Author Archives: Andy Smallman

I regularly encourage people to recognize there are always positive things taking place and to find ways to contribute to them. I think this is especially important right now due to the polarization and divisiveness we are all experiencing. In short, it’s important to notice, remember, and contribute to the good stuff. For this article,Continue reading “Recognizing Our Common Humanity”

In the book “The Power of Kindness,” author Piero Ferrucci talks about how human beings are able to “resonate” with other human beings. I love this concept. He tells us that the ability is with us from birth, but if it doesn’t develop sufficiently we are in trouble. Me, I think the ability can beContinue reading “Tap Into Your Resonance”

In 1985, at age 22, I was a first-year college student at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA. I had spent the four years since graduating from high school trying to figure out who I was, my high school having done such a poor job of helping me do that. Having been moved byContinue reading “Dyslexia, an Advanced Form of Evolution?”

I’ve been thinking lately about times when I’ve jumped to an incorrect conclusion. Like everyone, I take information I have about an event and I respond to it. But when my responses are negative or hurtful, this can be bad. This is especially so when my reactions are based on faulty information. So it’s helpfulContinue reading “The Secret to Slowing Down Your Negative Reactions”

I’ve often told my students an allegory that was told to me by one of my most important teachers when I was a young adult, the story of two people walking at dawn one morning, the rising sun at their backs. One paused and turned to look at the beautiful sunrise, awed by its beauty.Continue reading “Focusing Our Attention on the Profound”

I once facilitated a high school literature class that included reading Annie Dillard’s book “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek.” Dillard begins chapter two by sharing that when she was a small child she’d sometimes hide a penny in her neighborhood for someone to find. She’d write out directions with chalk that lead to the penny, withContinue reading “Kindness is Out There Just Waiting to be Found”

We all have repetitious tasks that may seem tedious, even boring to do, so much so that we might complete them on auto-pilot. But these are often the tasks that need to get to done to ensure the bigger projects get done. If it helps, think about what happens to your teeth if you don’tContinue reading “How to Appreciate the Mundane Tasks in Our Lives”

Can anything be beautiful without it having a flaw? Put another way, is it the flaws that make something unique, even beautiful? Seen in this light, is there such a thing as a flaw? You may be familiar with the phrase, “a Persian flaw,” the concept of which has to do with purposely adding aContinue reading “Just What is a Flaw, Anyway?”

In 2010, I asked Matt Harding, whose “Where the Hell is Matt” video has been viewed over 50 million times on YouTube, to come meet my students. You’ve probably seen the video: Back in 2010, I know I had seen it, as had pretty much all of my students at Puget Sound Community School inContinue reading “Ask For What You Want”