http://whatwillmatter.com Thoughts on better parenting, teaching, management, and leadership Wed, 16 May 2012 17:02:24 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Michael Josephson is a noted radio commentator and the founder and president of the nonprofit Josephson Institute of Ethics and CHARACTER COUNTS!. Subscribers and regular visitors to his blog at WhatWillMatter.com will find written and audio versions of radio commentaries, plus quotations, observations, guest articles, videos, images, surveys, and recommendations. Michael Josephson no Michael Josephson snish@jiethics.org snish@jiethics.org (Michael Josephson) Josephson Institute Michael Josephson is a noted radio commentator and the founder and president of the nonprofit Josephson Institute of Ethics and CHARACTER COUNTS!. Subscribers and regular visitors to his blog at WhatWillMatter.com will find written and audio versions of r ethics,character,counts,michael,josephson http://whatwillmatter.com/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/rss_default.jpg http://whatwillmatter.com Josephson Instituteethics,character,counts,michael,josephsonSociety & Culture/Personal Journals http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WhatWillMatter/~3/jiY2QJHFHXc/ http://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/commentary-775-4-we-expect-more-of-adults/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 17:02:24 +0000 Josephson Institute http://whatwillmatter.com/?p=17467 http://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/commentary-775-4-we-expect-more-of-adults/feed/ 0 Although 11-year-old Mark wasn’t much of an athlete, his dad urged him to play youth baseball. Mark liked to play, but he was hurt by the remarks of teammates and spectators whenever he struck out or dropped a ball. Although 11-year-old Mark wasn’t much of an athlete, his dad urged him to play youth baseball. Mark liked to play, but he was hurt by the remarks of teammates and spectators whenever he struck out or dropped a ball. Just before the fourth game of the season, Mark told his dad he didn’t want to go. "I’m no good," he said, "and everyone knows it." His father urged him to stick with it. "Just do your best," he said. "That’s all anyone can ask. Your best is good enough." Mark struck out his first two times at bat, and each time looked over to his father, who struggled to look positive. In his last at-bat, Mark hit the ball solidly, the first time all season. It was a hard grounder to third, and the play at first was close. When the umpire called Mark out, his father went wild. "Kill the ump!" he yelled. "Are you blind or just stupid? If you can’t do the job, stay off the field!" On the way home, Mark broke a long silence, "Dad, you said all anyone can ask for is to do his best." "That’s right, Son," his father assured him. "You did your best, and I’m proud of you. But that jerk of an umpire robbed you with a bad call." "I wasn’t talking about me," Mark replied, "I was talking about Billy’s dad. He was the umpire. He was doing his best, but you got mad at him." His father was taken aback, but he said, "Yeah, but he’s an adult. We should expect more out of adults." Mark looked his dad in the eye. "That’s what I thought, too. By the way, I was out." Despite his father’s good intentions, he didn’t set a good example. We should expect more from adults – more fairness and respect, more sportsmanship and more self-restraint. If your kids play sports, be a model, not a problem. This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts. Michael Josephson no 1:35 ethics,character,counts,michael,josephsonhttp://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/commentary-775-4-we-expect-more-of-adults/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WhatWillMatter/~3/RNrM5L5BhHg/ http://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/something-to-think-about-for-teens-9-lessons-from-the-monkey-pot/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 19:21:14 +0000 Michael Josephson http://whatwillmatter.com/?p=17460 http://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/something-to-think-about-for-teens-9-lessons-from-the-monkey-pot/feed/ 0 Hi, this is Michael Josephson with Something to Think About. - Many years ago a man came to a village in India to catch monkeys so he could sell them to zoos. The monkeys, however, were very clever and every sort of trap he set failed. Hi, this is Michael Josephson with Something to Think About. Many years ago a man came to a village in India to catch monkeys so he could sell them to zoos. The monkeys, however, were very clever and every sort of trap he set failed. A young boy watched the man’s pathetic efforts and laughed. The man said, “If you can catch me a monkey I’ll give you $2.” (That was a huge amount of money then.) The boy went to his home and took a clay pot with a narrow neck. He placed a few nuts around the pot and put lots of nuts inside. He then tied the pot to a tree and he told the man, “We should have a monkey in a few hours. Let’s wait in the village. The monkey will call us when he is ready.” Sure enough, a band of monkeys soon discovered the nuts and the pot. One slipped his hand in the pot and grabbed a handful of nuts, but he couldn’t pull his hand out of the narrow opening of the pot because his fist was clenched. The monkey panicked and started making loud noises. Some of the other monkeys tried unsuccessfully to pull the pot off his hand. The boy and the man heard the ruckus and the boy got a sack. As they approached the monkeys they all ran away except the one with its hand in the pot. The boy grabbed the monkey and the pot. The man was amazed and asked the boy the secret of his monkey trap. “Why was it so easy for the monkey to get his hand in but so hard to get it out?” The boy laughed and said, “The monkey could have easily got his hand back out and escaped, but he would have had to let go of the nuts in the pot, and he just wasn’t willing to let go. They never are.” What lessons can be learned from this story? Do people sometimes trap themselves by holding onto things that they should let go? Do you? This story is often used to illustrate the power of greed. People get trapped by the trappings of success, by wealth, and by a limitless desire to acquire and hold onto material things — even when the things they hold do not give them what they want or need. But there are other dimensions to the story as well. Many people trap themselves by holding onto negative feelings — resentment, anger, and jealousy — that both lessen and limit their lives. Like the monkey who derives no pleasure or nourishment from the nuts he holds in his hand, we can derive nothing of value from these negative emotions. Many of us could improve our lives instantly by the simple act of letting go. It’s so simple, yet so hard. Michael Josephson no 1:50 ethics,character,counts,michael,josephsonhttp://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/something-to-think-about-for-teens-9-lessons-from-the-monkey-pot/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WhatWillMatter/~3/X7RAqIDtArE/ http://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/commentary-775-2-getting-started/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 16:28:15 +0000 Josephson Institute http://whatwillmatter.com/?p=17454 http://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/commentary-775-2-getting-started/feed/ 0 Chris's parents were proud of him when he graduated from college. But it's been six months and he hasn't gotten a job yet. In fact, he hasn't looked seriously. He has no idea what he wants to do and he's thinking of grad school. - Chris's parents were proud of him when he graduated from college. But it's been six months and he hasn't gotten a job yet. In fact, he hasn't looked seriously. He has no idea what he wants to do and he's thinking of grad school. He's living at home with his parents and things are getting tense, especially with his father, who accuses Chris of being lazy and afraid to enter the real world. Chris thinks his dad is being totally unreasonable. After all, he's only young once and he needs some "space." During a recent argument, Chris said, "I'm not you, Dad. I have my own way of doing things. I want a job I enjoy." His dad replied, "That's a nice idea, but in the end they call it 'work' because it's about making a productive living – not having fun." There are many youngsters like Chris who are having trouble getting started with a serious job and becoming self-reliant. Some, like Peter Pan, just don't want to grow up. Some are afraid of making a wrong decision or of being rejected. Others are victims of what psychologists call "magical thinking." They believe that when the time is right, everything will fall into place. So they wait for opportunity to come knocking or until they feel inspired or excited about their next step. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. What's crucial is to begin. Things happen and opportunities appear most often when we're moving, not standing still. Momentum is vital. Basic physics says it's easier to alter the course of a moving object than to start movement initially. In the end, it's not really about finding yourself. It's about making yourself. The first steps are the hardest, but the key to success in anything is getting started. This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts. Michael Josephson no 1:36 ethics,character,counts,michael,josephsonhttp://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/commentary-775-2-getting-started/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WhatWillMatter/~3/G5NzY_ApIIo/ http://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/observation-some-mothers-are-never-disappointedare-are-never-satisfied-some-brag-obnoxiously-about-their-children-other-complain-incessantly-some-are-supportive-and-accepting-others-are-controlli/#comments Sat, 12 May 2012 16:43:07 +0000 Michael Josephson http://whatwillmatter.com/?p=17442 http://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/observation-some-mothers-are-never-disappointedare-are-never-satisfied-some-brag-obnoxiously-about-their-children-other-complain-incessantly-some-are-supportive-and-accepting-others-are-controlli/feed/ 0 http://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/observation-some-mothers-are-never-disappointedare-are-never-satisfied-some-brag-obnoxiously-about-their-children-other-complain-incessantly-some-are-supportive-and-accepting-others-are-controlli/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WhatWillMatter/~3/4aHS8Jc6qWM/ http://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/worth-seeing-vintage-mothers-day-cards/#comments Fri, 11 May 2012 19:31:51 +0000 Josephson Institute http://whatwillmatter.com/?p=17401 http://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/worth-seeing-vintage-mothers-day-cards/feed/ 0 http://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/worth-seeing-vintage-mothers-day-cards/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WhatWillMatter/~3/XHjODku8xe8/ http://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/quotes-for-mothers-day/#comments Fri, 11 May 2012 18:59:50 +0000 Josephson Institute http://whatwillmatter.com/?p=17394 http://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/quotes-for-mothers-day/feed/ 0 http://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/quotes-for-mothers-day/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WhatWillMatter/~3/tRd9EpUvehI/ http://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/worth-watching-susies-new-place/#comments Fri, 11 May 2012 17:52:03 +0000 Josephson Institute http://whatwillmatter.com/?p=17392 http://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/worth-watching-susies-new-place/feed/ 0 http://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/worth-watching-susies-new-place/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WhatWillMatter/~3/0RQirYiQBCE/ http://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/worth-watching-kids-answer-questions-about-their-moms/#comments Fri, 11 May 2012 17:31:07 +0000 Josephson Institute http://whatwillmatter.com/?p=17390 http://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/worth-watching-kids-answer-questions-about-their-moms/feed/ 0 http://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/worth-watching-kids-answer-questions-about-their-moms/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WhatWillMatter/~3/i_SlmecOjMA/ http://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/worth-watching-thank-you-mom/#comments Fri, 11 May 2012 17:29:53 +0000 Josephson Institute http://whatwillmatter.com/?p=17388 http://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/worth-watching-thank-you-mom/feed/ 0 http://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/worth-watching-thank-you-mom/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WhatWillMatter/~3/mhIZD4T0Z24/ http://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/worth-watching-a-world-without-moms/#comments Fri, 11 May 2012 17:28:24 +0000 Josephson Institute http://whatwillmatter.com/?p=17386 http://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/worth-watching-a-world-without-moms/feed/ 0 http://whatwillmatter.com/2012/05/worth-watching-a-world-without-moms/ Michael JosephsonnonadultMichael Josephson is a noted radio commentator and the founder and president of the nonprofit Josephson Institute of Ethics and CHARACTER COUNTS!. Subscribers and regular visitors to his blog at WhatWillMatter.com will find written and audio versions of r