At the end of Summer ’17, Kate, the boys and I packed up the family car and headed west for a long trip. We had pulled the boys out of school (something they want again right now!) for an adventure spanning most of the Western states between Labor Day and Thanksgiving.

After a few fun stops along the way, we found ourselves in Jackson Hole, WY, and floating down the Snake River, paddles in hand.

The Snake is one of the west’s great rivers. Starting not far from Jackson Hole and dumping into the Columbia before hitting the Pacific, the Snake travels 1078 miles and drops 8500 feet from the source to the mouth

Our one-and-a-half-hour trip on the river was amazing – stunning views, great rapids and (very) refreshing water. Looking up the canyon walls, it was easy to see the highwater line from earlier in the spring – 14 feet above us!

The Power of Snowflakes and Rain Drops

Snowflakes are tiny things, each famously different from the rest. Individually, they don’t take up a lot of room. And, they are so fragile. Put your hand out, catch one, and you’ll see it disappear in seconds.

Yet, you get them together…. In fact, close to 700 inches of the stuff had fallen around the source basin for the Snake leading to one of the most incredible melts in recent memory. The trip we enjoyed in September took just half the time three months earlier due to all the water.

We are witnessing the power of collected water right now in the Carolinas. Some forecasters project that Hurricane Florence will drop 10 trillion gallons of water on the ground over the next few days. We are all praying our friends get through the onslaught safely.

Drips become torrents. Rain drops collect, rush down mountains. These collected torrents move boulders, form rivers that cut mountainsides.

Your reactions, your attitude, your thoughts are the same way.

The Collection of Attitude

Each and every moment, you get to choose how you act and react. Only you have control of that little (and sometimes very loud) voice inside your head. You can also choose the emotions you wear. Remember – most of your intent is communicated by your body, what your eyes, face and posture broadcast.

We talk about this a lot at camp. Having had the opportunity to observe thousands of kids and staff over the years both in and out of camp, I’ve come to the conclusion: we are better a choosing our attitude at camp than anywhere else.

This happens for a number of reasons, I think. First, we talk about it a lot. It seems we must be reminded of this power we have over our attitude. At camp, it’s pretty constant through those around you and the messages you get. Secondly, there are no other or at least very few concerns. You simply get to be in the present. Lastly, well… it’s just a lot of fun.

An author named Roy Bennett wrote: “Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely.”

It’s a great reminder and one I hope you’ll remember in the weeks and months ahead as move through the school year and back towards camp. Your attitude, that which you show all of those around you on a moment to moment, drip by drip, is your gift to them… and to yourself.

Why choose to make that gift anything but great?

Have a fantastic week!

Growing up, I got to spend a few weeks each summer at my grandparent’s house in Maine. Located about a half mile bike ride away was a small, protected cove full of crabs, sea glass, drift wood, and sand – a perfect play pen for my brother and I.

Flipping over tidal pools rocks in search of crabs was a full-time job. We got pretty good at it. One morning, though, everything changed.

Without planning it, we arrived at the lowest ebb of a full-moon tide. We had never seen the water that low… or that many perfect rocks to flip!

Wading out under the watchful eye of our father, we started our exploration. The first two rocks hid a few little crabs. The third, however, produced a new sight: a mottled-red flash heading backwards from under rock – a baby lobster!

The next rock produced the same thing! And then another! By the time the hour was up, we had seven baby lobsters, four pinches on our fingers, and a new appreciation for the Cove. For the next few summers, we were glued to the moon and tide schedule, planning our forays to the land of lobsters – net in hand.

Fast forward a few summers. We wake up to our father laughing at the morning paper – not a normal occurrence. The first page story: after spending a lot of money, Maine universities discovered that baby lobsters head close to shore in order to grow into maturity.

Umm… all they had to do was ask a couple of Georgia boys and we would have told the same thing!

‘Duh’ Studies

The modern world is often finding out things we already know. In recent years, studies have shown separating technology from kids at camp increase their empathy and connection with the world. We’ve ‘learned’ physical exercise is a great thing for you. Video games and phones are additive.

We’ve also learned that gratitude, pride and compassion are important for your health. From a recent David DeSteno NY TIMES Article:

What these findings show is that pride, gratitude and compassion, whether we consciously realize it or not, reduce the human mind’s tendency to discount the value of the future. In so doing, they push us not only to cooperate with other people but also to help our own future selves.

Feeling pride or compassion has been shown to increase perseverance on difficult tasks by over 30 percent. Likewise, gratitude and compassion have been tied to better academic performance, a greater willingness to exercise and eat healthily, and lower levels of consumerism (and) impulsivity….

If using willpower causes stress, using these emotions actually heals: They slow heart rate, lower blood pressure and reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. By making us value the future more, they ease the way to patience and perseverance.

Perhaps most important, while these emotions enhance self-control, they also combat another problem of modern life: loneliness.

Ask any camper at Weequahic and they’ll tell you the same thing: the more gratitude you exhibit, the better you feel. They’ve been practicing this for a lot of years and have tons of evidence – better relationships, happier moments, and a huge reduction in anxiety and a lot less loneliness.

Gratitude, Attitude and Courage

GAC does not have to last only at camp. Think of coming to Weequahic as your re-charging station and these weekly blog posts as minor jumpstarts in the process. Yes, it’s a lot easier to get the full experience at camp when everyone around you practices the same way. Yes, it’s harder at school because not everyone has learned the power of practicing gratitude, choosing your attitude, and developing courage.

All of this is not to say you can’t live in a GAC way year-round. You can. It’s a choice to remember what’s important. And, how you act on a daily basis? That’s up to you, too.

Duh, right?

Have a great week!

During the last few gasps of summer, the boys and I hit the local pool for some fun in the sun. Our pool does not have the same great view of Sly Lake that we enjoy at camp but it’s still pretty nice.

After throwing Luke and Jack around a bit, I took a break by the side of the pool. As two little neighborhood boys skittered by, I couldn’t help but overhearing their conversation:

“Yours is an ‘outie.’ My belly button is an ‘innie.’ Yours is cooler than mine….”

Ha! It’s a conversation I remember having a similar conversation with a buddy forty years ago. With our boys starting school, my thoughts drifted to their groups of friends. It made me think of ‘innies’ and ‘outies’ from a social standpoint. Of course, that got me thinking of camp, specifically about how we train our staff.

Kate comes up with all sorts of games for our staff to play during Orientation. They think it’s all just for fun… at first. And, not surprisingly, most of the games start in the form of a circle.

Circle One

One of my favorites has all of the staff form a couple of really big circles. Each has about 50 staff member standing shoulder to shoulder, facing inward. Two staff members are picked out at random and we tell them to try and get in the circle.

Well, those two normally do everything they can – jumping, trying break through, sliding underneath legs, etc. The circle members, without being told to, normally do their best to keep the ‘intruder’ out.

This is a pretty normal response. If you were ‘in’ the circle, you’d probably get a little competitive and think, ‘They aren’t going to get into the circle by me!’

But is that the point of game? No, the point was for the person ‘outside’ to get inside the circle. What if they just walked up, tapped someone in the circle on the shoulder and asked, “Mind if I come in?”

How many times have you seen someone do everything they can to try to get ‘in your circle?’ The more outlandish things they try, the more annoying they become, right?

But what if they just walked up and said ‘Hi. Mind if I join you?’ You’d probably be more likely to let them, wouldn’t you?

Circle Two

Another circle game has the staff get in groups of five. They exchange names, answer a few goofy questions, and laugh a bit while getting to know one another.

Then, for some random reason, we pick one staff member to leave the group. Whoever is tallest. Which staff member has the longest hair. Whoever traveled the furthest to get to camp, etc.

They are literally cast out and told to find another group. The four remaining in the group are asked to remain silent.

It’s tough seeing those people wander about trying to find a group of four to join. The limit for each group is five people so there is always a lot looking around for a new crew. They are searching for a group, wandering the room, not knowing if and when they’ll find a new group.

We do this once or twice before we introduce a wrinkle: having your name called out. This changes everything.

Rather than the groups of people remaining silent while some person searches for a group to join, the group of four start actively calling the wanderer’s name. ‘Sarah, come join us.’ ‘Drew, over here!’ ‘Scrappy, we need you!’

Totally different experience, isn’t it? That simple change – from silent to calling – makes all the difference. It’s always better being called, invited, than not, right? All it takes is for the group to start looking outward and having the courage to call out.

Your Circle

One of the great things about our summers at Weequahic is the circle we form together. It’s big, it’s inclusive, and it’s really fun. The challenge for you back home is to actively decide what type of circle you’ll have and/or how you’ll try to enter other circles.

Almost every ‘circle’ you’ll see will be facing inward towards each other. And they should – it’s fun to be with your friends. However, it’s equally important to sometimes open up the circle to add more people… as long as they make the circle better.

It’s also important to sometimes completely turn the circle so that you are facing outwards, arms open and out-stretched.

That’s how we want camp to feel when our campers get here – counselors shoulder to shoulder, arms stretched out, reaching and smiling towards the on-coming campers. It makes for a great start.

You can do the same with your friends and possible-friends back home. You’ll have an ‘outie’ circle that way… and it’ll be pretty cool.

Have a great start to the school year!