NotSettling

Too often we settle for the best from a menu of bad options. 

Sometimes we have little choice in the matter.  For instance, as a junior high student I might have gotten into some kind of trouble (certainly no fault of my own!).  The assistant principal might have responded by giving me a choice of going to In-School-Suspension or receiving swats with a paddle (yep, that still happened when I was in school).  Clearly, my options in that scenario were ugly and few.  Life sometimes presents itself in that format.

However, situations like that are more rare than we think.  More often, we have a world of options available to us, if we just take the time to consider them.  When thinking about our aspirations for our students/families/organizations/selves – in effect, our VISION for our futures – there is no need to settle for the best of the worst list of options.  Dream big.  Aim high.

I frequently articulate the intention of providing WORLD CLASS education to our students and staff at Guthrie. I believe those folks share that vision, and have demonstrated the passion to pursue it as a real objective. 

When “outsiders” express skepticism for our approach, I respond with these kinds of questions: 

Why would we invest our time, effort, resources, and lives pursuing status quo?

Why would we wish for and work for any less?

Why would we aim at mediocrity?

Why would we settle?