Little Red's Big Ideas

Geese inspired leadership

My friend John Glaeser from the California Recreation and Park Society recently shared this 3 minute movie which uses geese (of all things) to illustrate leadership and teamwork.  The movie is really inspirational and beautiful.  And, I'll even take it one step farther... Since so many in our profession have to deal with problem geese and geese problems in parks, on trails, golf courses, sidewalks, etc; we can easily remember that every team has to walk through some muck to get to its end result. 

 

Click here to enjoy a bit of inspiration and watch the movie.  Share it with others on your many "teams."

Back to School Quotes

If the ads on television this week are a fair indicator -- there's no denying it, kids... it's almost time to go back to school.  Teachers are busy preparing their classrooms, school administrators are checking and double-checking piles of paperwork and parents are scraping together the necessary funds to build a peer-worthy wardrobe for their little dudes and divas. 

So -- whether your area schools are already in session or getting ready for their incoming students I'm happy to share a list of quotes about education to help you get to the head of the class!  Enjoy and use them to spice up your emails, newsletters, website, presentation, meeting minutes and other presentations.

He who opens a school door, closes a prison. ~Victor Hugo

The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.  ~Sydney J. Harris

No man who worships education has got the best out of education.... Without a gentle contempt for education no man's education is complete.  ~G.K. Chesterton

The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to think - rather to improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with thoughts of other men.  ~Bill Beattie

Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.  ~Albert Einstein

The school is the last expenditure upon which America should be willing to economize.  ~Franklin D. Roosevelt

It'll be a great day when education gets all the money it wants and the Air Force has to hold a bake sale to buy bombers.  ~Author unknown, quoted in You Said a Mouthful, Ronald D. Fuchs, ed.

An educational system isn't worth a great deal if it teaches young people how to make a living but doesn't teach them how to make a life.  ~Author Unknown

If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.  ~Attributed to both Andy McIntyre and Derek Bok

It is a thousand times better to have common sense without education than to have education without common sense.  ~Robert G. Ingersoll

Education... has produced a vast population able to read but unable to distinguish what is worth reading.  ~G.M. Trevelyan

To the uneducated, an A is just three sticks.  ~A.A. Milne

Nations have recently been led to borrow billions for war; no nation has ever borrowed largely for education.  Probably, no nation is rich enough to pay for both war and civilization.  We must make our choice; we cannot have both.  ~Abraham Flexner

Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army.  ~Edward Everett

Real education must ultimately be limited to men who insist on knowing, the rest is mere sheep-herding.  ~Ezra Pound

Education should be exercise; it has become massage.  ~Martin H. Fischer

The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives. ~Robert Maynard Hutchins

Creativity at Your Fingertips

Every once in a while I find a wikiHow article that catches my eye liek this one about creativity.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.  I especially like the Creative Exercises and recommend using them at staff meetings, training workshops and as ice breakers to move your team into the "right" side of their brains.

How to Be Creative

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Can creativity be taught? That’s a question without a simple yes or no answer. Creativity may not be able to be taught directly, but what you can get better at is frequently aligning the circumstances of life which foster the greatest chances for true creative expression. Creativity is not like a lightning strike, but more like something which manifests itself inside those who learn to foster it and create the right conditions for it to prosper.

Steps

1. Ruthlessly limit your selection of tools to only the most vital. The more limited your set of tools is, the more creative the output will be. Having a limited set of vital tools forces creativity and really challenges you to use what you have to produce the desired results. As a byproduct, you’ll get incredibly good with that small set of tools and refine your use of them to a point you can literally do anything you like with them. You’ll be far sharper than someone who merely dabbles with a larger set of tools. Learn how to be resourceful.
2. Don’t listen to feedback, keep following your own path. The problem with asking for feedback is invariably the feedback will be given infused with that person’s preconceived notions of what the outcome should be. Others will unconsciously push you in a direction that they see as best. This is done with good intentions; however, it actually hurts your internal creativity. Now this is different than sharing your work--by all means share, but listening to feedback is not a good decision if you want to truly find your own path of creative self-expression. Once you're finished with your creative work, whatever it may be, then you can listen to feedback. Just don't let criticism (even the constructive type) stifle your creativity during the creative process.
   • Keep in mind that people will generally display resistance to your idea, because good ideas change the existing dynamic, and people, for the most part, like things the way they are. When you present something that challenges the status quo, many people (friends, relatives, co-workers) will feel threatened.[1]
3. Having a routine is actually not a bad thing. Routines are positive if they reinforce a healthy, creative consciousness and negative if they destroy that. While breaking your routine once in a while to force new ways of thinking is good, what if growing/learning/experiencing new things was built into your routine as a given? The people who get stuck in a monotonous existence and speak negatively about routine have simply not developed a routine that puts them on a path of internal growth. The key is to discover creative rituals that put you in a more creative mindset.
   • Many writers not only have a minimum number of words they must write each day, but they also have almost superstitious requirements for the circumstances under which they write. The 18th century German writer Friedrich Schiller, for example, kept rotten apples at his desk and soaked his feet in a tub of ice water while he wrote![2]
   • Don't be afraid to seize control of your environment and make it work for you. Ray Bradbury wrote the book-burning story Fahrenheit 451 by leaving his house and writing in a library. Stephen King insists on utter silence while writing, while Harlan Ellison listens to high-volume classical music.
   • Set aside a block of time each day to foster your creativity. Kick the session off with a creative exercise or ritual that triggers a flexible state of mind. Whether it's meditating, freewriting, listening to a particular song, or rubbing your lucky rock--do whatever gets you "in the zone" and set a daily goal (e.g. one sketch per day, 1000 words a day, an invention or song a day).
4. Let go of perfectionism. Your natural output uninhibited by concern for creating something correct or incorrect will always produce creative results. There are limitless paths to achieve creative success; there are so many shades of gray. Imperfection is human, and sometimes the most creative artists leave mistakes unfixed on purpose. Nature itself is beautifully imperfect. Many try to be so perfect that they scrub away what made their work special in the first place. In a world saturated by overproduced, unnaturally perfect, and clean--the unpolished is the most creative and in many cases most inspirational.
   • Work on the "bad" ideas--even if you are only coming up with what you feel are "bad" ideas, you are still being creative, so develop them, and it could turn into a great solution!
5. Ignore trends. If you want to be truly creative, you absolutely must ignore trends. Block them out--pay zero attention to them. Trends are the polar opposite of creativity. In many forms of art (especially music) the masses of artists are following whatever the hot trends set forth are. Then there is the other, smaller group of artists that are pursuing their own path and not really paying attention to external trends in their form of art of choice. There is certainly more money, fame and instant notoriety for following trends, but most of what is popular is hardly creative. If you want to make something truly unique, trends are irrelevant. Looking inside yourself is where you will discover a greater wealth of creativity than available in any hot trend. Here are some more suggestions for insulating yourself from trends:
   • Don’t watch TV, don’t listen to the radio, and remove the vapid elements of popular culture from your life. These things aren’t bad for you in moderation, but they are great at normalizing your thoughts with the rest of society, and do not foster true internal creativity. Realize everything that you experience, every piece of content you consume plays a role in shaping your personality, even if at a subconscious level. It is all influence one way or another. You are in many ways a product of your experiences and stimulus. In one sentence, your creative output can be thought of simply as a personal interpretation of external stimulus. The best part about this is you get to control the input.
   • Don’t try and fit into a genre. Actively trying to fit your art or work into a genre is severely limiting and a detriment to its quality, if creativity is desired. Don’t try and write for a genre, don’t try to follow trends within a genre, in fact don’t even consider genre when working. Labeling it in a genre is a necessary evil for people to be able to find your work, and you will probably have to do this--but it shouldn’t be something that crosses your mind when trying to work. Genres, styles and methods don’t matter for creativity and originality.
   • Spend a lot of time alone. You don't have to be anti-social, but many people find their creativity really starts to open up when they are removed from others and able to have quiet focus for their creative work.
6. Ignore the past. Want to be really creative or original? Ignore or forget the past; ignore what the world has created up until this point. Sometimes considering the past will make you place a sort of unconscious time stamp on a style. That’s the antithesis of creativity and originality. Create things from within yourself that don’t draw inspiration from what has come previously or even consider it, and you’ll be on a path to creative output. In a creative state of mind, time doesn't exist--a few hours can feel like seconds, a moment can seem to last for hours, and you're completely immersed in the present.[3] Learn how to live in the moment.

Creative Exercises

• Think for a half hour a day exclusively on one subject. At first, this might be very hard to do. You can start off by thinking about a single subject for five minutes a day, then increase the period daily until you reach a half hour. At first it is wise to practice this when alone, but eventually you should be able to do it even in the midst of distractions, such as when traveling to and from work.[4]
• Write a letter or speak for 15 minutes without using the words I, me, my and mine. Make it smooth and keep it interesting, so that someone reading or listening would never notice anything odd about it. This forces you to turn your mind outward, and give up the preoccupations and obsessions of your own life.[4]
• Have someone doodle a line for you, then challenge yourself to make a variety of cartoons based on that one line. Don't resort to drawing faces, though--those are usually too easy![5]
• Take a familiar outline and challenge yourself to come up with drawings that could fit within that outline.
• Combine ideas. Choose two random objects, and describe each one in detail. What does it look like? What is it used for? How is it made? Then substitute one object with the other objects description. How can I make object A feel like object B? Or do what object B does?[6]
• Keep a journal, describing everything you do and feel with metaphors. Each day, challenge yourself to come up with new metaphors. (After all, how many different ways can you symbolize brushing your teeth?) See How to Write a Metaphor.
• Write a list of basic questions, such as 'What is your name?', 'Where are you from?', What did you do last Thursday?' Try to come up with at least 10 questions. The more you ask, the better! Whatever question comes to mind, write it down, even if it seems foolish. Answer the questions with song lyrics. (Try not to use the same song too often.)
• Play word association games. It helps to have someone willing to play along, but if no one will, you can do this alone. If you're doing it solo, write down your beginning word and spend 10 minutes or so just saying the next word that comes to mind. Compare the beginning word to the final word. They should be pretty diverse. This loosens up your mind to allow free association of ideas.
• See how long you can talk (and make sense!) without using a common word, like 'and','but', 'the' or 'that'.

Tips

• Spend time around creative people. The most reliably creative people are children. Their imaginations aren't boxed in, and "mind merging" with them can remind you of what it's like to think outside the box.
• Whenever you're challenged to create something, ask yourself: What's the most outrageous, preposterous, and nonsensical thing I can come up with?

Related wikiHows

• How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci
• How to Exercise an Open Mind
• How to Freewrite
• How to Be a Nonconformist

Sources and Citations

• TheFutureBuzz.com - Original source of content, shared with permission.

1. ↑ http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/000932.html
2. ↑ http://lateralaction.com/articles/creative-rituals/
3. ↑ http://www.wishfulthinking.co.uk/2006/04/24/creative-flow/
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Dorothea Brande, Wake Up and Live!, first published in 1936 (public domain)
5. ↑ http://creativecurio.com/2008/09/exercises-to-cultivate-your-creativity/
6. ↑ http://www.creativethinkingwith.com/Combine-Ideas.html

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Be Creative. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Branding De-Mystified

I'm a huge SlideShare fan.  If you're not familiar with this site -- it's like YouTube but for PowerPoint Slide Presentations.  One of the great things about blogging is the easy (and legal) ability to share content from other sites. Part of my job is to cull the Internet for useful information for you and other in the parks, recreation and leisure professions.  Regularly look to my blog for infomative, creative and sometimeS funny presentations and video related to all areas of marketing and promoting the many benefits of parks and recreation and other leisure and athletic business.  This presentation by BrokenBulbs.com does a great job of taking the mystery out of branding.  Total running time is about 6 minutes and is a great way to enjoy a cup of coffee.

Brand first, branding second

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: innovation branding)

Lessons Learned. Lives Well Lived

Because “back-to-school” is about more than reading, writing and ‘rithmatic – here are some lessons learned about life and living. As people grow, so can their wisdom, insight and ability to inspire. What are your life’s lessons for TODAY?

I've learned that I like my teacher because she cries when we say "I Pledge Allegiance". Age 5

I've learned that our dog doesn't want to eat my broccoli either. Age 7

I've learned that when I wave to people in the country, they stop what they are doing and wave back. Age 9

I've learned that just when I get my room the way I like it, Mom makes me clean it up again. Age 12

I've learned that if you want to cheer yourself up, you should try cheering someone else up. Age 14

I've learned that although it's hard to admit it, I'm secretly glad my parents are strict with me. Age 15

I've learned that silent company is often more healing than words of advice. Age 24

I've learned that brushing my child's hair is one of life's great pleasures. Age 26

I've learned that wherever I go, the world's worst drivers have followed me there. Age 29

I've learned that if someone says something unkind about me, I must live so that no one will believe it. Age 30

I've learned that there are people who love you dearly but just don't know how to show it. Age 42

I've learned that you can make some one's day by simply sending them a little note. Age 44

I've learned that the greater a person's sense of guilt, the greater his or her need to cast blame on others. Age 46

I've learned that children and grandparents are natural allies. Age 47

I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. Age 48

I've learned that singing "Amazing Grace" can lift my spirits for hours. Age 49

I've learned that motel mattresses are better on the side away from the phone. Age 50

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a man by the way he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. Age 51

I've learned that keeping a vegetable garden is worth a medicine cabinet full of pills. Age 52

I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you miss them terribly after they die. Age 53

I've learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life. Age 58

I've learned that if you want to do something positive for your children, work to improve your marriage. Age 61

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. Age 62

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catchers mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back. Age 64

I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But if you focus on your family, the needs of others, your work, meeting new people, and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you. Age 65

I've learned that whenever I decide something with kindness, I usually make the right decision. Age 66

I've learned that everyone can use a prayer. Age 72

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. Age 82

I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch-holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. Age 90

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. Age 92

How to Roast a Hotdog in the Digital Age

Time Magazine's Editor-at-Large, Nancy Gibbs, wrote a beautiful tribute to camps titled, "The Meaning of Summer Camp" which you can read by following this link.  In it she says, "I never went away to camp, even though--or maybe because--my father became president of the American Camping Association (ACA) when I was a kid. He liked to joke that my idea of camping was room service. I might have resented this had it been any less true."

The editorial made me think, applaud and laugh out loud, especially when Gibbs explained her rationale for sending her own daughter to camp this summer.  She writes, "I suspected it was time to send my daughter off to camp even before the day the power went out in our neighborhood and she and a hungry friend tried to roast a hot dog over a candle. Absent electricity, they spent the days making ankle bracelets and playing board games and writing a play together because no power means no screens, no iChat, no Sims. So I wasn't looking for some fancy culinary camp or robotics camp or whatever is fashionable now, just for someplace that teaches the appropriate interactions of sticks, weenies and flame. With no plugs."

"Summer Camps.  Unplugged and Proud of it!"

 Maybe that's the slogan we should be promoting.

After you read the article, take a minute to write Nancy (just click on her name under the headline) letting her know what you thought of her article or sharing a relevant story from your camp.  Letters to the editor are one of the most effective (and FREE) ways to get into print.  And TIME Magazine is read by millions. 

It's a Dog's Life

Last Friday (June 20, 2008) was National Take Your Dog to Work Day.  If you missed it that's okay -- there's always next year.  As someone who works from two very distinct types of places -- a home office and hotel rooms -- my dog is rarely alone.  When I'm in town -- he is never more than five feet from my feet.  When I travel (try to stay with me here) Bailey, the dog, stays with Spencer, my son who stays with Spencer's Dad and Dad's step-dog (I guess that makes him Bailey's step-brother) Brody.  Brody is an adorable West Highland Terrier (more commonly knows as a "Westie."  Like so many American pets and people, Bailey has two loving families, which makes perfect sense.... Since Bailey has enough love to go around. 

In honor of Bailey, Brody and all of the other dogs who keep us company at work I'm happy to share this bit of wisdom from an unknown author who shares lessons learned if a dog was our teacher...

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

 

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

 

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

 

Take naps.

 

Stretch before rising.

 

Run, romp, and play daily.

 

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

 

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

 

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

 

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

 

When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

 

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

 

Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough.

 

Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you're not.

 

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

 

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

 

Be always grateful for each new day.

 

 

....Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass.

It's about learning to dance in the rain.

 

What have you learned from your dog?

 

Living Life to its Fullest

As we embark on the season of leisure take a minute to enjoy this poem and another minute to act on its message.

 

Instants, by Jorge Luis Borges (Argentine Writer 1899 - June 1986)

If I could live again my life,

In the next - I'll try,

to make more mistakes, 

I won't try to be so perfect,

I'll be more relaxed,

I'll be more full - than I am now,

In fact, I'll take fewer things seriously,

I'll be less hygienic,

I'll take more risks,

I'll take more trips,

I'll watch more sunsets,

I'll climb more mountains,

I'll swim more rivers,
I'll go to more places - I've never been,

I'll eat more ice creams and less (lime) beans,

I'll have more real problems - and less imaginary ones,

I was one of those people who live

prudent and prolific lives –

each minute of his life,

Off course that I had moments of joy - but,

if I could go back I'll try to have only good moments,

If you don't know - that’s what life is made of,

Don't lose the now!

I was one of those who never goes anywhere

without a thermometer,

without a hot-water bottle,

and without an umbrella and without a parachute,

If I could live again - I will travel light,

If I could live again - I'll try to work bare feet

at the beginning of spring till

the end of autumn,

I'll ride more carts,
I'll watch more sunrises and play with more children,

If I have the life to live - but now I am 85,

- and I know that I am dying ...

What types of things do you do to live each day to its fullest?

The Power of Losing

I have to tell you that I was never one to pass along email jokes or funny photos or videos to my friends (or enemies, for that matter.)  My email box is so full of work stuff that I never have time to read them.  But now that I'm an official blogger, I guess it's my responsibility to share the most relevant email content -- funny, sad, inspirational or intriguing with the world.  Today my friend, Krysti, who's son is an avid baseball player, shared this story with her address book.  While the original source has slipped into Internet anonymity, its a great story to promote the value of parks and recreation.  So, whether the story is urban myth or not, use it inspire new staff during orientations, promote your impact to decision makers or close a speech with powerful emotion.   And, if you happen to know the original source of the story, send me an email and I'll be sure to give credit.

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: "When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?"

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. "I believe that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child."

Then he told the following story:

Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, "Do you think they'll let me play?"  Shay's father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, "We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning."

Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in his heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

  At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.  The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.

Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, "Shay, run to first! Run to first!" Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to second!" Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.  By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball. He was the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.

All were screaming, "Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay"

Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "Run to third! Shay, run to third!"

As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, "Shay, run home! Run home!" Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.

"That day", said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world".

Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy; and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

Please share your inspirational stories about the value of parks and recreation by clicking on COMMENTS below.