You Can’t Wait for Inspiration
You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club. – Jack London
The Purpose of Life
I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, to be honorable, to be compassionate. It is, after all, to matter: to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all. –Leo C. Rosten
WORTH READING: Observation of a young mom about her mom
This is a post from my articulate and sensitive niece, Edana Yick, to her Facebook. Well said, I think. Have any of you had similar transformations of thought? “Weird that everything that bugged and embarrassed me most about my mom when I was a teenager are the very things I most love, admire and appreciate her for now that I’m …
WORTH READING: Four interesting letters with divergent opinions on homosexuality.
Letter 1 Of course every person must be loved and respected but not every behavior/lifestyle must be and it is important to separate these 2 things. The fact that homosexuals are sometimes bullied or hated is very sad and unfortunate and reflects how we as a society still struggle with the concept of loving the sinner (we are all sinners) …
WORTH READING: I Carry Your Heart With Me by e.e. cummings
I Carry Your Heart With Me i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart) i am never without it (anywhere i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling) I fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want no world (for beautiful you …
The Rules of the Game, by Olympic Gold Medalist John Naber
Several years ago, Josephson Institute edited a book of 41 essays called The Power of Character. Among the accomplished and interesting contributors was John Naber, who won four gold medals and one silver medal in swimming at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, setting four world records in the process. Now, with the London Games in full swing, we are pleased to …
WORTH READING: Some say the first three words you see best describe you. What do you think? Post below the first three words you saw.
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WORTH READING: The Olympic Creed and Oath
The Creed: The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. “The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.” The Oath: In the name of all the competitors I promise that we shall …
WORTH READING: The Moral Dimension of Sports: Guiding Principles for Athletic Competition
The Arizona Sports Summit Accord is the basis for the Josephson Institute’s Pursuing Victory With Honor program. It’s an inspiring document, worth re-reading from time to time. The full text is below, and can also be found on our website. On May 25, 1999, nearly 50 influential leaders in sports issued the Arizona Sports Summit Accord to encourage greater emphasis …
WORTH READING: So, Why Should We Care About Sportsmanship?
At its best, athletic competition can hold intrinsic value for our society. It is a symbol of a great ideal: pursuing victory with honor. The love of sports is deeply embedded in our national consciousness. The values of millions of participants and spectators are directly and dramatically influenced by the values conveyed by organized sports. Thus, sports are a major …
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, …
WORTH READING: How to Give Kind Criticism and Avoid Being Critical by Leo Babuta for Zen Habits
Why We Give Criticism Excerpted from Zen Habits To help someone improve. Sometimes criticism is actual honest feedback, meant to help the person we’re criticizing. We want to help them get better. To see a change that we would like. If we regularly read a magazine or blog, for example, there might be something that often bothers us that we’d …
WORTH READING: Ten Tips for Giving Constructive Feedback in the Workplace by Dr. Barton Goldsmith
10 Tips for Delivering (Constructive) Criticism by By Dr. Barton Goldsmith for Bankers Online Take an honest look at where you’re coming from. If there’s some anger or resentment toward the team member, then you’re probably not the best person to offer them advice. Start and end with a compliment. Find something good to say about your team member, this will help him …
WORTH READING: What is Constructive Criticism?
An excerpt from WiseGeek.com: Constructive criticism is criticism kindly meant that has a goal of improving some area of another’s person’s life or work. Often constructive criticism refers specifically to the critique of someone else’s written or artistic work, in perhaps a teacher/student setting, that would allow that person to further improve the work or to improve their approach to …
WORTH READING: An Insightful Article on the Scope and Causes of Bullying
This article is somewhat dated (2008) but still is a very useful resource and worth reading. You can read the whole thing at the San Francisco Chronicle. Bullying takes twisted turn for the worse Regan McMahon, Chronicle Staff Writer Sunday, August 17, 2008 Oakland first-grader Zachary Cataldo suffered a skull fracture when a fifth-grader allegedly slammed him against a tree in …
OBSERVATION: A Mother’s Message About Bullying: Hang in There. It Will Get Better.
While researching the bullying issue for a CHARACTER COUNTS! seminar, I came across Vicky Bell’s blog, where she posted a letter to her daughter in college. I think her advice moving and wise. Here’s her letter: Letter to my daughter ( in the wake of senseless tragedy) Hello my girl, I wanted to say hi and tell you how much …
WORTH READING: Letters to a Bullied Girl
From the publisher: Olivia Gardner, a northern California teenager, was severely taunted and cyberbullied by her classmates for more than two years because she was an epileptic who had suffered seizures in front of classmates. News of her bullying spread, eventually reaching two teenage girls from a neighboring town, sisters Emily and Sarah Buder. The girls were so moved by Olivia’s story …
WORTH READING & SEEING: “Stand Tall,” a song encouraging bullied victims to have strength
Here’s a comment by the performer, Lauren Irwin, from her website: “At many points in my life I found myself thinking I wasn’t good enough. I wasn’t smart enough, thin enough, fat enough, tall enough, pretty enough, quirky enough, blonde enough … the list goes on. I’m a pretty positive person, although it might not sound like it, but I …