“Two Minute PSD” Day 4 with Jack Canfield – SCN Encourager 8/22/2013

It’s Thursday. “Two Minute PSD” Day 4.

Author and life coach Jack Canfield is standing behind the wobbly cardboard podium waiting for you to take your seat.

He’s as eager to wrap up “Two Minute PSD” Week as you are.

He launches into his presentation:

Good morning school leaders and communicators!

I want to begin by thanking Tom Page and SCN for sponsoring this conference.

I don’t think I’ve ever spoken at a conference so free of tech foul-ups.

Isn’t it wonderful?

Of course, I don’t think I’ve ever spoken at a conference so free of any tech, period.

Oh well, it is what it is.

I made the mistake of taking Tom at his word when he promised a venue that was “ruggedly spartan yet abundant with many creature comforts.”

So I certainly never expected a century-old cement block warehouse!

And all of the creature comforts I’ve even seen around here… only seem to be comforting the rodents and spiders.

I also probably shouldn’t have said anything to Tom at all when he asked me after I arrived, “how are things going?”

I replied with a brusque “thanks for nothing” – and darn it if he didn’t speed off to incorrectly announce to you that this was going to be the title of my presentation.

Unbelievable.

But Seth Godin, Bernadette Jiwa, and Karen McPhee told me you were a great group of educators.

We’ll make the most of our time together and I’m anticipating that you will be the chicken soup for my soul today.

You see, my message this morning never should’ve been called “thanks for nothing.”

Despite what Tom’s “Two Minute PSD” flyer says, my message to you was supposed to be nothing more than “thanks.”

That’s it. Just “thanks.”

Thanks for being a dedicated agent of change in education.

Some of you may not know that I used to be a high school teacher in Chicago after I graduated from college.

Back in my younger years, I learned that in every classroom of students, there were stories about overcoming adversity, achieving success, confronting racism, healing relationships, and selflessly sharing love that goes the extra mile.

By learning to invite and appreciate all of these stories – all of these diamonds in my own backyard, so to speak – I went on to write and co-write my “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series.

How much do we humans crave stories about our other brothers and sisters on this planet?

Well, to date, this series of books has sold 200 million copies and has been translated into 40 different languages.

This should tell you something.

So I’d encourage you to embrace Karen’s call to “appreciate the unique paths and backgrounds” found within the people you work with… and take it even one step further… and begin telling those stories if granted the permission and the opportunity.

Everyone has life stories – of both high times and low times – and I’ve discovered that our stories and aspirations are great unifiers; the cosmic super glue that binds us tightly together.

A therapist friend of mine, Robert Resnick, believed that “stories-well-told” were universally inspirational, across all cultures and demographic categories.

He also believed people who were attempting to nurture success in others… or to influence needed change by others… need more than just inspiring stories to lean on.

And I’m talking about something that is relevant to your work, am I right? Aren’t you a person who is also attempting to nurture success in others and influence needed change by others?

So, let me share with you Dr. Resnick’s formula for leaders, and for life itself:

E + R = 0

This formula stands for: Events + Response = Outcome

My message for you today is to be very aware of the stories and events all around you and keep challenging and pushing yourself to improve your responses to them.

Continually improving your responses is the only way you can achieve the improved outcomes you’re hoping for.

You can’t control life’s events… so give your attention to what you can control.

I definitely believe this to be true… my research backs it up… but I’ll admit this PSD is defiantly mocking one of my recent books “The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be.”

I’d be happy to get you out of here to where you want to be… if only I knew how myself.

We’ll see what hope Mitch Joel can offer us tomorrow.

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* respectfully recorded and transcribed by Tom Page, SCN