First, let me state that it is an honor for me to serve on the Board of Education and to have the opportunity to say a few words on this special occasion.  It is a responsibility that I take very seriously and I assure you that I will continue to work diligently to ensure this path of success we are celebrating today continues.

You have had the good fortune to attend a quality public school.  You will meet others who were not so fortunate but that does not mean that they are any less worthy which leads me to my first point.

Take up a cause at some point in your life whether it be your career choice, hobby, or any other interest.  I highly recommend at some point you read the book, Giving, by former president Bill Clinton.  It is a great introduction into the charitable good that is being performed in the world today and it is a pleasant distraction from the 24 hour news cycle on television today.

Yours is a generation of activism and optimism.  There are and there will continue to be serious and complex domestic and international problems to manage for the foreseeable future and I have no doubt that graduates sitting here today will be instrumental in solving them.  So remain optimistic. As Paul Harvey said, “I have never seen a monument erected to a pessimist.”  You hear it all the time but it bears repeating.  Life is short so make the most of it.  Which leads me to my second point.  Effort is everything.

As the coach of the Dallas Mavericks recently stated in an interview when asked how they won the NBA Championship when Miami seemed to have all the talent -   He said, “Talent is Overrated.”  There is a good book that addresses this issue that every student and parent should read titled MindSet – The new Psychology of Success by Dr. Carol Dweck.  While the book focuses on how individuals view themselves with respect a growth mindset or fixed mindset the real message is that everyone is capable of success however they define it by working hard and continuing to learn.  In this book she quotes Robert Sternberg, an intelligence expert who states whether people achieve expertise “is not some fixed prior ability but purposeful engagement.”  Talent will only get you so far.   So as you enter college, the workforce, military or any other endeavor keep working hard to improve all of your skills because you while you think you may have it all planned out something is bound to change and those who focus on effort will overcome those changes more readily.

I’ll share two quick personal stories relating to effort that hopefully might resonate with some of you at some point in the near future.  I would have described myself as a slightly above average high school student but certainly not amongst the top academic performers in my class.  One of my best friends who I considered extremely intelligent was going to attend and be my roommate at Purdue University.  At the last moment he was accepted into an honors program at Ohio State University and so we went our separate ways.  High school was very easy for him and he exerted little effort up to that point and received excellent grades.  I cannot tell you all of the circumstances that lead to his downfall but I know for a fact he did not put in the effort to succeed at Ohio State and as a result he eventually dropped out.  To this day he is bouncing from job to job still searching for his calling.  Again effort is everything.

Secondly, I don’t have too many regrets but a big one is not exerting myself at Purdue to the best of my ability.  I look back and regret how much more I could have learned and experienced during those precious years.  Fortunately, six years later after leaving the Navy I had the opportunity to do college the right way when I went back to school for a different field of study at Penn State.  Not only was it rewarding and beneficial to do well but it was fun.  So I urge you to not make the mistake I made and give whatever your next step is the best effort you can.  Do that and you won’t have any regrets in that area of your life.

Along with dedicating yourself to a cause and always focusing on effort, never quit learning.  We as a district have tried to instill in you the virtue of life long learning.  I am convinced that learning, not rote memorization, but true learning is the master key to the doors of happiness and success.  The more you learn and experience the richer and more joyful your life will be.  When you learn about wines they taste better, when you study philosophy you think clearer.  When you study history you gain a better perspective on the present and the future.  You will become a more interesting person.  Think about it, the alternative is to be an uninteresting person and live an uninteresting life.

I’m fairly certain that there has been at least one, if not more, special teacher, coach or other mentor during your schooling.  Keep in touch with them.  Send them a letter or email occasionally to let them know how your are doing or how much they meant to you.  It is a simple gesture that will make their day.

And to the proud parents I am sure this day has come too quickly since these students entered kindergarten and possibly not fast enough when they became teenagers.  Graduates, you have no idea as to the amount of time, effort, tears and money your loved ones have invested to help you get to this point in your lives.  Take the time to thank them.

I am sure most of you will forget much of what has been spoken about today but I hope you will take away one point and that is to never give up no matter how tough the challenges are that may confront you.   Never give up on your dreams, your friends and family or your community and country.

As the great statesman Winston Churchill stated and my own high school teacher and mentor had published in her obituary as her favorite quote  “Success is not final, Failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts.”

As we used to say in the Navy I wish you all fair winds and following seas.

Thank You and Congratulations

Do you ever find yourself grumbling about all of the things you feel you have to do but can never find the time to do them?  If you are like most people of course you do.  The key is to 1) get started doing them and 2) try and have some fun while doing them.

It is difficult to focus on things that really matter when you have a long list of trivial tasks hanging over your head.  Additionally, not completing these tasks may interrupt your ability to relax and enjoy the moment.  For example, it may be difficult to relax and sit on your deck drinking coffee and reading the newspaper or a good book if the deck needs staining or a board needs to be replaced.

Solution – stain the deck or replace the board and then thoroughly enjoy it when you are done.  Easier said then done, right?  Maybe, but that doesn’t change the fact that you probably will not be content until it gets done.  Let’s take the staining of the deck for example.  Look at the weather forecast for the next few days and try to pick a day when you will commit the time to do it.  It may have to be an evening after work in which you will only have a few hours to get it done.  A day or two prior do all the prep work, clean it, buy all the needed supplies, and the day before stage everything.  You could also enlist the help of your family or friends and make it somewhat of a social event.  This follows the principle of breaking or chunking things down into shorter reasonable tasks so the overall objective does not seem so overwhelming and leads to procrastination.

I have come to look at things like staining the deck, mowing the lawn, cleaning the house etc… as a form of therapy that is good for the soul.  The one great thing about tasks like these is that they provide immediate gratification and a sense of accomplishment which is a key ingredient in of happiness.  Sure, you could outsource some of these items and many times it makes all of the sense in the world to do so but occasionally it is good to do some of these things yourself.  You will feel better afterwards.

Another way do deal with tasks like these is that if you just cannot stand them is to listen to something on an mp3 player or something similar.  With today’s audio technology you can listen to your favorite music, the news, amateur or professional podcasts or an audio book.  Theoretically you could learn to speak another language while cleaning the house or learn how to stain a deck while mowing the lawn.  The options are endless.

Make a list of everything you need or want to do around the house and then start chipping away.  Don’t forget to celebrate your accomplishments.  After you get the deck stained, make sure to have a family or neighborhood barbecue to enjoy it because that is why you are doing it.

Almost nothing in life is as disheartening as living with regret. Though it’s impossible to change the choices and actions of the past, A Life of No Regrets seeks to provide a path for a future free of remorse, starting today. Throughout the pages of this self-paced course, you’ll find Aristotelian insight paired with a modern approach to realizing your life’s potential. You’ll discover the relationship between risk and regret, our primary and secondary motivations, and how to set goals and use focused planning to achieve them. Exploratory exercises accompany each chapter and break down the lesson material into activities that directly relate to your life. At the conclusion of the course, you’ll have thoroughly evaluated decisions and priorities and have an action plan to set you on the route to making the right choices — and leading a life with no regrets.

Click here to learn more.

Incorporating this type of planning and following through will take care of every Yew Year’s resolution or goal you may have this year.  The reason why this method is so effective is that it keeps the issues that are important and meaningful to you clearly in the forefront of your mind.  Additionally, when you complete a task or activity that you schedule based on your principled questions there is a real sense of meaningful accomplishment, which is the basis of happiness.

The easiest way that I have found to accomplish this is to write a set of questions relating to your principles or goals to ask yourself at least once a day and implement the answers into some type of day-planner.

Step 1.  Determine what is important to you. This will certainly vary among individuals and your current life circumstances.  Sit down in a quiet place and start writing what is important to you.  Write as much as you can.  For example, you may write your health, your family, your career, your relationships, your mind, your hobbies etc…  Now add more detail within each category.  For example, in the area of health you may write; maintaining an ideal body weight, improving your flexibility or strength, improving your cardiovascular system, eating more healthier or better quality foods etc…

Step 2.  Identify a list of questions that you will ask yourself everyday that relate to the important principles you just identified in step 1.  For example, you may have a list that includes questions similar to the following:  What am I going to do today to improve my health?  What am I going to do today to move me closer to my long-term goal(s)?  What am I going to do today to improve my relationship with someone I care about?  What am I going to do for myself today?  These questions can be as general or specific as you want them to be.  Remember, this is your list and your life and don’t be afraid to change the questions as time goes by.

Step 3.  Generate your list of questions and develop a method to implement them into a day planner system.  You must have some type of day-planner system for this method to be effective.  The day-planner can be as elementary as a paper to-do list or as sophisticated as a blackberry phone.  One simple method is to keep the list of questions on separate piece of paper and write the answers in your to-do list or schedule them into your calendar.  I actually have designed my own paper day-planner that has these questions on the top of each page where there is room to write in an answer and then I try to schedule the tasks throughout the day.  If you have generated a large list of questions you may want to only answer half of them one day and half the next day.  Again, it’s your list and your life so make the most of it but do not make it overwhelming for yourself.

Step 4.  Answer the questions and take action to accomplish them. Aw, there is a catch you are thinking.  Yes, you do have to do something when your list of questions is completed.  This is where most people fail.  They do not take action or follow through.  Well you are not most people and you are certainly capable to acting upon what you consider important and meaningful.  My advice is to begin with small steps or answers to your questions.  For example, if your first questions is “What am I going to do today to improve my health?”  Your answer may be:  Drink four glasses of water or walk on the treadmill for 15 minutes as opposed to eat three healthy meals today or run on the treadmill for 30 minutes.  Don’t set yourself up for failure by trying to accomplish too much too fast.  Anything you do that is an improvement on what you have been doing is a success.  You will be amazed at what you will accomplish by taking small steps over the course of a year.

Step 5.  Pick one question that you will ask yourself, answer and complete everyday.  Yes, everyday.  This is the one goal, resolution, dream or whatever you want to call it that will make the biggest difference in your life.  In fact, it could change your life.  It may take more than one year to accomplish this overall goal but that is OK.  The momentum of taking action towards it everyday will keep you energized, excited and moving in the direction you are destined to go.

Finally, accept right now that there will be days when you do not accomplish everything you set out to do and that is not a failure on your part.  Don’t beat yourself up over it.  Events will occur that will be out of your control.  You need to be somewhat flexible.  But always accomplish the task related to your highest goal.  You may have to adjust or scale down your answer.  For example, if you were going to write a letter to a loved one, just address the envelope.

So make and keep the one New Year resolution of implementing principled and focused planning that will take care of all the rest.

Unfortunately, times have changed since September 11th, and visiting West Point is much more structured and supervised.  You cannot just stroll along the magnificent campus.  Having to take a mandatory tour does have its advantages such as having a knowledgeable tour guide.  Ours was a former drill sergeant.  There were many tidbits of trivia that were very interesting like what a prankster General Eisenhower was when he was a student and how General Douglas MacArthur’s mother hid food in cannons for him because she did not feel her son was being well fed.

What I found most interesting was that all West Point Cadets have to take one of the three following sports:  Golf, Tennis, or Skiing.  The reason for this requirement is these are life long sports; do not require many people to play them, and that business deals are conducted on golf courses, at tennis courts and in ski lodges.  Having varied interests and hobbies is a key ingredient to living an interesting and good life.

I mention this as food for thought whether for your own information or perhaps to think about sports you may want to encourage your children to explore.  If participation in one of these sports is mandatory for the cadets of West Point, there just may something to the idea.  As an avid golfer and casual tennis player and skier I think you will find one of these sports to your or your children’s liking.  Give it a shot you won’t regret it.

A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink

I was given this book by someone in the field of education in order to understand how we need to teach our students to succeed in this global age. While all of the skills in this book will certainly be critical to education both now and in the future it turns out that this was really a business book that has many applications

The arguments or premises that this book is based on are that computers and those living outside the U.S. can perform many of the skills we have acquired and that have sustained our economy thus far much faster or more inexpensively.   Therefore, we need to develop skills that cannot be performed by computers or a less expensive labor force.

The six skills outlined in the book are: design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning. Is argued in this book that mastering these skills is necessary to succeed in a global world. You will have to read the book to understand the definition and meaning of these skills as I cannot do them justice here, but I think you’ll find it a worthwhile endeavor.

Whether you are a parent raising a child, a high school or college student trying to decide on a career, an entrepreneur starting a business or a CEO of a well-established business you would be wise to read A Whole New Mind.

One note, do not get hung up on the first chapter as it is a somewhat scientific description of how the brain functions. In fact, I’m not entirely sure that it is necessary to read the first chapter to get the meaning from this book.  However, I am one of those people who feel they have to read every page.

Go ahead and purchase the book or audio version.  You won’t regret it!

This is not to say that all professional development opportunities are created equal.  We have all heard of those boondoggles where very little content is offered and more of a good time has been had.  I believe these are the exception rather than the rule and in this economic environment those types of events will continue to decline.  Those of you who are tasked with sending people to professional development events must do your homework to ensure you are getting the most for your or your company’s hard earned money.

If you as an individual have any hope of succeeding in a competitive environment you must continually invest in yourself and your career even if you have to pay for these opportunities with your own money.  If you do not I guarantee that there is someone out there who will and they will eventually have your job.

There are many types of professional development opportunities to choose from.  Some of the major categories include technical (specific to your field), managerial, leadership, motivational, communication (verbal, written), and computer applications.  They are all valuable and will play varying degrees in your success depending on your professional objectives.  Start with what you believe is your biggest weakness or possibly what the greatest challenge your business or industry is facing.

Attending professional development seminars are completely worthless unless you take action and implement what you have learned.  This is where most people fail.  They get excited about new ideas and strategies that they have learned but as soon as they get back to their job they fall back into their daily rut.  As an employer I require all employees that attend off-site training to submit a short summary of what they learned and how they will utilize their newfound knowledge to improve their or our business’s performance.

Professional development is what you make of it.  Your skills and knowledge are the most important and valuable asset you have.  Continually invest in yourself and dare to be great.

Later that night I went and visited the ZenHabits site. I love the simplicity, which is what Leo teaches, of his blog. While it first may appear that the site contains little information it only takes a mouse click to discover a world of great content. I have only read a handful of posts to date but I try to read a post that catches my eye once a day. I would recommend that you start by clicking on what else but the “Start Here” link on the right menu bar.

I believe this web site is a worthy destination for anyone trying to live a good life. I currently practice many of the suggestions listed at ZenHabits but I have already picked up a few new ideas. The area I am focusing on now is trying to get up earlier in the morning. Leo list many of the positive attributes of being an early riser which most of us are probably already aware of but he goes on to give suggestions to help make it happen.

Take action today and visit the site. You won’t regret it.

Courage takes many forms. Examples include the courage to do what is right, the courage of facing a personal fear, the courage to accept unpopularity, the courage to endure physical or mental pain for the sake of self-improvement, the courage to push forward through frustration, the courage to tell the truth, the courage to change, the courage to act, the courage to trust, the courage to love, the courage to commit, and many more.

In Aristotle for Everybody, Mortimer Adler interprets Aristotle’s definition of courage as “an habitual disposition to take whatever pains may be involved in doing what we ought to do for the sake of a good life.” Quite simply, it means doing what we know we need to do however challenging or difficult. For example, most of us inherently know we need to exercise to live a healthy life, yet many of us choose not to exercise at least regularly for some reason we have come to rationalize as valid. This is a lack of courage in Aristotle’s view.

How do you make a habit of courage? This is not an easy undertaking, as you will have to overcome years of habits associated with making uncourageous decisions. First, let me suggest that you have to believe that practicing courage is a worthy pursuit. Developing courage will allow you to be more in control of your life as opposed to letting outside circumstances dictate your actions.

Second, start on a small scale. It will be self-evident when you are faced with a decision that requires courage. Before making a decision recognize the scope of courage that will be required. If you are contemplating taking some type of risk, courage may require that you research the issue before acting recklessly. For example, using health again as it is a universal challenge. Study the benefits and techniques of living a healthy lifestyle and then slowly implement what you have learned. There will be days when you do not feel like exercising or eating a healthy meal and this is where you begin to develop courage. As Nike says, “Just do it!” Another example would be making a financial investment. This will require courage and demands investigation to determine the proper amount of courage to make the best choice.

Another place to start is by developing the habit of being truthful. Telling the truth often requires courage because it may get you or someone you care about into trouble. Yet we inherently know it is the right thing to do. There is a selfish benefit to this strategy and that is people will respect you for this virtue. They may not always like it but they will respect it. They will come to know that you are always telling them the truth and they will appreciate you for that quality.

As you continue to develop courage you will eventually face the most difficult of situations when you will have to make unpopular decisions for the greater good or a higher cause. In order to prepare for such decisions I urge you to read Profiles in Courage by John F. Kennedy. The issues contained within this book may have been of a past era but the principles remain timeless.

In his forward to the Memorial issue of Profiles in Courage, Robert Kennedy reminds us that President Kennedy was fond of Dante “The hottest places in Hell are reserved for those who, in a time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.”

It is impossible to live a virtuous life without courage. Courage is not obtained from a single action but nurtured through a habit of courageous decisions over a lifetime. Practicing courage is a worthy pursuit and necessary to living a meaningful and fulfilling life and contributing to your community.

Incorporating this type of planning and following through will take care of every Yew Year’s resolution or goal you may have this year. The reason why this method is so effective is that it keeps the issues that are important and meaningful to you clearly in the forefront of your mind. Additionally, when you complete a task or activity that you schedule based on your principled questions there is a real sense of meaningful accomplishment, which is the basis of happiness.

The easiest way that I have found to accomplish this is to write a set of questions relating to your principles or goals to ask yourself at least once a day and implement the answers into some type of day-planner.

Step 1. Determine what is important to you. This will certainly vary among individuals and your current life circumstances. Sit down in a quiet place and start writing what is important to you. Write as much as you can. For example, you may write your health, your family, your career, your relationships, your mind, your hobbies etc… Now add more detail within each category. For example, in the area of health you may write; maintaining an ideal body weight, improving your flexibility or strength, improving your cardiovascular system, eating more healthier or better quality foods etc…

Step 2. Identify a list of questions that you will ask yourself everyday that relate to the important principles you just identified in step 1. For example, you may have a list that includes questions similar to the following: What am I going to do today to improve my health? What am I going to do today to move me closer to my long-term goal(s)? What am I going to do today to improve my relationship with someone I care about? What am I going to do for myself today? These questions can be as general or specific as you want them to be. Remember, this is your list and your life and don’t be afraid to change the questions as time goes by.

Step 3. Generate your list of questions and develop a method to implement them into a day planner system. You must have some type of day-planner system for this method to be effective. The day-planner can be as elementary as a paper to-do list or as sophisticated as a blackberry phone. One simple method is to keep the list of questions on separate piece of paper and write the answers in your to-do list or schedule them into your calendar. I actually have designed my own paper day-planner that has these questions on the top of each page where there is room to write in an answer and then I try to schedule the tasks throughout the day. If you have generated a large list of questions you may want to only answer half of them one day and half the next day. Again, it’s your list and your life so make the most of it but do not make it overwhelming for yourself.

Step 4. Answer the questions and take action to accomplish them. Aw, there is a catch you are thinking. Yes, you do have to do something when your list of questions is completed. This is where most people fail. They do not take action or follow through. Well you are not most people and you are certainly capable to acting upon what you consider important and meaningful. My advice is to begin with small steps or answers to your questions. For example, if your first questions is “What am I going to do today to improve my health?” Your answer may be: Drink four glasses of water or walk on the treadmill for 15 minutes as opposed to eat three healthy meals today or run on the treadmill for 30 minutes. Don’t set yourself up for failure by trying to accomplish too much too fast. Anything you do that is an improvement on what you have been doing is a success. You will be amazed at what you will accomplish by taking small steps over the course of a year.

Step 5. Pick one question that you will ask yourself, answer and complete everyday. Yes, everyday. This is the one goal, resolution, dream or whatever you want to call it that will make the biggest difference in your life. In fact, it could change your life. It may take more than one year to accomplish this overall goal but that is OK. The momentum of taking action towards it everyday will keep you energized, excited and moving in the direction you are destined to go.

Finally, accept right now that there will be days when you do not accomplish everything you set out to do and that is not a failure on your part. Don’t beat yourself up over it. Events will occur that will be out of your control. You need to be somewhat flexible. But always accomplish the task related to your highest goal. You may have to adjust or scale down your answer. For example, if you were going to write a letter to a loved one, just address the envelope.

So make and keep the one New Year resolution of implementing principled and focused planning that will take care of all the rest. You won’t regret it.