In chapters 12-17 of The Energy Bus, George is further
enlightened about the pitfalls of negative thinking and the ways to forge ahead
by Joy the Bus driver and other
passengers. Joy and Marty teach George that there are really 2 dogs living
inside each of us: the positive dog and the negative dog. Furthermore, it’s the
dog we choose to feed the most that will eventually win out, and we are all
wiser for feeding our positive inner dog, to ensure our ultimate success.
George learns that being grateful produces positive endorphins and is an energy
booster. He also learns about Joy’s Rule #4 and #5. Both of these speak to
inviting people on your bus who wants to be there, charting and articulating
the course ahead, and avoiding wasted energy on people who don’t want to be on
your bus. Marty tells George of a recent Gallup poll that revealed there are 22
million negative workers in the United States, resulting in a combined total of
$300 billion in lost productivity annually. It is for these reasons, as George learns,
that we must focus our energy on cultivating our bus as being full of
passengers who want to be there with us, who share our vision for the course
ahead, and who contribute to our team’s success story. Chapters 12-17 of The
Energy Bus afford George opportunities to further crystalize his thinking about
positive thinking, building a team, supporting the team’s mission while not
diminishing the momentum due to wasted energy on negativity.
George’s experiences in chapters
12-17 remind me of the approach of the second principal I had the pleasure of
serving under as a social studies teacher at Lawndale High School. His name is
Mr. G. He was a retired NFL linebacker who turned to education as a second
career after his playing days with the Los Angeles Rams (remember, the Rams did
once play in Los Angeles!). Mr. G became the principal at Lawndale High after
our founding principal retired. They were both exceptional leaders in different
ways.
What I recall most about Mr. G was
his infectious energy and enthusiasm, even in the face of unpredictable
adversity. He still had that unconquerable linebacker’s spirit, that he could
overcome any challenge by sheer force of mental will. In that era at our high
school, we were faced with the constant challenges of being in a community with
high rates of crime and poverty and few avenues for families to overcome those
circumstances. Those challenges permeated our school, as is often the case for
schools in similar environments.
But Mr. G was the first leader we
had to openly advocate for and articulate his goal of our school to eventually
become a California Distinguished School (the state’s highest individual honor
for a school) awarded for exceptional success within a number of realms advancing
student achievement. This distinction was unheard of at the time for a high
school that fit our school’s profile. At first we all thought his goals were
too lofty and too unrealistic, and based more in idealism than practical
reality. Along with his vision, he also spread his enthusiasm, force of will,
positive energy, never-give-up approach, and the belief that we had all that we
needed within the walls of our school to be a “Distinguished School.” From his
first day as principal, he was handing out tickets to his bus, and his
enthusiasm ensured we all wanted a seat!
As fate would have it, within 5
years, our school did achieve the success he first instilled our belief in. In
2009 Lawndale High School was honored by the California Department of Education
as a “California Distinguished School” for the inordinate success our school
demonstrated closing the achievement gap and advancing student achievement to
some of the highest levels compared to other comprehensive urban public high
schools within the state. It was a magical time in my life, and I know many of
my colleagues felt the same. And it all started with our collective enthusiasm
and positive outlook, led by Mr. G. Chapters 12-17 in The Energy Bus reminded
me of those times, and also reminded me of how far along we already are here at
Barnwell. We too have a staff that won’t take no for an answer, believes in the
abilities of all of our students, and puts forth the requisite enthusiasm and
dedication every day to ensure all students are successful. We too were
acknowledged for this recently with our School of Excellence award by the
National PTA. I am thankful and proud of all of you, Bears! Reading The Energy Bus often reminds me of that
too…
Additionally, here is an article about enthusiasm that you might find interesting:
