Indistractable – Book Review

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I have many things pulling on my attention and time, and that makes it hard for me to make time for the things that are important to me, like writing. When I heard “INDISTRACTABLE: Staying Focused in a World of Distractions” podcast from The Next Big Idea, I wanted more.

This podcast featured Nir Eyal, the author of the book Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose your Life. I subscribe to The Next Big Idea podcast, and it just turned up on my feed. I kept listening because he mentioned how parents were so concerned about screen time and the negative effect it is having on their kids. He offered not only a different way of thinking about it but also various solutions for the problem.

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A Hero’s Journey or Path to Mediocrity?

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The Importance of the Journey

THE HERO’S JOURNEY

Joseph Campbell’s book, “Hero with a Thousand Faces,” sets up a system that many stories follow. The protagonist:
1. gets a call to adventure,
2. has a mentor appear to help him,
3. leaves the known for the unknown,
4. suffers through tests/trials/traps/temptations,
5. suffers through a crisis,
6. is reborn,
7. gets the treasure (or result they are looking for),
8. and return to the known world to their old life but in an upgraded form, where they are ready for the next adventure.
(TEDed has a great video titled, “What makes a Hero?” by Matthew Winkler)

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Bill Gates Documentary – MUST SEE!

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What does a man who is an acknowledged genius today, think about? Especially when he is one of the richest men in the world? There is an amazing documentary on Netflix that answers this question. “Inside Bill’s Brain” is all about Bill Gates. It gives quite a bit of biographical information about him while also sharing what Bill and Melinda Gates are doing now with their foundation.

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Changing Traditions

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Changing Traditions by Heidi Christianson

I have five sons; four of them are adults.  This year two of them had to work Christmas day.  They live in Texas and couldn’t get here until the Friday after Christmas.  I decided to completely postpone our Christmas so that we could all be together.  Those of us at home just enjoyed a quiet day while the rest of the world celebrated.  We went to the movies and had a nice meal but that was it.  But we kept our traditions; we just postponed them.

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A Fun Resource…

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Hi Everyone, Are you looking for ways to help the children in your life build persistence? I’ve been following Big Life Journal for a while and love what they are doing. They have some great resources that can help you introduce the idea of grit to your kids either in your home or classroom. This … Read more

Spotlight in Genius – Harry Potter – Part 3

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In parts one and two of this series, we visited most of the teachers at Hogwarts and the different ways their classrooms inspired magic and genius in their students. There are a few left to go, but, for the die-hard fans out there, I must note that some simply didn’t make the cut for lack … Read more

Spotlight in Genius – Harry Potter – Part 2

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By Joshua Christianson Last time we took a look at how a few teachers at Hogwarts ran their classrooms and discovered the importance of putting your students’ growth first and believing in them. This time we have three more whose passion and structure, or lack of either, had major impacts on the way their students … Read more

Marie Curie – Her Genius

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When I started looking at lists of people who changed the world with their genius, Marie Curie was the only woman there. So much has changed with women’s opportunities over the years! Madame Curie had to fight to follow her genius and earned her right to be on those lists.

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Spotlight in Genius – Harry Potter – Part 1

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By Joshua Christianson

The wizarding world of Harry Potter has been a lifelong source of inspiration for me. It was my introduction to the epic world of fantasy fiction, complete with the struggle of good against evil, compelling characters, and a magical new world filled with possibilities. With each book in the series, I was excited to learn more and uncover larger mysteries, but beneath the magic, J.K. Rowling always managed to sneak in compelling lessons about life as well: the reality of prejudice, the corrupting influence of power, the nature of love, and so much more. These are what have elevated the series from mere children’s books to works of genius enjoyed by kids and adults alike.

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Michelangelo – His Genius

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Michelangelo lived his life following his dream and his influence is still being felt. He is THE Renaissance man. He was so popular when he was living that he had two biographies written about him before he was dead! That was unheard at that time, unlike today when celebrities are writing their autobiographies in their twenties. But he had to work hard to gain that influence. And he wasn’t looking for influence when he did it. He was just trying to do what he loved.

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