MAC - Week 4 Reading

"This was by no means a rational or practical decision for Slava; it came from his passion." This quote from Chapter 9 has to be one of my favorite quotes in this book! I seem to spend a lot of tine in this irrational and impractical realm. As with EMDT, I did not tell many people that I was enrolling in another Master's program. It was totally irrational and impractical. I didn't want to hear the negative comments and doubts. I just wanted to freely pursue my passion.


God had blessed me so much. I also live in this sweet spit with my students. I have it bad for seeing my students lives transform before my eyes. I love seeing them grow and develop in confidence and skill set. I love hearing their realizations and reflections, as a result if attending conferences and working in special projects in class. As a result, I really do too much. But I see myself as a door to opportunities. As teachers, we has access to so many opportunities. Often these opportunities require my wiling participation. What if I block a door that one of my students needs to enter, in order to connect with their purpose or a better future?


Certainly, I take no glory for this passion. It is a gift from God. It is part of may calling. It is part of what i was created to do. That is why it is my passion.

From Chapter 10, the concept of "being the board" is very interesting and useful.  I like the instruction on how being the board is not assuming the blame for situations that are out of our control.  It is about seeing situations from a solutions oriented perspective where benefit can be gained from situations that would otherwise be negative. In the final analysis, it's all about not accepting defeat or selling ourselves on the inevitability of defeat. It's all about maintaining a mindset that is open to possibilities that will bring victory, instead of victimization.




Chapter 11 "goes there!"  Goes where?  The authors explain vision.  In the Holy Scriptures, Proverbs 29:18 reads, "Where there is no vision, the people perish."  While the Bible does bring some distinction between vision and dreams, the two are so closely related. Both require the ability to see.  In the beginning of Chapter 11, the author speaks of Dr. Martin Luther Kings, Jr. and the historic "I Have a Dream Speech."  The author made a profound comment regrading Dr. King.  He said, "[Dr. King] demonstrated with body and soul that dreaming can make a difference."  Isn't that powerful?  Undoubtedly, dreamers have vision. They have vast imaginations and abilities to see how "things" have the potential to be.  It is definitely possibility thinkings. Dreamers -and I will add visionaries - have the ability to imagine the world or a place or people reaching their potential.  These images reach beyond limitations and inadequacies to see the very best in people and the very best in situations - in spite of any opposing messages.


One of the communities where I am a citizen is in dire need of leadership.  Managers abound. Their competence is to be applauded.  They should stay in place to help the community move forward.  However, we need a leader at the helm.  We need a visionary who had the ability to communicate a vision for improvement that can be shared by all stakeholders. We need someone who can see and believe and carry the community back to a place of seeing the possibilities.  It has been a dry and thirsty land without a leader. By the way, vision is organic to leadership.  To say we have a leader is to say we have someone with vision.

In conclusion, in Chapter 12, I really like the WE perspective. Because so much faith and is belief is invested in idea of scarcity, many believing there is a shortage of opportunities. In every situation, for someone to win, someone else has to lose. People are conditioned to thinking that there can't be a favorable solution for all parties involves. Someone must lose. It is really powerful for the authors to present this bountiful perspective that provides coaching on how to communicate interest and investment of both or all parties.