A Column By Richard Reynolds

Sphere: Related Content Autographs Written by Richard Reynolds Commentary from Richard Reynolds At birth every person has a clean slate with the ability to do something great. Some people would say that there are social and economic factors that prevent a person from achieving great things. I believe just the opposite that one can add value to their name through the life that they live. Last summer, my son and I participated in the Southeastern Conference Football Media Days at the Wynfrey Hotel in Birmingham. "Participating" may be stretching things because it was more like asking for autographs and allowing my son the opportunity to meet some famous and not so famous sports leaders. At that time the season was just starting with great promise for every team, every coach and every institution. Every autograph, one could say, had equal value and what made the difference in the value would be the coming performance of each individual. Isn't that like life? We each start out on equal footing given a name at birth. The value of that name is determined not by what our parents or grandparents did but will be determined by the legacy of the life that we live. What is your name worth? Here the term "worth" has no relationship to money but has the connotation of the value of one's life because of the good that one has contributed to this world. What have you contributed , what are you contributing to this world and what will you contribute in the future? Above is a column written by Richard Reynolds the writer of this blog. It is posted at www.claynews.net The small paper uses this as an avenue to compete with the larger papers with news in between its editions.

Quote to Ponder

Sphere: Related Content "Life is a play. It's not its length, but its performance that counts." - Seneca

Leading that provides more opportunities

October 19, 2007 Leading from Second Chair Back in September, Teachers as Leaders spurred some deep discussion about school roles. Today, ASCD author Pam Robbins asked attendees at her session on the assistant principalship, Which leadership actions do you believe are most essential to fostering staff and student learning? Here's what a room full of mostly education administrators had to say: "Be available." "Lead from the middle. If you’re in among people and you’re willing to roll up your sleeves, you earn respect instead of demanding it. Don’t ask people to do anything you’re not willing to do.” "In San Jose, all principals, assistant principals, and deans also teach, and that creates a lot of collegiality among administrators and teachers." "Even if you're not teaching classes, be willing to be in the classroom, because we were all in the classroom at one point." "Since I'm here today, I have a teacher back at my school that's subbing for me. I think it's important to let teachers try on some of the administrator's responsibilites, as well." "We need to allocate the resources that allow teachers to be as effective as possible." What leadership actions are most significant to you? Pam Robbins, author of The New Principal's Fieldbook: Strategies for Success, presented a session titled The Quiet Journey to Excellence: Success Strategies of Assistant Principals. Visit Inservice throughout the weekend for more coverage of ASCD's 2007 Conference on Teaching & Learning in Atlanta. Posted by Laura Varlas in Conference on Teaching and Learning Permalink Digg This Save to del.icio.us

Thought for the day:

We make a living by what we get: we make a life by what we give.-Winston Churchill

Harvey Mackay is a favorite author and speaker of mine! Part of providing opportunities on my part is making the best accessible and known to you! Fulfilling that means that I will acquaint you with the authors, speakers and resources that will assist you in your personal and professional life while also giving you ideas of how you can provide more opportunities of the children and youth of today! Below is another one of Harvey's post:

Harvey Mackay's Column This Week: What they don't teach you in school

As many college graduates are scrambling to find jobs, one of the most important things for graduates to understand is that you're in school all your life. In fact, your real education is just beginning.

I'd like to pass on a few lessons, which weren't necessarily covered in school. If you've been out of school for a few years—or a lot of years—this advice is still for you; consider it a refresher course.

Develop relationships and keep networking. If I had to name the single characteristic shared by all the truly successful people I've met over a lifetime, I'd say it is the ability to create and nurture a network of contacts. Start strengthening your relationships now, so they'll be in place when you really need them later. In the classroom it was mostly about your individual performance. Success in real life will require relationships. Who you know determines how effectively you can apply what you know. So stay in touch.

Find advisors and mentors. Advisors will not be assigned to you, as in school. You should actively seek your own mentors. And remember, mentors change over a lifetime. Start connecting with people you respect who can help you get a leg up in each aspect of your life, personal and professional. Make it as easy and convenient as possible for them to talk with you, and always look for ways to contribute to their success, too.

Build your reputation. Nothing is more important than a good reputation in building a successful career or business. If you don't have a positive reputation, it will be difficult to be successful. All it takes is one foolish act to destroy a reputation.

Set goals. Ask any winner what their keys to success are, and you will hear four consistent messages: vision, determination, persistence and setting goals. If you don't set goals to determine where you're going, how will you know when you get there? Goals give you more than a reason to get up in the morning; they are an incentive to keep you going all day. Most important, goals need to be measurable, identifiable, attainable, specific and in writing.

Get along with people. Ask recruiters from various companies to name the number one skill necessary for new hires, and many of them will say it's the ability to get along with people. Co-workers share office space, facilities, break rooms, refrigerators and coffee pots. They arrive together, take breaks together, eat lunch together and meet to solve problems together. All this closeness and familiarity can wear thin at times. Everyone shares responsibility for making the company work, run smoothly and stay profitable

Be happy. We are all responsible for our own happiness. Don't waste time and energy being unhappy. When people aren't happy doing what they do, they don't do it as well. Life will always be filled with challenges and opportunities. Both are best faced with a positive attitude.

Smile. A smile should be standard equipment for all people. I learned years ago that one of the most powerful things you can do to have influence over others is to smile at them. Everything seems much easier with a smile.

Sense of humor. I'm a firm believer in using humor—not necessarily jokes. A good sense of humor helps to overlook the unbecoming, understand the unconventional, tolerate the unpleasant, overcome the unexpected and outlast the unbearable. There are plenty of times to be serious, but I believe that keeping things light and comfortable encourages better teamwork. Be yourself. We all have areas that need a little work, but accepting who we are and making the most of our good points will take us much farther than trying to be someone we aren't. Be content with your abilities and comfortable enough in your own skin to trust your gut.

Volunteer. It might be hard to do a lot of volunteer work at first, but people who help other people on a regular basis have a healthier outlook on life. They are more inclined to be go-getters and consistently report being happier. Volunteering is good for everyone.

Mackay's Moral: The purpose of education is not to teach youth to make a living, but to make a life.

Habit…What does this have to do with …

June 21st, 2007 · Habit…What does this have to do with taking new steps forward in education and leadership? Nicole Richie, Nick Nolte, Mel Gibson and Pac Man Jones…what do they all have in common? They are ones that did not understand the power of H-A-B-I-T. “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” which was first written by Stephen Covey and then his son Sean Covey wrote a version of the original dealing with the adolescent issues while still dealing with the idea of a life run by principles. Research has proven that a life based on principles and not aimlessly lived can produce a more fulfilling, productive life. More pictures could have been posted here of celebrities and other notable people in society that have not found the key of deciding their key habits which will make one the most productive !

Ask yourself three things:

What habits should I add to my life?

What habits should I eliminate from my life?

What habits should I keep in my life?