See and show how character and leadership matter today
When I was a child growing up in the 1980s, my bike was an important part of my life. My favorite bike was a Predator Cromo, a dirt bike that I received for Christmas one year. This bike represented fun – we were always racing bikes, riding “wheelies” and creating jumps. This bike represented freedom – I rode it everywhere. …
Perspective. We mostly go through our daily lives by going through the motions. One day leads to the next. Alarm, breakfast, school, lunch, more school, practice, homework, dinner, TV, bedtime. Something like that. Most days are not special or memorable. For example, can you remember what you did on November 7th of last year? Me neither. This simple 1-minute video …
Stephen Hawking once said, “Showing up is half the battle.” This quote always stuck with me. It’s so simple that sometimes we forget the importance of the statement. You can’t be considered for the job if you don’t submit your resume. You can’t win the race if you are not entered. You can’t win the lottery if you don’t buy …
At a cross-country meet in Wisconsin earlier this season, something unusual happened. With about a half-mile left in the race, Seppi Camilli, a runner from Marquette (MI) High School, made a bold move and broke free from several competitors from Stevens Point High School. With just the ‘straight-away’ left, he found himself alone in second place. However, with about 15 …
Rehan Staton is a 27-year-old Harvard Law School graduate. However, his path to that degree was not typical. As a child, his mother abandoned the family and his dad struggled with gainful employment. In other words, Rehan grew up poor. To make it, he worked as a sanitation worker (that’s trash man to you and me). His grades were never …
Allen McClosekey has lived his entire life in Galveston, Indiana. He is now 89 years of age. He has had one job, that of a grave digger at the local cemetery. He has had that job since he was 19. He doesn’t want to retire because he is afraid that someone else will not do the job as well. He …
Hello and welcome. If you are reading this blog, this means that you are enrolled in a class where a teacher is using the Character Development and Leadership Curriculum. This program is designed to help you develop who you are as a person and to improve your leadership capabilities. This program should be fun and engaging. The blog post is …
Picture yourself on your way to work (or school). It’s cold, it’s early and you are tired. You are with a bunch of total strangers. You just want to mind your own business and get to your destination. Then, some random stranger breaks out in a joyful song and invites everyone to sing. It is a blatant attempt to get …
Thirteen years ago, Malachi Coleman and his little sister were abandoned by their mother. The siblings immediately went into the foster care system. Malachi claimed this was a miserable experience fraught with abuse and poor care. A few years later, the Coleman’s decided to adopt Malachi and his sister. The Coleman’s provided a loving home and a way for the …
If you don’t know, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the greatest athletes ever to play professional sports. He won three national championships with the UCLA Bruins and then won 6 NBA championships. He is a six-time NBA MVP, two-time NBA Finals MVP, 19-time All-Star, two-time scoring champion, and a member of the NBA 35th and 50th Anniversary All-Time Teams. And …
