLIMATE CHANGER!

How to talk to your STORM

I told the storm

http://youtu.be/Ghvo32n7Tgc

I heard this song and it instantly struck a chord with me. I could hear God speaking to me and tell me that I need to share a message with others. Now is the time to have a radical FAITH and believe him for making your dreams come true. God wants you to be exactly what he placed you on this earth for and to not settle for less any longer. It doesn't matter what your history or past says about you!  Today is the day that you can get it right and move forward out of your storm whatever it may be. Don't doubt God for speaking to you and telling you to have courage to move mountains! Even in the midst of everything in this earthly realm seeming to oppose you, now is the time to stand on God's promise for your life and make your dreams come true. Too many times we settle for less than the promise/blessing that God has in store for us and allow for storms to keep us operating in our feelings!  It's not about feelings but about the principles that God has set. I want you to leave this blog entry encouraged and ready to tell storms, mountains, problems and devils to MOVE!  Step out on FAITH and make tomorrow the beginning of the new life full of promise and purpose to fulfill God's vision for your life!  If you are too down then lean unto his understanding and remember the footprints!

Look back over your life and ask God about the single set of footprints in the sand to which he will reply, I was carrying you my child!  

Stop wearing your watch and counting your troubles NOW!

HABIT FORMING ALTITUDE

What's your HABIT FORMING ALTITUDE?

The sky used to be the limit that we would shoot for but this past week has made it clearly evident to me that there is so much more possible. The only limit that exist is the self imposed ones we place upon ourselves. 

I was able to debunk this myth by traveling on a week long road trip that took me and my family to many places of historical relevance.  Seeing these places heightened my sense of responsibility to serve and lead others to the place of no limits. In education I often refer to my practice as NO BOX THINKING and I used this same premise for personal growth and life optimization! If you would like to maximize your life and potential. All you have to do is have a vision and then make a plan to reach it!  

My mentor, Eric Thomas, so fittingly placed a challenge on the table this week of a 21 day challenge and it's all about making a decision to change something in your life!  You see the cleverness of this challenge is that it places the limit at a point to where if you adhere to the challenge you have now formed a HABIT!  

In order to form a HABIT one must perform a certain task at least 7 times before the body becomes programmed and performs on auto pilot!  Therefore, the EPIC 7 day spring break trip was intentionally planned so that it would expose my son to Magical  Kingdoms, Universities and Historical sites!  Immersing him in the rich historical significance of these sites intentionally placed him around greatness and leadership figures to stress the point of NO BOX THINKING in life!  He was exposed to black history of a lifetime that will ultimately leave a lasting impression on his outlook on life and his responsibility to LEAD others!  He will now be on the path towards leadership auto pilot!  

A 7 year old has now formed a healthy HABIT of leadership and is on the path to realizing GREATNESS IS UPON HIM!  What will you do within the next 24 hours to begin your next HABIT?  You see I will reference the WIN THE DAY theme to tell you before you can take on Eric Thomas and his 21 day challenge, you must first begin with DAY 1!  

So at this time close your eyes and vision your future......  What did you see? Grab a pen/pad and write it down, in an effort to make it plain!  Once you have written it down you are now ready to set your goals and begin your path towards your GREATNESS! 

Don't tell me the sky is the limit when there are footprints on the moon!

-Unknown 

Ain't No Mountain High Enough -Marvin Gaye

http://youtu.be/-crsuEOlUO0

Happy

Pharell - Happy

http://soundcloud.com/rapnet-lv/pharell-williams-happy

What does happy mean to you? How do you feel when you are happy? Can someone make you happy?  When was the last time you were happy?

These last few questions were meant to force you to think about your HAPPY PLACE!  When one figures out their HAPPY PLACE it is essential to stay there at all cost. The latest tune from Pharell is titled Happy and just the very beat is upbeat and HAPPY PLACE worthy. Now you may say that it's crazy to think you can stay in your HAPPY PLACE but you are in total control of your emotional environment. 

This thought takes me to the workplace or home that you currently frequent on a daily basis. Is this place a source of happiness or is it a place that drains your happiness?  Who is actually in control of that environment and what takes it from stable to toxic?  It is essential to know what weighs you down and brings you out of your HAPPY PLACE! Once you figure out what is zapping your happy energy you must make a decision on how you will approach the source and change the outcome. You are ultimately in charge of yourself and your emotions so standing firm on the happy premise is something that you must work towards. What do you do if you are the person that is bringing everyone else out of there HAPPY PLACE?  

It is time to perform a self inventory and assess your WHY?  Your why is the sole purpose for you being in that workplace or home. Once that why is discovered then you have to ask yourself is the environment still the place that will bring out the best in you. If the place is not seen as the proper place for your why or if your why has changed it's up to you to realign yourself with an environment that can take you back to your HAPPY PLACE. We all perform better when we are happy and it's essential to stay in your HAPPY PLACE!  So my advice is to assess your environment and make sure that your WHY has not passed it's expiration date!  Once this task is complete throw on Pharell's new hit Happy and enjoy your HAPPY PLACE! 

Culture can make or break your happiness, therefore one should infect those around them and not allow them to draw you out of your HAPPY PLACE!

Mission Impossible

Joe Nichols - The Impossible

http://youtu.be/ce-pUKsJM6w

In life we all face what seems like impossible situations that cause us to doubt ourselves and our ability to get the job done.  This could come in the form of being unsuccessful at a job, marriage, project, or just overall life!  

The easiest thing to do in this situation is to allow this tough time to get us down and give up on reaching the final destination. However, if you believe and have FAITH the size of a mustard seed you can overcome the tough times.  

Matthew 17:20

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

As the bible has illustrated for us, all we have to do is have FAITH the size of a mustard seed in order to move mountains!  It is not easy to face challenges in life but if you remain steadfast in your belief things tend to work themselves out! 

If you are interested in learning more about this topic and how you can turn a mission from impossible to I'M POSSIBLE then join the No Box Thinking chat tonight at 7:00 p.m. CST!

A Song for YOU

A song for you - Donny Hathaway

http://soundcloud.com/sidney-1/a-song-for-you-donny-hathaway

When I take a step back and look at my life I can truly say that I have been blessed!  I would be foolish to think that GOD has not blessed me to be in the position that I am in and grant me the ability to positively affect the lives of so many people. Am I perfect? No! Do I work every waking hour to be the best I can be? Yes!  

You see that's the difference between being a participator and being a GAMECHANGER!  A participator is just happy to be in the game and a GAMECHANGER is determined to change the game!

Initially I went into the field of education to simply coach and teach physical education. I wanted to be around the sports that I loved as a child and do the things that I saw my father, uncles and role models do my entire life. Taking on the family business was inevitable and I was actually decent at coaching. 

However, GOD had different plans for my life and the path to the top of the education food chain was laid out before me. I was taken from the gym to the office in no time and taken from being responsible for 30-50 student-athletes to about 920 students-staff members. GOD had a bigger plan for my life than I ever could've imagined. 

Therefore, I had to look in the mirror and attempt to see the person that GOD had created me to ultimately be. That person is one who cares about each person he comes in contact with MAXIMIZING their potential and not settling for anything less than the best!  I am constantly reminded that I have a true purpose in life and that purpose is tied to serving others. 

Servant leadership is something I practice daily by taking one of the farthest parking spots from the front door and by constantly giving when others ask for more.  You see I believe that the TEAM is bigger than me and that WE can always do more than I. 

When I hit the turbulence of life I often look at that man in the mirror and say buckle up your safety belt because we are about to soar at a high altitude. In life if you are not facing turbulence then you are not flying at a high altitude. So it may be uncomfortable or seem strange but I actually seek out turbulence because I want to fly with the eagles! 

Isaiah 40:31

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

I am not DOING it for the VINE

I am DOING it to save MANKIND