In what is probably my favourite speech of all time, these words from Jim Valvano as he was fighting his battle with cancer, resonate with me daily:
When people say to me how do you get through life or each day, it’s the same thing. To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. Number three is you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.
In every “talk” that I do, this is my hope in what I create for the people I am serving. Laugh, cry, and think. There are so many things that we talk about for today’s schools, but these are some of the “basics” that might not be acknowledged as much as they should.
What if this was a goal for schools each day? Laugh, cry, and think.
What if this was a focus in how we work with our colleagues? Laugh, cry, and think.
I know that it might seem simple, but think of those that have made the biggest difference in your life. The ones that I have connected with the most are people that I have always shared these moments with.
This quote resonates:
“No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship.” James Corner
And although I love the above quote, I like how it is framed from the movie, “Jerry Maguire”, just a little bit better:
Laugh, cry, and think.
A very simple concept that means more than the credit we give it.
