A Young Father Makes Some Changes One Sunday as a young father of four children, I found myself doing what I had done for many years—watching sports for pleasure and relaxation. My wife Linda, who was busy in the kitchen making dinner, said something that startled me and shifted my free-time paradigm. “Do we haveContinue reading “Beautiful Things That Keep Teaching Me”
Author Archives: Dean Forman
The Anatomy of Peace
“Our fate is shaped from within ourselves outward, never from without inward.” —Jacques Lusseyran I learned one of the most beautiful lessons of life while on a flight to Hawaii reading The Anatomy of Peace by The Arbinger Institute. Part of living life involves interacting with other people. People in communities often, perhaps inevitably,Continue reading “The Anatomy of Peace”
The Most Beautiful Thing I Learned as a Father
Years ago, my daughter fell in love with a young man whom she met during her summer break from college. I remember their relationship moving rather quickly and her talking about marriage. I counseled her at the time that she was not ready for that step, which did not go over too well. But inContinue reading “The Most Beautiful Thing I Learned as a Father”
The Most Beautiful Thing Ever Learned
What is the most beautiful thing you have ever learned? How did you know it? I have found that few, if anyone, can answer this question without reflection and a long pause. Contemplation is in order for this one as the outcome can lead you to a highly-desired destination—happiness.
Abigail Adams and Linda
“Posterity! You will never know, how much it cost the present Generation, to preserve your Freedom! I hope you will make a good Use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in Heaven, that I ever took half the Pains to preserve it.” Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams, 26 April 1777. AdamsContinue reading “Abigail Adams and Linda”
The Magic Geranium and Becoming Something New by guest writer Linda Forman
As a child I thought geraniums were magic. A simple story helped me maintain the wonder. It is Jane Thayer’s “The Magic Geranium.” Mrs. Smith lived in a drab little house with a drab little yard in the middle of a nice little street. Her house was the drabbest in the neighborhood, but she didContinue reading “The Magic Geranium and Becoming Something New by guest writer Linda Forman”
Live Another Life Through Books: The Power of Literature by guest writer Linda Forman
Books, particularly those classified as Classic Literature, are simply life selected and condensed into words. Most of our education comes through the experiences of others, and the greatest education is the awakening of the heart, and the arousing of the spirit. It is by these processes that we add to our own stature and increase the dimensions of our own lives. As Oliver Wendell Holmes pointed out, “A mind once stretched to a new idea never returns to its original dimensions.”
You, Not Them: Why a Commitment to Your Own Education is Critical
It is perhaps a widely accepted idea that most people hope their children will “do better than they did.” What if I told you that in education, that isn’t likely to happen? I don’t mean for this to discourage you. I mean for this to motivate you. My mentor, author Oliver DeMille, wrote in hisContinue reading “You, Not Them: Why a Commitment to Your Own Education is Critical”
The Good Life and Happiness
I found it interesting that some of the most popular courses on college campuses these days are those about finding the good life or happiness. They have become the most sought-after lectures with class sizes exceeding 1,000 or more. This suggests a population of young adults and a culture that is in search of thatContinue reading “The Good Life and Happiness”
Amazing Grace
Many years ago, prior to conceiving John Adams Academy, I had an epiphany while handing out diplomas at a continuation high school. These are schools where those who have struggled behaviorally and academically are given a new chance at school and life. This senior class was small enough that graduates were given a few momentsContinue reading “Amazing Grace”