With Hard Work, There Are No Limits
Happy Labor Day! This holiday deserves a special place in our hearts, and not just because it marks the point at which all New York state students return to school. On Labor Day, we honor the contributions that workers have made–and continue to make–to society. We are all, in a very real sense, workers. Where our labors take us depends entirely on our sense of purpose and the clarity of our goals. Once you’ve fixed your eyes on a worthy prize, be smart about your efforts and try to have some fun, but, more than anything else, commit to doing the work.
The Hard Work Puts You Where Good Luck Can Find You
As another academic year draws to a close, we should all reflect on how much effort, enthusiasm, and endurance is required to succeed in anything. School will end all too soon, but staying strong to the very end–playing to the final whistle, if you will–demands hard work. Here’s some encouragement to keep working! And lest you forget why you are working so hard in the first place, remember this…
Thinking About What Matters
As we enter the strangest holiday season in recent memory, we’re seeing many of our cherished traditions and travel plans fall away. But are sacrifices made in the spirit of helping others through responsible social distancing really something to regret? In a sense, a crisis like a national pandemic forces us to pay attention to what truly matters… Nobody can tell you what really matters to you, but setting clear, unassailable priorities is the path to both success and happiness on your terms. When it comes to test prep, coaching matters. In college admissions, what matters is mostly what you’d expect. But what matters most in your life? That’s up to you to decide…
Fight Your Fears
Happy Halloween! As we’ve learned so dearly in 2020, some years are scarier than others. But we must not let fear be the reason we fail. So how do you handle the terror of a big test, an important task, or the first step on a journey that will change your life? 1. Don’t let stress make you N.U.T.S. 2. Take a deep breath. 3. Just begin!
Meditation When Every Day is Test Day
Very few people love taking tests, just as only a special handful look forward to crisis and conflict. The day you are tested–in whatever way that concept is meaningful to you–is the day you must shake off doubt and distractions, marshal your energy and focus, and rise to the occasion. Luckily, in normal times, those days are few and far between. These are not normal times. For teens hoping to take the SAT or ACT, nearly every Saturday from now through early November (along with various Sunday and school day options) features a test. More generally, the start of another academic year under the same conditions that ravaged the last one presents at least the potential for daily trials and tribulations. How do you not just get by but bring your best when every day feels like test day? Consider the words of the great American transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson:…
Help Your Teen Discover a Personal Mission
Too many times, our well-meaning attempts to listen to our teens result in failed one-sided snippets of conversation. Parents and teens tire of the same old questions: “How are you?” (fine) “How was your day” (ok please leave me alone) “What’s new?” (…please just get off my back already!) Teens, unfortunately, don’t come with instruction manuals. But I’ll tell you one thing–teens are new to adulting, which, when you think back, is even more daunting. While some teens discover their life passion from early on, some need help to begin forming their life’s passions, goals, and mission. Parents can help their teen, not by asking her to choose a college major or career path, but by first learning more about her developing personal mission. In his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens, Sean Covey says, “Life is a mission, not a career. A career is a profession, a…