Tomorrow, in a first-year English class, I will pose a question to the class, asking them to compose their personal definition for a flourishing life; and I excitedly anticipate how they will choose to answer this query from the perspective of an Emerging Adult. What I anticipate hearing will be concepts related to personal accomplishments, …
Category: Generational Theory
Changing the Metrics
Stubborn streaks can arise within me, especially when it comes to certain tasks and topics where our culture is more comfortable accepting the status quo, doing what has always been done, rather than asking hard questions. Wrestling with these difficult queries, embracing the challenges that they generate, and allowing the process to unfold is an …
Roots Before Fruit
Not being blessed with the gift of a green thumb, there are currently no live plants in my home; and those outdoor plants not planted firmly in the ground, those potted on my front and back porch, are barely hanging onto survival. Even with the best of intentions to nourish those potted plants so that …
Dead People
Sitting in a theater in Jackson, Tennessee, back in a past millennia, I encountered a very rare experience—the feeling of “I didn’t see that coming!” at the conclusion of a film. Other than an elusive thought that one of the main characters was still wearing the same shirt, the ending escaped my typical plot-uncovering skills. …
Enjoy the Process
As your eyes examine this post, another year will be coming to a close, and a time when many choose to Enjoy the Process of reflecting and evaluating the last 365 days; however, for most educators, I believe this contemplation occurs more often in August, in what Christina Bieber Lake coins “the month that shall …
Stealing the Pen
Have you ever been on a mission to find an object or answer? You know that feeling where absolutely nothing and no one is going to prevent you from fulfilling a mission? And I’m not talking about essentially important missions such as finding a life calling or Habits that lead to a flourishing life…no, my …
Shipwrecked
A water-theme seems to be appearing in my life lately, from Levi Lusko’s The River Wild series to two-consecutive days of Isaiah 43:2 emerging in my Praying Promises, and now descriptions of being Shipwrecked from Shannon Daloz Parks in Big Questions, Worthy Dreams. Determined to not allow these coincidences to just pass right on by, …
Volume Knob
Quiet. I like quiet. I don’t require the television on or music playing during the day in my office or home. In fact, I often try to arrive at my office before my colleagues so that I can think through the day, review course materials, and write quick notes to students and friends before the …
I’m Only
Part of my career story started in high school sports, which led to a college scholarship, where I continued honing my sport management skills for the women’s basketball and baseball teams. But because I was not an athlete taking the court, there were many times when a question was posed to me that my reply …
Be A Spoon
One of the amusing challenges in working with Emerging Adults is navigating how to sprinkle a dose of reality into their lives without destroying a professional dream. In one classroom assignment, students are expected to create a personal budget for a first-year employee with a bachelor’s degree for their aspiring career field. It’s fairly simple …
Flourishing @ Life 