O believers! Avoid many suspicions, ˹for˺ indeed, some suspicions are sinful. And do not spy, nor backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of their dead brother? You would despise that!1 And fear Allah. Surely Allah is ˹the˺ Accepter of Repentance, Most Merciful.
- Quran 49 : 12
— Winners Focus On Winning —
”I’m focused on history …”
— Pay Attention —
— Lotus of Control —
2. #EasyWayOut : Attention and Winning
January 18th, 2024
3 : 42 PM
I receive that text message from one of my students
Fifteen minutes after my colleague called me :
”Kibbs, check your email.”
”But I’m not in school …”
Almost everyone at school
Knows that I rarely check my email
When I am in school …
And I refuse to check my messages
Once I arrive at home …
”Kibbs, I know you probably don’t care
But check your email.”
He was right :
I didn’t care.
I check my messages,
Find out the Principal has been fired …
And prepare to take my after school nap.
Easy way out …
— Pay Attention —
”It pays to pay attention …”
This has been one of the
More difficult life lessons
To instill in the students …
Yesterday, I presented the students with a challenge :
— For this to make sense watch the video titled,“Pay Attention”, above —
For the grand prize of a 25$ gift card
Students were asked the following question :
Could you tell me when exactly
— Please give me the timestamp —
Apollo Robbins changes his clothes
And please tell me how he does it …
To make it fair for all the students
I set up a few ground rules :
I showed the video once in class
Students were given the link to
Watch as often as needed.
I did not offer any hints.
Lastly, students had to send me an email
After 5 : 00 PM with their response.
This not only made it easier to tell
Who sent me the first response,
But it also made it fair for the
Students who I had in the final period
To have time to watch the video several times
And then respond …
If none of the student had given me
An answer by February
I would have offered a 50$ gift card …
Hold that thought …
— Winners Focus On Winning —
The naitivity of youth
Causes your attention to be pulled
By what’s exciting at the moment
— I don’t blame these children —
I was once there.
When my mentor took me
Under his wing at fifteen
He also taught me how to think ahead.
I had to give up
Playing video games
And watching T.V.
When I was fifteen
Because he told me
That it was only
By immersing myself in reading
That I would one day have the reality
Of traveling the world freely …
So, that’s why I know it is possible
Because I was asked to do it at their age
And I was capable.
And I do not believe in low standards.
Thus, before my departure
I hope to make these kids
A bit more mature
By teaching them
That though at the moment
What’s exciting may be enticing …
Don’t lose sight on what
Offers more meaning.
Alhamdulillah.
- K.S. Fort
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This is the series to the next poetic phase, “#EasyWayOut : Isolated to Inspired”.
Be aware, this series will have several breaks. One break will occur when I head to Las Vegas for a week. Another break will occur during Ramadan when I will be completely offline.
For those interested in books written in the past, feel free to read the Google Documents at this link.
Lastly, for those who want to support my journey financially (please remember, I do have a fur baby), purchase the Kindle books at this link.
Enjoy the journey and live with intention …
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Today, the kids compare my outfit to that of an anime character.
I laughed harder than they did and asked them to take a picture of us side-by-side.
P.S.
Dear reader,
With all of the distractions, that pull your attention in various directions, I remain eternally grateful that your lovely eyes still take the time to scan these thoughts.
Below is a wonderful video that I watch to remind me to not miss life’s beauty.
— How Much Do We Miss —