Sir Isaac Newton observed that “an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion…unless acted upon by an outside force.” And while his laws of thermodynamics revolutionized physics, it doesn’t take a genius to realize that this is also true in our lives as parents, teachers, and counselors.

We tend to stick with the same old strategies we’ve been using because they are, well, good enough. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it, right?

That’s what makes taking field trips so difficult. They throw us out of our routine. Things go wrong. People behave in unpredictable ways. We often have to revisit our budget, tighten our belt, or sell a few extra things on ebay to make it happen.

On this episode of A Time to Sharpen, we’re going to offer some encouragement to plan a field trip. Let’s get out of our offices, schools, and homes. Let’s go do stuff.

And remember, “It's a dangerous business…going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.” (Bilbo Baggins)

You are what you eat. If you eat exclusively chicken nuggets, you’ll probably end up looking like a chicken nugget. Literally.

Remember the documentary, Super Size Me? That dude ate only Mcdonald's food for 30 days, and he almost died. It was crazy. Of course, anyone could have told you that was stupid, so I’m not sure why had to risk his life to prove the point that fast food is unhealthy; but it does illustrate the principle of “garbage in, garbage out” quite effectively.

Join us this week on A Time to Sharpen as we address the importance of treating our bodies like they are the temple of God, and the implications this has when trying to satisfy the bottomless pit stomachs of teenagers.

What is the “Whetstone Way?” Well, to state the obvious, it’s the way we do things at Whetstone. It implies grit, determination, and a commitment to quality in all aspects of the program.

To paraphrase the great Vince Lombardi, it’s about chasing perfection, knowing that we will never attain it, while remaining confident that “we shall catch excellence” in the process.

To quote another great coach, John Wooden, “if you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it again?”

Join us this week on A Time to Sharpen as we discuss the many ways this mindset applies to teaching, counseling, and parenting - all of which require that delicate balance of aiming high without shooting over the head.