Erase
Not right
One more try
Can’t make a mistake
Still feels a bit confusing
It’s close, but not quite there
Maybe if I change this part here
Why must perfection be so difficult
I have to meet the world’s expectations
Finished! All will see the beauty I created

Trash.

Is perfectionist the right description if my work isn’t any good?

Have you ever been on the receiving end of a wrong decision?
Been treated unfairly?
Lost when you should have won?
Had a mistake made at your expense?
Found yourself the victim of unfortunate circumstances?

If you’re human, the answer is yes — to all of the above. We’ve all felt the sadness, disappointment, anger, and frustration that come when life tilts unfairly against us.

But here’s the thing: life is unfair.
The trick isn’t to deny that — it’s to avoid living there. The faster we move forward, the faster we heal.

Unfortunately, I see too many people using past victimhood as a lifetime permission slip — a reason to justify any and all behavior that follows.

The number of students requiring additional support can feel overwhelming. But adopting the mindset of saving one at a time might just get us there.

*This video contains graphic images*

Based on a true story, Hacksaw Ridge tells the incredible journey of Desmond Doss, a World War II medic and conscientious objector who refused to carry a weapon or take another man’s life. During the Battle of Okinawa—one of the bloodiest in the Pacific, with over 160,000 combined casualties—Doss carried 75 wounded men to safety, earning him the Medal of Honor.

In one unforgettable scene, Desmond drags injured soldiers from the battlefield and lowers them down a cliff to safety. After each rescue, he prays, “Please, Lord, help me get one more.”
Had he focused on the enormity of the battle, he likely would have been paralyzed by the scale of suffering around him. Instead, by focusing on one man at a time, he saved seventy-five lives.

8 Mile is to Michigan as Canandaigua is to New York. One backdrop created a Hall of Fame lyricist, and the other produced some guy named Marshall Bruce Mathers. Okay, so maybe my St. Baldrick’s lyrics don’t stack up to Eminem’s — but at least mine are for a good cause.

The name BlogGaud was inspired by Eminem’s Rap God. Not the lyrics, but the title itself. I was listening to the song during a recent morning run (brag), when I caught a line I’d somehow missed before:

“I bully myself ’cause I make me do what I put my mind to.”

That lyric stuck with me. It reminded me of my earlier post, I Can’t Let People Down, which was all about the pressure I feel to do right by others — my family, my coworkers, my students. Slim’s “bully” line, on the other hand, sounds like the pressure he puts on himself — the drive to live up to the greatness he knows he’s capable of. Two very different motivations, but both coming from within. One is a push to be the best, and the other is a pull to be your best for others.

If you wake up at 5 A.M., you’re going to want to put on your workout clothes.
When you finish getting dressed, you’ll want a tall glass of water.
Once you’ve drained your glass, you’ll remember to step outside for natural sunlight.
And if you’re heading outside for sunlight, you’ll probably take your dog with you.
Since your dog’s outside, he’ll convince you to go for a morning run.
When you finish your run, you’ll want to jot a few notes in your gratitude journal.
Now that you’re sweaty and grateful, you’ll need a cold shower.
Once you’re clean and alert, you’ll sit down for some deep work.
After your first focus block, you’ll want a 10-minute walk to reset your mind.
Then you’ll dive back into another round of deep work until the day winds down.
When you get home, you’ll want to step outside again to catch the sunset.
After the sunset, you’ll start your wind-down routine.
Once you’re calm and ready, you’ll crawl into bed.
And chances are, if you sleep for seven to nine hours,
you’ll wake up at 5 A.M.… ready to do it all again.

It’s fine to be selfish through much of your life,
But all is transformed when your children arrive.
You give them your all, as to never deprive,
But not too easy, kids benefit from strife.
A delicate balance, the edge of a knife,
Both praising and guiding, you help them to thrive.
Through stumbles and lessons, they feel more alive,
Yet still in some parents, self-interest runs rife.

Unwilling to change for the sake of their kids,
Late nights and long travels. Routines? Not a chance.
They drag them along with their half-closed eyelids,
Too young to cry “stop,” children stuck in a trance.
With no sense of rhythm, home life hits the skids—
Self-centered parents led to this circumstance.

“Proper preparation prevents poor performance.” But, “Proper preparation does NOT ensure superior performance (missing a few “p” words).

Coaches

Game planning is invaluable. Most football teams script their first set number of plays. With game footage, advanced analytics, and an understanding of the opposing team’s personnel, it would show incompetence for a coach not to create unique schemes in preparation for each opponent.

What separates the successful coaches from the journeymen is the ability to make in-game adjustments. The probability that an opponent will do exactly everything that you anticipated is zero. The probability that your players will perform every thing that they practiced perfectly is zero. And when both things inevitably happen, that’s when coaches coach (super deep).

Booking the cheapest airline for my trip
Hidden fees complicate the endeavor 
Overwhelming stress tightening its grip
Employing travel hacks to be clever

Discovering a cost-effective deal
Only concern is the high baggage fee
An airlines legal maneuver to steal
So how to get the low cost guarantee?

Then, I recall "Haven" the service dog
She flew free as an aid to her owner
My mind begins an inner dialogue
Yes! How to save as a trekking loner 

Clearly, emotional luggage I need
Without it (for free), too nervous I'd be

The lyrical genius Robert Matthew Van Winkle once said, “If there was a problem, yo, I’ll solve it.”

A surge of dopamine accompanies the solving of a problem. You deserve it, having helped others with your diligence and hard work. Unfortunately, chasing the dopamine hit may lead to problem fabrication: fixing a problem that didn’t exist or recognition seeking after solving a problem that was self-created.

Non-Existent Problems

You don’t like how management schedules team meetings. You believe that all team members should have input in determining meeting dates and times. You make a big to do about the poll you created to find the perfect meeting time. Several days later, poll results vary, and a few individuals have not bothered to respond to your visually stunning questionnaire. Management should have picked a date and time, and moved on.

Socctopus – The soccer parent with arms in everything

"Communicate with each other!"
Too bad they can't hear over the fans
Contradict the coach
It's a shame that you are too busy (you told us) to coach the team yourself
Fall out of your lawn chair exasperated while tracking a missed shot
We all thought your overly dramatic body language would bend the ball into the net
"Stop bunching up!"
Glad someone identified the problem 
"You're offsides!"
That should be sufficient to help 7 year olds develop spatial awareness
Provide them with Ecto Cooler and gas station Hostess confections after the game
Thankful that your tactical soccer knowledge carries over to sports nutrition 

What do you do with a complainer?
If you listen, they complain more
If you ignore, they complain about you
If you put two together, they unite
If you separate, they infect
If you complain about them, you're the complainer
If you put them in a room full of puppies...

You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end — which you can never afford to lose — with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be. – Admiral James Stockdale

Admiral James Stockdale was a highly decorated Navy pilot who, after being shot down and captured in Vietnam, spent nearly eight years as a prisoner of war. He is best known for the “Stockdale Paradox,” which emphasizes the importance of confronting the most difficult realities of a situation while maintaining unwavering faith in the eventual positive outcome. 

Thankfully, people do not need to overcome the atrocities of a Vietnamese prison camp. Double thankfully, we can benefit from understanding the Stockdale Paradox without having to experience the atrocities of a Vietnamese prison camp.