Skip to main content

Argyle socks...

I wear Argyle socks almost every single day.  I've done so, off and on, since high school.  Even going to an obnoxious level of wrestling in them...drove Coach Manown and some of my team bananas.  You might say it's  a bit of a personal trademark.

As I've grown, personally and professionally, I've become an ardent observer of people.  I adore the human race, in all it's quirkiness.  In my profession, I've noticed that most of my colleagues have habits of dress or accouterments , like personal trademarks, that set them apart from others.

They range from Sponge Bob ties, exclusive Polo logos on all shirts, Moleskine notebooks & certain coffee house beverages glued to their desks.  Intriguing to me on so many levels - how have we adopted these traits or habits, such that they've become a part of our public identities?

I wonder...what would happen if we were known by our overwhelming demonstration of character traits?  What would that look like?  What is the character equivalent of a Sponge Bob tie?  Joy?

What is the character equivalent of argyle socks?  What would yours be?  Love?  Kindness?  Compassion?

Whatever it is, cultivate it carefully, be choiceful how you dress your soul with these traits.  Their influence on you, and on others is far-reaching.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

1.5 Reasons to Take a Different Path - The Hippy-Cow Way

The Hippy-Cow Way I remember early in my career asking a question something like, "Why don't we try [insert idea here]?"  And the quick reply, "Because this is the way we've always done it." Wow. 2020 is teaching us that the way  we've always done things..does not work.  Yeah.  The age-old rut that can trap us all. Frustrating isn't it? As a child growing up in the Aspen Valley, I remember traveling many miles along Highway 82.  Glenwood to Carbondale, then to Basalt, and on to Aspen.  Two lanes most of the way, it was and is the main route connecting all of these Rocky  Mountain towns.  The drive can be breath-taking in the Fall. And most take this route because, well, it's the route we always take. It's familiar. Safe. Known. Well traveled. You get the idea. There are other ways to get where you're going. Roads less traveled that hold great sites and great reward. One of my favorites is the Hippy-Cow Way. Known only to our fam...

5.5 Principles of Principals

At present, I'm out of work.  Long story,  and we don't have time for it here.  I've been thinking, a lot, about the things I miss about working in schools, and sort of " if I had it to do again " approach.  I believe I will get another shot - I'm very good at what I do, and I believe in second chances.   Take note... Kindness - being a school leaders is more stressful than you think.  I've been in and out of the mix enough to know the difference between job stress and principal stress.  Be kind to yourself.  Deliberately schedule time out.  Eat the foods that heal your soul and your body.  Breathe. Breakthrough - on the advice of someone I admire, I attended The Breakthrough Coaching lead by Malachi Pancoast.  Changed my whole way of looking at resource management, secretaries, and clarified my role as a principal.  Do yourself, and your colleagues a solid favor, go.  Establish a life & a career . Situa...

Panicdemic Data - We Can Open Schools

10/13/2020 UPDATE The Great Barrington Declaration . You probably haven't seen it since Google and Reddit shadow banned/censored and salted it with climate denial subterfuge. Bing for the win, since they played it straight. This science driven, thoughtful petition - initiated by highly recognized Harvard, Stanford, and Oxford epidemiologists - signed by 7,000 medical scientists and 15,000 medical practitioners.  Science is real, remember? Here's a key part:  " Current lockdown policies are producing devastating effects on short and long-term public health. The results (to name a few) include lower childhood vaccination rates, worsening cardiovascular disease outcomes, fewer cancer screenings and deteriorating mental health – leading to greater excess mortality in years to come, with the working class and younger members of society carrying the heaviest burden. Keeping students out of school is a grave injustice. Keeping these measures in place until a vaccine is availab...