Find your Purpose- Looking ahead to 2022!

 Purpose

How do you find your purpose?

About this time of year people start to think about goals for the new year. They want to eat healthier, lose weight and work out more. Don’t we all! Many times these goals turn south quick when people see how hard it really is- people also set career goals and set a goal for how well they can do in the new year. 

Now- I do admit that I set goals similar to all of these above. Many times I fall right into the lie that I can accomplish all these things. I do think there are people out there who actually complete the goals- they lose that 15lbs, they get that job they wanted and they find that relationship they have been waiting on.  Through all these, though I think we miss one important question and it’s the biggest question in the universe- What’s my purpose? 

Throughout the year we do things to try to finish these goals we set, but what if we miss something. What if we miss our purpose?

Do we really have an answer to that age-old question? Every day I ask myself what my purpose is? What’s the purpose of trying to lose weight or eating healthy or going to work every day? Do I find purpose in what I do? Somedays yes, other days no. If we do t find purpose isn’t this when we quit? Isn’t this when we fall short of our goals? 

When challenges hit us we think to ourselves- how am I supposed to keep going? This isn’t what I signed up for! 

I can’t get rid of this last 10 lbs- what’s the point? I just can’t get that promotion, it’s impossible to make everyone happy here. Those are all statements that we have made in the past- go ahead you can admit it. 

When it leads you in a different direction what do you do? Do you look for purpose?  Are there little things in your job, in your pursuit for a healthier year, or in your relationships that show purpose? Are you looking for that? Or are blindly searching? 

Many of us will continue to search. Personally, I continue to search every day for purpose in my life and in my job. I struggle with challenges that hit me and question myself if I’m fulfilling the purpose that was set out before me. 

As you prep for 2022 and begin to set goals or set resolutions- don’t forget to think about your purpose. Look for those little things each day that lead you to that. If it isn’t right you will know- redirect your vision and move in a different direction. Remember that most times it will be harder before it becomes easier. 

We each have a purpose- once you find it don’t let go! 

Here’s to a blessed 2022 for each of you! Get those goals ready! Go get ‘em! 

Jarred

Who you do want to be?

 

Every morning when we wake up we have 1 of 2 thoughts- Today is going to be a good day, or here we go again- it's just another day. We are trained to have one of those thoughts crawling through our mind and either way you go depends on many things- situations, circumstances, people you are around job that you work, or the plans you have for the day.  

Each day the question we should be answering is NOT- What's my day going to be like, but WHO DO YOU WANT TO BE TODAY? 

Who do you want to be today? 

    

    *Do you want to be someone who helps another?

            Or a burden to someone else?

    *Are you going to teach someone something new?

        Or are you going to let them hang out to dry?

    *Are you doing something good today?

        Or are you pushing the wrong buttons?

Many times it's all about our mindset and how we train our minds to think.  We all have dreams and goals. Some of us write it down while others have them in their head.  Whether we all admit it or not- we all want to be somebody.  We all want to feel valued, worthy of what we are doing.  It starts with a mindset.  

You have the ability to change your trajectory for the day.  You have the ability regardless of your situation to change the outcome of the day- I believe in you, someone out there believes in you. No matter what your situation is- You can be who you want to be?

Does it mean you can be a doctor? Or a lawyer? Or a parent? NO- We all have special gifts that were given to us. We all won't be able to be doctors, we all won't be able to have kids or be professional athletes.  But what we can do is BE who we are supposed to be! BE who you are meant to BE.  

My challenge for you this week is to Change your mindset. When you wake up each morning -ask yourself the question- Who do I want to be today?  What kind of difference am I going to make today for someone else. I promise if you do this- every day- your world will be a better place! 

Jarred 

Why not?

 Many days I get to ask the question why not?  When we come up against brick walls or challenges or barriers many times we just crumble and decide that we cannot make it over the wall, and cannot get through the tough times- I almost always ask the question- WHY NOT? 

Life if hard.  The last couple of years have been really hard.   In our own lives we need to take more looks in the mirror and ask the question why not?

Why can we not change?  When you hear- I can't do that, or that can't be done- Ask the question why not?  How many times did the Wright brothers ask that question, How many times did Michael Jordan come up against a challenge and asked why not?  Tom Brady(who I don't like) continues to be told he's told old and can't do it- He asks why not every day!  Do you think Albert Einstein ever asked that question?

As I work in the education field every day there seems to be more and more barriers to kids learning and teachers teaching.  Change is hard. When things are not going right we fall back on- well that's the way we have always done it or we can't do that, it won't work, or that's too hard, we don't have the right people to get it done, or no one will go for that- I ask- WHY NOT???  Why can't we do that? Why can't it work?  

Every day as you get out of bed ask yourself the question- Why Not- See how it applies to your own life, to your motivation every day. 

A wise man(my old football coach) once told me that if you are not getting better you are getting worse.  Always ask the question- Why not and see where that takes you!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving- I'm thankful for all of you! 

Thankful for my crew- that I continue to ask- Why not!

Jarred

When was the last time...

 When was the last time you told someone thank you?  When I say told someone, I mean really told someone Thank you!  

When was the last time you told someone you loved them?  When was the last time you told someone you cared?  Did you do it by phone? Text? Handwritten note? Or did you do it in person? 

It's been a while since the last time I was on this blog. I've missed it. I've missed sharing my words with others.  I'm excited to share my thoughts with each of you over the next year.  I'm looking forward to allowing you to think and hopefully improve yourself through these little notes. 

So I ask you again- When was the last time you listened?  When was the last time you just closed your mouth and listened to someone talk about what they need?  How often do we do that?

When was the last time you looked your significant other in the eye and just told them you cared about them?  Have you told your kid that?  Have you really told them you care about them or is your face buried in your phone?  

I know the last couple of years have been tough- I myself have personally dealt with difficult things. Why can't we still look people in the eye, why can't we still tell our kids that we love them, why can't we be there for each other to listen. 

I challenge you this week- Tell someone thank you- Be specific. Tell them why you are thankful for them. Just see how it makes you feel. Tell someone face to face how much you love them. Look at your kids, tell them how important they are to you and how much they mean to you. 

**I am so thankful to be back blogging.  I look forward to feedback and also look forward to sharing my thoughts with you! 

J

#OneWord2017 BE

We as human beings are busy. We are always running around because we are so busy. We have schedules and things that we always have to do. 

What if we didn't have schedules? What if we took time to just BE or to just sit and reflect? How would our kids react? What if we stopped worrying about what the next thing was we had to do and just worried about the present?

In my job, there are times where I am going from place to place. There are days when I get pulled in many different directions and talking to many different people. I go home and still struggle with staying away, keeping up and making sure that everything is done for the next day.

I as a father, Christian, husband, educator, among other things, I have to take time To Be. Just BE. Stop what I am doing and Be. Be the leader, the father, the husband I need to be. Take time to just sit and BE. Relax and refocus, refresh. Be the role model, Be the one person that listens, that when a student needs help or someone to listen to I can Be that person. 

I plan to use my one word to BE in 2017.  

I hope each of you have a fruitful and blessed 2017.  

Jarred

@BLHS_Principal

It will all work out...

Last week we welcomed BLHS students into the hallways at the high school for the year 2016-2017.  The year is finally underway and there is much learning to do.  As we approached the first days I thought about what could be a good way for kids to voice their goals for the year.  After talking with one of my teachers we came up with this idea!  What is your HOPE?  

So I ask this question- What is your HOPE for the school year?

My three HOPES for the year:

1. That everyone Encourages each other.

2. We all come with a positive attitude every day.

3. We are all committed to doing our job

The HOPE runs wild at the beginning of the year of many school districts.  Kids are excited to be back, teachers have lesson plans ready and shiny new toys.  Everyone is hopeful for a new year. Sometimes that hope goes away. It loses its shine. Hope fades in and out. What can we do to help our students and ourselves from losing the HOPE.  

One of my favorite lines is, "It will all work out."  If we can keep the HOPE, encourage each other and commit to helping each other.  It will. So I Encourage you today to KEEP YOUR HOPE.  Keep it for the year, Because it will all work out!

Jarred

- @BLHS_Principal

Encourage, Attitude, Commitment

As I start my new journey as the lead servant of Basehor Linwood High School in August I have started to think about what I can do to help teachers, students and community members come together to help each and every one of our kids be successful.  Success can be measured in many different ways and each student can take many different paths in order to get there.

To help myself focus I always try to think of words or phrases that help simplify things.  After speaking to a few of my building leaders three words kept coming up: Encourage, Attitude and Commitment.  

Encourage

Doesn't the below statement say it all.  As staff members we can encourage daily.  Build kids up don't tear them down.  No matter what is happening we can encourage them to do better.  As students we can help each other become better by being a positive encouragement for that kid that is having a bad day.  We can be that one person that made them smile for the day.  As parents we can make the most impact. Tell your child to keep up the good work, tell them to keep working hard. Tell them good job!  Encourage them.  As teachers and adults we must look at the good things and don't always focus on the negative!

Attitude

There is a saying out there that says, Misery loves company.  It is so true!  We have to come to work, school and home each day with a positive attitude.  Is everything going to always go your way?  NO!  Will things change if you sit around and pout or complain or think the world is against you? No, many times they will get worse and you will accomplish nothing.  Let's face it, not everything is going to go your way. Trials are daily in your life.  There are always hardships that do not seem fair, sicknesses that don't heal, or people that are just plain mean to you. You have the choice to think positive or not.  How you decide will effect others around you look on life also!

Commitment

In or out.  You're either with us or against us.  Commit to doing the right thing.  What is the right thing for your child?  What is the right thing for the student?  Can you commit to doing what is right even when it is the harder thing to do?  There are rules and regulations that we all need to follow, but we can together if we commit to doing the right thing.

Encourage, Attitude, Commitment.  Together we can do what is necessary to help all of our students. And each other!

Jarred 

@jfuhrman3932

Have a blessed day!

Our Next Journey...

Last week I was named the principal for Basehor Linwood High School for the 2016-2017 school year.  I am so humbled and blessed to be a part of such a great group of people.  Students, staff, the community have been so kind and supportive over the last 9 years.  There has been ups and some downs, but it is a great place to be.  

We talk in life about journey's.  What is our next Journey?  Last blog I wrote about the storm and facing storms in our life.  How we get through them determines what kind of person we are and the character we develop.  I have had many journey's in my life-high school, college, my first teaching job, marriage, kids, my first admin job, moving numerous times, deaths, friends, faith, among many others.  We all have many of them we go through in our lives.

The neat thing about my journey is that I have and will never look at it like it is my journey.  Nothing that I do is for me. I have done nothing by myself.  It is funny how people take credit for things they have done, when we look at the world we see so much of, "Look at me", or "Be yourself", "Look at my accomplishments"!  

Here's a small piece of information that you might not know:

It's not about ME.  It's about us.  It's about the school that I work at.  It's OUR journey.  Together we will make it a better school. Together We will take on challenges.  Together WE can make it to the top of the mountain.  

Our journey includes my support system below- My wife, my daughter and my son.  We do life together.  Our journey includes my boys that sit around the fire with me on Monday's and talk about life.  Our journey includes the teachers and administrators that I work work every day.  Our journey includes all my PLN who have continued to support and encourage me each and every day.  Our journey includes coaches and friends in the past that have helped me along the way.  Our journey includes my parents who taught me valuable lessons about life.  There are so many others to count!

So as I move forward I look in anticipation to the challenge of leading the best high school in Kansas to continued success.  But along the way I will always remember that it's not about me and it's not my journey, but our journey and this is just our next one that He is calling us to follow.


Go Bobcats!

-Jarred
@jfuhrman3932

Through the storm

The Storm.  My pastor at church has said numerous times that in our lives we are either...Getting ready to go into a storm, going through a storm or getting out of one.  That is how life goes.  As educators, parents and students we go through those times each and every day.  Some days are great, some days are rough.  It's just the storm.  Somedays it may just be the wind, blowing us away.  Other days it's a little thunder that startles us and keeps us awake.  There are times in our lives however when a catastrophic storm comes that destroys everything.  Through all these times however we must fight through-

Must continue to climb that mountain...

Fight through the clutter....

To reach the other side of the storm.  Rely on others. Take time to breath. Don't give up. There is sunlight on the other side of the storm.
As educators and parents- We must for the sake of our kids, for the sake of our future.

So think about today where you are in life:

Are you being prepared for a storm, going through one or getting out of one?

Always look for the light-  It's funny-sometimes you don't have to look as hard as you think you do.






-Jarred

@jfuhrman3932

Opportunities await you...

What is in our future?  What is yesterday, today or tomorrow?  Do we have a purpose here on earth?  Does my life mean anything? Is my path already written or can I change?

Many times we ponder these questions in life.  Whether you are an adult or a child we all wonder what our future holds.



We just don't know. We can try many things. We can hope, and try our best, but we still may never know what our purpose is. I think what we need to look at is in one word- Opportunity.  There are opportunities all around us each day that we choose or choose not to take. We could open the door for someone else to walk through it.  Sitting in the drive-thru line at Scooters the other day, there was an opportunity to pay for the person behind me. I could have easily just paid for my own, but the opportunity was there. Will I ever know what happen? No.  What about the opportunity to read to your child?  Do we take advantage of the opportunity to sit and have breakfast with them when we can?  Are there times where you could shut off the TV and just sit and play a board or card game with your kid?

What about opportunities to tell your co-workers that they are doing a good job? Do you tell your spouse how much you love them every opportunity you get?  Do you take the opportunity to tell your child's teacher thank you?





We also miss opportunities when we are dealing with hard times.  We see obstacles when we could see opportunities.  We see times to blame instead of times to change.



We sometimes are so focused on the shut door we don't realize the opportunity to go through the open one. Open your eyes.  Shut your mouth.  Look. See. Listen.

The opportunity is there.....Will you see it?  Will you act?



-Jarred

@jfuhrman3932

My 3 Words

As I look back on 2015 I see trials, surprises, happiness and friendships.  I see courage, fear, and decisions.  My One Word last year was Faithfulness.  I have been challenged to seek out 3 Words that I vow to live by in 2016-(Thanks @jennifer_hogan)   So here goes....

SHINE

This past fall has been rough for me personally.  There has been many days where it's been hard to get out of bed.  My physical workouts have dimished, my diet has gotten worse, at times my attitude has not been as positive as I have been.  We are called to be the light.  Be the light that others want to follow.  Be an example.  Be positive.   My goal here is to SHINE each and every day no matter what is going on personally so others my be influenced by my actions.

SHARE

As a light-our goal is to SHARE.  Share what we know.  Support others with their goals and what they want to accomplish.  Be real and transparent. People many times will attach to people who are real. I want to share what I know and what I feel.  My goal is to be the best leader that I can be for others.

SHAPE

One struggle of mine as a leader and as a person is to share responsibilities and build leaders. I have been working on this in my personal life and with friendships, however at work I have fallen short.  As a light and leader my responsibility is to help shape others.  Whether it be a student who is struggling in Math or a teacher who has some struggles with classroom management- I have to help shape others.  My goal is to  SHAPE others so they can have the tools to go forward in their daily life.





These are my 3 Words for 2016.  I challenge you to think of your 3-How are you planning on changing lives in 2016??

Happy New Year and Blessings,

- Jarred
@jfuhrman3932

The Future...

Sometimes we forget what it means to look ahead.  We are so worried about the past, the present and what might happen.  We worry about what the future might look like and sometimes we go through our daily lives and work without a plan.  At my high school we try to take the approach of moving forward in a Vision kind of way.  Together as a staff we spent 2 years coming up with our Vision Statement and goals.  We changed, suggested, argued, and agreed on what was best for our staff and our kids. Here is what we came up with:

BLHS Vision Statement:

BLHS, through high expectations and a rigorous and relevant curriculum, will work together with the community to ensure each student will: 

*Become responsible citizens and leaders in family, community and work settings. 

*Maintain a positive lifestyle and accept responsibility for one's actions and successes 

*Develop and use effective communication skills. 

*Be provided with a safe and supportive learning environment through communication and cooperation with the community.

*Incorporate acquired knowledge while continuing to empower themselves to achieve challenging goals.


This past August we decided it was time to review these statements and see if this is still what we wanted for our students. Is this where we want our kids to be in 5 years? We came up with some interesting ideas of where we want to head to. Here is what we want our kids to accomplish in the next 5 years:

*Emphasis on Real-World Experiences for Struggling learners *Career Pathways courses drive curriculum *Further our ability to prepare students for career pathways *Digital Literacy for all students *Continue to be innovative *Students will become self starters and more independent learners *Students understand how to be civil with one another *Helping students learn to communicate digitally  *Service learning projects available for students * BLHS CTE programs lead into career placement, vocational training, professional cert. *Be the premier Career and Tech Ed. school in the KC Metro *Cross Curricular opportunities *Higher level classes *Technology is the tool not the goal *Digital Citizenship for all students*Graduate financially literate students *Increased student accountability *Helping less academic students find their careers *Focus on personal accountability, personal care for others *Integration of technology *Encourage students to be self-motivated and take control of their own education *Peer-counseling and acceptance *Become responsible citizens without losing personal identity *Challenge based learning *Students become critical thinkers *Having lessons built around career possibilities *Let kids take risks without fear of failure

I feel blessed to work with such an awesome staff. To see the vision of the staff moving forward for our kids. It is great to see that our group of teachers do care for them and can envision what each and every kid is going to need to be successful in the future.

The Question is-What is your Vision? What is your Dream? Are you worried about what might happen or are you working together to put some plans in place.

Do you see 2 cardboard boxes or do you see 2 Airplanes 

ready to take off??

-Jarred

@jfuhrman3932

Social Media is not the enemy....

Social Media is not the enemy...

Social Media is not the enemy. Say it one more time-Social media is not the enemy.
We as educators and parents in today's world think that many times Social Media is the problem with our world and the reason our kids are getting in trouble, getting picked on, etc.

But I will pose these questions to you as a parent or an educator:

Have you ever talked to your kids about proper use of Social Media?

Do you check your son/daughter's social media accounts?

Do your kids have access to it and do they really need it? Why are they using it?

Are you setting good examples on your Social Media?

Do you use Social Media?

True- Many people around the country mis-use Social Media.  They use it for bullying, taunting, and telling lies about other people and themselves. They also can hurt themselves by posting inappropriate words, pictures and videos and can cost themselves jobs, scholarships and even relationships.  Movie stars and so called celebrities use it to sell themselves or to put down others.

Is this the fault of Social Media????

The world today is changing every second.  More people are on Facebook than live in China.  Twitter is where all my professional development comes from. Many times all it takes it a quick "tweet" to connect around the world.  We need to help educate not only our students-But Educate OURSELVES on how to use Social Media.  

Don't let your kids go in blind when using Social Media

Social media is not the enemy. We as adults need to take responsibility to teach our children values, how to use Social media properly, how to talk to people, how to be respectful, how to be loving towards others.  Don't use Social Media as an excuse, don't say you don't have time, don't say you don't want to be in your child's private life.

Social media is a tool that we as responsible adults and students can use to learn, enhance our future and share our story.

How will you use it?  

It's all about them...

Have an awesome week!   

Please feel free to leave comments below & Follow me on twitter- @jfuhrman3932

Jarred

@jfuhrman3932

Things HS kids should know(and my video debut)

I thought this month I would switch it up and try the video thing.  Here are a few thoughts after the first week of school at BLHS.  Click on the link below to check out!



My first VLOG Experience.





Thanks for Comments!

-Jarred

@jfuhrman3932

The #Edcamp Experience

Wow....what a summer!  I am so fortunate to have a job that allows me sometime off in the summer to spend with my kids.  These two beautiful little ones keep my life interesting and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Luckily one thing that doesn't have to happen is that I don't continue to enhance my professional career even when I am not at work.  Twitter has opened up my world of Professional Learning.  To be able to connect with other educators from around the area and the country has been awesome!  I haven't been as faithful to my weekly twitter chats-but I did have the awesome experience of attending the #Edcampldr KC this week!  It was fantastic-to see the passion and excitement from educators around the area.  To see the Kansas Commissioner of Education make his way to the sessions along with BOE members, Supts, Principals and teachers galore.  It was an amazing day of learning, collaborating and enjoying.  The coolest thing about #edcamp?  Everyone is a leader-There are no planned sessions, no planned out leaders or agendas.  What you want to get out of the day you get out of the day.  If you get a chance to attend one in the future, I would recommend it.  

Thank you to those who had the passion, drive and commitment to put on such an event.  

#edcampldr Kc

-Jarred

@jfuhrman3932

Trust and Hope

Trust can be difficult.  Trust is something that can easily be broken.  Trust is something that takes times to rebuild.  We have opportunities each and every day to earn trust and gain it from individuals that we work with.  We also get the opportunity to teach trust-How do you learn to trust.  Many of our students may come from homes where trust doesn't exist.  Parents are separated, siblings are sent different ways, among other things.  There are so many situations that we may not know about that students don't know how to trust.

We as educators have a job- to teach children. Not to just teach them how to write essays, how to read, how to figure the square root of the 2nd power to the 3rd(No idea what I just wrote:)), but to teach them how to live. Teach them how to look towards the future and know that it is good.  Teach them to TRUST and have HOPE.  We have to give them that security to work hard, strive, be motivated and be Special. That is our job.

One question to ask yourself tonight:

What are you doing in your classroom to teach "Trust" and to inspire Hope?

Have a great week! 

-Jarred

@jfuhrman3932

Simplify

Everybody has things going on. In every house hold we hear things many things being said, some of them might include:

I've gotta run to the store.
I have to make sure I get the right stuff for the party tonight.
What are we doing this weekend?
I have to finish this book.
Man, I need to get my work-out in today.
Can you pick up the kids from Soccer? From dance? From gymnastics?
Can you take out the trash, pick up the house, make the bed, do the laundry, wash the dishes and make sure you pick the kids up at 5 and take them to piano practice?
I have to work tonight, finish this project and make a few phone calls.  
I have a meeting at 7am, lunch meeting and then finish it off at 3 with a conference call.

Whew--Out of breath!

As all of you know-That is just the half of it.  We have such busy lives that we never take time to enjoy it.  As I look towards 2015, I am looking to Simplify my life.  I have come up with 5 suggestions that have helped me in the past year begin that process and a few that I plan to explore to make life a little more enjoyable for me and my family.


1. Get rid of Cable TV.

I am a sports nut.  I love my KC Chiefs and my K-State Wildcats.  I love baseball and enjoying catching a St. Louis Cardinals game on Fox Sports every once in a while.  It was hard to get rid of my cable-We made a family decision to take the plunge in May.  Many times we would watch shows just to watch them, cartoons would be on all the time just to keep the kids busy while we could work.  It has made a huge difference in our lives and changed our priorities.  Yes, I do miss much of my sports, but now I get to do other things like hang out with my family and actually play games or enjoy conversations or for goodness sake- read a book.

2. Keep at least one/two days open a week.
Once your kids get older they get busier. They want to do everything-athletics, music, dance, etc.  Keep one day at least a week where no activities are allowed.  Don't work all week and then spend all day, every Saturday and Sunday at Volleyball/Basketball/Softball/Baseball/Dance(just to name a few) tournaments.  If you have weekend tournament, keep a week night open to spend time with family where you don't work.

3. Learn to say NO

I have always been a people pleaser.  I want to do a good job and many times I feel like I let people down if I tell them no.  I have learned it's ok to say NO.  You can't do everything-give some responsibility to others and say NO once in a while.  (This one is tough-you may have to practice it a few times)

4. Eat at home
"Busy" people eat out a lot.  They don't take the time to cook a meal.  Cooking and eating at home with your family can be a good time to visit, ask about each others day, etc.  (Another added bonus of no cable is we sit around the table to eat, not in front of the TV) Also if you eat at home, it will save you a little money!

5. Buy things for their usefulness, not their status
Do you really need that new car?  Do you need the biggest truck?  Did you really need that 75" TV or could you have gotten away with the 35"?  Seriously-don't purchase something just so you can be "cooler" than the other guy.  Make it simple.

 

These are just a few suggestions for making your 2015 simpler.  I'm am sure there are many more that you can think of.  Here's wishing you a 2015 that is better than your 2014!

Happy New Year and See you next year!

-Jarred