Think About Such Things

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The Power Of Actions

The Assignment: Visually bring your This I Believe essay to life.

 Here's what that looks like to our son Jacob:

The project actually took Jacob back to this particular adage -
 Actions speak more loudly than words
 - a second time; the first time was in fifth grade when he wrote a Foundations For Life piece about those very same words of wisdom. 
Click {here} to read that award-winning essay. 

My favorite actions-above-words experience from that paper was when Jacob gave his friend Keith one of our family raffle tickets to increase his friend's chances of winning the ping-pong table that he'd had his eye on. He could have just crossed his fingers and let Keith know that he really hoped he'd win, but instead he wrote Keith's name on a ticket and dropped it in the raffle-ticket bucket for him. There were so many tickets in that bin that it wasn't at all likely that that particular ticket would even be drawn, but Jacob came home that day with good news: 
his friend Keith won the ping-pong table. 

Jacob has agreed to share the essay that sparked his project board:

The Power Of Actions by Jacob Gruener

Most of us have heard the story of The Good Samaritan at some point in our lives. A man was robbed and left for dead on the side of the road, and three people saw him on the road. Only one stopped to help. That person took it upon himself to take the injured man to an inn and pay for his care. Without someone who was willing to put forth some effort and act, nothing would’ve gotten done and the man would’ve died there. This is the foundation for my belief: 

that actions, rather than words, are what matter.

         This belief was not born merely out of a cute story in the book of Luke. The moment my belief was formed was when I was in the fifth grade. Up until then, I had shied away from anything that required excess work or posed a challenge. I entered an essay contest at my mother’s insistence. Rather reluctantly, I wrote an essay based on the idea that “actions speak louder than words.”

         As I was writing that paper, I grew somewhat attached to the phrase. I began finding instances in my own life where actions showed more results than empty words. And yet I didn’t think much of it. I merely pushed it aside and continued with my life.

         One year later, I made the best decision of my life. 

I joined my school band. 

It was an elective choice in sixth grade and my sister was in it, so I decided I would give it a shot. I had taken piano for a few years, so when we began to talk about basic notes and rhythms, I began to think of band as just another activity. But I was soon proven wrong. The pace of the class escalated, and I found it took more and more practice just to keep up. I realized I enjoyed the practice, and that the end result of learning something new and exciting would be worth the effort. Thus my belief was formed.

         So here I am, six years later, and I still follow the same path. I give work ethic and perseverance value over ideas and talk. I choose to act rather than to react. I welcome challenges and leadership opportunities rather than shrink from them. And I know that words are empty without actions to back them up. As I look back at my life and the lives of my friends and family, I find this to be true. So this I believe: the strength to move forward and succeed is derived not from words, but from actions, for actions truly do speak louder than words. 

******

If you wrote a This I Believe essay, what would your visual representation look like?

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The BE-attitudes

As we cruise into Thanksgiving Break, I'm pondering the question: To be or not to be?  The really cool thing about that Shakespearean inquiry is that the answer is totally up to us. It’s all about CHOICE!  There are so many things in life that we don't have much say about, but every day we get to choose how we want to BE regardless of the cards we’re dealt.

Here are some of the BE-attitudes I've been reflecting upon, things that we get to control, every day. These are gifts that keep on giving:

1.      Be love.  Be inspired by DecembeRadio's hauntingly-beautiful ballad. Caring is thinking with your heart and Kindness is a learned behavior. Be all three.  

2.   Be a problem solver.  Explore all of our options when there's a problem. Leave no stone unturned when you're looking for a solution.

3.   Be at peace.  I like the sound of that, don’t you? Do something every day to move - even if ever 
 so slightly - from chaos to calm. Yoga anyone?

4.   Be a good listener.  Practice good listening skills. Lean in, Make eye contact, and respond appropriately when someone’s sharing their story or asking a question.

5.   Be present. Be there for people, in the moment, right now.  You can NOT get this moment back. Ever.

6.   Be responsible.  Subscribe to this simply powerful touchstone: Be in the right place at the right time doing the right thing.

7.   Be a hard worker. Work ethic trumps talent; give your BEST effort in everything you do.

8.   Be sensitive. Put yourself in another's shoes, share their story, and experience empathy and compassion.

9.    Be respectful. Treat people today how you want them to treat you tomorrow.  It's G.O.L.D.E.N.

10.  Be a trustworthy friend. Do what you say you’re going to do so that people can count on you.

11.     Be emotionally and physically healthy. Eat the right things, drink plenty of water, exercise routinely, relax often, and pay close attention to your feelings so they don't overwhelm and get the best of you.

12.  Be someone’s hero. Ask yourself:  Whom can I serve today?  What makes my actions worthy of honor?

13.  Be grateful. Count your blessings and give thanks for each of them.  Why not join this guy in The Gratitude Dance!

14.  Be forgiving. Allow for mistakes and be willing to forgive. There's no greater gift than a little grace.

15.  Be a positive influence.  Uplift people with your words, a smile, and enthusiasm. Make your attitude contagious!

So there you have it, my 15 BE-attitudes, gifts that you get to keep as you give them away. What does your 
BE-attitude list look like? 

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This I Believe

After reading the book This I Believe with Kaitlyn two years back, I wrote my own essay outlining my beliefs. When Jacob was writing his this weekend, I revisited mine and found it to still be true today. If you've not written one of your own, why not give it a try; click here for details. It's basically a 300-500-word statement of what you believe. Kind of like your personal philosophy. An ideal, if you will. It's kind of a challenging essay to write. Maybe you already get a flavor for what I believe by what I post, but here are the three final paragraphs from my This I believe essay:

. . . I believe in living out loud, as if I were dying. That’s why I put as much into every day as I possibly can. I also believe that I must live what I encourage and be real. Having grown up as a farmer’s daughter in Wisconsin, I distinctly remember when milk started carrying the REAL® seal. No additives, nothing artificial. That little red seal indicated that milk was a wholesome, natural product. That campaign made a lasting impact on me. From then on, I’ve wanted people to know and be able to feel that, like fresh warm milk straight from a dairy cow, I’m for real. No additives, nothing artificial. What you see is what you get. 

I believe that relationships add relevance to life. I'm energized by connecting with people. I strive to make people feel special, like they’re my favorite, when they’re in my presence. I love to encourage and affirm. Sometimes that’s as easy as smiling at someone or calling him or her by name. Other times, it takes so much more. I've found that if I'm willing to listen, really listen, to people, they will share their stories with me. Listening is a valuable gift. I make professional connections by consulting and motivating. I enjoy inspiring colleagues in my high-energy, interactive workshops; I’m told my enthusiasm is contagious  I jump for joy at opportunities to mentor new counselors and share my passion for life and love, compassion and character.

This I believe: If I walk the talk, I model healthy choices not only in the lives of my own children and my students, but also for their parents, the community and the educators with whom I’m privileged to grow.

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An Angel In Disguise

One of my very favorite things that hangs on my dining room wall is this framed kid art, an essay that my son Jacob wrote when he was in the fourth grade.  It’s what he believed on March 2, 2005.  

Angel in Disguise by Jacob Gruener

    My mom is one of the most compassionate people on the planet.  She’s so caring, I think she’s an angel in disguise!  I love her because she is so nice and no matter how naughty the child is, she never loses her cool.  My mom is a counselor at Westwood Elementary and is so popular, if a kid sees her at H.E.B. or a restaurant, they can’t help saying, “Mrs. Gruener!” My mom is the person I most admire.

     As a counselor at Westwood, my mom builds a great reputation.  She is very kind and is loved by almost every student at Westwood and Bales.  She helps tons of kids with their problems and has established a program for kids to have better character.  If you see someone doing something above and beyond, you can write down their name and teacher on a card and every Friday she pulls two cards.  Whoever’s names are on those cards get to pick a prize from a table with lots of cool prizes.  Everyone gets so excited about that.

     Not only is my mom a great counselor, she’s also a phenomenal cook.  She makes the best meals and desserts.  I can’t think of any of my mom’s meals I don’t like.  I can’t think of any desserts, either.  Some of my favorite meals include Shepherd’s Pie, Little Meatloaf, Homemade Pizza, and Soup Soup, a soup with minestrone, beans, hamburger meat, tomato sauce and corn.  My mom would win any cooking contest without a doubt.

     My mom is a great counselor, a phenomenal cook, and the best mom in the world.  When I asked her to try and think of a job for me, she put her mind to it and made me meal helper with a salary of five to seven dollars a week.  I clip coupons, file them, help decide what to eat for the week, and help her shop for ingredients.  It’s as helpful to her as it is for me!  She helps me with problems, too.  She lets me stay up late sometimes and never criticizes me.  She’s a perfect mom.

     My mom is the apple of my eye.  She knows how to solve any problem or handle any task and she never brings anyone down.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, my mom is an angel in disguise and that’s why I admire her.

As Jacob sits at the computer composing his AP English III This I Believe essay this afternoon, I’m taken back to his words as a ten-year-old.  I wonder what my seventeen-year-old will write about what he believes today.  I can't wait to read it.

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Worth Repeating

I am really enjoying the inspiration I've found posted at Pinterest. It's like having a virtual bulletin board with the most amazing sayings; What a fun way to collect and display words of wisdom. Above is a mini-poster that I created from the quote at the bottom of Joshua's English teacher's email to me last week. I showed it to him and he asked, "What does that mean?" Which led into a great discussion about how if Ms. Ferro treats him like a responsible student and expects that from him, then he's more likely to take and show responsibility in her presence and in her class.

Using maxims such as this for writing prompts or as a springboard for discussion has so much enrichment potential because it challenges our students to think critically about what the author meant as well as about how it applies to their lives today.  You can also use quotes to research who Goethe was and why it is we find his adage worth repeating. Take it a step further and illustrate what he said. What do you think Goethe was referring to when he wrote or uttered these words so many years ago?  How might you use this or the other things I've pinned with your students (or your families) today? 

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Goal Setting 101

Cystic Fibrosis?  Not gonna stand in Claire's way!  
Check out this amazing teen's positively positive outlook 
despite her difficult diagnosis.

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