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PERSONAL NOTE: My favorite Father’s Day presents in 2012 (I also got a great watch)
Papa, You’re the greatest man I know. Thank you for always being there for me and guiding me. You’re the closest thing to a superhero. You know your dad’s awesome when you’d love him even if he wasn’t your dad. Lucky enough for me, he is my dad. Coolest dad I could ask for. I love you, Michael Josephson. Looking forward to …
COMMENTARY: The Perfect Father’s Day Gift
When I was young, I idolized my father, judging him for his virtues. For most of the rest of my life, I criticized him, judging him for his faults. I always loved him, but I didn’t always appreciate him. I was so aware of his imperfections (surely, no worse than my own) that I greatly undervalued his good qualities and …
COMMENTARY 780.1: Keep Singing, Michael
According to a story in Woman’s Day magazine, every day since Michael found out he was going to have a baby sister, he would touch his mommy’s tummy tenderly and sing all the songs he knew. Unfortunately, the baby was born in critical condition and the doctors warned that the little girl would not last through the week. Children are …
Commentary 779.4: Box Full Of Love
Todd was a sadly quiet eleven-year-old struggling to adjust to the death of his mother. His father left long ago and he was living with an aunt who made it known that she resented the responsibility. On several occasions, Sheryl, the boy’s teacher, heard the aunt tell Todd, “If it weren’t for my generosity you would be a homeless orphan.” …
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT FOR TEENS: Teenagers Lead the Way
Hi this is Michael Josephson with Something to Think About. Olivia Gardner was a sixth grader in Northern California when she suffered an epileptic seizure in front of her classmates. Immediately, the name-calling began. The hallway insults and ridicule – “freak,” “retard,” “weirdo” – escalated into cyber-bullying as a few nasty students set up an “Olivia Haters” website. One student …
COMMENTARY 779.3: Advice About Teens
Here are three suggestions for the parents of young teens, all learned through my own mistakes: First, remember, with emerging demands for independence, worries about peer acceptance, pressures of school and extra-curricular activities and a continuous search for self-identity, adolescents are on a physical and emotional roller coaster. Like every generation before them (including yours), young teens are often arrogant …
COMMENTARY 779.2: The Blue Stone and the White Lie
When my daughter Abrielle was 4, she came running down the hall screaming. “I don’t want to die! I swallowed a stone!” I immediately determined that nothing was obstructing her throat, but she was still in a panic. “It’s OK, sweetheart,” I tried to soothe her. “You’re not going to die.” She thought I didn’t understand. “But I swallowed a …
COMMENTARY 778.4: The Best Dad
Years ago I heard a story of a dad named Paul who gave his young son a small chalkboard to practice writing on. One evening his son called out from the bedroom, “Dad, how do you spell best?” Paul answered him. Moments later, the boy hollered, “How do you spell kid?” Finally he asked, “How do you spell ever?” When …
COMMENTARY 777.5: Motive, Tact, Tone, Timing
Trustworthiness is essential to good relationships, and honesty is essential to trustworthiness. Being honest isn’t simply telling the truth, though. It’s also being sincere and forthright. Thus, it’s just as dishonest to deceive someone by half-truths or silence as it is to lie. But what if honesty requires us to volunteer information that could be damaging or hurtful?
COMMENTARY 777.3: Keep Your Fork
When a pessimist is told there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, he’s likely to assume it’s an onrushing train. According to journalist Sydney Harris, “A cynic is not merely one who reads bitter lessons from the past; he’s prematurely disappointed in the future.” Pessimism and cynicism are fashionable these days, but it’s the people who see and …
COMMENTARY 777.2: Memorial Day, A Day of Remembrance
It’s not just an excuse for a three-day weekend or a day for barbeque and beer. Memorial Day is a time for Americans to connect with our national history and core values by honoring those who gave their lives fighting for this country. It’s said that this special day to salute fallen Americans was born during the Civil War in …
COMMENTARY 777.1: Day of Gratitude
Our nation was conceived by idealistic and courageous political leaders, but it was preserved by the immense and immeasurable sacrifice of millions of soldiers who fought and died to transform the democratic principles embodied in the Declaration of Independence into a country we proudly call the United States of America.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT FOR TEENS: Shopping Carts and Character
Hi, this is Michael Josephson with Something to Think About. When Leon was 14, his father asked him to return a shopping cart in a grocery store parking lot. Leon was annoyed. “C’mon, Dad,” he said, “No one returns their carts anymore. That’s why they hire people to collect them. If everyone returned their shopping carts some people would lose …
QUOTATION: What It Takes to Become an Olympian. Some 2,000-Year-Old Advice
“So you wish to conquer in the Olympic games, my friend? And I too, by the Gods, and a fine thing it would be! But first mark the conditions and the consequences, and then set to work. You will have to put yourself under discipline; to eat by rule, to avoid cakes and sweetmeats; to take exercise at the appointed …
OBSERVATION: Talent is necessary but not sufficient. Winners must also have character — Michael Josephson
Talent is like the ante in poker, you can’t get into the game without it. But at the highest levels of any sport everyone has talent. Champions distinguish themselves by their mental and emotional strength. They treat every setback and obstacle as part of the challenge rather than an excuse. A talented athlete can win occasionally, but to stay on …
OBSERVATION: John Wooden on Discipline
Even if there is a price to be paid, don’t be afraid to use appropriate discipline. It may hurt in the short term, but it will pay dividends in the future. I believe one of the big lessons of sports for dedicated individuals and teams is that it shows us how hard work, and I mean hard work, does pay …
OBSERVATION: If you plan on getting better, plan on making mistakes
Making mistakes is an important part of learning for everyone in every setting, but it has special significance in youth sports because children are easily embarrassed and discouraged, especially if they make mistakes in front of other kids.
OBSERVATION: Coaching Is All About Teaching — John Wooden
A leader, particularly a teacher or coach, has a most powerful influence on those he or she leads, perhaps more than anyone outside the family. Therefore, it is the obligation of that leader, teacher, or coach to treat such responsibility as a grave concern.
WORTH READING: So, What Is Sportsmanship?
Sportsmanship is the ethical and moral dimension of sports. It is demonstrated by a number of attributes and attitudes such as fair play, respect for the rules and traditions of the sport and various traits of good character including integrity (abiding by the letter and spirit of the rules and concepts of honor); demonstrated respect for others including teammates, opponents, …
COMMENTARY 776.3: I’m Better Than That
Ron, a nine-year-old boy, was being raised by his mother who didn’t know how to cope with his uncontrollable temper. She knew he was angry that his father had abandoned him, and she tried professional counseling, but nothing seemed to work. So she sent Ron to spend the summer on his grandparents’ farm. When he came home, he was a …
COMMENTARY 776.2: Eighteen Random Life Rules
I love maxims, those concise capsules of worldly wisdom. I collect them and write them and, of course, love to share them. Here are 18 random rules of life worth posting on your mirror or, better yet, using as dinner-time discussion starters. Find the lesson in every failure and you’ll never fail. The likelihood that you’re right is not increased …
COMMENTARY 776.1: Avoiding Temptations
When my daughter Samara was four she pointed to a delicate glass vase and asked, “What’s that?” “It’s very special,” I answered. “It was my mother’s. I would really feel bad if it ever got broken, so please be careful to never, never touch it.” Without a moment’s hesitation she said, “Then you should never, never put it where I …
COMMENTARY 775.4: We Expect More of Adults
Although 11-year-old Mark wasn’t much of an athlete, his dad urged him to play youth baseball. Mark liked to play, but he was hurt by the remarks of teammates and spectators whenever he struck out or dropped a ball. Just before the fourth game of the season, Mark told his dad he didn’t want to go. “I’m no good,” he …
COMMENTARY 775.2: Getting Started
Chris’s parents were proud of him when he graduated from college. But it’s been six months and he hasn’t gotten a job yet. In fact, he hasn’t looked seriously. He has no idea what he wants to do and he’s thinking of grad school. He’s living at home with his parents and things are getting tense, especially with his father, …