Having a Good Day … Even When it ISN’T

I'm proud to be a member of the National Speakers Association. I remember a story about the great Cavett Robert, the founder of NSA. He always preached doing your best, not matter what, and he practiced what he preached.

I remember someone sharing a story about their first-hand observation of Cavett Robert during a speaking event. He was sick, running fever. It was shared that, before he was introduced, Cavett was resting his face against a plaster wall, just to catch a little coolness. He then went on to deliver his program, just as he had promised.

I said to myself, "I sure hope I don't ever have to do that." Well, it happened just this past Tuesday (June 13, 2006). Ever have an experience like this?

I was scheduled to train teachers at an education service center in my home state of Texas. I got to my destination, checked into the motel and grabbed a bite of dinner. I even went to bed early so I would be extra sharp for the next day.

About an hour into my sleep, I awoke to VIOLENT bouts of vomiting and diarrhea that went on all night. Food poisoning. (If my wife had been with me, she'd taken me to the hospital, for sure.)

I tried to soothe myself by saying, "This is BAD, but I've experienced worse." No way; this was a new watermark.

Fortunately, it all tapered off about 6:00a.m., so I decided to regroup and give it a shot. I was so weak and dehydrated, it took me forever to shave and dress. Fortunately, it took me about 40 minutes to drive to where the client was, which gave me a chance to chug a 32 ounce bottle of Gatorade. That allowed me to walk into the facility without looking like a drunk man. But I was so weak and sleep-deprived I could hardly stand.

I leveled with my client, Gwen, and we decided to give it a shot. They brought in a stool for me (a God-send). It was a rocky start, but you know the rest. As they got into my presentation, I was able to feed off their energy. They helped pull me through, and we all made a good day of it.

 Like a good pitcher in a slump, we don't always have our best stuff. But if we keep pitching and stay in the game, things will change.

 James Sutton, Psychologist

Something to Build a Life Around

Thanks to my friend Jim Gentil of Austin, Texas for this quote:

Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.
– Mother Teresa

The Shoes

As I get more into this blog, I will be putting in a lot of material about working with difficult youngsters in the home and school environments. Be watching for it.

I will also be answering questions that are posted here in this blog or through email.

As I was searching through material, I came across this piece that was published in one of my newsletters. I thought you might enjoy it.

 JDS

The scene: New York City in late December

 A boy was standing in front of a shoe store, barefooted, peering into the window. He was shivering with cold as a lady approached him.

"Young man, what are you looking at so intently in that window."

"I was asking God for a pair of shoes," he replied.

She took him by the hand and entered the store. She asked the clerk for several pairs of socks for the boy, then she requested a basin of water and a towel.

The lady took the boy to the back of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down and washed his feet, then dried them with a towel. She then put clean, new socks on his feet and purchased for him a new pair of shoes.

As a finishing gesture, she tied up the remaining pairs of socks and handed the bundle to the lad. She then gently touched him on the head.

"No doubt, my little friend, you're more comfortable now."

As she turned to leave, the youngster reached for her hand. With tears filling his eyes, he looked into her kind face and asked a question that grabbed at her heart/

"Are you God's wife?"

Youngsters Need Enthusiasm

I thank Jim Gentil of Austin, Texas for sending this little piece about some fellows getting ready to jump out of a perfectly good airplane.

One day an army general was visiting a military base where paratroopers were training on jumping out of airplanes.  During a conversation, the general asked this question to a group getting ready to go up in the air: “How do you like jumping out of planes?”
The first paratrooper responded, “I love it, sir.”
He then asked the next.  “It’s a fantastic experience, sir!” exclaimed the soldier. “I couldn’t imagine not doing it.”
“How do you like it?” the general asked the third one.
“I’m scared to death, sir, and don’t much like it,” he honestly said.
“Then why do you do it?” the general queried.
“This group has a passion for jumping, sir, they’re excited about it, and I like being around people who enjoy what they do!”

People want to be around other people who are on fire with an enthusiasm that drives them. Young people especially need teachers who have that fire and can pass it on.  It makes a difference in the quality of the school day, and it makes a difference in the bottom line of achievement. (You know, when the kids take the TEST that tells us all where we fell in our effectiveness that year)

Even "problem" students do better in those classes where the teacher is enthusiastic toward the subject and toward them. It's difficult to quantify that sort of enthusiasm, but the results of it CAN be measured every single day. 

 Enthusiasm is the mother of effort, and without it nothing great was ever achieved."
– Ralph Waldo Emerson