It was probably the middle of the night when this video crossed my streams. I knew that it was too long to be a TV commercial and was probably created by Apple for their recent WWDC event. Apple certainly knows how to tell a beautiful story or in this case, beautiful stories. Monday’s WWDC keynote began with an infographic-style video strongly sharing the message about focus and this is why we do what we do. It’s not about selling the most or having the shiniest new tech toy. It was a Steve Jobs maxim that the secret to success was to always stay focused and to say no to all of the noises that would distract one from ones goal(s). That’s how one makes a difference, by staying focused and committed to ones vision.

When I began my teaching career 18-years ago I set aside everything in my life because I knew that that was what it was going to take to get through those early years. Coming back from my CIDP these past months I’ve been more than a little frustrated because, while my energy level and stamina have been increasing day-by-day, I don’t feel like I have gotten a handle on my ability to focus and execute on the ideas that have been running through my head. I’m still somewhere between getting better and carefully making sure that I don’t over-due it or do anything that might cause a set-back in my recovery.

Watching the Apple video reminded me that it’s not about the number of hours worked or how quickly one can get through ones inbox, but believing that what one does is important and focusing on doing that better every day. I know that not everyone is lucky enough to have a career that they believe in and maybe there’s a message in that reality. I just know that I’m lucky that way and need to see through the struggles to the next set of challenges. Even given the struggles with my illness this past year has been a wake-up call to re-center my focus and really get down to what’s important in my life. I mean, I get to work on making education better and helping those who are going to fix what’s broken in the system. That seems like a worthwhile endeavor.