The Cardinal Way
Sharing the Stories of Southport High School
Leading and Learning: FIND YOUR WHO
“The greatest moments in life are not concerned with selfish achievements, but rather with the things we do for others.”
— Walt Disney
I have often heard people discuss the idea of “finding your why.” Simon Sinek, a philosopher and author, has stated, "People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe." (He also has a great TED talk on this concept, it’s worth the time to watch). Sinek’s idea sounds simple, but it takes a great amount of reflection to understand the "why" as we apply it in our own lives. Serving as the principal at Southport High is what I do. How I accomplish that endeavor can hopefully be seen through my daily work with students and staff; but neither of these explain my why. The position of principal alone does not motivate me; my daily work, while fulfilling, is also not what I find motivating. My motivation comes from why I do my job. Ultimately, I have a strong desire to help people. I have a desire to push not only myself, but also the staff and students I serve to be their very best. I have a desire to make the community I work and live in a better place. This, is what motivates me everyday. I get up in the morning because I believe in what I do, and how I do it, and that it makes our community and our world a better place. That is my why.
Adding to this idea, Victor Frankl states in Man’s Search for Meaning, “the striving to find meaning is the primary motivational force in man,” He goes on to tell us, “One should not search for an abstract meaning of life. Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life to carry out, a concrete assignment which demands fulfillment.” The funny thing about finding true fulfillment is that is does not come from us. Happiness always takes a ‘me’ first mindset, and that is easy to accomplish. We could all find something to do in the very immediate future that would make us happy. We could go and see how many likes we have on a new post, eat our favorite food at our favorite restaurant, or go do that one thing we love to do in our personal time. But those moments are fleeting, and to stay happy, we must repeat them over and over again to futility. Fulfillment on the other hand is not just about you, it is about others. It is about the joy that comes from investing in those around us. This is also what makes fulfillment so difficult, it is not just about ourselves and our actions; it is about constantly considering how our actions impact others around us.
The more I have considered my ‘why,’ I have found that my why is really more of a ‘who.’ I realize that life is not about the neverending search for finding your why, but more about finding your who. If you look to my example at the beginning of this post, my why, my motivation, my purpose, is all tied up in the people I serve. They... you... are my why. As a servant leader, your why is the who you are serving each day. They have to be at the forefront of your thoughts and mindset each day.
This has made me realize that who is more important than why. When striving for successes or deciding what we want to do with our lives, who we are trying to serve is more important than the why behind our decisions. If we always consider others first, then our decisions will reflect that purpose. Regardless of the area we pursue in our lives, if that pursuit only benefits us, it is not worth achieving. If you only look to benefit yourself, you will always be worried about criticism, judgement, approval, being alone, failure, or a track record of success. When it is about you, nothing is ever enough. When we focus on others, their happiness, their successes, their growth and achievements will reflect back to you and help you to see true fulfillment as you make the world around you a better place for others and in turn yourself. Your legacy is not just what you do for yourself; your legacy is how you lead and forge a path for others to follow.
When we place focus on people over products, then and only then, can we find fulfillment. As students leave the walls of our schools, let us help them realize that it is in the service of others where they will find fulfillment. Help the students decide who they are looking to serve in their life, and then in their professions. If this is done their life’s path will become much easier to determine, because they have started with who and used that to determine their why.
Keep learning, keep growing, keep sharing!
What it takes to #BeACardinal:
- our fabulus nurses, Tracy Chupp and Bethany Mendez, for the work with immunizations. We only have four students still left on the exclusion list, which is the lowest in the district.
- student services, Vivian Leach, and JoEllen Read for their daily support of ID badge process.
- Tara Foor for her continued efforts in Chromebook distribution.
Grateful Friday Challenge
Week 4 Grateful Friday Challenge
Hey! Hey you! Way down this long hall...
I haven’t seen you yet this year, and that’s no good at all…
I hope you aren’t there thinking that it’s because I just don’t care…
Today I’m coming for you and I’ve got something to share…
If you didn’t know it yet- TODAY IS FRIDAY!! We did it! AGAIN!
This is also a very special day here in our country. No it’s not Labor Day (Yet.) Or Memorial Day (I wish.) It’s National Tell a Joke Day!! (That’s pretty awesome though.)
We are ending our 4th… 4th! Week of the year. And we are hopefully getting our feet under us a bit more as we settle in to our routines and classes get established. Hopefully we are starting to feel like we are getting in the groove- and so with that- let’s get grooving around the school.
Your #SHSGFC is to venture away from your normal position each passing period...walk around the corner and say hello and possibly share a joke with that teacher you have not had a chance to talk with in awhile, take a lap around the school and give a high five to someone on the opposite end of the building, go say good luck to a fall coach or sponsor, or maybe during your prep take a couple laps and stop by a couple of classrooms that have their doors open just to say hello. Get up, get active, and go connect with someone that is not your classroom neighbor, but feel free to talk to them too -- or take them with you! (If you are feeling a little crazy...maybe even go visit the 400s.)
Your bonus challenge is go go find all the new teachers, introduce yourself and welcome them to the rich tradition of Southport!
Where ever you stroll -- GO BIG! Let’s support our colleagues and venture out away from our desks on a great exploration, giving an end of the week wave to your colleagues around our amazing school. With banners flying as we go...
Be a Cardinal; Change lives; Put a mission into motion!
180 Days of Learning -- #CardsLearn
Dave Copeland
Lowell Milken visits SHS
Today, Lowell Milken, Chairman and Founder of the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, visited SHS. Mr. Milken wanted to visit Perry Township and SHS to see great instruction in action. Mr. Milken, along with others from NIET and Perry Township school officials, spent time this afternoon visiting classrooms and speaking with students and teachers. Mr. Milken was impressed with the level of instruction during his classroom visits, and appreciated listening to the students speak about their experience at Southport High School.
Courtney Worley
John McBurney
Darrah Franks
Educational Humor
Southport High School
Email: bknight@perryschools.org
Website: http://perryschools.org/sh/
Location: 971 E Banta Rd, Indianapolis, IN, United States
Phone: 317-789-4800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SHSCardinals/
Twitter: @SHS_Cardinals