Happy new (academic) year!
To our new students, welcome. to our returners, welcome back. I hope your summers were spent engaging in activities that will look great on resume!
For my first post of the year, I’m going to talk about the Fish philosophy. I went to a short session at our opening meeting. There I learned the Fish Philosophy. It formed out of a fish market in Seattle where the folks who work there have an absolute blast every day….even though they work at a fish market. While Sage is not at all like a fish market, there are days when I need a boost to my enthusiasm. The Fish Philosophy is ideal.
There are only four concepts to wrap your head around:
1. Play. Have fun at whatever it is you do. If you are not having fun, why are you there?
2. Make Their Day. Whomever it is that you serve in your job, do your best to make them feel important and valued. Do your best to make their experience with you the best it can be. I’ve used this quote multiple times but it bears repeating: ”There is always some kid who may be seeing me for the first or last time, I owe him my best.” Joe DiMaggio.
3. Be There. Be present. Don’t ignore or try to minimize interaction. This person is there to see you and the least you can do is pay attention and make them feel valued.
4. Choose Your Attitude. Every one of us will have one of those days. Flat tires, kids up all night crying, disagreements with friends and family, and so on. How in the world do we not bring that stuff to our jobs? We choose our attitude. When bad things happen, we are forced by no one to have a bad mood. We choose that mood. So why not choose to have a good attitude instead? You’ll be happier. Folks around you will be happier.
These simple concepts can be transferred to your life at school. For this semester, choose to have an attitude that embraces learning new things. Choose an attitude that makes you open to having new experiences. Choose an attitude that allows you to honestly assess yourself (strengths and weaknesses) and plan based on them.
Choose an attitude that will put you on a path toward challenge, fulfillment and success.
Happy New Year!
