Author Archives: Andy Smallman

A couple of years ago, I was interviewed for an online publication called the Excellence Reporter. Interestingly, the interview consisted of one question and I was provided the opportunity to write my answer. The question: What is the meaning of life? I wrote the following… I think the MEANING of life is self-evident when weContinue reading “What is the Meaning of Life?”

It’s become a bit cliché but the sentiment is still apt. You know, when you’re on an airplane in preparation for taking off, the flight attendants run through a series of safety instructions. Amid the lessons on how to fasten your seat belt and how your seat cushion doubles as a flotation device, they tellContinue reading “Put On Your Own Air Mask Before Helping Others”

“True generosity is guided by awareness.” — Piero Ferrucci I come from a family of “collectors.” For me, my main collection was hockey cards. You know, those rectangular pieces of cardboard that used to get packaged with a piece of gum and sold at the counters of grocery stores and drugstores? Baseball cards are muchContinue reading “Give Away Something That You Value”

As the pandemic stretches and challenges us, one way to provide yourself some focused relief is to reach out to support others. Knowing you have needs, seek to recognize this in others. Then, with this in mind, try this exercise that is intended to be of benefit to someone else AND you (and can actuallyContinue reading “Do Something Kind For a Friend (in Need)”

As we continue to navigate the unknowns of the pandemic, one thing that is clear is the increased isolation many people are feeling. We’ve been not only isolated from people, including members of our families and our closest friends, we’ve also been isolated from our routines. For instance, many of us rely on simply beingContinue reading “Reduce Isolation”

“My magic words have turned out to be ‘I don’t know.’” – Rachel Naomi Remen This quote ends Remen’s introduction to the last section of her book, “Kitchen Table Wisdom,” what she titled “Mystery & Awe.” As a teacher, I think it’s my job to nurture the concepts of mystery and mastery together, rather thanContinue reading “Mulling the Concepts of Mystery and Mastery”

For just a minute, imagine a solitary child on a playground at a school during recess not being allowed to join a game he very much would like to play. The other children are not being mindfully mean, they are just enjoying their game as it was created and they think that adding another playerContinue reading “Everyone Can Play”

Years ago, I lay in bed one night thinking about my daughter who, at age 19, had just returned home for the summer after completing her first year of college. She was out with her boyfriend and not due home until close to 1am. It was right around 11pm. Normally back then, I made aContinue reading “Leaving the Light On”

There is a tradition in which people believe that when they go too fast, they cause their souls to be left behind. Believing this, they will sometimes purposefully stop in order to allow their souls to catch up. As an exercise, practice having this belief yourself in order to experience patience. To do so, youContinue reading “Practice Patience”

There are lots of ways to consider how what we do impacts the people around us, both right away and in the future. Perhaps the most common is the idea of the “footprint” we leave behind. Me, I prefer the image of a boat’s wake and have used it for years in my conversations withContinue reading “Consider Your Wake”