It is very easy to focus on what you want to become but not many talk about what they have overcome. I discovered that it is much easier to digest and work with your hardships if you look at them as obstacles and barriers you were strong enough to overcome.

 

I have written down a timeline of all the things that I have overcome in my personal life, my family life, my career life and everything else in between. After I wrote it down, I read it. And then I said, "I'm still standing". It's that simple everything you overcome helps you find the person you want to become. It is not the other way around. Do not start with trying to become because it is likely you will not overcome anything. Be proud of yourself for all the things that you have overcome. 

Nobody can control your self talk.

One of the most overlooked topics in our society is self talk. Are we talking to kids about self talk? I didn't even give the term "self-talk" any consideration until I became a Father at 27 years old. Today, I ask my kids all the time, "How do you feel about yourself today?". Almost on the daily, I am opening the discussion about their thoughts about themselves. I never paid attention to this concept until I was in my 20's talking to my first psychologist right after I graduated from college at 22 years old.

For the last 13 years I have been focused on trying to improve the quality of my life. In this quest I have learned amazing lessons about self-talk and how it impacts our lives. I have learned that self talk is the fuel that goes into your motor. If you put bad fuel into your motor it is likely your motor will compromise performance. This same concept is true for the mind. Jim Kwik says your brain is a super computer and your self talk is the operating system. I have found that to be very true through my own experiences. 

We must show children at an early age the qualities of self talk and the benefits of creating positive thoughts about yourself. When digging into the idea of self talk I have found that Jim Kwik has some of the best content. Below is a link to his interview with Tom Bilyeu. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMaEZK92cdk

I rant about the fact that people who have been hurt have the tendency to hurt other people. There is a way to deal with pain that does not hurt others. It is very difficult to deal with pain. It is very difficult to overcome negativity when someone hurts you. There is a necessary mindset to have or you'll just hurt people the same way you've been hurt. I know what works for me. Maybe it will work for you too. I hope you enjoy this talk. Never be afraid to comment, respectfully.

Dan Blackburn, from Ontario, Canada, has an amazing story of perseverance and grit to overcome an array of obstacles to be one of the first hockey athletic training centers in the Ontario area. NTC Hockey has developed NHL stars such as PK Subban with the Nashville Predators, Tyler Seguin w/ the Dallas Stars, Jeff Skinner of the Buffalo Sabres, Tyler Toffoli of the LA Kings, and John Tavares of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

On top of helping develop world class athletes, Dan gets his hands dirty in as many community events and efforts as possible. He is a TedX speaker and has an amazing story to tell:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw5d9bB7eHM

His commitment to developing young kids and athletes is insurmountable. The HTC Hockey facility has been open for roughly 20 years making enormous impacts of thousands of kids across multiple generations. His work deserves attention and we have much to learn from a leader, Father and entrepreneur like Dan. I hope you enjoy the Podcast. 

 

You can find out more about Dan and the NTC Hockey movement at ntchockey.com

Our world was much, much different before the Internet. Baby Boomers and Generation X/Y's were raised on assigned seats and TV. Assigned seats robbed of us our freedom to choose our own learning space. Zero autonomy to make a decision for yourself. Then we went home and watched a one-sided platform called TV. Assigned seats stopped us from thinking and TV told us how to think. It was a complete robbery of mental freedom. The internet is here and TV is becoming as relevant as the radio, which is basically zero. And now Flexible Learning/Seating Classrooms are shifting the education culture away from assigned seats. Many millennials are being raised on Flexible classrooms and Social Media. These 2 elements already put Millennials far ahead of the game. All day at school they're given the opportunity to think for themselves and how to select their own learning space. And then social media gives them the opportunity to do MORE than consume. They can connect with others and create. TV never allows for connection and creation. Many Baby Boomers and Generation X/Y'ers have a very pessimistic view of the world because they don't know how to adapt and change. We were trained to be Consumers, Creating is foreign to us. Many people are not aware of this element and continue to live their life as an unconscious consumer.

Ms. Shane Saeed is a 4th Grade Teacher in Erie, Colorado. She has a very strong social media presence and I consider a subject matter expert in the Flexible Learning Spaces. She has had a Flexible Classroom design for 3 years. She gives her insight and tells her story. She explains her experiences with the good, the bad, and the ugly. There can be some challenges in converting to Flexible Classrooms and I play devil's advocate a little bit in this conversation. It was awesome to get a deep dive on this topic with a true professional. I learned a ton of great things from Shane and I hope you do too

Childhood obesity is currently at 18.5% and 11% of kids between 4 and 17 have ADHD. What. The. F*ck! Those statistics are not good. Those are signs that our society is not prioritizing our functions to empower and guide children. We are misguiding our children. If we love our kids, as a society, then now is the time to stand up for them. But also show them how to stand up for themselves. The easiest way to allow them to think for themselves is allowing them to select their learning space in the classroom, and be given the opportunity to stand up. The test pilot schools that have partnered with my company have shown excellent results. The proof is in the pudding. Kids deserve, and need, the opportunity to select their learning space and stand up in school. It's healthier. It's smarter. It's more reasonable.

In 2018 that is a big question! I have toured multiple private schools and multiple public schools, along with interviewed a variety of Educators. I found some commonalities that are important, especially if you believe kids need to live an active and creative lifestyle. Schools are changing the way they draw in students and allow them to learn. Schools are redesigning their entire classrooms and shifting towards new methodologies. On these tours and in these interviews I have discovered 21st century Educators want their students to embrace and own. They are handing the ownership of the learning experience back to the student. They are making their environments and behaviors very student centric. I hope you found some value in this 10 minute rant.

It is very easy to notice kids are standing up for Gun Control and many other important moral topics. We are in a time where anybody can amplify their voice. Everybody has the right to stand up and kids need to learn how to peacefully protest. Pre social media and internet, your voice did not matter. TV took our voices away and allowed an elite group to control the information flowing through society. Times have changed. Kids have just as much of a voice as adults. The internet and social media have leveled up the playing field in communication. Accountability has never been so important, everything is recorded. "Standing up" comes with speaking up and the mediums on social media are the outlets for change. It's important kids stand up in the classroom but metaphorically they need to stand up for themselves.

Welcome to Episode 11! Tyler gives us his views that rest on a decade of being an Educator. He's striving to be that little voice with a big impact. Hence the name of his Podcast, DisruptED, he's challenging conventional wisdom. He is raising questions that are not relevant for 2018, but questions that are relevant for 2028 and beyond. His podcast features innovators that are pushing boundaries. The Education space needs to evolve and progress, and Tyler's message needs to be taken very seriously, especially by Parents and Teachers. Join me in a deep dive with Tyler Gehrking. 

How can you find him?

https://soundcloud.com/tyler-gehrking