"Hoosiers" Revisited

"Whose corner are you in?" Learn from the Greatest - Ali

See video below - 33:30 for the footage

Lessons from "Endurance"

Buy the book here. ENDURANCE Shackleton's Incredible Voyage By Alfred Lansing

11 - such was the plan of Shackleton - purposeful, bold, and neat. He had not the slightest doubt that the expedition would achieve its goal.

12 he had one characteristic - he was purposeful

13 But the great leaders of historical record - The Napoleons, the Nelsons, and the Alexanders - have rarely fitted any conventional mold, and it is perhaps an injustice to evaluate them in ordinary terms. There can be little doubt that Shackelton, in his own way, was an extraordinary leader of men.

14 Shackelton's family motto: "By endurance we conquer"

16 Wild - was a soft spoken and easy-going individual on the surface, but he had a kind of inner toughness. .... This was a perfect balance for Shackelton's whimsical and occasionally explosive nature.

34 He was careful not to betray his disappointment to the men, and he cheerfully supervised the routine or readying the ship for the long winter's night ahead.

50 - Shackelton - Mouse. Leaky barrel of beer. Now where is that damned cat?

63 - Shack doesn’t sleep he walks around the camp site looking for the pressure. Spots a crack and gets the camp site moved.

65 Shack throws down gold cig case and Bible. From study, those that burden themselves down fared worse. Speed was vital.

65 Shackelton prays to save the whole party.

73 Shack meets with Hurley - Shack has a pathological dread of losing control.

73 - Shack adjusts to Hurley

74 - Shack calculates ever placement if tents

78 Shack feverishly studies the map and plans.

79 Shack tries to guard his men from complacency

Shack always did the menial tasks and wanted no penitential treatment whatsoever. He got mad at the cook when the cook gave him a little more food!

85 - Shack was cautious

100 ... They had nurtured in their minds the attitude Shackelton strove so unceasingly to imbue them with, a basic faith in themselves - that they could, if need be, pit their strength and their determination against any obstacle - and somehow overcome it.

103 But Shackelton was not an ordinary individual. He was a man who believed completely in his own invincibility.....

....This indomitable self-confidence of Shackelton's took the form of optimism. And it worked in two ways: it set his men's souls on fire; as Macklin said, just to be in his presence was an experience. It was what made Shackleton so great a leader. But at the same time his egotism blinded him to realities.

Undercover Boss

Last night my wife and I watched parts of Undercover Boss. It is amazing that from this correct leadership strategy, a boss actually putting himself or herself in the workers' shoes, that CBS is making millions. Besides learning that this is an all too infrequent practice,I learned some other things as well.....

1. Jesus went "undercover" for 30 years according to Luke 3:23. He spent much time in research and development.

2. We should always consider ourselves working for God, not a boss. Colossians 3:23 states, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." This attitude is helpful in many ways. If you work for God, you'll never call your boss an idiot to his or her face.

3. As leaders we must spend time with all of our people. Jesus did. He spent time with even the tax collectors and sinners. Mark 2:15-17.

4. Listen to others - the Bible commands this. "He who answers before listening--that is his folly and his shame." Proverbs 18:13. "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" (Matthew 11:15).

Enjoy the week getting to know your employees better. It may just be the salvation of your company.

Winning!

Ashley Paige - "Dear Pop Culture"

Romans 12:2 New International Version (NIV) 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will.

A response to my previous Blog from William M. Hobbs - I thought this was applicable.

The watering metaphor is an apt one. It reminds me of Isaiah 58:11-- "The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."

I've learned something from my yard. Grass thrives on water, but so do weeds. Weeds grow like crazy if you let them. In the garden of the soul, grass is virtue, weeds are vices. The trick-- and it is tricky sometimes-- is to tell one from the other and feed the good stuff, starve the bad.

W. M. Hobbs is a professor of English and Wabash College graduate.

Are you watering your people?

I saw a sign the other day that read "Everything that grows needs water." I thought, "That is certainly true!" Then I began thinking about my 'growing' children. Am I watering them? Am I giving them the right amount of water - love, life lessons, attention, affection, discipline? I thought about my 'growing' marriage as Samantha and I approach our ten year anniversary. Am I watering the marriage? Is it 'growing' emotionally and spiritually because of my time, care, and concern, or is it becoming parched and dried up from neglect? Then I thought about the people around me. Am I 'growing' the leaders around me? Do I spend the necessary time 'watering them?' Trying to get to know them better? Loving them? Showing them they are valued? Investing in them? Building their emotional bank account? Appreciating them?.....Nope, not yet.

God has a sense of humor. Two days ago, the morning that it rained, I spent 20 minutes watering and 'growing' four Hostas that I transplanted earlier this spring. That was 20 minutes of concentrated time that should have been spent 'growing' the people closest to me. I heard God's laughter in the thunder that day. But the lesson is this, if it takes 20 minutes a day to grow Hostas, I should really rethink how much focused and conscious effort it takes to grow people. And it is important that I 'grow' some of these people more than others. As a leader I must strategically decide this, for it is God's calling for me to use the skills he gave me for his glory. The Bible states: “So be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days.” Ephesians 5:15, 16.

Brent Compton, a well respected business man and basketball expert in Indiana, gave me some great advice. He added to a popular phrase and stated, "Grass is greenest where we water it the most." I encourage you to water, grow, the people you serve. If you don't they will perish just like most of the plants I've tried to grow in my house.

For those of you who wonder how you will fill up your own watering can....John 4:13-14 Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again; 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

Give someone a drink of thirst quenching water today. Make them SHINE!!

Josh Brolin - Work Ethic

Too many times we don't think of people outside of sports who have great work ethics. Think again. Josh Brolin studied video of Tommy Lee Jones for three months for MIB3.

See full article here.

Tough Questions - Keep Asking Them

I have been told that tough questions are not appropriate, make others uncomfortable, and create the perception that the person asking them is rather a bully. This isn't true. Beware of people who don't ask the tough questions. As John Maxwell states in the great Blog Post from HOOP THOUGHTS, the questions one asks oneself and others is directly related to one's level of leadership.

HOOP THOUGHTS

Keep asking the tough questions and continue your pursuit of the truth.

3 Minutes and a Slice of Heaven

My mentor and friend Brian Disney sent this to me. Ever since, I have enjoyed a "3 minute retreat" thanks to the men and women of Loyola Press. This is a must have for all Christians in the working world.

Enjoy.

http://www.loyolapress.com/3-Minute-Retreat-help-in-troubled-times.htm?updatedate=5/21/2012%206:30:08%20AM&utm_campaign=3-minute-retreat-daily-email&utm_medium=email&utm_source=3min-linkenglish

Do the impossible!

I enjoyed this email letter from Jim Rohn. You will too.

April 30, 2012 How to Turn Nothing into Something

by Jim Rohn

Have you ever wondered how to turn nothing into something?

First, in order to turn nothing into something, you've got to start with some ideas and imagination. Now, it might be hard to call ideas and imagination nothing; but how tangible are those ideas? That is a bit of a mystery. I don't believe that ideas that can be turned into a hotel, ideas that can be turned into an enterprise, ideas that can be turned into a new vaccine or ideas that can be turned into some miracle product, should be called nothing. But tangibly, you have nothing. Interesting! Think of it; ideas that become so powerful in your mind and in your consciousness that they seem real to you even before they become tangible. Imagination that is so strong, you can actually see it.

When I built my first home for my family in Idaho all those years ago, before I started construction, I would take my friends and associates out to the vacant property and give them a tour of the house. Is that possible? Is it possible to take someone on a tour through an imaginary house? And the answer is, "Yes, of course." "Here is the three-car garage," I used to say, and my friends would look and say, "Yes, this garage will hold three cars. " I could really make it "live." I would take them on a tour throughout the house…. "Here is the fireplace, and look, this side is brick and the other side is stone." I could make it so real…. "Follow me through the rest of the house. Take a look through the picture window here in the kitchen, isn't the view great?" One day, I made the house so real that one of my friends bumped his elbow on the fireplace. I mean, it was that real.

So, the first step of turning nothing into something is to imagine the possibilities. Imagine all of the possibilities. One of the reasons for seminars, sermons, lyrics from songs and testimonials of others is to give us an idea of the possibilities; to help us imagine and to see the potential.

Now here is the second step for turning nothing into something: You must believe that what you imagine is possible for you. Testimonials, like "If I can do it, you can do it," often become a support to our belief. And we start believing. First we imagine it's possible. Second, we start to believe that what's possible is possible for us.

We might also believe because of our own testimonial. Here is what your testimonial might say: "If I did it once, I can do it again. If it happened for me before, it could very well happen again." So we believe not only the testimonials of others who say, "If I can do it, you can do it; If I can change, you can change; If I can start with nothing, you can start with nothing; If I can turn it all around, you can turn it all around." Then we also have the support of our own testimonial, if we've accomplished something before. "If we did it once, we can do it again. If we did it last year, we can do it this year." So those two things together are very powerful. Now, we do not have actual substance yet, although it is very close.

Again, step one is to imagine the possibilities. Step two is to imagine that what is possible is possible for you. Here is what we call step two: faith to believe. In fact, one writer said this, "Faith is substance." An interesting word: "substance," the powerful ability to believe in the possibilities that are possible for you. If you have faith to believe, that faith is substance, substance meaning "a piece of the real." Now it's not "the real," it's not this podium, but it is so powerful that it is very close to being real, and so the writer said, "The faith is a piece of, the substance of." He then goes on to call it evidence, substance and evidence. It is difficult to call substance and evidence "nothing." It is nothing in the sense that it cannot be seen except with the inner eye. You can't get a hold of it because it isn't yet tangible. But it is possible to turn nothing, especially ideas and imaginations, into something if you believe that it is now possible for you. That substance and evidence becomes so powerful that it can now be turned into reality.

So the first step is to imagine what is possible, the second is to have the faith to believe that what is possible is possible for you. And now the third step is that you go to work to make it real. You go to work to make it a hotel. You go to work to make it an enterprise. You go to work and make it good health. You go to work and make it an association. You go to work and make it a good marriage. You go to work and make it a movement. You make it tangible. You make it viable. You breathe life into it and then you construct it. That is such a unique and powerful ability for all of us human beings. Put this to work and start the miracle process today!

Sign up for his subscription here: http://www.jimrohn.com/?utm_source=Listrak&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=http%3a%2f%2fwww.jimrohn.com%2f&utm_campaign=JR-2012-04-30&utm_content=How+to+Turn+Nothing+into+Something

A MUST WATCH - Secrets of Successful People

http://vimeo.com/18629799

Gary Tuerack shares in this hour video about the secret successes of great people.

I must thank Austin Fish, 2009 graduate of Brownsburg High School and State Champion, for sharing this with me. Austin is a business and leadership major at Indiana University at this time.

Baseball - A Fresh New Perspective from America's Great Philosopher - John Rawls

I have not appreciated the game of baseball to the degree that many have or do, but after reading this letter from John Rawls addressed to Owen Fiss at Harvard about a conversation John had with Harry Kalven, I think I will appreaciate it more.

http://bostonreview.net/BR33.2/rawls.php

Dear Owen,

Many thanks for sending me the bibliography of Kalven’s writings and the copy of your memorial address. When classes are over at the end of next week I hope to read some of his essays listed that I haven’t gotten to yet. I have until the end of May to revise the lecture (a copy enclosed) for publication in the Tanner volume. A lot needs to be done on it, although I feel better about it than I did around March 1st when I was having trouble deciding how to give a useful example or two and bring the thing to a close. Here especially, Kalven’s writings were most helpful. I look forward to seeing the MS should that be possible.

It is curious that although I only saw Kalven once to talk to, and that was in the summer of 1961 (I think, otherwise 1962) at breakfast while attending a conference sponsored by the Encyclopedia Britannica at Santa Barbara at Hutchins’s madhouse among the palms, we talked about the only subject that you never seem to have gotten around to in your conversations with him, namely baseball. I distinctly recall the conversation because he brought out to me many splendid features of the game which, though obvious, require his sort of brilliance to see the significance of. For example, he gave these reasons for why baseball is the best of all games.

First: the rules of the game are in equilibrium: that is, from the start, the diamond was made just the right size, the pitcher’s mound just the right distance from home plate, etc., and this makes possible the marvelous plays, such as the double play. The physical layout of the game is perfectly adjusted to the human skills it is meant to display and to call into graceful exercise. Whereas, basketball, e.g., is constantly (or was then) adjusting its rules to get them in balance.

Second: the game does not give unusual preference or advantage to special physical types, e.g., to tall men as in basketball. All sorts of abilities can find a place somewhere, the tall and the short etc. can enjoy the game together in different positions.

Third: the game uses all parts of the body: the arms to throw, the legs to run, and to swing the bat, etc.; per contra soccer where you can’t touch the ball. It calls upon speed, accuracy of throw, gifts of sight for batting, shrewdness for pitchers and catchers, etc. And there are all kinds of strategies.

Fourth: all plays of the game are open to view: the spectators and the players can see what is going on. Per contra football where it is hard to know what is happening in the battlefront along the line. Even the umpires can’t see it all, so there is lots of cheating etc. And in basketball, it is hard to know when to call a foul. There are close calls in baseball too, but the umps do very well on the whole, and these close calls arise from the marvelous timing built into the game and not from trying to police cheaters etc.

Fifth: baseball is the only game where scoring is not done with the ball, and this has the remarkable effect of concentrating the excitement of plays at different points of the field at the same time. Will the runner cross the plate before the fielder gets to the ball and throws it to home plate, and so on.

Finally, there is the factor of time, the use of which is a central part of any game. Baseball shares with tennis the idea that time never runs out, as it does in basketball and football and soccer. This means that there is always time for the losing side to make a comeback. The last of the ninth inning becomes one of the most potentially exciting parts of the game. And while the same sometimes happens in tennis also, it seems to happen less often. Cricket, much like baseball (and indeed I must correct my remark above that baseball is the only game where scoring is not done with the ball), does not have a time limit.

Such, as I recall, was the substance of the conversation one morning with Kalven as I and several others had breakfast with him. And having played baseball some I tried to draw him out a bit. I’m sure there were many more things I’ve forgotten, and I’m also sure he could have gone on forever, if we hadn’t had to stop.

Again many thanks for sending me the things. They will be most helpful to me.

Best,

Jack

Rohn talks of Christ - perfect after Easter!

Read the words below. Which side describes Christ?

indifferent - Passionate

indecisive - Certain

doubtful - Faithful

worrisome – Assured

overly-cautious – Risk Taker

Then Read

http://hoopthoughts.blogspot.com/2012/04/defeating-enemy-from-within.html

SHINE - Be like Christ today!

To the wold you just may be one person; to one person you may be the world!

Never doubt your importance to your family. Who was the 23 President? Who won the 1993 World Series? Who was the NBA MVP in 2003? Who won the gold medal in the 100 meter dash three Olympics ago? Who invented roller skates?

We don't remember the above answers. However, we do remember that family vacation, Dad's cologne, the time when we went fishing together, or our hero who came to the rescue after that bike accident. Be your children's hero today. Everyday is father's day!

http://www.fatherhood.org/fathers

Toughness and Distractions

Brad Stevens once quoted another individual and said,

"Toughness is the ability to block out all distractions while working to accomplish one's goal."

Those who can be single minded and focused will take their game to the top. SHINE!

NBA

The success of our lives depends upon our "Next Best Action." Doing "the next right thing right" is imperative. How do we know what the next right thing is? Apply your action to this test. 1. Does my action glorify God? 2. Does my action make me a better husband/wife? 3. Does my action make me a better father/mother? 4. Does my action make me a better professional? If you say "no" to any of these....don't follow through with it. So chose water over the soft drink; chose turning the t.v. off and playing with your son; make great choices with your time! SHINE!

50 Rules for Dads with Daughters

What a wonderful list!

http://www.fromdatestodiapers.com/50-rules-for-dads-of-daughters

25 rules for Mothers with sons

http://studerteam.blogspot.com/2011/11/25-rules-for-mothers-of-sons.html?m=1

Tuesday, November 1, 2011
25 Rules for Mothers of Sons
Inspired by a Pin I've recently seen about "rules for dads with daughters," I went searching for a similar list for moms with sons. This search was mostly fruitless, so I was inspired to write my own Rules for Moms with Sons. Granted, my list will not be conclusive and may not be entirely uncontroversial. So agree, or disagree, or take with a grain of salt - but I hope to inspire other moms who are loving, and struggling, and tired, and proud, and eager to support the boys in their lives. You are the most important woman in his life, his first teacher, and the one he will look to for permission for the rest of his life. From "Can I go play with them?" to "Should I ask her to marry me?" Its a big job, but as the mumma, we're up for it.

25 Rules for Moms with Sons

Source: pre-schoolplay.blogspot.com via Tabitha on Pinterest

1. Teach him the words for how he feels.
Your son will scream out of frustration and hide out of embarrassment. He'll cry from fear and bite out of excitement. Let his body move by the emotion, but also explain to him what the emotion is and the appropriate response to that emotion for future reference. Point out other people who are feeling the same thing and compare how they are showing that emotion. Talk him through your emotions so that someday when he is grown, he will know the difference between angry and embarrassed; between disappointment and grief.


2. Be a cheerleader for his life
There is no doubt that you are the loudest person in the stands at his t-ball games. There is no doubt that he will tell you to "stop, mom" when you sing along to his garage band's lyrics. There is no doubt that he will get red-faced when you show his prom date his pictures from boy scouts. There is no doubt that he is not telling his prom date about your blog where you've been bragging about his life from his first time on the potty to the citizenship award he won in ninth grade. He will tell you to stop. He will say he's embarrassed. But he will know that there is at least one person that is always rooting for him.

3. Teach him how to do laundry
..and load the dishwasher, and iron a shirt. He may not always choose to do it. He may not ever have to do it. But someday his wife will thank you.

Source: offbeatmama.com via offbeatmama on Pinterest

4. Read to him and read with him.
Emilie Buchwald said, "Children become readers on the laps of their parents." Offer your son the opportunity to learn new things, believe in pretend places, and imagine bigger possibilities through books. Let him see you reading...reading the paper, reading novels, reading magazine articles. Help him understand that writing words down is a way to be present forever. Writers are the transcribers of history and memories. They keep a record of how we lived at that time; what we thought was interesting; how we spoke to each other; what was important. And Readers help preserve and pass along those memories.


5. Encourage him to dance.
Dance, rhythm, and music are cultural universals. No matter where you go, no matter who you meet - they have some form of the three. It doesn't have to be good. Just encourage your son that when he feels it, it's perfectly fine to go ahead and bust a move.

6. Make sure he has examples of good men who are powerful because of their brains, their determination, and their integrity.
The examples of men with big muscles and a uniform (like Batman and LaMarr Woodley) will surround your son from birth. But make sure he also knows about men who kick a$s because of their brains (Albert Einstein), and their pen (Mark Twain), and their words (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.), and their determination (Team Hoyt), and their ideas (The Wright Brothers), and their integrity (Officer Frank Shankwitz), and fearlessness (Neil Armstrong), and their ability to keep their mouths closed when everyone else is screaming (Jackie Robinson).

7. Make sure he has examples of women who are beautiful because of their brains, their determination, and their integrity
The examples of traditionally beautiful women (like Daphne Blake, Princess Jasmine, and Britney Spears) will surround your son from birth. But make sure he knows about women who are beautiful from the inside out because of their brains (Madame Marie Curie), and their pen (Harper Lee), and their words (Eleanor Roosevelt), and their determination (Anne Sullivan), and their ideas (Oprah Winfrey), and their integrity (Miep Gies), and fearlessness (Ameila Earhart), and their ability to open their mouths and take a stand when everyone else is silent (Aung San Suu Kyi).

8. Be an example of a beautiful woman with brains, determination, and integrity.
You already are all of those things. If you ever fear that you are somehow incapable of doing anything - remember this: If you have done any of the following: a) grew life b) impossibly and inconceivably got it out of your body c) taken care of a newborn d) made a pain go away with a kiss e) taught someone to read f) taught a toddler to eat with a utensil g) cleaned up diarrhea without gagging h) loved a child enough to be willing to give your life for them (regardless if they are your own) or i) found a way to be strong when that child is suffering...you are a superhero. do not doubt yourself for one second. Seriously.

Source: simplymontessori.blogspot.com via Terry-Anne on Pinterest

9. Teach him to have manners
because its nice. and it will make the world a little better of a place.

Source: swagbucks.com via Adriana on Pinterest

10. Give him something to believe in
Because someday he will be afraid, or nervous, or heartbroken, or lost, or just need you, and you won't be able to be there. Give him something to turn to when it feels like he is alone, so that he knows that he will never be alone; never, never, never.

Source: theberry.com via Chris on Pinterest

11. Teach him that there are times when you need to be gentle
like with babies, and flowers, and animals, and other people's feelings.

Source: heatherbeadles.com via Heather on Pinterest

12. Let him ruin his clothes
Resolve to be cool about dirty and ruined clothes. You'll be fighting a losing battle if you get upset every time he ruins another piece of clothing. Don't waste your energy being angry about something inevitable. Boys tend to learn by destroying, jumping, spilling, falling, and making impossible messes. Dirty, ruined clothes are just par for the course.


13. Learn how to throw a football
or how to use a hockey stick, or read music, or draw panda bears (or in my case alpacas), or the names of different train engines, or learn to speak Elvish, or recognize the difference between Gryffindor and Slytherin, or the lyrics to his favorite song. Be in his life, not as an observer but as an active participant.

Source: shanna-kaye.com via Shanna-Kaye on Pinterest

14. Go outside with him
turn off the television, unplug the video games, put your cellphone on the charger, even put your camera away. Just go outside and follow him around. Watch his face, explore his world, and let him ask questions. It's like magic.

15. Let him lose
Losing sucks. Everybody isn't always a winner. Even if you want to say, "You're a winner because you tried," don't. He doesn't feel like a winner, he feels sad and crappy and disappointed. And that's a good thing, because sometimes life also sucks, no matter how hard (as moms) we try to make it not suck for our kids. This practice will do him good later when he loses again (and again, and again, and again, and again.....) Instead make sure he understands that - sometimes you win - sometimes you lose. But that doesn't mean you ever give up.

Source: None via Emma on Pinterest

16. Give him opportunities to help others
There is a big difference in giving someone the opportunity to help and forcing someone to help. Giving the opportunity lights a flame in the heart and once the help is done the flame shines brighter and asks for more opportunities. Be an example of helping others in your own actions and the way your family helps each other and helps others together.
Source: data.whicdn.com via Meagan on Pinterest

17. Remind him that practice makes perfect.
This doesn't just apply to performance-based activities (like sports and music) but also applies to everything in life. You become a better writer by writing. You become a better listener by listening. You become better speaker by speaking. Show your son this when he is just young enough to understand (that means from birth, folks - they are making sense of the world as soon as they arrive), practice trick-or-treating at your own front door before the real thing. Practice how you will walk through airport security before a trip. Practice how you order your own food from the fast food cashier. Practice, practice, practice.

18. Answer him when he asks, "Why?"
Answer him, or search for the answer together. Show him the places to look for the answers (like his dad, or grandparents, or his aunts/uncles, or his books, or valid internet searches). Pose the question to him so he can begin thinking about answers himself. Someday, when he needs to ask questions he's too embarrassed to ask you - he'll know where to go to find the right answers.

Source: 1.bp.blogspot.com via Maegan on Pinterest

19. Always carry band-aids and wipes on you.
especially the wipes.

Source: babyhold.com via Katie on Pinterest

20. Let his dad teach him how to do things
...without interrupting about how to do it the 'right way.' If you let his dad show and teach and discover with your son while he is growing up, some day down the road (after a short period of your son believing his dad knows nothing), he will come to the realization that his dad knows everything. You will always be his mother, but in his grown-up man heart and mind, his dad will know the answers. And this will be how, when your son is too busy with life to call and chat with his mom, you will stay connected to what is happening in his life. Because he will call his dad for answers, and his dad will secretly come and ask you.

Source: familyfun.go.com via Kate on Pinterest

21. Give him something to release his energy
drums, a pen, a punching bag, wide open space, water, a dog. Give him something to go crazy with - or he will use your stuff. and then you'll sorry.

Source: bleubirdvintage.typepad.com via Marybess on Pinterest

22. Build him forts
Forts have the ability to make everyday normal stuff into magic. Throw the couch cushions, a couple blankets, and some clothespins and you can transform your living room into the cave of wonders. For the rest of his life, he'll be grateful to know that everyday normal stuff has the potential to be magical.


Source: None via Tabitha on Pinterest

23. Take him to new places
Because it will make his brain and his heart open up wider, and the ideas and questions and memories will rush in.


Source: None via Anne on Pinterest

24. Kiss him
Any mother of sons will tell you that little boys are so loving and sweet. They can be harsh and wild and destructive during most of the day. But there are these moments when they are so kind and sensitive and tender. So much so that it can cause you to look around at the inward, reserved grown men in your life and think, 'what happens in between that made you lose that?' Let's try to stop the cycle by kissing them when they're loving and kissing them even more when they're wild. Kissing them when they're 2 months and kissing them when they're 16 years old. You're the mom - you can go ahead and kiss him no matter how big he gets - and make sure he knows it. p.s. (this one is just as important for dad's too).

Source: smallesthings.blogspot.com via Sherry on Pinterest

25. Be home base
You are home to him. When he learns to walk, he will wobble a few feet away from you and then come back, then wobble away a little farther and then come back. When he tries something new, he will look for your proud smile. When he learns to read, he will repeat the same book to you twenty times in a row, because you're the only one who will listen that many times. When he plays his sport, he will search for your face in the stands. When he is sick, he will call you. When he really messes up, he will call you. When he is grown and strong and tough and big and he feels like crying, he will come to you; because a man can cry in front of his mother without feeling self-conscious. Even when he grows up and has a new woman in his life and gets a new home, you are still his mother; home base, the ever constant, like the sun. Know that in your heart and everything else will fall into place.

The secret to Assist : TO ratio