Thanks for being on this journey with me

Well...

2022 is coming to an end. And roughly the first half of Aim Academy's third book has now been written. Whenever I am able to take a step back and review the journey that we are on together...it's pretty astonishing. 

Every year we start out feeling like we have a pretty good handle on things...only problem is it's an ejection handle. Sometimes I am forcefully reminded that we're not in Kansas (the Mark's basement) anymore. As you know, in a few short months the school has already changed immensely. So sometimes it feels like all we can do is hang on.

The Sparks have welcomed many new and returning hero's--some just starting their school journey for the first time. Wow...leaving the comfort of the Shire en route to Mordor is so hard. But these young ones have met the trials of the first few months with inspirational grit. Their emotions, brains, and bodies have been pushed to their limits already. But they keep coming back for more. 

They make everyone at the school smile, they remind us all of the wonder of childhood. And they are happy :)

The EES have formed an entirely new identity as an independent studio within the school. Taking advantage of having a guide dedicated solely to them for the first time in Aim's story thus far, they put in enormous amounts of hard work to define, debate, and devise, and discharge duties related to dynamic new and old systems--everything from building the tribe to personal productivity to the hero's journey to tracking progress. 

They are thriving and growing and mature decades beyond their years. And they are happy :)

The DS...well the DS is hard to think about without smiling--still trading fun and laughs for accountability-- most of the time. But moving in the right direction. They have had the fewest changes out of any of the studios this year...and that's largely because they have needed the fewest. Yet, stepping back and observing them it is as clear as day that they have had the exact experience they have needed so far this year. That being said, I am extremely excited that they are about to get a dose of Ms. Serena's magic come Session 4 as she turns a portion of her attention to helping them build their tribe, similar to the work she has done in EES thus far. They are in a perfect spot as a tribe for this transformation to happen. 

They are silly and goofy and hilarious. And kind and loving and serious (...at times lol). And they are happy :)

The LP has set out on a mission to discover truth, to get down the bottom and core of every issue, to unlock the mysteries of the universe, to figure out what a meaningful life is all about. To crack the code of...well, everything. And the craziest part is, they are doing it! They are taking Aim's charge to find a calling and change the world seriously. And if belief is the first step to accomplishing this, they are well on their way because they believe it...actually that's not quite strong enough. They feel it--deep down they know that it's true. Each in their own way...but it's inevitable. 

They are climbing through some seriously scary stretches of their journey...they are faltering at times...they are very aware of the battles they are going to face...they are teenagers...And yet they are happy :)

Which leaves the guides. Well...Ms. Britney and Ms. Serena haven't quit yet...and I haven't moved to Idaho...so...I think you could say we're doing pretty good ;) 

Joking aside--Joseph Cambell, who might be referred to as the architect of the Hero's Journey, once famously said "Follow your bliss". He later changed that to "Follow your blisters''. In that vein, I suppose an apology to each of you is probably in order...for passing on the 'curse of a calling' to each of your children. Who would be so stupid? delirious? delusional? audacious? to attempt to be a world-changer??!! Well...I'm afraid your kids are. Because the mindsets your children are developing are going to lead them to go after tackling/solving some of the world's most pressing and challenging problems. They have already mentally enlisted in the upcoming battles, accepting that at times that will mean a world of comfort and ease is a stranger to them. 

But let's be honest, that world doesn't exist anymore (if it ever did...). 

So I suppose all of that is to say... we guides love what we are doing. And we love your kids. And we love you. And...we are happy :)

(Tired? Yep. Exhausted? Sure. Occasionally daydream of simpler times before Aim?.......Never! Setting a 2023 goal to find a way to model a world class example of balancing all of life's demands in a sustainable way?) 

Enjoy your family time and see you in a couple weeks!