Six Flags Fright Fest Aptly Named

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Six Flags Fright Fest Aptly NamedSix Flags will never be the same. 9 teenagers violently beat a couple in their 50’s and their 12 year old son. The teens cut into line and were cursing. When the parents asked the teens to stop cursing, they sucker punched their 12 year old son. When the parents tried to intervene, they were beaten severely by the gang of kids. All 3 of them ended up in the hospital.

Wow. What is going on in our society? How does something like this take place? How is it that these kids have come to the point that they think this is cool, fun, or OK on any level to beat someone senseless? Where is their conscience? Where is their remorse?

I am angry about it, but I am also grieving. Where are the parents of these kids? Where was the security at Six Flags? Why is there such a blatant disregard for human life these days? Why are so many people filled with rage and ready to unleash at the slightest provocation?

Evil has no reason, no conscience, and no regrets. Evil takes. It never gives. Evil seduces people into thinking that there will be no consequences. Unfortunately, those who are seduced will have a severe wake up call. They will either end up in prison or in the morgue if they don’t change. That is the part that grieves me. Number one, I don’t want to see anyone getting hurt. Number two, I love kids and I hate to see them following the wrong people and jumping off the cliff to oblivion….taking countless lives with them.

Here is what I personally would like to see:

  • Parents start acting like parents and quit letting their kids run crazy. I realize that some parents are trying and some kids are going to rebel no matter what, but I am talking about the countless kids that have absentee fathers, no discipline, and nobody holding them accountable until it is too late. Parents need to step up and start parenting.
  • We need to have proper security at public events…even Six Flags. If this can happen at Six Flags, don’t think it can’t happen in your community at some local event. Proper security would have deterred those thugs from mauling that family.
  • There have to be consequences for criminal behavior. The 18 year old perpetrator was the only one pictured because the others were under 18 and considered juvenile. There has to come a point where we hold kids accountable for crimes, regardless of how old they are. I realize this is very complicated, but how do kids get away with beating a family senseless just because they are juveniles? I know they will go to some type of detention center, but when will we wake up and realize that what we are doing is not working? Most people in prison have rap sheets that are long…indicating that they are repeat offenders. It starts early, and left unchecked it will last a lifetime.

Please don’t take this blog as a slam against kids, blacks, or any other broad tag you might want to attach. It is a plea for us to change. We have to learn to recognize the problems with kids early on and help them get on the right path. They have to see that there are consequences by experiencing them. You can’t just talk about it. Talk is cheap and it has no teeth.

I love kids, but I am deeply concerned that if we don’t change what we are doing, we will lose much of the next generation to evil, and then we all have a price to pay.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

A Time and Place

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A Time and Place dan skognes motivation blogger speaker teacher trainer coach educatorThere is a proverb which says, “There is a time and place for everything.” That means there is a time to kneel and a time to stand. I was reminded of the proverb Monday night at the beginning of the Cowboys’ football game.

Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys did something totally unexpected, and it was beautiful. They knelt in unity on the field before the National Anthem, and stood in unity during the National Anthem. It was brilliant.

Our country is deeply divided on so many issues. I think that is why this kneeling thing got so much hype. It is not about kneeling…it is about “rights.” The problem seems to be when your rights come into direct opposition to my rights, who is right? How do you resolve that when both sides have rights? Respect.

You don’t have to agree with one another to just show respect. My rights don’t outweigh your rights, and yours don’t outweigh mine. We can’t change each another. We may be able to influence and encourage one another…but we have to respect one another if we expect to have any peace or progress.

My hope and prayer is this: May we set aside our “rights” when they are in direct conflict with our brother. May we seek to understand and think outside the box to find common ground. May we realize that there is a time and place for everything. We don’t have to compromise our morals, our core beliefs, or who we are. We just have to be willing to show respect for the other person and allow them to be different.

I pray this over our President, our Congress, our NFL, our churches, our civic organizations, and all the various ethnic groups which make up America. We are a diverse country with a common goal of freedom. That freedom comes with a price, and we can’t forget those who have paid the price on the battlefield so we can play on the football field.

There is a time and place for everything. I believe that we can come together as a country and truly show the world why America is great. Shalom!

Dan Skognes

Prescription for Prayer

Posted in Business, Motivational, Relationships, Spiritual

With all the things going on in the world today, I don’t know how anyone survives without prayer. There are catastrophes galore, unspeakable acts of evil abounding, and chaos seems to be the theme of the day. This week I was reminded of how much we need to pray. I was at school and one of the ladies who works there was quite despondent. I know her to be a jubilant person most of the time, so I knew immediately that something was terribly wrong. When I asked her why she was upset, she did not want to speak. I could tell she was fighting back the tears. I told her it was OK, and gently asked her again to tell me what was wrong. She said she had relatives in Puerto Rico and had not been able to reach them for the past 4 days because of the hurricane. She is just one of many teachers we have on staff that have family in Puerto Rico and Mexico which have both succumbed recently to natural disasters. I simply told her what she already knew: prayer is the answer. God is still in control. The best thing we can do for those in peril and for ourselves is to pray! She agreed and thanked me for the encouragement. I saw her later that day and asked her how she was doing. She smiled and said she was feeling much better. Sometimes we just have to be reminded of the power of prayer. Worry is a terrible thing and can weigh down the heart of the mightiest warrior. Prayer is a powerful weapon when you have everything to lose and no sign of hope ahead. I realize it takes faith as well, and that faith has to be in God. Only He can change the course of a river or the heart of a King….but he can do it. With Him, everything is possible. Whatever you are facing today, turn it over to God. I have included a prescription for you from Him. It is available to you right now. You won’t even have to wait in line at the pharmacy! Just accept it, use it, and trust God for the results. P.S. God’s Son paid for it. Shalom! Dan Skognes

Smile

Posted in Business, Motivational, Relationships

Smile dan skognes motivation blogger speaker teacher trainer coach educatorI smile a lot. I can’t help it. When I was in High School a kid nicknamed me “Smiley!”  LOL. I did not take offense to it. Smiles are truly magical. If you don’t believe it, put on a big smile and just walk around a store and see what happens. People perk up and smile back. Of course there are always the ones who are determined to be grumpy…and I pray for them. :o)

When teaching children, I learned a long time ago to look them in the eye, smile, and call them by name. Those three things get their attention and let them know that they matter to you. It is disarming to look at someone who is genuinely smiling at you. They know you care when you smile.

I use the same technique on fellow teachers, the Principals, the front office staff, the janitors, the kitchen helpers. It is great to see them light up. I had a parent tell me yesterday she missed me when I was not there in the cafeteria to help with the kids because I brought LIFE to the kids. Wow. That was so humbling for me to hear, and yet I believe it starts with a smile.

I am one of the ones chosen to do the dreaded drive line (helping kids get out of the car when they arrive at school), and also the dreaded cafeteria duty (keeping around 700 kids in line, in their seats, eating quietly, and not hitting each other…LOL). I use music on the drive line and it works like magic. Some kids start dancing. Some come and give me hugs. Almost all of them look at me and SMILE. Pretty cool way to start the day, don’t you think? In the cafeteria I stand at the door and greet them one by one as they come in. I don’t use the music then because we are trying to get them calm for lunch, but I do still smile, call them by name if I know it, and give high fives and fist bumps.

Try smiling more and you will find yourself grumbling less. It is a key to unlocking all relationships.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

Attitude Is One Thing We Can Change

Posted in Business, Motivational, Relationships

Attitude Is One Thing We Can Change dan skognes motivation blogger speaker teacher trainer coach educator

I heard a sermon recently and the pastor was talking about our attitude. He said, “Attitude is one of the main keys to unlocking joy in your life.” I believe he hit the nail on the head with that one. It has been said that “Attitude determines altitude.” I like that as well. Too many of us allow negative attitudes to limit how high, how fast, or how far we will go.

Why do we give negative attitudes the power to rule us? Our attitude matters. Somehow we have managed to lose sight of that.

Here are a few things I have learned about attitude that may affect yours in a positive way:

  • Learning to be grateful is one of the most powerful attitudes you can develop. When you learn to be truly grateful for what you have, no matter how great or how small or how difficult, you have learned the secret to being content.
  • Comparing ourselves to others is a losing battle. There will always be someone who has more than you. You don’t know what they had to sacrifice to get what they have, and yet you want what they have and you want it now. Develop an attitude of, “I am going to work my tail off to get what I want.” Don’t expect it to happen overnight. Hard work will pay off if you learn to persevere.
  • Little things matter when it comes to attitude. Say “Thank you.” Say “Please.” Say “I love you.” Say, “I am sorry. Will you forgive me?” Compliment others and mean it! Do those little things consistently and it will put you on a positive path every day.
  • Take control of your attitude or it will control you.
  • Attitudes are habitual. Why not be habitually happy instead of bitter, resentful, remorseful, and angry?  It is your choice.

Determine today to change your attitude regardless of what it is, and make it better. You can go places that you never dreamed possible if you do.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

 

The Flea Song

Posted in Business, Motivational, Relationships

The Flea Song dan skognes motivation blogger speaker teacher trainer coach educatorTeaching is kind of like being a janitor with a key ring that has 50 keys on it. He has to know which key works on which door. It is the same thing with teaching. We have to figure out which key unlocks the hearts and minds of our kids. That is not an easy task even on our best days.

This week I was assisting a substitute teacher in 3rd grade. She was having a rough time when I came in. I watched the chaos for a moment and asked some of the kids who were wandering around the class what they were doing. They said they were waiting for their next assignment.

I asked the teacher if I had her permission to teach these kids who were finished a song. It was basically to give her a break and give them something to do. She said, “OK.” The song is one I learned when I was around 12 years old and I still remember the song and who taught it to me. The song is one where I give them the line and then they have to repeat it back to me verbatim. It gets progressively harder and really challenges their listening capabilities. Here is how it goes:

Flea

Flea fly

Flea fly flow

Veestay!

Pamalama camalama camalama veestay

Oh no no no no not the veestay!

Veestay!

Eeenie meanie disaleenie ah ooh ooh maleenie

Acha chacha coomaracha ah ooh ooh

Eeenie meanie disaleenie ah ooh ooh maleenie, acha chacha coomaracha ah ooh ooh.

Ish bibli oaten doaten, bo bo padeeten dotin, why not, and SHHHHHH.

Obviously it is just a silly song, but the kids LOVED it and giggled all through it. There is a tune that goes with it along with some simple hand movements. I came back to the class the next day to be their sub and guess what they wanted me to do with them? The Flea Song!  LOL.

Here is what I learned about sharing this song with them:

  • Kids engage more readily when they have fun.
  • They love to laugh, be silly, and learn at the same time.
  • They are not afraid of a challenge.

The substitute teacher I was assisting asked me, “What language is that?”  I had to laugh. I told her it is just a fun song that teaches kids phonics and how to really listen!

That “key” did not work on the whole class by the way. Some kids were still off doing their own thing, but now I know that this key works on some of the kids. I still have to find the right key for the other ones.

The good thing for them is I do have a master key for all of them, and that is love.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

Crazy

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Texas High School Coaching Salaries dan skognes motivation blogger speaker teacher trainer coach educatorPeople outside of Texas have long suspected that Texans were crazy. Well, we have come out and given everyone proof today that we have lost our minds. The front page of the paper today showed that we are paying high school football coaches twice as much as we are paying our teachers. One affluent district around Austin is paying their head coach $155,156. That is $30,000 more than the Principal makes, and three times more than what the teachers make. Wow. Just wow. We have lost our minds, apparently.

Don’t get me wrong. I love football, but I also love teaching and have a great respect for what teachers do to prepare kids for life. Should we really be paying a coach two to three times more than the teacher that is teaching your kid English, Math, Science, or History, Music, Art, etc.? Really, is football THAT important to us as a state?

I don’t fault coaches for making six figures. I fault tax payers for letting this happen and not giving equal pay to the thousands of other teachers who are educating their kids. Oh, I get it. We can’t “afford” to give everyone a raise to six figures. Um hum; right. I think we find a way to justify whatever we want to do as a society.

I am just shaking my head at the absurdity of the situation and wondering how this happened in the first place. How did anyone in authority have the audacity to think this up? Football has always been a religion here in Texas. Sadly, it distorts for our youth what matters in life.

Anyone who has been an athlete realizes that there is life after football, and you had better be prepared for that. It sure helps if you can read, speak, write, comprehend math, and know your science and history.

To all my coaching friends, this is not an indictment against you or anything you have done. I love you guys and I love the sport of football. I just think we need to put it in perspective with the rest of education. Who knows, maybe I am the crazy one.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

To Cope

Posted in Business, Motivational, Relationships, Spiritual

To Cope dan skognes motivation blogger speaker teacher trainer coach educatorEverywhere I look I see people trying to cope, yet so many seem to be going under despite their best efforts to stay afloat. Life for them is a roller coaster ride that they can’t escape.

To cope, you have to have hope. To have hope, you have to have something to believe in beyond your own capabilities. Hope is the anchor we have in the storms of life. It is what gives us a reason to go on despite how dark the horizon appears or how fearful we may feel inside.

People turn to many things to help them cope. Substance abuse masks the pain, but it always returns when the medication wears off. People turn to affairs or casual sex to fill the void of loneliness. Unfortunately, that does not cure the underlying problem. Compulsive buying or binge eating are also common problems that people use to try and cope. The problem is that you can’t buy peace and lasting happiness. Binge eating will just make you overweight and shorten your life.

Coping in a healthy way requires two things:

  • Faith your fears. Holding on to fear will kill your hope.

            Face Everything And Rise or Forget Everything And Run. It is your choice!

  • Quit worrying about things that are out of your control. What good does worrying do? None!

You may be familiar with the first stanza of The Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr, but did you know there is a second stanza? Here is the full prayer:

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next.
Amen.

That is how I cope and that is my hope.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

Stop Complaining

Posted in Business, Motivational, Relationships

Stop Complaining dan skognes motivation blogger speaker teacher trainer coachIf you are like me, you probably get tired of being around people who complain. Whiners tend to dwell on the worst case scenarios: “I will probably get fired, so why try? I hate this marriage. I am out of here! Why can’t I get a break? Why is everyone on MY case?” Blah blah blah.

Am I wrong? Don’t you know someone who fits that bill? You either have them in your family, your work place, or in your circle of friends. Here is the problem with complainers…they are contagious. They are not happy wallowing in their grief alone. They will tell anyone willing to listen about all of the injustices they have suffered until someone is sucked into their misery.

If you are dealing with a complainer in your life, here are a few suggestions you might want to consider:

  • Try to clarify the reality of the situation so that they can see it for what it really is…not what they imagine or worry it could be.
  • Help them to start looking at things differently. It begins with learning to be grateful. They have to learn how to be thankful for what they have and learn to be content regardless of the circumstances. He who maintains a positive attitude in a bad circumstance wins.
  • Sometimes people who are bent on complaining are so warped in their perception you literally have to quit trying to convince them it is going to be OK. You can pray for them, but if they won’t listen to reason, why are you wasting your breath? I do understand the desire to not give up on someone, but you don’t want to cross the line from supporting someone to enabling them. That is a fine line that you do not want to cross.
  • Help them develop the habit of positive thinking. Words matter. If all they do is continually spout negative things over their lives, they are going to reap what they sow; they will either speak blessings or curses.
  • Quitting an attitude of complaints may require something radical. It might mandate a change of friends. Negative friends will pollute their thinking. You might have to draw some hard lines for them to adhere to for everyone’s sake, including their own. If you want to know what someone is like, spend time with the friends they hang with. We are all a reflection of the people we call friends.

I hope that we can start living with an attitude of gratitude. Quit complaining, and start living the life we were intended to live. Be thankful not for the circumstances, but in all circumstances. Life is too short to live with a glass half empty. Opportunity is in the other half of the glass.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes