Perseverance Perseverantia
Sticking with hard things until they're done, while still knowing when to change course.
50 moments from Aim’s letters home, newest first. Each letter opens with the part that shows perseverance highlighted.
What's actually happening inside the Lamentum Institute
A young eagle who has hated reading for as long as he's been at Aim — sitting on the floor of his house room, working his way through a Monsters guide page by page, because he wanted the card badly enough to fight through the thing he's avoided his whole life.
Read the letter →I'm back...and we need to talk about the Odyssey
I've watched an eagle limp through laps on a tree-branch crutch singing improvised pirate songs to fight off the depression his character was feeling.
Read the letter →Heroes Aren't Just For Stories
This is why you'll see your child intentionally choosing hard things. The Spark who asks for harder books to read because the ones on the shelf no longer challenge them, the ES hero who doesn't give up on building their hammock even after many failed attempts, the Upper Studio Eagle who gives of their time to help a fellow traveler complete a Quest challenge.
Read the letter →Well...now what? Part 3
If you are anything like me, they are not heroes because they are perfect. Quite the opposite. They are deeply flawed ordinary people who make mistakes over and over and over again and yet somehow find the strength to continue getting better and ultimately change the world.
Read the letter →A few words about the School Council...
Despite the difficulty and the emotional toll it can exact, they persist, driven not by personal enjoyment but by a dedication to the greater good of our community. This selfless approach underscores a maturity beyond their years; they recognize the importance of their role even when it's hard, even when it's the last thing they might want to do.
Read the letter →The Odyssey is not just a game...
This raw encounter taught him about the depths of adversity, the feeling of hopelessness, and the strength it takes to endure in the face of overwhelming odds.
Read the letter →Work hard, play hard. The new motto for ES.
Now don't get me wrong, they have rolled with the punches every time. Well...to be more accurate, they have done more than that. We at Aim believe in antifragility as opposed to just resilience--meaning they haven't just weathered the storms, they have grown from them. Tremendously.
Read the letter →A Tapestry of Lessons: Chess, Cooking, and Art
This system not only taught them a handful of life-lessons in economics and financial planning, but drove home the fulfillment that comes from persistent dedication to improving something you care about.
Read the letter →Ok two posts in two days? That's just crazy
An eagle doing laps to explore, limping along on an injured leg with a makeshift crutch made out of a tree limb, singing his heart out to improvised pirate tunes to stave off the depression his character was feeling.
Read the letter →Two roads diverged in a wood...
You know as well as I do, there was an enormous amount of work that went into those. The stakes were high, the pressure was palpable, and the eagles prevailed :)
Read the letter →Would Aim still be your tribe...
When I watch these heroes peer down into their innermost cave, resist the urge to run away and retreat, and instead press on at times utterly alone, only to find out the cave is actually a network of caves that extends beyond their line of vision, and yet they move forward, I am inspired.
Read the letter →Session 4 Aim Academy Roundup - EES & DS
Watching your Eagles, these young heroes, each on their own road of trials, facing down the obstacles in their robot game and in their studios-- watching them not draw back when encountering struggles in learning, challenges within their studio or stumbling through an exhibition-- this is what inspires me. They learn, they fall, they get up, they do it again. And again. And again. They are resilient.
Read the letter →My biggest takeaway from this morning?
Messy and painful and at times excruciatingly slow...but these eagles are marching steadily on towards becoming the heroes of their own lives, and in the lives of others--what I suppose one might call heroic fulfillment.
Read the letter →Two and a half hours of gut-wrenching soul testing later...
I find it to be quite the coincidence that this came the day after everyone at Aim signed a new pledge about the road of trials... "Do Not Draw Back" it said. Do not draw back indeed! Your kids gave a world-class example today of what that really means.
Read the letter →Thanks for being on this journey with me
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.
Read the letter →The symphony of Flow and the hardships of the road.
Despite the frustration (and tears), there were some beautiful moments on this challenging hike. Pausing to enjoy the confetti of leaves falling as the wind blew through the colorful trees; sharing bits of insight and wisdom as they evaluated their strategy; and pressing forward together regardless of the challenge.
Read the letter →My sincerest apologies...
Like when one eagle essentially had the rope around the back of his neck (no choking hazard, but painful at times), a few of his fellow travelers suggested he lower it around his waist. He refused and said he wanted to keep the challenge because he didn't want to take the easy way out.
Read the letter →How well do you know your eagles?
But they had come this far. Turning back now didn't feel like an option. It was then I noticed a grasshopper in the trail. Well you know what happened next. Dissected like a diced tomato. Down the hatch. Fifteen extra minutes earned.
Read the letter →Any astrophysicists out there? Someone help me out...
And so does figuring out how to purchase and pump gas for the first time, pouring said gas into a pressure washer...only to realize it requires ethanol free, so you're left scrambling to figure out how to pump it out and replace it with the proper product so you can make your appointment with one of your first customers.
Read the letter →Expanding your mind is exhausting work
Because stuttering...stumbling...clumsily blundering through unexplored mental pathways...painstakingly crafting virgin sentences one hesitant word at a time...these eagles are forging world-shaking character.
Read the letter →"Well....here we go!"
New muscles are being exercised in leading discussions, delegating, compromising, stepping up, and stepping back. Several days the eagles have voted to give up their free time for a 'working lunch' to continue the conversation!
Read the letter →Well...now what? (6/17/22)
But...we hung on. We kept fighting. And growing. Quest after quest, failure after failure. Until the life-changing moments of the last several emails began to pile up.
Read the letter →One chapter ends...another begins...(5/27/22)
Yet, this growth, as is the case with any growth, did not come easy. It did not leave the tribe unscathed. It took everything each of us had. And then asked a little more.
Read the letter →Session Roundup (5/20/22)
There were really no 'Chance' cards or Freebies in this quest. They had to put in the work in 30 minute increments day after day to build and barter and buy their way to a stable country. Through starvation, revolution, and war--they had kept fighting their way through progress.
Read the letter →Experiencing history is not easy…..is it worth it? (3/26/22)
I offered the eagles the choice to end the Civil War, even though the challenges we set for them hadn't been completed yet. Perhaps they had learned enough that it was time to move on to another time period. Perhaps it was time to turn the page and move forward. 100% of them voted against the proposition. They wanted to come back on Monday and continue fighting the fight.
Read the letter →The Story Continues...(3/3/22)
The eagles were more physically, mentally, and emotionally spent than I think they have ever been, yet they didn't want to turn back. That is a wisdom, courage, and determination I have rarely seen...
Read the letter →The Price of Freedom (3/1/22)
He got back up into position with a fiery determination in his eyes and began to hold it. A moment later a few of the other rebels saw what was going on. Before I knew it, he was joined by four others in the wall sit position.
Read the letter →Year 2 Session 4 (1/22/22)
Does that mean this isn't the right model at that point? Or is it just an opportunity to learn even more life lessons and overcome another challenge?
Read the letter →Year 2 Session 3 (12/16/21)
But that's just it, isn't it? We have to teach our kids precisely that they can and will rise from their failures. Anything short of that is doing them a disservice.
Read the letter →Year 2 Session 3 (12/5/21)
It was many of the eagle's first time ice skating, yet they all jumped head first into the new challenge. There were probably 100 falls between them, but nobody quit, and everyone kept getting back up and trying again.
Read the letter →Year 2 Session 1 (9/25/21)
The baby took a few wobbly steps, fell down and giggled, then immediately positioned himself to get up and repeat it - a few steps, fall down, giggle, get up. He was enjoying it!
Read the letter →Year 2 Session 1 (8/23/21)
It unsurprisingly led to some chaos and some discomfort. But, all of that being said, your children are already stepping up. And that is inspiring to me.
Read the letter →Year 1 Session 7 (6/20/21)
It's been fascinating over the last few weeks to see how many of the Eagles choose to engage in Quest on Fridays instead of swimming in the pool. They are dedicated to completing their challenges and learning the skills.
Read the letter →Year 1 Session 7 (6/16/21)
One group nearly collapsed more than once. They couldn't agree on what type of shelter to build so they broke apart and began going their separate ways, only to come back together and compromise and create and finish their shelter with not a second to spare.
Read the letter →Year 1 Session 7 (6/11/21)
They then foraged for edible plants and bugs and some discovered it took perseverance to find and catch them.
Read the letter →Year 1 Session 6 (5/22/21)
At the outset of this session, the amount seemed too large and almost impossible for many of the Eagles. After week one, they didn't even have $1,000 in combined savings. Some gave up; others dug in.
Read the letter →Year 1 Session 6 (5/8/21)
Some are seeing the rewards of several months hard work as they complete requirements to earn their badges. While others are finding the motivation and perseverance needed to finish strong.
Read the letter →Year 1 Session 5 (3/26/21)
Several Eagles have buckled down in Core Skills to finish out the badge requirements this session.
Read the letter →Year 1 Session 5 (3/19/21)
By the end of the work time, all Eagles had made it to Soaring for the week. This was a first for this session. Way to go Eagles!!
Read the letter →Year 1 Session 5 (3/12/21)
Several Eagles are diligently making their way towards earning a Core Skills badge this session. There is always increased motivation as they see themselves closing in on a goal.
Read the letter →Year 1 Session 4 (2/12/21)
In the Hero’s Journey— it isn’t about hitting the right notes all the time. It is about falling down, getting back up and continuing the journey.
Read the letter →Year 1 Session 4 (2/6/21)
What distinguishes a Hero is not their successes or talents, but their ability to get back up after a fall. Several times in one’s Hero’s Journey they will fall down, and it is in their resolve to get back up and continue the journey which truly makes them a Hero.
Read the letter →Year 1 Session 4 (1/22/21)
One tumbling exercise that many Eagles continue to practice is the roundoff. After weeks of practice— Lucy passed off her roundoff back handspring! Following this big achievement, an eruption of applause and cheering was heard around the gym. A huge step forward in this young hero’s journey!
Read the letter →Year 1 Session 3 (12/18/20)
With time running out to earn their Cooking Quest badge, the Dragons went back into the kitchen to take on the Omelette Challenge.
Read the letter →Year 1 Session 3 (12/11/20)
We recognize that battling through the road of trials is not easy. Hero’s fall down. Sometimes they don’t make the “right” decision. Yet in their resolve to get back up and continue the Journey, the flowers of growth begin to bloom.
Read the letter →Year 1 Session 2 (11/20/20)
Last week at Town Hall, the Eagles recommitted to uphold the promise to be diligent in their work. This week, there was a noticeable difference in intentionality during Core Skills time. To cite an objective measure— the Yacker Tracker only went off a couple times per day. This is down from it going off 19 times in one day last week. The Eagles again demonstrate their ability to get back up after a setback in their Hero’s Journey.
Read the letter →Year 1 Session 2 (10/30/20)
Bill closed by connecting this riveting tale to the Hero’s Journey— sometimes a Hero, even when they are at the pinnacle of their game, fall down and give up. Then— in comes resilience.
Read the letter →Year 1 Session 2 (10/23/20)
Even though he had little food and didn't see a buck for nearly seven hours, he never gave up. Through resilience and perseverance, he was able to achieve his goal— to get a buck!
Read the letter →Year 1 Session 1 (10/02/20)
He touched on several superheroes: Superman, Wolverine and the Hulk— all of whom had fallen several times along their Hero’s Journey. What mattered wasn’t that they had fallen, but that they ultimately decided to rise back up again and continue. They pursued their calling and changed the world.
Read the letter →Year 1 Session 1 (9/18/20)
The Eagles were excited to show Mr. Vaughn the progress they had made on the LEGO Masterpiece. After four weeks of hard work— it is really coming together! They can’t wait to show all of you at the upcoming Exhibition of Learning.
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