This was originally posted on 9-1-2021 in a newsletter to teachers in the district I serve.  ________________ What once was, the current situation, and the future. Thinking about all three of those things, I stumbled across this “Embracing the Old and the New” image from a James Clear newsletter. It’s tailored to business, but applicable to what we’re building for the future. Instead of “Brands” in the graphic, switch it to “Classrooms.” How many of the "New Classrooms” would you be able to check off about your own classroom?

Which leads us to: How are you going to move the needle to having more “New Classrooms” checked off? How are you going to “Always Compete” for our students to experience more of the “New Classrooms?” Is Your Fear of Loss Bigger Than Your Fear to Gain? Randomly last March, I decided that I was going to be a Pittsburgh Pirates fan. You are probably asking why in the world would anyone do that? Why would anyone want to follow the projected last place team in the league? Well, their AAA team is here in the Indy Indians and it’s cool to see their players grow up and get called up to the Big Leagues. I’ve never really had a team that I loved. As a kid, I liked the Reds, but mainly because they were the closest distance away. I followed the Red Sox during my college years, but that was mainly because I didn’t like the Yankees, They’ll always have a place in my heart because of their 2004 World Series Championship . I’ve loosely followed the Cubs for most of my life, and rode their bandwagon hard during their 2016 Championship season, but I never really connected with them, probably because of the royal blue color. One of my brothers is a die hard Reds fan. The other one loves the Cubs. Both of their wives like the Cardinals. So, I figured why not stay in the National League Central Division where we can trash-talk and what not and so I decided to jump on the Pirates ship. So, I went all in. I bought the MLB.TV package because you can’t watch any Pirates games locally. I bought a Pirates hat. I bought a Pirates sign. I bought a Pirates license plate. I watched games. I follow their fandom blogs, podcasts and anything else I can soak up whenever I have the time. But why? What was there to gain? At first I didn’t know. There wasn’t much good happening. My fear was people asking, “Why are you following the Pirates?” because I didn’t want to go through the whole story from above. After thinking deeply, I came to the conclusion that I just wanted to belong to a team that I could follow. I’ve pretty much stopped watching NBA and NCAA Division I basketball. I can’t stand it. So, I watch a lot of EuroLeague games because the style is so much better. But, I just watch without any deep commitment. Following the Pirates felt more like I belonged to a team. I also got some bonus points because their farm system is currently ranked number 4. So maybe in 5 years we’ll (see, I typed “we’ll,” like I’m really a part of them) be in the post season, possibly. Sorry. I’m rambling. Moral of the story. Take a risk. Jump aboard the ship. Go join a group, team, twitter chat, etc. Live life. Don’t let the fear of striking out, keep you from hitting a home run.

What we fear is loss. The fear of loss keeps up from taking chances. We become comfortable, we choose certainty and predictability instead of new challenges. We don’t want mistakes or negative consequences. We need Freedom From Fear. So, I give you permission to try something new. To mess up. To not get it right the first time. To grow. To follow a new team like the Pirates. How to Overcome Fear Switzerland Skateboard Run - Yikes. This has me fearful. Find Your Escape

Reach out if you need anything or want to collaborate. May your day be great. Stay Curious. Give more than you take. Try something new. Matt