“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”
– Neil Gaiman
Anteambulo – forerunner; one who proceeds another to clear the way
Atavism – recurrence of or reversion to a past style, manner, outlook, approach, or activity. Derives via French from Latin atavus, meaning “ancestor.” Avus in Latin means “grandfather,” and it’s believed that the at is related to atta, a word for “daddy.” Atavism is a term rooted in evolutionary study, referring to instances when an organism possesses traits closer to a more remote ancestor, rather than its own parents. That sense dates to the early part of the 19th century. The word’s figurative sense is a more recent development. These days one might describe a building that looks like it’s from an earlier era as an atavism, or (though some people might cringe at this) apply the word to activities like reading actual paper books in the age of electronics.
Commonplace book – a central resource or depository for ideas, quotes, anecdotes, observations and information you come across during your life and didactic pursuits. The purpose of the book is to record and organize these gems for later use in your life, in your business, in your writing, speaking or whatever it is that you do.
• Shrinkflation: companies cut costs just by changing packaging: shrinking it,
rebranding it as “limited edition,” or both
• Swap-flation: car makers are swapping out premium features like heated seats for more basic alternatives.
• Skimp-flation: hotels are ditching
once standard services like room cleaning, making them “opt in” instead;
even stopped suppling its mini shampoo bottles.
• Robo-flation: companies are using chatbots instead of employees, and labor-strapped restaurants are replacing waitstaff with QR codes.
“Charcuterie” has become synonymous with “food on a board.” The word is derived from the French words “chair” (flesh) and “cuit” (cooked). The term was first spotted on the scene in the 15th century in signage on storefronts specializing in the preparation of cooked pig. Charcuterie is value-added meat—where something is added, be it salt or heat, to enhance flavor and prolong shelf life.
Schadenfreude – German made up of the words Schaden, which means “harm” or “damage,” and Freude, which means “joy.” By definition, schadenfreude means finding joy in someone else’s misfortune. The Opposite of Schadenfreude is Freudenfreude, the joy we derive from others’ success.
The “invisible tax” on teachers of color (Modan, 2022). Educators of color sit on committees on equity and racism, advise student clubs and affinity groups, and feel pressure to speak on all things related to equity and culture. But there is a lack of compensation for those sometimes-invisible extra tasks. Many of the tasks educators of color are engaged with are decidedly leadership activities (for example, participating and leading equity teams, working with student clubs, and specifically supporting both colleagues and students of color). School systems and leaders must formally recognize this type of leadership as an official role with pay and professional learning. This would legitimize and formalize the work often being done behind the scenes. Absent that recognition and support, this work is accomplished voluntarily and adds to the extra burden.
Signature – a divided section of pages in a book that are sewn to the spine.
Visual journal – a mixed media project that uses a hardback book as a base, sometimes referred to as altered books. Work directly in the book using paint, colored pencils, collage, markers, and whatever materials you have access to, to create works of art inside the book. Art journaling is a great way to experiment with materials. At a minimum you need a used hardback book with non-glossy pages, a stack of magazines, scissors, and glue.
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) own real estate properties that generate income, equity, or both. There are public and private REITs, which trade on and off the stock market.
Kunsthalle, or non-collecting museum
The meaning of “WOKE” is literally “aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice).” If ‘woke’ means favoring racial and social justice, then pushing against ‘woke’ means opposing racial and social justice. LEGEND reminds us that the fight for dignity and for social justice is never easy and never over.
Analogies help us 'relate the unrelated' to increase understanding. Analogies prove useful in science and discovery. Thomas Edison discussed imagination, persistence and analogy as keys to inventing.
“See one, do one, teach one.” Medicine is famous for teaching by demonstration, imitation, and education. We know Coach Wooden’s recommendation for EDIRx5. Explanation, demonstration, imitation. repetition x five.
Beat BURNOUT
High performing leaders ask themselves these 6 questions every single day:
Are my people getting better? How do I know? How am I assessing their development?
Do I gather feedback and evaluate performance? Am I self-aware? Team-aware?
Am I focused on the process or the outcome? Am I focused on consistent improvement or just on the bottom line?
Am I developing quality, meaningful relationships with my people? Do we just talk work or do we talk about life?
What have I done recently to work on my craft? How much time do I put into my own professional development?
Am I having fun? Or am I feeling burned out?
Relentless Robin 