Cherie Hellenbrand Week 4 Reading: The Art of Possibility

Lighting a spark and the discussion of enrollments was a very meaningful chapter for me.  As we are finishing up the end of the school year, my students are getting what we refer to as senioritis.  Many of them are already accepted at a college or university and don’t see the point of putting much effort into their final weeks of school.  To overcome this I try to finish with projects that have more of a personal meaning to them. I have found this concept lights the spark within many of my students. Many of my students have been coming on their lunch hour and study halls to not just finish but to perfect the project. 

Being the board was a great concept to think about.  While I understand I don’t have control over many aspects of my life, looking at it as I am the board with the game of life being played upon me was perfect.  I like how Zander explained the difference between looking at life from the board compared to the legal sphere.  “In the legal sphere, fault and blame play an important role.”  In my life I often look at situations from the legal perspective and feel the need to place blame and determine how to fix it.  This chapter was an eye-opener for me to see how unhealthy and mentally draining it can be to think of thing in the legal sphere.  But just being the board allows all things good or bad to be on the same level. 

Chapter 11 intrigued me the most by not having a mission statement but a vision.  “In this way, a vision releases us from the weight and confusion of local problems and concerns, and allows us to see the long clear line.”  Zander continues to explain how playing is important while “winning” is not the ultimate goal.  While I still see the importance of goal setting the vision reminds me to enjoy the ride along the way as I achieve my goals. 

The final chapter of the book “Telling the We Story” is a concept that can make a person extremely vulnerable.  In my marriage, I believe this attitude is important to live by.  Because of our love for each other it is easy to let the guard down. My concern is many people will take advantage of you; if you’re too understanding.  While I think it is important to understand someone else’s perspective, their intentions could be one directional.