I took my three-year-old to get a haircut the other day.  As we got into the car I noticed that the widow next to his seat had been decorated in blue crayon.  He did it.  He must have done it on the previous trip.  He really likes to draw on surfaces that aren’t made for drawing on.  He could have a nice, clean sheet of paper in front of him, but if there’s a wall, a window, a couch, a t-shirt, a refrigerator, or a little sister nearby…that’s what he’s going for.  Is it more fun to draw on something that you’re not supposed to draw on?  It must be.

Anyway, he drew on the window.  As he was buckling up I said, “Hey Bud, it looks like you drew on the window again.”  I meant it as a reminder that his mother had very recently invited him to not draw on the window in crayon.  He didn’t read it that way (sarcasm is all but lost on three-year-olds).  With a gigantic smile on his face he turned to me and enthusiastically replied, “and it’s beautiful!!”

I haven’t posted in a few weeks.  Even with my commitment to daily writing, it’s been an almost undoable task in the midst of a new job, a new school year, a new semester, a new baby on the way, my incredible wife, and three wonderful little ones wanting to play as much as possible.  I’m feeling the effects of the lag though.  Ironically, in a recent post I reminded myself and my readers that staying committed to the effort is one thing that helps me focus on holistic progress.

While the past few weeks has pretty much consisted of repeatedly waking up, working out, working, running around between soccer, swimming, libraries, and class, and occasionally sleeping, it’s been a wonderful period of time, filled to the brim with outstanding opportunities for learning and growth!

I haven’t done it in the way I had been.  I haven’t taken the time to post reflective pieces that tie my experiences to my progress.  I’ve taken notes and engaged in considerable reflection, but it’s look a bit different.  It’s looked like turning the radio off on my commute, or sitting with a cup of tea…just thinking, or participating in extended conversations with friends, partners, and colleagues.  I’ve hardly looked at my Twitter feed or touched base with my amazing PLN pals.  It’s been different, but it’s been good.  My ongoing intention is to learn and grow.  At first, not feeling able to do that in the way I had grown accustom to shook me up a bit, but I very quickly remembered that there are many ways to skin a cat.

There have been several moments over the past few weeks during which I’ve felt like I was building the plane and flying it at the same time.  Sitting here right now, reflecting of that feeling, has me realizing beyond a shadow of a doubt that it’s been a good feeling for me to have.  If you’ve seen the movie “The Incredibles” you might remember the gigantic robot that was extremely tough for Mr. Incredible to defeat because of its ability to learn and its capacity to adapt.  Eventually, Mr. Incredible used his own capacity for creative thinking and adaptation to overcome.

Now, I’m certainly no Mr. Incredible (and I don’t prefer to think of myself as a giant, evil robot either), but as an educational leader, I have to look at the past few weeks as an opportunity to build and flex my creative thinking and adaptability muscles.  Everything has not gone exactly to plan.  Some of it has been relatively messy, but all of it has been incredibly exciting!  During the first few weeks of school I’ve experienced a spectrum of triumphs and challenges, and when I view each one as an individualized opportunity for positive progress I move toward becoming the best me that I can be.

And that’s one great reason to spend your days with little kids…you can reliably leave it to a three-year-old with a crusty-oatmeal covered his face to impart knowledge and wisdom on a forty-year-old with twenty years of professional experience and multiple degrees in leadership and learning!

Here’s the rub:  it’s not only important to be able to find the beauty in the mess, it’s doubly important to see and appreciate the beauty as it unfolds…and maybe if you do it right, the mess won’t even occur to you.

Thanks Bud.  I hate to suggest this, but keep drawing on stuff you shouldn’t draw on…I’ve got plenty of learning left to do!

Live.  Learn.  Lead.

Dream Big.  Work Hard.  Be Well.