grandmother in a cave (actually trying part 2)

One of the best coaches I ever had introduced me to a thought experiment that he used with many of his protégés. I was a teacher and aspiring school principal at the time. I had a freshman history class that was tying me in knots. Adam asked me, « If your grandmother was trapped in a cave and the only way she could get out is your kids learn today’s lesson … what would you do? »

When I was at a loss and feeling self-pity, this hypothetical didn’t make me feel better. It did help me get honest about whether and how much I was Actually Trying. It helped me get resourceful and creative. And strategic, too - when you take the hypothetical seriously, you’re willing to do anything AND you want to do The Thing that you think will make the difference. You won’t pat yourself on the back for good effort if grandma is still in that cave. You have to get her out of there.

-eric