When I think about growing up in the country near a small South Dakota town, my memory lands on the school with its building, playground, friends, and faculty. A half mile from our farm, the country school closed a few years before starting school. The next choice was Bristol, which was about five miles away and became my introduction to the culture of education. With the help of my parents, relatives, friends, and community, I spent twelve years there.
One of the most prominent memories is my dubious flirtation with athletics. As a 14-year-old farm boy, I was the true embodiment of a “hayseed.” I was taller than my peers and as my grandfather would say, “as big as an outhouse.” That fact caught the attention of the school coach, who approached me as I entered the eighth grade and asked if I wanted to play football. Now, American football is different than the international sport of the same name. It consists of two teams within a specific period attempting to cause as much damage as possible to each other in front of an audience . I said yes and played every game for the next five years. My on-the-field time was not due to my ability. At that time, we played six-man football with only about twelve guys, and part of my role was filling the space.
The experience was a teacher that has never left me. I remember Tom Koniger as a big lineman with an attitude that became a model for me. He was always “up,” enthused, ready to block his man, disrupt the play, and cause as much damage as possible before the whistle. His attitude was contagious even when you wished you’d stayed in bed. He was enthusiastically disruptive.
Being enthusiastically disruptive goes beyond simply causing chaos or trouble. It means approaching challenges with a positive and proactive mindset to make a meaningful impact and drive change. When someone is enthusiastically disruptive, they are motivated to shake things up for the better, challenge the status quo, and inspire others to join them in making a difference. It involves embracing innovation, thinking outside the box, and taking bold actions to propel progress and growth. Being enthusiastically disruptive is about harnessing passion and energy to bring about positive transformation and improvement in any situation. It's about being a force for positive change, even when it's not the easiest path to take.
Maintaining a positive and proactive mindset is crucial for overcoming challenges and achieving success. Approaching situations with optimism and taking proactive steps empowers you to seek opportunities, take calculated risks, and find solutions. This mindset inspires and motivates others, leading to personal and professional growth.
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