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Motivation Cartoons

Keep failing and keep enduring!

close-up of a jogging couple. The guy is exhausted
Cartoon of a jogging couple
Run the race with perseverance | kevin@kevinspear.com

There was an article in my morning newspaper about an Anderson University professor who gets to participate in Google X lab.

AU professor invited to secret Google X lab » Local News » The Herald Bulletin.

Professor Scott Kennedy talked about the point of research is to fail sometimes. Not only is that the point of research, but it’s also the point of getting anywhere in life. Professor Kennedy says,

I am always telling my students that the point of research is to fail sometimes, to mess up and learn from what happened, what didn’t happen and what didn’t work. You can’t be afraid to try something.

This goes perfectly with the lesson I will be teaching the kids in large group this morning. It’s about endurance: sticking with what you started even when things get tough. Here is the verse for the month:

Let us not become tired of doing good. At the right time we will gather a crop if we don’t give up. Galatians 6:9

Whether it’s science, business, parenting or doing good, we will eventually succeed if we do these things:

  • Keep our eye on the goal
  • Work on them daily
  • Change our tactics or steps when they aren’t working so we can keep moving towards the goal

Go ahead and fail today. If we keep at it and work towards the goal, we will reap that reward in the end.

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Teen Cartoons

Why is it so hard to find a good babysitter?

Cartoon of two teen girls

 

It can be quite difficult to find a good babysitter. You want someone who is good with kids, but doesn’t act like one of the kids. At least, you don’t want to wonder if the babysitter needs a babysitter to watch her and the kids!

You want someone who takes initiative and maybe has some activities for the kids. But you don’t want someone who leaves a mess. You don’t want to vacuum glitter for the next forty days and forty nights!

You want someone who will be in charge, but you don’t want someone who will act like a prison guard. At the same time, you don’t want someone so mousey that the kids take over and your home becomes a scene from Lord of the Flies.

How can you find a good babysitter? Here are some tips that worked for our family.

  • If you attend a church, religious institution or a social club, ask around. A church usually has a youth group. It doesn’t hurt to ask the youth pastor and get to know an available student.
  • Form a co-op with friends that have kids your age. You can either use the network to find qualified babysitters or parents can take turns watching everyone’s kids while the other couples go out.

While this may make things more difficult, please use background checks. Careforhire.com has good tips on how to conduct a background check and what are appropriate and inappropriate ways to do it.

Best of luck!

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technology cartoons

What do cell phones and clean water have in common?

Sketch note of cell phones and clean water
Sketch note of cell phones and clean water
kevin@kevinspear.com

I heard a TED Talk this morning from Andrew Bastawrous about cell phones in the Third World and an app that will help diagnose and cure blindness.

What struck me was when he said more people own cell phones than have access to clean water. I found an article confirming that:

More People Have Cell Phones Than Clean Water | The Corvallis Advocate.

That amazed me for several reasons.

  1. In effect, more people have technology than basic health needs
  2. Land line telephones have become obsolete in the Third World before they became widespread.
  3. This probably means illiterate groups have more access to information than ever before.

While smart phones are still rare in developing nations (according to a Pew survey) , it is only a matter of time until this changes.

This is key for publishers and media professionals. Up to five years ago, I was in discussions where we believed most of our customers still didn’t own a desktop computer. Now, we must admit even remote villages in far-flung regions of the world can access technology. It stands to reason a household may be more likely to own a mobile phone than a printed book.

Think of it! Households that may not have a literate person living there could suddenly have access to information that was otherwise out of their reach. This is more than revolutionary. This could fundamentally change how the world thinks.

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Business Cartoons Parenting Cartoons

How do you know when criticism isn’t working?

Cartoon of a dog washing dishes
Cartoon of a dog washing dishes and a man
Cartoon of a dog washing dishes. A man says to him, “You missed a spot.”

Criticism is the most popular way to teach someone something, isn’t it? When we someone who isn’t doing things the way we think they should, the most natural way to teach is to correct the individual.

So why do we hate criticism?

  • Because it can tear down a person if we’re not careful.
  • A small problem magnifies a huge problem.
  • Without some tact, we sound brutish and hurtful.
  • The receiver of criticism interprets it through the lens of past experiences.
    • Experience with the one who is criticizing
    • Experience with the task they’re being criticized for.

How can we correct a problem if criticism doesn’t work?

  • Be vulnerable. No one likes to receive criticism if the one sending it displays an air of perfection. People are much more receptive to criticism if we are honest about our own faults.
  • Choose your battles. Is it really worth pointing out that little spot when ninety-nine percent of the job was perfectly?
  • Point out the good more than the bad. It is easy to focus on the bad news, but who likes to hear it? A critical point goes further if most of the time we her positive comments.

How do you effectively use criticism in your business or with your kids?

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Publishing

Why did this graphic designer get his MBA?

baby in a cap and gown

Spear 3785

I just graduated with my MBA! I am thankful for all the help and encouragement I received from Anderson University the last two years. It’s been a great journey!

I know much more about business than I did when I began this journey over two years ago, yet there is so much more I need to know. I probably felt like the baby I drew in my illustration above. You hear it all the time: the more I learn, the more I realize how little I know.

So why did a designer and illustrator decide to go back to school?There were a few reasons that came to mind when I began this venture.
  1. I have seen my father and the fathers of my friends go through early retirements and lay-off’s in the middle of their career. I knew it was too risky to just stay put and hope it never happened to me.
  2. If I had to compete with younger designers half my age, I knew I would need a competitive advantage. There are many good designers and then there are good business people. Rarely do the two groups merge.
  3. The publishing industry continued to go through seismic changes.
    1. Few people know what to do with this new publishing revolution.
    2. I wanted to be part of the solution instead of waiting for someone else to figure it out.
I am glad I made this journey. When I graduated with my bachelors, I had wished I had another extra years to take in some business, theology and psychology classes. I have had the privilege to get the business know-how for the last two years. We’ll see when I can fit in the other subjects.
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