As you look at the titles and snippets below, has the past informed the present?
What have we learned and what do we still need to master—or at least face?

On May 31, 2010, I sat in an Austin hotel room and composed my first blog post. At the time I used the Blogger platform. (A few months later, I switched my content to WordPress.)

That first post examined “Social Media: Know When and How to Use It.” Eleven years later, some topics never seem to outlive their usefulness.

Eleven years later and nearly 100,000 views, it’s time for a look back at the topics from each anniversary year. Have issues changed? Have we learned lessons? Has the past informed the present? Let’s see:

May 29, 2011: Observations from the Airport.

  *No mention about face masks—but rules of civility were still in play.

May 27, 2012: Building a Community: The Power of Reflection

  *The title captures the essence. A community requires conversation, reflection, respect, listening, and sharing. Again, thoughts from almost a decade ago ring true (maybe truer) today.

May 26, 2013: Effective Leaders from the Follower’s Perspective

  *The five traits I describe for effective leaders still hold today. Look at this quick video I filmed on the banks of Town Lake in the heart of Austin, Texas.

May 25, 2014: What Consequences Have You Created Today?

  *Self-aware people reflect on their actions, understand how those actions affect themselves and others, and assume responsibility for their choices. I’m thinking we might need to review this idea once again.

May 31, 2015: Resilience: What’s Your Story?

  *While some might find resilience to be one of those over-used words, the concept remains a healthy reminder for a meaningful and healthy life. Check out the 10 Tips to remain resilient/build resilience at the end of the post. Perhaps, in 2021, we may find these of particular importance.

May 29, 2016: P2P: Building a Story

  *Person-to-Person connections build a business, family, tribe, and a community. What do we communicate when we interact with people?

May 28, 2017: Why Not You?

  *This post grew from a workshop I facilitated. In the workshop and the post, I encourage those who have thought about writing and speaking to go a step further. Four key questions help people understand quality speaking and writing does not belong to an elite group. The questions might hold relevance for anyone who decides to share information.

May 27, 2018: Helping a Village Find Its Voice

  *We have heard how “it takes a village” to raise a community. What happens if the village is broken? This post comes from my book Community as a Safe Place to Land. It highlights the need for a village to find its voice and then use its voice. Look at the influential events of 2020, you may be able to see some parallels.

May 26, 2019: A Reminder About Noise

  *This excerpt from the post could have been written today: “As the call-out-culture escalates, it has become cliché to say civility has become a rare commodity in public (and even private) discourse. The changing rules of engagement seem to dictate that presenting evidence and ‘winning’ an argument are no longer enough. The victor must destroy the adversary. Debate gives way to harangues, collective monologues, and questionable sources and conclusions.”  Will we still be writing this eleven years from today?

May 31, 2020: Giving, Receiving, and Gratitude

  *“Helping one person may not change the world, but it could change the world for that one person.” (attribution unknown). A common theme said in different ways over eleven years.

As you look at the above titles and snippets, has the past informed the present? What have we learned ad what do we still need to master—or at least face?

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Video recommendation for the Week:

One of my most memorable invitations to speak in the last eleven years came from Sitting Bull College on the Standing Rock Reservation (North Dakota). At the end of my presentation, the college representatives presented me with a Star Quilt. Here is a quick explanation:

Make it a great week and HTRB has needed.

My latest book can be found in
eBook ($2.99) and paperback ($9.99) format. Click here.

Roxie Looks for Purpose Beyond the Biscuit.

My dog Roxie gets top billing on the author page for this work. Without her, there would be no story.

Click here for more information about the book. In the meantime, check out her blog.

And you can still order:

• Community as a Safe Place to Land (2019, print and e-book). Available on Amazon. More information (including seven free podcast episodes that spotlight the seven core values highlighted in the book) at the above link.
• Stories about Teaching: No Need to be an Island (2017, print and e-book). Available on Amazon. One college’s new faculty onboarding program uses the scenarios in this book. Contact me if you and your team are interested in doing the same. The accompanying videos (see the link above) would serve to stimulate community-building conversations at the beginning of a meeting.

My podcasts (all 50 episodes) can be found here.

You will find more about what I do at www.stevepiscitelli.com.

©2021. Steve Piscitelli
The Growth and Resilience Network®