The Keynote Speaker, Billy Riggs, refers to himself as a disillusionist. Yes, there is no such word, but he does exactly what you would think the word to mean. He believes you should rid yourself of the illusions of life and accept the realities of life.
Impossible usually means no one has thought creatively to make it happen
Doctors said one could not run a 100 yard dash in less than 10 seconds. Once, one person broke the record, more followed. It wasn’t that they all of a sudden were able to run faster, but rather now knew it was no longer impossible.
Mr. Riggs, told us a story about a Mayor who watches two city workers working very hard. One digs out a whole, the other fills it. As the Mayor drives down the street, he sees many more filled holes. Upset he asks one of his Assistant to find out what was going on down the street. The Assistant came back and said it is OK, it is usually a three man team. The one who plants tree was on vacation.
Message: Going through the motions with no purpose is ineffective.
Another story told by Mr Riggs is one related to him by a member of his audience who was a retired teacher. A parent came in to speak with her about his child who would be starting his Junior year with her, in the 70’s a very typical hippie with no regard for others or his future. The dad pleaded with the teacher to help his child find a purpose in life. Teacher offered a boy the chance to work in her garden. While he did, she listened to him rant about how much he hates life and his parents, because they never listen to him. The boy tended to her garden more frequently when things bothered him. At his graduation, his dad thanked the woman for the great job she did and that because of her he graduated. On the 50th birthday of this boy, his dad again contacted the teacher and this time, it was with an invitation to his birthday. She asked what his is doing now. The dad said he is the Chief of Surgery of U of C Hospital.
Message: The father thought there was something wrong with the child and the teacher did something so wonderful, when in fact, all she did was listen to the child.
Message: It isn’t the heat applied to you that causes you to melt; it just reveals the stuff of which you are made. Crayons when heated melt to the wax of which they were made. However, clay when heated in a kiln hardens and forms a beautiful sculpture or functional piece of work.
Is the class half full or half empty? It is up to you! Great leaders are incurable optimists, because to them the glass is always half full. They believe in the possibilities.
Believe in the people around you!
A Principal gave an IQ test to all students. He randomly picked students whom he told teachers would have significant growth. Oddly enough, a professor says our IQ pretty much stays the same over a lifetime, no matter what we do to boost it. It's generally believed that IQ is hereditary — our mental development starts slowing up at age 13 and virtually stops at age 18. The students took the test again and those randomly chosen had increased their IQ. Could it have simply been because the teachers were told the students could increase, therefore they put their best efforts forward to teach those students. If teachers believed all their students could increase their scores, would they?
“Men are developed the same way gold is mined. Several tons of dirt must be moved to get an ounce of gold. But you don’t go into the mine looking for dirt. You go looking for gold.” — Andrew Carnegie
You will never accomplish the possibilities, without persistence.
Riggs-ism
- Any time you are right, you will be opposed by those who are wrong.
- The bigger your organization, the higher the percentage of people who will oppose you
- The school is like a human body and every healthy body needs a movement.
- Acknowledge the criticizer for coming to you, but that you will still be going your own course. Give them the option to come along or offer them the option to find another school that suits them better.
- Don’t row opposite
The Superintendent is the keeper of the vision. The Board is the keeper of the visionary. Let the Superintendent fulfill the dream. Believe in the Superintendent to make the vision a reality.
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