Month: August 2014

Happy Soul Food Friday!

 

This week:

We all know the Golden Rule but how about the Platinum rule?
The Platinum rule suggests we “do unto others as others would have done unto them”

Treating people with dignity and truly understanding their circumstances is one of life’s greatest challenges and one of humanities greatest opportunities.

Here is a great example of this!

 http://devour.com/video/prank-it-fwd/

Sadly, our culture continues to reward Success over Caring and for most kids, this means Nice finishes Last:

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2014/jul/14/for-most-kids-nice-finishes-last

What we can learn from Island Cultures:

Spending time in the island cultures (most have the happiest people according to the Happy Planet Index) we can learn from their common core and cultural norms -island citizenship behaviors eroded only due to outside intervention and the same plights that mess the rest of us up…

In Hawaii for example we all conventionally speak of the Aloha Spirit.

A deeper understanding of aloha connects with its real meaning as the joyful sharing of life energy in the present –think happiness meets vitality with mindfulness!

Ha’oli (Haulis- a derogatory name for white people) is derived from their observation that white people didn’t know how to breath properly and therefore lacked mana or energy/ki/spirit.

Here is a quick read on the deeper aspects of Aloha…

http://www.huna.org/html/deeper.html 

9 Leadership Lessons from West Point:

(A submission)

Last week I had the honor and privilege to speak at West Point. After spending the day interacting with coaches, cadets and the USA basketball team, I learned far more than I taught. Here are a few of the leadership takeaways:

1. It’s a Leadership Factory – Some factories build products. West Point builds leaders. One of the Colonels told me “The history we teach is about the people we have taught.”
2. Leadership can be Developed – While the people selected to go to West Point have demonstrated leadership qualities during their young life they are by no means a finished product. Everything West Point does is geared towards developing these young men and women into leaders. Leadership is a skill and it can be developed. Your organization may not be West Point but you can invest in your people now and develop them into your future leaders tomorrow. I am a huge believer in leadership development programs and organizations that grow and develop leaders from within.
3. Leadership and Service is a Choice – The young men and women who attend West Point made a choice to lead and serve. You and I can make the same choice each day. We may not lead and serve in the military but we can choose to lead our teams and serve a cause greater than ourselves.
4. Leadership is Both Macro and Micro – Macro-leadership involves culture, vision, strategy, and the ability to lead at the organization level, while micro-leadership involves leading at the team and individual level. Macro and micro leadership require a different set of skills. When a cadet graduates West Point most are technically better at macro-leadership than micro-leadership. Like many leaders and managers in the civilian world they have to learn to coach, lead and build their team at the micro level. When thinking about your own leadership it’s helpful to think about leading at both the macro and micro level. Today more than ever micro-leadership is essential to build winning teams and organizations.
5. Coaching is Leadership – Upon graduating from West Point a cadet will commission as an officer and be placed in a place to lead a platoon. They are advised at West Point to listen to the advice of their non-commissioned officer (NCO) who is often an expert at micro-leadership (coaching). I had an officer tell me that when he arrived to lead his platoon, his NCO coached him and gave him leadership advice behind the scenes that made all the difference with his platoon. It reminded of what my friend Brendan Suhr often says, “Coaching is leadership.” Brendan was the assistant coach to Chuck Daly for the NBA Champion Detroit Pistons and the original US Olympic Dream Team. Brendan wasn’t considered the leader but he coached up to the leader and coached down to the team. Because of him both the leader and the team were successful. Coaching is leadership.
6. Vision is Powerful – I ate lunch with Gunnar Carroll who was the captain of Army Baseball team last year. Gunnar said to keep his team inspired during the year he would often talk about the vision they had at the beginning of the season. It’s a great example that one of the most important things a leader can do is to frequently share the vision and inspire everyone to keep moving towards it. When you keep your vision alive, it keeps you alive and energized.
7. Failure is Necessary – At West Point everything is designed to make cadets fail. They know that through failure most cadets will become stronger, wiser and better. Those who don’t grow from failure are the ones who quit. Just like life it’s a weeding out process that separates the contenders from the pretenders. Everyone fails but those who learn and grow from it eventually thrive. Those who allow failure to define them and give up unfortunately don’t become all they are meant to be. Failure is a gift if you are willing to learn and grow from it.
8. You Don’t Have to be in the Military to be a Servant Leader – Before I spoke to all the athletes and coaches I listened to Boo Corrigan, the West Point Athletic Director, give a speech. Boo has never severed in the military but he told all the athletes that his role was to serve them, create the right environment for them and give them what they need to be successful. It was honest, sincere, and a powerful display of servant leadership. You can do the same and implement the three greatest leadership strategies of all: Love, Serve and Care. Read The Carpenter to put this into action.
9. Feeling is More Powerful than Hearing – It’s one of the most powerful stories I’ve ever heard.

 Applying Design Thinking in Schools:

It is a blessing to be able to work with progressive school districts like Vista Unified in San Diego where they are applying the model of DT x RC = TI

Design Thinking times Radical Collaboration equals Transformative Impact.

Here is some news on one aspect of their collective efforts…

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/aug/17/design-thinking-new-schools/

Judge Higher Ed by a Schools Rankings, but Choose the Right Metric!

Here is a recent update on UC San Diego’s rankings focused on metrics that matter including Social Mobility and Service, not just Status and Success from Chancellor Khosla…

Once again, UC San Diego is ranked the nation’s best university by Washington Monthly. It’s the 5^th consecutive year we’ve topped the list, with our ranking based on three categories: social mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students), research (producing cutting-edge scholarship and Ph.D.,) and service (encouraging students to give back to the country).

The Washington Monthly editor said: “Instead of promoting schools for how many students they exclude or how ‘prestigious’ they are, we give high marks to institutions that contribute to society, enroll low-income students, help them graduate, and don’t charge an arm and a leg to attend. These are rankings that colleges should be proud of, and the University of California-San Diego should be very proud for holding our number one spot for five consecutive years.”

We are indeed proud.

Today we learned that The Preuss School has been named the top “change-making” school in The Daily Beast’s “America’s Top High Schools 2014.” The Preuss School is recognized for our ability to prepare low-income and first-generation students for college and beyond. We also ranked among the top 100 in the College-Bound category.

And, earlier this month, the Center for World-Class Universities at Shanghai Jiao Tong University ranked UC San Diego the 14^th best university in the world for the second consecutive year. Our life sciences and computer science programs are ranked 11^th.

We continue to show the world that UC San Diego is defining the future of the public research university. I am grateful for your ongoing support for the life-changing work we do. Thank you for all you do for UC San Diego.

All the best.

Pradeep

For further news coverage, see the following links:

http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/pressrelease/washington_monthly_ranks_uc_san_diego_nations_best_university_for_fifth_con http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/pressrelease/the_preuss_school_ucsd_named_one_of_americas_top_high_schools_by_the_daily http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/pressrelease/uc_san_diego_named_14th_best_university_in_world_in_shanghai_jiao_tong_univ

  Pet Humor To Tickle Your Funny Bone:

AdorableDogMemes

If you are Local:

The Million Dollar Challenge

Thanks this week go to Mohit M, Larry H, Alan D, Devin V, Bob B, Chancellor K and those who live with the spirit of aloha everywhere on this island planet

Pay it forward!

Aloha,

Neville

Happy Soul Food Friday!

This week:

• Forrest Gump Stumps St. Peter
• Lala the Penguin Goes Shopping
• Cu Cu Cuddlies Too Cute Not to Share

Forrest Gump’s entry into Heaven…….

The day finally arrived. Forrest Gump dies and goes to Heaven.

He is at the Pearly Gates, met by St. Peter himself.  However, the gates are closed, and Forrest approaches the gatekeeper.

Peter said, ‘Well, Forrest, it is certainly good to see you. We have heard a lot about you. I must tell you, though, that the place is filling up fast, and we have been administering an entrance examination for everyone. The test is short, but you have to pass it before you can get into Heaven.’

Forrest responds, ‘It sure is good to be here, St. Peter, sir. But nobody ever told me about any entrance exam. I sure hope the test ain’t too hard. Life was a big enough test as it was.’

St. Peter continued, ‘Yes, I know, Forrest, but the test is only three questions.

First:

What two days of the week begin, with the letter T?

Second:

How many seconds are there in a year?

Third:

What is God’s first name?

Forrest leaves to think the questions over. He returns the next day and sees St. Peter, who waves him up, and says, ‘Now that you have had a chance to think the questions over, tell me your answers.’

Forrest replied, ‘Well, the first one — which two days in the week begins with the letter ‘T’? Shucks, that one is easy. That would be Today and Tomorrow.’

The Saint’s eyes opened wide and he exclaimed, ‘Forrest, that is not what I was thinking, but you do have a point, and I guess I did not specify, so I will give you credit for that answer. How about the next one?’ asked St. Peter.

‘How many seconds in a year?

Now that one is harder,’ replied Forrest, ‘but I thunk and thunk about that, and I guess the only answer can be twelve.’

Astounded, St. Peter said, ‘Twelve? Twelve? Forrest, how in Heaven’s name could you come up with twelve seconds in a year ?

Forrest replied, ‘Shucks, there’s got to be twelve:

January 2nd, February 2nd, March 2nd… ‘

‘Hold it, interrupts St. Peter. ‘I see where you are going with this, and I see your point, though that was not quite what I had in mind… but I will have to give you credit for that one, too. Let us go on with the third and final question.

Can you tell me God’s first name’?

‘Sure,’ Forrest replied, it’s Andy.’

‘Andy?’

exclaimed an exasperated and frustrated St Peter. Ok, I can understand how you came up with your answers to my first two questions, but just how in the world did you come up with the name Andy as the first name of God?’

You are going to love this ….

‘Shucks, that was the easiest one of all,’ Forrest replied. ‘I learnt it from the song,

ANDY WALKS WITH ME,

ANDY TALKS WITH ME,

ANDY TELLS ME I AM HIS OWN.’

St. Peter opened the Pearly Gates, and said: ‘Run, Forrest, run.’

Lord,

Give me a sense of humor,
Give me the ability to understand a clean joke,
To get some humor out of life.

 

Lala:

This 10-year-old King Penguin was rescued from a fisherman’s line and refused to leave after he was healed. He was adopted by a family in a small town in Japan and became a beloved pet who has his own personal air-conditioned cold room. Lala is so smart – he walks to the fish store with his little backpack to shop for fresh fish every day. You are gonna love this little video!

http://www.flixxy.com/pet-penguin-goes-shopping.htm

Finally, too cute not to share…

TooCuteNottoShare

Thanks this week all the pets that warm our hearts and hearths and the people who are kind to them.

Thanks Larry H for all this week’s submissions.

If only I could be the person my dog things I am…

Pay it forward!

Love,

Neville

“We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting
something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” — Frederick Koenig

This week:

 or  as long as it has LOVE in it

Lost Soul:

Many of our souls were crushed with the passing of Robin Williams this week 😦

Lipton (Inside the Actors Studio) reflected on Williams’ undeniable talent, saying, “Great comedians have to be great actors. And what does an actor do? He reaches deep inside his soul…and brings out something deeply mysterious, a total surprise. He could do that. He could do that as a comedian. He could do that as an actor. And when he reaches out and brings that out it’s unique. It’s something we’ve never seen before.”

To celebrate his life while mourning his loss here is a link on the Best of Robin Williams

http://www.vox.com/2014/8/12/5995093/robin-williams-reddit-ama-is-humorous-touching-and-everything

Robin Williams asked about Heaven  http://sfglobe.com/?id=2534

Along with my all-time favorite, Robin William Improv on Golf (parental guidance suggested)

Putting your Heart and Soul into Your Work:

This is why I have been at Mission Fed for 12 years, working on purpose and changing the world- one person, one relationship, and one community partner at a time…here’s a beautiful video produced by our very own Robin Martin:

Getting out in CommUnity:

All give some. Some give all.  Now we must help them and their families.

San Diego Military Family Collaborative on KUSI News

Making a Difference, One Student at a Time- Pitch it Forward:

Helping high school students develop into leaders of the future
Young men and women of San Diego County are getting new exposure to principles of leadership in a somewhat non-traditional way. Pitch It Forward, a San Diego-based non-profit, is collaborating with high schools to challenge young athletes to lead more effectively in the environments in which they live, learn and play. Participants in the program meet monthly for leadership and teamwork education. The goal? To work as a team to create real and meaningful culture change in their schools. Learn more at PitchItForward.org

 What a great way to affirm diversity, promote understanding and honor differences:

http://sfglobe.com/?id=2334&src=share_fb_new_2334

Some of the Cutest Parenting Moments in the Animal Kingdom:

These will fill you with good cheer and help you dry a tear…

ParentingAnimals

Thanks this week go to Robin Williams for decades of immense laughter and moments of intense sorrow, all those that work on fostering CommUnity, affirming diversity, & cultivating leaders, as well as this week’s contributors; Larry H, Heidi E, Dan E, the Mission Fed team & the SD Military Family Collaborative.

Please pay it forward. You can’t take it with you, but you can leave a world of difference behind…

Love,

Neville

“You rise by lifting others.” –Robert Green Ingersoll

 

Happy Soul Food Friday!

“The moment that a child changes, the moment (s)he understands something, it’s amazing, and this transition happens right before your eyes…It seems like my heart stops every day” –Hirayama

This week: Move your Butt with…

• Moving ONE Word Essays
• Advice for (our) Children:
  • It is hard enough giving advice to any kids, let alone our own!
• Do Confident Kids Have More Future Career Success?
  • The secret to success at work doesn’t seem to be about whom you know, or even what you know, but how you feel about yourself
• Why Americans Stink at Math:
• Teaching Teaching:
  • How Teaching Works (and How to Teach It to Everyone)
• Higher Ed: The UC Global Food Initiative
• Publicly Declare Your Appreciation for Someone:
• If you are Local: Purpose Driven Branding
  • 2014 Symitar Education Conference Aug 25^th thru 28^th

 

One Word Essays

Click here!

Advice for (our) kids:

It is hard enough giving advice to any kids, let alone our own kids! As our sixteen year old plots his course, here is some advice from Dad.

What would you suggest?

 

Your theme: STRATEGIC Advancement not Reactive Response

Everyday ask yourself: “What am I willing to give up today to get to live my dream tomorrow?”

(if you are over 35 everyday ask yourself “What am I doing to live my dream today instead of putting it off for tomorrow”)

 

There are 3 kinds of people in this world

People that make things happen

People that watch things happen

People that wonder what the hell happened

 

If you want to be the first kind of person (a peaceful warrior not a victim) then read on…

 

“There are two educations: the one that teaches how to make a living

and the other that teaches how to live”

—Anthony DeMello

 

You must prepare for and be a student and practitioner of both; making a living and making a life

While this might make no sense now, as you look back you will realize that it will less about success and more about significance

Making yourself richer is sometimes viewed as success. Enriching the world is always a mark of significance

 

How to Make a Living:

Your Plan has 3 distinct phases

Phase 1 is through High School (the next 2 years)

Phase 2 is through College and any Specialized Education you need to fulfill your career goals (4 to 8 years)

Phase 3 is the Career Path you simultaneously walk and create for yourself (30 + years)

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average worker currently holds ten different jobs before age forty, and this number is projected to grow.

Forrester Research predicts that today’s youngest workers ? that’s you will hold twelve to fifteen jobs in their lifetime.

 

What happens in Phase 1 impacts all other phases…

 

• Mindset– is important.

Becoming a lifelong learner and become the “go to” expert in your field(s).

Cultivate GRIT and Perseverance (Winners never quit and quitters never win)

 

• Preparation

Proper Preparation Precludes Piss Poor Performance (the 6 Ps)

What you do today will impact what happens even years from now, so invest in your future success today

When you are doing something that you have to do but are not enjoying, say to yourself, “this is ok because I am investing in my tomorrow”

 

• Differentiation

Continue to differentiate yourself by not just doing what is necessary but bringing the value adds of leadership, emotional intelligence, interpersonal skills and effective communication to the party. All things being equal this is why they will both hire and promote you, not just because of the technical skills necessary for the role but because people enjoy and value being around you (good energy)

 

• Delayed Gratification

Winners consistently make a habit of delaying gratification today to reap the benefit of holding out for tomorrow.

Add this skill to your toolkit an you will be unstoppable (Note: this is a hard one for us impulsive types, who what it all and want it now…)

Note: I am not suggesting you deprive yourself of joy, fun, excitement and things that float your boat today- it’s just that our instant gratification societal norms will default to this mode anyway so build the opposite muscle

 

Phase 1: through High School

If you want to have the best options for the rest of your life, really make the next two years count!

Academically, the highest GPA and best SAT scores mean the most choices for you.

No one is asking for perfection but do strive for excellence

Excellence is different from Success. Success is always compared to others. Excellence is compared to YOURSELF.

You know you are excellent when you can honestly say, I gave the best of myself and have no regrets…

 

Round out your High School experience with Sport, Music, Community Service, Work experience, Volunteering in fields of interest, demonstrating initiative (I made something happen) Leadership skills & other activities that contribute to cultivating a well-rounded person

 

“Plan by priority work by opportunity”

Have a plan and work backward to achieve it AND at the same time stay open to new possibilities as they arise. No one can perfectly anticipate and predict the future, especially given the speed of change we are living in. Making minor changes multiple times gets you to where you are going faster than making big changes from one destination to another.

 

The road to success is ALWAYS under construction so if you get feedback (internal and external) that changes your opinion, remain flexible as it is hard to know exactly what you want at 16, 20 and sometimes even at 25 or 30, but if you are always course correcting toward your passions, talents and where there is a felt need for what you were born to do, you will be strategically advancing toward your dreams (choice and alignment) not reactively responding to the only options left in front of you (fewer choices and not necessarily good alignment)

 

For now, select the field(s) of study that resonate most

Learn as much about them as you can

Identify the best institutions that can provide you with the educational background required for these careers (not jobs). You are building a career plan not looking for a job

There are no best schools. There are only best schools for you.

Learn what they expect from you to get into their program and what you will need to get out (know the expectations)

Visit many, Apply to several, Choose wisely based on acceptance

 

Phase 2 is through College and any Specialized Education you need to fulfill your career goals (4 to 8 years)

Have a plan of attack and concentrate on your core goals, but build in flexibility so you are not boxed in, and looking back, regret the choices you made

The world is changing faster than at any time in human history. Be good with change, good at change and keep the change!

 

Phase 3 is the Career Path you walk and create for yourself (30 + years)

Make sure the jobs you apply for at the onset strategically advance your dream. Based on the market conditions, field, location and other factors this is not always possible

Every job will have set backs and limitations- that is why they pay us to do the work. Be clear-eyed and realistic about work while shooting for that dream job

Round out your vocation with avocational interests that fill your soul. (doing things that you would regardless of whether people pay you for them)

 

 

How to Make a Life:

Many of the noble values and core competencies mentioned above serve you in both areas

Your generation should NOT have to choose between dot.com ($) and dot.org (creating value)

If you can have a career that doesn’t force this devil’s bargain of doing something that matters v. making money -and you actually get paid to do what you love you are aligning your values with your work

 

Don’t rely on you work to make your life.

The people in your life, make your life not just work. Too many of us identify to completely with our work. Our Identity is not our Role.

 

Learn what you are and who you are beyond the roles you will play in your life (child, parent, job, student, teacher, leader, etc.)

Your true self is deeper and more permanent than any of these roles, but you must peel the layers of self to see within.

 

Stay wonder-filled and enjoy the journey.

 

Turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones, lemons into lemon-aids, enemies into allies, traumatic experiences into learning moments that reset or reaffirm your moral compass and love, love, love.

…“The need to love yourself, is the greatest love of all”

Surround yourself with positive, like-spirited people that love you for who you are (who you know defines what you know and you are the average of the people you hang around the most so choose your company wisely)

Know in your heart of hearts, how much we love you!

Mom & Dad

 

Do Confident Kids Have More Future Career Success?

http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/3292-confident-kids-career-success.html

 

Why Americans Stink at Math:

While purportedly about Math or by extension Common Core, I think it is fundamentally about changing our systems thinking toward the very craft of the teaching/learning dynamic and what it means to be a teacher.

As a student, parent or teacher, I am sure you will find it insightful…

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/27/magazine/why-do-americans-stink-at-math.html?_r=0

 

Teaching Teaching:

How Teaching Works (and How to Teach It to Everyone)

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/29/opinion/joe-nocera-teaching-teaching.html?ref=opinion&_r=0

 

Higher Ed: The UC Global Food Initiative

For the 4^th consecutive year, Washington Monthly ranked UC San Diego as the top university in the nation for social mobility, research and civic engagement. I am proud to serve on the Alumni Board of this student-centered, research-focused, service-oriented, public university. Here is how the UCs are focused on putting the world on a path to feed itself in sustainable and nutritious ways..

UC Global Food Initiative

Publicly Declare Your Appreciation for Someone:

http://www.good.is/do/publicly-declare-your-appreciation-for-someone?utm_source=dailygood&utm_medium=email&utm_content=do&utm_term=1&utm_campaign=title

If you are local: 2014 Symitar Education Conference Aug 25^th thru 28^th

 

Thanks this week go to wonderful kids & compassionate parents everywhere, Larry H, John C, UC in general, UC San Diego in particular, the Education Synergy Alliance, and practitioners of education everywhere!

Pay it forward, backward and sideways…

Love,

Neville

 

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.   –Charles Darwin