Live Truly

Thanksgiving

(Photo by Ray Lopez / DownTown Pictures)

This past week I got to drive down to San Diego to see a friend I hadn’t seen for five years. She’s working on some intriguing research in the interaction of neuron shape and function. Later that week my entire family visited my grandpa, and my brother survived a really bad bike accident. The week made me realize just how much I have to be thankful for.

A small piece:

I’m thankful for my mind–being able to think and reflect and to enjoy learning and doing. I would not be me if it wasn’t for the opportunity to grow up where I did, with the family I had, with the heritage I have, and with the friends, teachers, and mentors I was able to meet. I’m thankful for my ability to move and be healthy and for the chance to grow up without lacking food or shelter or love and support. I’m thankful for my education, in and out of school, which made me question the world and myself and the limits of my knowledge. I’m thankful for the amazing library that I grew up with, my first job and my door to a life of learning. I’m also very thankful that, despite the odds against it, my brother can be thankful for these things as well.

Tips for Building Confidence

To be a leader, you must earn the respect and confidence of your team.

(Photo by pedrosimoes7)

This is a continuation of the Credibility in Coaching post, based on the same lecture and influences.
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Credibility in Coaching

While these notes focus on building credibility as a coach, I find them applicable to any leadership position. Whether it’s with a classroom or a boardroom, it’s really important to remember to the inherent value of the people you’re working with.

(Photo by apesara)

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Getting Educated About Physical Education

(Photo by Kapungo)

This summer, I took a class all about physical education. The course is taught by Mike Perez, an athlete, a coach, and a teacher with decades of experience, and the current head of West Valley College’s Athletics Program. So far it’s one of the most interesting and inspiring classes I’ve ever taken. Even if you’re not planning on entering the field–and especially if you are–you have take this class. Every day is a bit like The Last Lecture. I sure wish I took this course earlier in life and sure am glad I’ve had the chance to take it now.

Fixing Common Problems in PE

There’s quite a lot that goes into a good physical education program that we, and perhaps our PE teachers, have taken for granted. Some of it is glaringly obvious: for example, how important is it to let kids choose teams? Were you ever the last kid chosen? Do you remember how that felt? If you weren’t, what did you think the kids that were felt like? It takes a few minutes, no seconds, for the teacher to split the class up into teams and this saves a lot of the kids from a lot of anxiety.

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Hundred Pushups

I rediscovered this website while showing my friend the 4 Hour Blog. It’s a six week program to get just about anyone able to do one hundred pushups in a row. I love hundredpushups.com because it’s simple, to the point, easy to follow, and has a counter built for you (pushupslogger.com). The neat thing about pushups is that they not only work your chest, but work your triceps too. I hate to admit it, but I never realized this until reading that website.
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John Stone Fitness

This is a really cool website. This guy decided to get in shape, but unlike most people, he kept at it and documented every single day. For like five years! He’s still at it. His site has monthly, weekly, and even daily picture updates (johnstonefitness.com/php/pictures.php). Really impressive.

John Stone Fitness: johnstonefitness.com