Tag Archives: personal growth

What I Wish I Had Started Doing Earlier in Life

Posted on September 20, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

I’ve been doing this in one form or another for most of my life. What I wish I’d understood sooner was the value of doing it for myself. Continue reading →

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Since You Asked Twice…

Posted on September 15, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Three months after asking the exact same question, WordPress wants another answer. This time, the advice is simple: don’t get so focused on what’s next that you miss the life happening now. Continue reading →

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The Sunday Pour: The Return to the Barstool—What Familiar Places Teach Us About Growth

Posted on August 30, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

We return to familiar places expecting comfort, but sometimes they show us something more important: how much we’ve changed. The old barstool may still be there, but we may belong for a different reason—or realize we no longer belong at all. Continue reading →

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Don’t Let the Ball Hit the Ground

Posted on August 7, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

One of the best principles I’ve tried to follow is simple: Don’t let the ball hit the ground. But after years of catching whatever came my way, I’ve learned that good advice needs an important second line: Make sure it is actually your ball. Continue reading →

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I Don’t Need Every Student to Like Me

Posted on August 6, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

I still care whether my students like me. But after ten years in the classroom, I no longer believe that being a good teacher means making every student happy. Continue reading →

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What’s Important Now? One Question That Can Change Your Life

Posted on August 2, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

When everything feels important, nothing feels manageable. My stepdad often repeated Lou Holtz’s simple formula for success: W.I.N.—What’s Important Now? Continue reading →

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When Chaos Knocks Us Off Autopilot

Posted on July 6, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

A little chaos can wake us up, stretch us and remind us that the plan was never the point. But too much chaos does not make us stronger. It only leaves us reacting. Continue reading →

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Best Advice: You Play Like You Practice

Posted on June 23, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

The habits we build when we’re young do not usually disappear when life gets more serious. School is preparation for life, and the way we practice now often becomes the way we perform later. Continue reading →

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Make the Most of What You’ve Been Given

Posted on June 21, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Success is not always having the most. Sometimes it is taking whatever has been placed in your hands and proving you can be trusted with it. Continue reading →

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If I Could Master One Skill, It Would Be Organization

Posted on June 18, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

If I could instantly master one skill, it would be organization — not just of things, but of time, activity, space, and priorities. ADHD can make the world feel cluttered before I even know where to begin. Continue reading →

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