Resilience and Student Motivation Summit
Resilience and Student Motivation
Clint, Christian and Jason share insights and ideas for teachers and parents on how to motivate students to be passionate and engaged in their education.
Panelists
Clint Pulver is a motivational keynote speaker, author, musician, and workforce expert.
He’s also fun, dynamic, entertaining – and the no-stress speaker clients love to work with.
Jason is a licensed school psychologist and has published research on resilience and student performance. Jason is a passionate advocate for disadvantaged students and currently consults and trains educators across the nation as the director of training and research for the WhyTry organization. Jason is a thought leader on resilience education and has spoken at hundreds of conferences around the country. He has led successful implementations of all WhyTry programs and has pioneered trainings for clients in healthcare, corporate, and the US Military.
Christian is the founder of the WhyTry Organization that provides curriculum, tools, and training for schools and educators across the US and internationally, focused on helping students build social and emotional resilience. Christian is also a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), an internationally renowned speaker, and a passionate advocate for youth. He is the author of the best-selling book “The Resilience Breakthrough: 27 Tools for Turning Adversity into Action,” a guide for accessing resilience in a world of increasing instability and narrowing opportunity.
Webinar Transcript:
Jason Johnson:
Here’s what I’m going to do. Let’s get us started. I’m going to introduce Christian and Clint and then I’m going to throw it over to you to get us going. We’re thrilled today, we’ve got two wonderful guests for our Resilience And Student Motivation Summit here, online summit. Our first guest is Christian Moore, the author of the Resilience Breakthrough, internationally renowned speaker, licensed clinical social worker, and an advocate for youth. He’s the founder of the WhyTry program. Welcome, Christian.
Jason Johnson:
And then our other guest that we’re thrilled to have is a gentleman named Clint Pulver. [crosstalk 00:00:39] Welcome, Clint. Clint’s an award-winning, acclaimed motivational keynote speaker that specializes in helping organizations know how to engage team members and motivate them. We’re going to hear a little bit about him and his powerful story of being a student that was set on a path to success because of a teacher that knew how to reach him. So with that, I’m going to throw it over to you, and I’m going to work on my audio here just a little bit. Welcome. Welcome.
Christian Moore:
All right. Well, I want to thank my friend Clint for being here. Clint Pulver, he’s an amazing, amazing human being. I got to spend a couple hours with him about, I don’t know, six or seven months ago, and the best way I can describe Clint, when I walked away from him, I felt like I was a much better human being. He’s one of those people. Some people you’re around, they just launch you, they lift you up. And when I was around him, I was like, “Man, I’d love to spend more time with him.”
Christian Moore:
I don’t want to give away too much of his story, but he’s a Renaissance man. He’s a true Renaissance man: multi-talented and has just had a huge impact on this world. And so it’s just such an honor to have you on here, Clint. And I know right now what’s going on with COVID, a lot of the pain out there in this world, this world needs to hear from you. And I know you have an amazing journey, so take us on a journey with you. Help us understand who you are.
Clint Pulver:
Thank you both, for letting me be a [crosstalk 00:01:57]
Christian Moore:
All right, so I’m not hearing Clint. [crosstalk 00:02:01] I’m not hearing him. Dave, want to play with my …
Clint Pulver:
[inaudible 00:02:05].
Jason Johnson:
Clint, we can’t hear you.
Clint Pulver:
How’s that? Is that better? Can you hear me now?
Christian Moore:
Yeah, now we can hear you.
Jason Johnson:
Yeah, that’s better. Yep, you’re all good now.
Clint Pulver:
Yeah, we got it? Awesome. Jeez. [crosstalk 00:02:21] Welcome to the world of technology and doing virtual, right? It’s crazy. It’s absolutely crazy. What I was saying is thanks, Christian and Jason, for letting me be here and be a part of this. It really means a lot. The few minutes that they gave me, I want to preface to let you know I’m not going to be someone that’s going to sit here and click through 57 PowerPoint slides or tell you 57 things you need to be doing more of in education right now. That is not my goal, but I am the person that believes in the power of moments. And I think that it’s the moments in our lives, that’s what we remember, and it’s those moments that help us live a better story.
Clint Pulver:
When I was young, my dream was to be a pilot. Nothing sounded cooler than sitting on a runway, grabbing the throttle and theme song from Top Gun playing through my little brain, and just cranking it and taking off. That’s what I wanted to do. And when I was 18 years young, I had the opportunity to graduate with my pilot’s license. I could barely drive, and homeboy was flying an airplane. It was a really surreal thing. And after I graduated, I had two years, I went and did a study abroad. I came home.
Clint Pulver:
And at this point in the story, I’m 21. So when you’re 21, there’s a few things that can happen in your life, but one of which is you have to renew your driver’s license. So I ended up going to the DMV to do this. I handed the lady my paperwork. She doesn’t even look at me, just starts scanning the paperwork. She says, “Okay, stick your head in the black box.” And we’ve all been to the DMV. We’ve had this non-glorious experience. So I go over, stick my head in this black box for the vision test, and she says, “Read the letters.”
Clint Pulver:
Screen went white, and there were six little black dots, no letters. And I looked at her and I said, “Ma’am, I think your machine’s broken.”
Clint Pulver:
And she looked back and she’s like, “Listen, honey, I’ve been here for seven and a half hours today. I’ve literally seen 74 people. All of them stuck their head in the black box and read the letters. Read the letters.” I did it three times, and literally the same response. She wouldn’t help me out. She wouldn’t let me go to another machine. Finally, she comes from around the counter, pushes me out of the way, sticks her head in the black box and reads out loud, “C, K, G, E, L, F, W, Z, Y, N.” And it’s like that awkward moment where she’s like, “Honey, can you read?”
Clint Pulver:
And I’m like, “Ma’am, yes I can read.”
Clint Pulver:
And she’s like, “Well, then sweetheart, I think you’re blind.”
Clint Pulver:
And I laughed again and I said, “Listen, lady, we’re having a conversation right now. I see you.” And then I said, “I drove here today.”
Clint Pulver:
And then she got real serious. She looked back at me and said, “Well, you’re not driving home.” And she took the stamp and she denied my paperwork, in big red letters. And long story short, I’m under house arrest at the DMV. I had to call my mother. I could not leave that day. I did not renew my driver’s license. I ended up at a place called the Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah with one of the top leading authorities in a rare and degenerative eye disease known as keratoconus, and I had it bad. My eyes as a 21-year-old kid were as bad as an 87-year-old’s. And all you need to know about keratoconus is that it’s degenerative, and your cornea gets thinner and thinner and thinner until eventually you lose your eyesight.
Clint Pulver:
And that was another moment that I’ll never forget in my life, where as a young person who literally had their eye on the sky and then watched in a moment as that sky fell in all around me. And the doctor looked over and he said, “Clint, by the age of 30, 31, you’re going to go completely blind. You will lose your sight.” He said, “That’s option number one. Option number two is we can do what’s called corneal transplants, where we literally will cut your corneas out and we replace them with a donor’s cornea.” And he said, “But your eyesight’s not going to improve.” And then he asked the question that so many young people are asked, “What do you want to do with the rest of your life? What’s the plan?”
Clint Pulver:
And I said, “I want to fly.”
Clint Pulver:
And he closed that door extremely fast for me. And some of you might be hearing this story and go, “Well, Clint, there’s greater tragedies in the world,” and that’s true. But I don’t think we understand how hard and difficult it is to pivot sometimes, or when things become literally uncertain, or we have direction, we have momentum, and then in a moment, that all changes. And we have seen that firsthand in the last month and a half, where COVID, the pandemic and everything that we are all experiencing has literally overtaken our lives, has derailed us from the norm, and now we must think about what’s the new next.
Clint Pulver:
And I know that some of you, especially as educators right now, you’re watching this and you literally feel like you’re on an episode of Survivor going, “Vote me off, I am done.” It’s hard enough to connect with the kids. You’re struggling with curriculum. People aren’t even showing up to class. There’s hundreds of problems. And it is easy to see what’s wrong right now. But I promise, and as someone who has gone from different periods of my life of uncertainty and not knowing what to do, that there are those moments that you can create. We can still design, we can still dream, we can still innovate. We can still choose to see the good in times where there are problems. We can still see possibilities, not just the limitations.
Clint Pulver:
Not too long ago, there was a little guy. And this little kid, he didn’t struggle with science or English. That wasn’t his problem. Literally every day when the kid would go to school, he’d sit in class, he tried to focus. And as soon as he would pay attention, his right hand would start to move, and then his left hand would start to move. And obviously, if you’ve ever sat in a meeting and someone’s clicking their pen or they’re tapping their foot, and you’re like, “Do it one more time and I’m going to rip your face off.” It’s annoying and it gets annoying. And the little kid, all the other kids would call him the Twitcher. He got nicknamed the Tapper because he just could not sit still. And even the teachers would constantly tell the young man, “Hey young man, I needed you to hold still. Young man, sit still. Stop tapping.” Female teacher, she lost it one day, looked at the kid as he was tapping in class and she said, “I just need you out. I need you out of the classroom. I don’t know what else to do. Go to the principal’s office.”
Clint Pulver:
So the boy takes the long walk down to the principal’s office, sits down. The principal walks in. First thing he says to the kid is, “What did you do? What happened? Why did she send you here?”
Clint Pulver:
And the little boy, he said, “I have a hard time sitting still.” And he said, “I’m sorry.” He said, “I don’t mean to. I literally don’t even know I’m doing it half the time, but it does help me focus.”
Clint Pulver:
And the principal’s hearing this going, “Okay, all right, here’s the deal. I’m going to send you back to class. And when you feel like you need to move, when you feel like you need to hit something,” he said, “I want you to just sit on your hands, okay?”
Clint Pulver:
Kid thought it was a decent idea. Principal thought it was a stroke of genius. Dismisses the kid back to class. The kid walks in, sits down, not five minutes goes by. And as soon as the kid starts to focus, tap, tap, tap, tap; right hand starts moving, left-hand starts moving. But then he remembers that he’s got to sit on his hands. But when he sat on his hands, his feet would start tapping. Listen, it happened again and again and again until one day there was a teacher, an educator, and his name was Mr. Jensen. He’d been doing it for a long time, had white hair, big Coke bottle glasses, always wore suspenders and a red tie. He looked at the kid as he was tapping in his class and he just gently reached over and said, “Hey, young man, you in the back.” He said, “You and me, we’re going to talk. We’re going to have a conversation. I need to see you after class.”
Clint Pulver:
And all the other kids, they all go, “Ooh, Twitcher’s going to die.”
Clint Pulver:
Kid’s nervous, the bell rings, class dismissed. It’s a completely empty room, minus Mr. Jensen and the little kid. And the old teacher goes to the back of the room, he grabs a big chair and a little chair and just says, “Come here, sit down. Sit down.” The first thing Mr. Jensen says to the boy is, “Do why we’re having a conversation?”
Clint Pulver:
And the kid said, “Yeah, it’s because I move.”
Clint Pulver:
He said, “Listen, you’re the problem. You’re the problem kid. You’re the kid that everybody talks about. You’re the kid that got sent to the principal’s office two weeks ago because you just can’t sit still. You constantly tap. You do it in my class. You do it in everybody else’s class.” He said, “But I watch what you do.” He said, “I’ve sat back, and every time when you do your homework, you literally … you’ll start moving your right hand while you’re writing with your left hand.” And then he said, “You could switch it and you’ll move your left hand.” He said, “In big adult words, we call that ambidextrous.”
Clint Pulver:
And the kid’s like, “Ambi-what?”
Clint Pulver:
And Mr. Jensen said, “Try this.” He said, “I got to know.” He said, “Can you tap your head and rub your belly at the same time?” He said, “Try it.” And the little kid, he gave it a go and he could do it. And then he said, “Now, switch it. Switch.” He said, “Can you rub your head and then tap your belly?” And back and forth the kid went, and literally without thinking about it, the kid could do it. Mr. Jensen, he leaned back in his chair and he laughed and he looked at the kid and he said, “I knew it. I knew it.” And he leaned over and simply said, “I don’t think you’re a problem. I just think you’re a drummer.”
Clint Pulver:
Most of the time, educators yell out, “What’s the difference between those two: I don’t think you’re a problem. I just think you’re a drummer?” Now, remember when I told all of you before I began this today that I am the person that believes in the power of moments, single moments in time that can change people’s lives. Because in that moment, Mr. Jensen, the old teacher, he leaned back in his desk. He opened up the top drawer and he reached inside and he pulled out my very first pair of drumsticks, my very first pair. I am that kid. I was that kid. I was the problem. I was the kid that got nicknamed and teased and bullied. I was the kid that got sent to the principal’s office, but it took one person in my life who turned the problem truly into an opportunity.
Clint Pulver:
I’ll never forget when he took the sticks and he put them in my hands and he said, “Clint, listen.” He said, “These are for you.” And he said, “But here’s the deal.” He said, “You got to keep them in your hands. Just keep them in your hands as much as you can.” And I can stand here today and honestly tell every one of you that are watching that 23 years ago, literally to this exact day, I have tried my best to keep my promise to Mr. Jensen. For 23 years, I’ve had the opportunity to tour and record all over the world playing drums.
Clint Pulver:
Remember in the story, I couldn’t fly anymore. So, what do you do when you don’t know what you want to do with your life? You go to college, right? Ba da bing, that’s a joke. I went to college. I graduated in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree and zero college debt. Zero. And that was all from music scholarships, baby. And I’ve been on America’s Got Talent, played with incredible artists, the stadiums, touring, all those things. And listen, I don’t tell you all that to go, “Wow, good for you, Clint,” or, “Oh, that’s amazing.” That’s not the reason. The reason I’m telling you that is because one person, specifically a teacher, saw potential, saw worth, saw possibility, and simply created a moment that sparked that for me.
Clint Pulver:
And Christian and Jason, they said, “Hey Clint, we’re doing this rad, bad webinar event with a lot of our closest friends. And we would love it if you would come and speak to us, but we would really love it if you would be willing to play the drums.” And so virtually, for the first time ever, we are going to give this a go. We’ve got the drums miced up, and literally we’re streaming this live. And if it’s okay with everybody, I would love to play for you.
Christian Moore:
Let’s do it. Yes, sir.
Clint Pulver:
Is that cool?
Christian Moore:
Yeah. I also want to dedicate it, Clint, to the teachers. Our teachers put out so much energy. One thing I love about drumming is drum is all about energy, and it moves us from an energy standpoint. And I really believe teachers are the lifeblood of this country, this education system. And so from you and me, I want to dedicate this to all the incredible teachers that are really the lifeblood, the energy of education.
Jason Johnson:
Amen to that.
Clint Pulver:
Absolutely, yep. So that is dedicated to everybody that’s watching in education, and the teachers and the contributions that you’re making. I know that sometimes it might just seem like it’s a drop in the bucket, but at least it’s a drop in the bucket. And my mom, she always said growing up, she said, “Clint, little by little makes a little a lot.” And right now more than ever, we need those efforts, those small little efforts. We will look back on this moment, we will look back on this pandemic, and I think it will be one of the most defining moments in our lives. And yeah, just please don’t forget that your efforts, as small as they may seem, they do matter and they make a difference. And I also, I have to dedicate it to Mr. Jensen before I start, to the man 23 years ago who looked at me and said, “You’re not a problem. You’re a drummer.” So this is for him and it’s for you. Let’s do this.
Clint Pulver:
Let’s go, everybody [inaudible 00:19:11].
Male:
That’s awesome. That [inaudible 00:19:34].
Clint Pulver:
Flip that.
Christian Moore:
Wow. On behalf of everybody, I give you a standing ovation. On behalf of everybody listening, standing O, standing ovation. That’s from everybody.
Jason Johnson:
Incredible.
Christian Moore:
Wow. That was some energy right there.
Clint Pulver:
And we’re back.
Christian Moore:
I noticed several people said, “Hey Christian, it’s not just teachers, anybody helping kids, that drum”-
Clint Pulver:
Anybody.
Christian Moore:
… that drum solo was for, because it’s for everybody: counselors, social workers, administrators. I appreciate a couple people pointing that out. It’s for everybody. But like you, Clint, I’ll let you catch your breath, it was a teacher that made a huge difference in my life. As I make a living combining art and mental health, it was Mrs. [Pleicos 00:21:14], my teacher, that gave me that energy and let me know that I had tremendous value and that one day I’d be able to make a living as an artist, and was able to bring those worlds together. And Clint, man, the energy you have, the love you have for the kids in this country is unbelievable. I can’t wait for them to hear more from you and the tremendous work you’re doing.
Clint Pulver:
Thank you. I appreciate it. Thanks for letting me catch my breath. I got to stop eating Twinkies. That’s what’s got to happen. [crosstalk 00:21:46] I’m out of shape, but-
Christian Moore:
But hey, [inaudible 00:21:48] a lot of people said that they really needed this.
Clint Pulver:
Thank you, I appreciate it.
Christian Moore:
Clint, a lot of people said that it’s what they needed right now. And I know I needed it too, man. That was a beautiful thing.
Clint Pulver:
Thank you. Thanks, everybody, for watching. And you’re right, it’s not just teachers, it’s good parents, it’s administrators, it’s the whole team. It’s everybody that truly helps to write the better story, specifically for a child. And [crosstalk 00:22:15] forget the good ones.
Jason Johnson:
Hey, Clint, Christian, can you hear me all right? Have I got my audio going good?
Christian Moore:
You’re good. [crosstalk 00:22:23] You’re good, you’re good.
Jason Johnson:
Okay, I got rid of my delay. Hey, I wanted to throw it out there now. So Clint, your message really has resonated with the people that are tuned in, in a unique way. And one of the things that’s come up, and I think it goes right along with this concept of resilience and motivation and it really applies right now during pandemic situations just like it does without, but the concept of connection and having that person in your life that really helps you along. Christian, I was wondering if you could speak a little bit about some of your either experience, or I know you’ve got some … You usually have pretty helpful lists that go along with that message. What are your thoughts on that, Christian?
Christian Moore:
Yeah, happy to do that.
Jason Johnson:
Go ahead.
Christian Moore:
Yeah, I have a couple I want to share. One thing I love about Clint, he’s an incredible motivator. I mean, I know when I’ve been around him, he motivated me tremendously. He’s someone that can really get that spark in someone to create that motivation. I got five main points I want to highlight and get Clint’s feedback on, but I just wanted real quick, Clint, was there anything else you wanted to add on the back end of that drum thing, that you wanted to say?
Clint Pulver:
No. Just, again, thanks everybody for watching. And listen, I’m not the best drummer in the world. There’s plenty of drummers who are rad or bad or faster, cooler or whatever you want to call it. But I think that’s the significance of it all, that Mr. Jensen taught me that it’s not about being the best in the world, it’s about being the best for the world. And literally everybody that’s watching, that’s what you’re doing right now. And so, yeah, kudos to the Mr. Jensens of the world.
Christian Moore:
Yeah, it’s so interesting. One of the five things that I wanted to talk about and wanted to mention is … And I know you’re an expert on millennials and I want you to share a little bit of that expertise, but I know for your generation, the younger generation, they really care about giving back, kind of what you were alluding to there, is for other people. And one of the strategies to create inner motivation is how is this relevant to them today, to their future, to others, to their family, to their neighbors?
Christian Moore:
This younger generation really cares about that right now and they want to have an impact. They really care about impact and relevancy. Is it relevant to them today? And I know that motivation is built into that relevancy. What are some of your feelings about that, Clint? What do you see with relevancy and doing that service to others? I mean, this current generation cares about the Earth. They want to know is relevant to my physical environment, to my internal state? They don’t want to just go work for a corporation for 30 years or worry about being laid off. They want to have impact.
Clint Pulver:
Yeah. One thing that I’ve learned, we started what’s called the Undercover Millennial program, so it’s kind of like Undercover Boss without the makeup. I would go undercover into organizations as a millennial looking for a job. And I would ask all of the employees like, “What do you think? What’s it like to work here?” And the cool thing is because I was a millennial, they would tell me everything: what worked, what didn’t work. And so we’ve done 10,000 employees that we’ve interviewed through that process. And I think you’re right to some extent, Christian, that purpose is significant. But we also found that every young person, or any person, for the purpose of what we’re doing here, is always asking the question to a leader, to a teacher, even to a parent, “Let me know when it gets to the part about me. Let me know when your business goals and your development and your curriculum, let me know when it considers me.”
Clint Pulver:
And I know that some people will hear that and they might think, “Well, those entitled little shining stars in my life, like, ‘Let me know when it gets to the part about me.’” And I think we sometimes get sick of the millennial generation or hearing about this entitled workforce or the younger people in this world. But I don’t think it’s so much about entitlement as it is just good business. It’s good classroom education. It’s about bringing humanity back into those places. And again, I do, I think that no significant learning ever happens without significant connection. And so the better the educators get at helping people find their purpose and establishing that connection, and that I can be the catalyst to help you achieve that, the more influential you become in a young person’s or any person’s life. And I think the better we can get at doing that, the more influential we will be.
Christian Moore:
[inaudible 00:27:18] Now you’ve been on America’s Got Talent. I know you’ve been in some movies, you’ve done some amazing, amazing things in your life. And one thing, as I talk to a lot of kids, they’ll say, “Well, I don’t believe it’s possible I can do this. I don’t believe it’s possible I can go to college.” I was talking to a young man the other day who was just saying, “College isn’t option for me. My parents don’t begin to have the money to help me go to college.”
Christian Moore:
And I asked him, I said, “Have you ever been on a college campus before?” He told me no. And so that mindset was there’s zero chance I’ll be able to ever go to college. And when you don’t believe something is possible, you really don’t even put yourself on the path to reach that goal. I would love for the people to hear how are you able to get the hope, the faith, the belief to do difficult things that you thought was possible? I’ve learned if I can just get a child on a college campus, sometimes they’ll learn about student loans. They’ll learn about … The kid I was talking to the other day has learning disabilities like you and me have, Clint. And I was explaining to him that every college has services for students with disabilities that can help him, and help him with the ADHD and all these different things. But I didn’t even know for years that colleges are literally spending millions of dollars to help kids like you and me, Clint, be able to thrive on a college campus. So just talk a little about where possibility comes from for you.
Clint Pulver:
I think, at least for me personally in my life, the possibility has come through seeing the possibility in others, and then when that transfers back to me. The Hawthorn Institute, they did a study and found that on average in one day, young people have anywhere from 15,000 to 60,000 thoughts in a day. I know some of you are thinking, “Clint, I know a few that barely have 12.” But on average, 15,000 to 60,000 thoughts. But what they’ve also found is that 80% of that is negative, thoughts like, “I’m not good enough. I’m not pretty enough. I’m not smart enough. I can’t go to college. My ACT score sucks. My mom didn’t go to college, so why could I go to college? Or why did I only get 56 likes on my Instagram post,” whatever you want to call it.
Clint Pulver:
But if you take 80% of negativity and then you compound that day after day after day, you look at the stats. Especially now, the battle that we’re fighting is, yes, still corona and this pandemic, but a lot of it is isolation, anxiety, depression, negative thoughts, feeling like you’re not enough, or the thoughts of uncertainty. And now more than ever, we need people that can spark the possibilities. William Damon out of Stanford found that the number one contributing factor as to how people, especially young people, found purpose in their life, was through the association and connection with other purposeful people.
Christian Moore:
Other purposeful people, wow. That’s [inaudible 00:30:12].
Clint Pulver:
Yeah, right? Like Jim Rohn, right? Classic Jim Rohn: you become the average of the five people you associate with most, or show me your friends and I’ll show you your future. You put a hard to catch horse in a field with an easy to catch horse, you usually end up with two hard-to-catch horses, right? It’s that association that really, truly matters. And when we can help good kids associate with good people doing great things, you set them up for success because chances are they don’t see it within themselves.
Clint Pulver:
I’ve never done this before on a webinar, but I wanted to try it. I wrote this phrase, and I apologize, Christian as you were speaking. [crosstalk 00:30:47] But it says, “Greatness is within the soul.” So Christian and Jason, because you’re the only ones I can see right now, say this with me on the count of three: one, two, three, greatness is within the soul.
Jason Johnson:
Greatness is within the soul.
Christian Moore:
Greatness is within the soul.
Clint Pulver:
Nice. Try it one more time, just so we can hear you guys, just for kicks. Go ahead.
Jason Johnson:
Greatness is within the soul.
Christian Moore:
Greatness is within the soul.
Clint Pulver:
Nice, good job, except for the fact that it doesn’t say that.
Jason Johnson:
You tricked me.
Christian Moore:
Oh, there’s two “thes.”
Clint Pulver:
There’s two “thes.”
Christian Moore:
[crosstalk 00:31:19] Oh, my gosh.
Clint Pulver:
“Greatness is within the”-
Christian Moore:
“… is within the the soul.”
Clint Pulver:
… “the soul.” And I think again, that’s sometimes how all of us can sometimes view or see a challenge, our life, perspective. It matters because perception determines your reality, and whatever’s real to you influences your behavior. The cool part is not that you didn’t get it. The cool part about this is that it doesn’t matter if it’s 10 years from now or 20 years from now, if we ever see each other again and I hold this up, you all are going to be like, “Oh, you ain’t getting me again, Clint.” You will always see the two “thes,” and the reason for that is simply because I changed your perspective.
Clint Pulver:
I think, again, when we help young people see what’s really there, when you point out in their life, “No, you are capable enough. There are two ‘thes,’ you are limitless. You have the ability to do this. You could go to college. You can do great things,” they see that. And again, you create a moment. The two “thes” were there the whole time. But I think, again, hanging out with purposeful people that allow you to see more, matters.
Christian Moore:
And I love the idea of a purposeful people. That connection, we know, is like oxygen for us. And a lot us, some of our oxygen has been taken away right now with COVID. And one of the things I’m really encouraging people to do is … Relationships you create right now in COVID, of course you be with your family and people at work and stuff as things come together here … And then in the future, I want to really encourage people, and it’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about and I’ve gotten a lot of feedback for people that it’s been very healing for them, is to really try to connect with people that when they’re with them it’s like all the boats rise in the tide. I’m saying it wrong, but that they’re with people that bring them up.
Christian Moore:
I’m in my 50th year now. And when I’m with people who are bringing me down, I’m just, man, I almost don’t even … I’ll avoid it as much as I possibly can. And I want to be around people who are more unconditional versus conditional. So the first 50 years of my life, I was in situations that were always conditional: I’ll love you if dot, dot, dot, or if you have this view of that. And in the last whatever time I have left on this Earth, the last 20 years, 30 years, however long, I want to be in an unconditional environment. And maybe you can speak to that. When you’re with someone that’s unconditional, there’s tremendous safety in that. There’s tremendous hope in that. And for me, it’s a huge motivator. It greatly increases my resilience when I’m in an unconditional environment versus a conditional.
Clint Pulver:
Yeah. And again, it strengthens that connection. I think it’s the difference between advocating versus developing. Both are critical. Both are important. But I think sometimes, especially when we’re in a teaching situation or even in the workplace, it’s sometimes easy to lean heavily on the development: I’m going to grow you, we need to see results, we need to get from point A to point B to point C. But it’s the advocating part where I feel trusted, I feel non-judged, I feel like I can open up to you, right?
Clint Pulver:
Everybody needs to be seen, heard and understood. And when you advocate as much as you develop, that then increases the opportunity for not just growth but stronger connection. And that always will increase productivity, better test scores, better engagement, better loyalty. Again, no significant loyalty ever happens without significant connection either.
Christian Moore:
Wow. That’s powerful [crosstalk 00:34:58] trust and loyalty, [inaudible 00:34:59].
Clint Pulver:
So yeah, I think it’s important to ask yourselves, if you’re a leader, you’re a teacher, how do people experience you and how do they experience themselves when they’re with you? It really matters.
Christian Moore:
[crosstalk 00:35:16] Absolutely. My other question and thing I want to talk about is being a part of a cause or a movement. We see that as a major motivation is if they’re engaged in something that it’s inspiring, it creates real change, it has impact, but being a part of a movement, something that makes a difference. Now you see, coming out of COVID, I’m watching a lot of different movements happening right now where people are trying to come together, coalesce and do something productive. How has that been in your life? I know you have a tremendous cause to help human beings heal, to find their inner motivation, that inner strength, you help workplaces with retention. I know you’re an expert at retention a little bit, but what causes us to really stick with a cause and find meaning in life and not give up?
Clint Pulver:
For me, when I couldn’t fly anymore in the story, I literally felt lost and I had no meaning, especially when it comes to a career or working towards something or having a title. And I remember I asked three of my buddies, I sat down in a burger restaurant, literally having no idea what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, and found myself in the medical field, was chasing the money. But somebody shared with me a quote by Oscar Wilde that has stuck with me forever, and the quote is, “To live is the rarest thing in the world, for most people merely exist, and that’s all.” [crosstalk 00:37:01]
Christian Moore:
Say that quote one more time. I want to make sure everybody caught that. Say that quote again.
Clint Pulver:
Yeah. The quote is by Oscar Wilde, where it says, “To live is the rarest thing in the world, for most people merely exist, and that’s all.” And for me, I was just existing every day. And I proposed to my buddies, I said, “Wouldn’t it be crazy if you could find a job, you could find a career that allowed you to do these three things most of the time?” And number one was what if it allowed you to do what you love? It contributed to your passion. So we can even go right here real quick. So it contributed to your passion in life. And then number two, I think that we’ll just call this money for right now. What if it contributed financially in your life in a way that was sufficient for your needs? Because, right, there’s bills, there’s responsibilities in life, and life can be expensive.
Clint Pulver:
And then the third part was purpose. What if on a daily basis it allowed you most of the time to do something bigger than yourself? What if you could find one job that allowed you to do all three, most of the time? And both of my buddies, they looked back at me and they said, “Clint, I don’t think that exists. I don’t think you can find something that has all three.”
Clint Pulver:
And I said, “I don’t believe you.”
Clint Pulver:
And my buddy said, he said, “I think what you’re talking about is an anomaly.”
Clint Pulver:
And I was like, “Anoma-what?”
Clint Pulver:
He’s like, “It’s rare.” And two weeks after that conversation, I quit my job in the medical field with all the benefits and the stability, making decent money. And I left and I went to live. And truly, to this day, that moment was extremely defining in my life because the day that I quit my job was truly the day that I started living. And I jumped into the world of professional speaking full-time to be the best for the world; to live, not just exist, right? It’s that Mark Twain quote where he said that, “There’s two important days in a person’s life: the day that you’re born, and then the day you figure out why.” [crosstalk 00:39:19]
Clint Pulver:
And I know that some people might be listening to this going, “Oh, it’s motivational fluff,” but it is true, right? I think at the end of our lives, you’ll be surrounded by all the woulda, shoulda, couldas, or you’ll be surrounded by the do it, did it, done its. And again, Mark Twain also said that, “20 years from now, we’ll be more disappointed by the things that we didn’t do than by the things that you did do.” And for me, especially in this pandemic, it has given me that moment, that chance to pivot yet again, to dream a little bit more while I’m awake.
Clint Pulver:
I’ve had to ask the same questions during this time right now: okay, how can I still do what I love? How can I still contribute for my family, but also do something bigger than myself? And you know this Christian, Jason; you guys have seen this just like the rest of us. Two and a half months ago, my industry died, literally disappeared. We are not doing live events. And so we had to pivot and we created this virtual studio. This is in my house. This is a small little 10-by-12-foot room. And I love the movie Shawshank Redemption. In that movie-
Christian Moore:
That’s my favorite movie.
Clint Pulver:
It is so good, right? Where he says, “You can either get busy living or you can get busy dying.” And right now, I chose to go, okay, what can I control, what am I grateful for, and what can I change? Those three questions, what can you control, what are you grateful for, and what can you change, has inspired me to pivot where we’ve created something that has allowed us to still share our message. And so, I’m sorry, that was a long answer to your question, Christian, but it is-
Christian Moore:
That was a perfect answer to the question. Thank you, thank you. That was very, very insightful.
Clint Pulver:
You’re welcome.
Christian Moore:
That’s awesome. So one last one here is my book, The Resilience Breakthrough, we focus quite a bit on Carol Dweck’s work with growth mindset versus a fixed mindset. Fixed mindset is intelligence, and our talents are fixed. Our intelligence isn’t going to change, our talents can’t change. And it’s all about outcome: I’ll keep putting effort into something if I get the outcome. In a growth mindset, abilities can change through dedication, through hard work. And I know years ago I started trying to learn how to play the drums, and I had a fixed mindset. I was like, “Man, I have no ability. I have no rhythm. I have no ability to play these drums.” And it was funny when you were playing, I was thinking to myself, “Man, what if I kept playing, if I could have had a growth mindset and had put the dedication?” I never learned to play the drums because I had no dedication to it.
Christian Moore:
And just that battle of that growth mindset versus the fixed mindset, I’d love to just hear some of your feelings on that, and believing that what role dedication plays to really keeping that motivation going. For me, you put the action in and then the motivation kicks in. So like I’ll wake up in the morning and not want to get out of bed, but until I go for a walk, or coming in and doing this with you today … Since our industry has changed, as you were just talking about a few minutes ago, is just the action creates the motivation. But for me, it starts with that growth mindset that the effort’s worth it. So just wanted some of your feelings on that.
Clint Pulver:
Yeah, I think that’s a great question. And I think, again, it comes down to that perspective, right? What are you choosing to see, and what’s the story that you’re choosing to write? One of my great friends, his name is James Lawrence, lives not far from me. He’s also another professional speaker. We’ve shared the stage a few times, and he is known as the Iron Cowboy. He ran 50 Iron Mans in 50 days in 50 states, one of the most just physically demanding, literally impossible feats. And he did it. And every time when we spoke together, we’ve shared that stage, everybody always asks, “How did you do it? How did you accomplish that?”
Clint Pulver:
And he always gives the same answer and it is simply, “I did small things consistently over a long period of time.”
Christian Moore:
Wow.
Clint Pulver:
And I think when it comes to progress, right, or it comes to doing hard things, it does, it’s just the small things. Little by little makes a little a lot, and we must do that over a long period of time. Now, here’s my caveat to that, is everybody hears that and they’re like, “Okay, great idea, but I can’t even get out of bed,” or, “Great idea, but I can’t keep that motivation for longer than five minutes.” And there’s two things that I want to say to that, is first off, listen, I think in the end of all of this, I think we’re going to be okay. I really do. That’s my personal opinion. And I also believe that if you’re not okay, then it’s not the end.
Clint Pulver:
And I would urge everybody that’s listening to this, just simply if you can, go as far as you can see. If all you’ve got is five minutes, give it your best five minutes. If all you can do is get out of bed and brush your teeth, then good for you, you went as you can see. Because in my life as I have done that, if I just go as far as I can see, usually when I get there, I’m able to see further. And again, as I’ve surrounded myself with good people, doing good, purposeful things, that has allowed me to see that there is greatness. And that has helped with the motivation to keep pushing forward.
Clint Pulver:
I never finished the story, but real quick, Christian, and to the end of your last question, six years ago, I got the phone call from the Moran Eye Center. And they said, “Clint, we have just started the first human trial for people with your eye disease. It’s not FDA-approved yet, but it’s called crosslinking. And the program is allowing 600 people to have this experimental surgery. You have to be going blind, and you’re one of those people.” And I was number 46 on the list. They flew me to California. I had surgery done on my right eye, and then six months later, they did surgery on my left eye. And it 100% stopped the progression of the disease.
Christian Moore:
Wow, that’s beautiful.
Clint Pulver:
Now listen, am I a pilot? Do I fly professionally? No. Do I still fly? Yes. And I learned that sometimes good things fly apart so that better things can fit together.
Christian Moore:
That’s powerful.
Clint Pulver:
And if you’re just willing to go as far as you can see, I promise that the best is yet to come. We will be okay in the end of this, and no matter how difficult, how hard it is, rainy days, they always come, but they are always followed by sunshine. I believe that. And if you can’t find your smile, eventually, you will find your smile. Just go as far as you can see, and be willing too to sometimes just push pause. I think that’s okay. I think it’s okay to sometimes give ourselves a minute to just go, “I’m out. I’m taking a breather. I’m not doing anything today. I’m not being productive. I’m not killing it all the time.” And that’s okay. Give yourself the ability to breathe during this time. I do, I believe that the best is yet to come for all of us. And I just have hope in the end of the story, and we are not at the end yet. So, choose to write the best one that you can.
Christian Moore:
Wow, I love that. We’re not at the end of the story, and this time has given all of us some time to self-reflect and think about where our motivation comes from. And that’s powerful. Someone’s saying, “A lot of yoga, mindfulness,” all these people saying different things. That’s awesome. We all have to find where that motivation comes from. So, I hope those five things … I know a person or two have asked. Real quick, I’ll highlight the five really fast. We have to believe that it’s possible that we can make it down the path. To reach that goal, we have to believe it’s possible. We want to make sure it’s relevant to my life today and to family’s life, my neighbors, my community. And then we have the growth mindset versus the fixed mindset.
Christian Moore:
And then number four is we got to be able to walk with others, that connection; especially putting ourselves in an unconditional environment as much as possible. And then five, being a part of a cause, a movement, something that creates meaning and real changes. And Clint, you’re an example of all five of those things, so I was thinking about you. That’s where those five things came out of, and you’re an incredible example. Do we have time, Jason, for a question or two?
Jason Johnson:
Yeah, absolutely. One of the questions that came up, Clint, and maybe you can speak to this, I think it’s kind of an interesting question. You told the story about that devastating news when you found out that you couldn’t pass the vision test when you were there for the license situation. What was it that helped you? How did you see the motivation to pivot or to find that next thing? Was there anything specific for you? Because we work with a lot of kids that deal with pretty devastating situations or scenarios in their lives, what was it for you that helped you make that next pivot to move on to that next thing?
Clint Pulver:
I think, honestly, I need to first say, I had no clue at first. I didn’t. There was a good year where I moseyed around trying to find purpose and meaning in my life. And it didn’t just come overnight, but it did come from the association and connection with other purposeful people, and it did come as I moved. Not to be particularly religious or anything, but I believe that God can’t steer a parked car. And what I mean by that is we need to be willing to move. And that’s why I guess I’m so heavy on go as far as you can see. Again, what can you control, what can you change, and just go as far as you can see. And usually when you get there, you can see further.
Clint Pulver:
I think that sometimes it’s easy to stand in front of the fireplace and say, “Give me heat, then I’ll give you wood,” like, “Show me the path, show me the way.” And I think that as we just move, literally take action to move, that creates opportunity. Movement creates opportunity. And so be willing to go as far as you can see, and also be willing to fail. You fail your way to success. If you get some road or you get some opportunity and it’s not the right one, then okay, then move another direction. Be willing to pivot, but just keep your feet moving. Don’t be stagnant. Opportunity comes with movement.
Jason Johnson:
Awesome, thank you. Thank you. Anything you want to comment on that, Christian?
Christian Moore:
No, he said it beautifully. Do you have another question? Let’s keep those questions rolling.
Jason Johnson:
Yeah. So I’ve got a question for both of you right now. We’ve got predominantly educators and counselors on right now listening to us. And I think this has been really inspiring. What specific message would you have to the educators right now that are really trying to stay motivated through this pandemic and they’re struggling right now knowing how to … You talked about advocate versus development. One of the hard things we’re faced with right now is how do we do that remotely? How do we do that in a virtual setting? What would you say to educators right now that have all the best intentions but are still just struggling wondering if they’re making a difference?
Christian Moore:
Let me start real quick on that one [crosstalk 00:51:18]
Clint Pulver:
Yeah, you start, Christian.
Christian Moore:
[crosstalk 00:51:18] real quick. I was just talking to an educator on Friday who said something that hit me really hard. I’ve shared this with some people and had some good feedback. This teacher was telling me that what really renewed her is she did some things to reach out to the students and asked the students how they were doing. And she asked them some fun questions. But that renewed her, that was strengthening to her, that buoyed her back up and stuff. And I think educators, for years, they’re in the classroom, they connect with these kids in very powerful ways. And I think sometimes we overlook the emotional loss that the teachers feel, or the educator, when they’re not with these kids. These kids become like family to them. So I encourage teachers to reach out to these kids and connect, and vice vera, and just online create opportunities for them. I see with my now kids, sometimes my kids get frustrated because there is less connection. And the teachers that are communicating the most, it’s great for both of their mental healths.
Christian Moore:
And I want to also emphasize that I think it’s really important, just in the online world particularly, that kids see an opportunity to fix things, to work with the teacher. Say they failed the test or they messed up, to work with the teacher to fix it. And that’s kind of a bonding thing for both of them, where they do some extra credit together, they have a conversation about how they can have a second opportunity. And anytime someone gives you a second chance, there’s a connection there. And I’ve seen some really cool things just watching some of my kids’ teachers work with my kids when my kids failed at something or struggled at something. Under this current circumstance, they had more time to work through it, which created a bond for both of them. I didn’t mean to go too long there, but it’s one of the things I’ve seen that’s been powerful for teachers.
Jason Johnson:
Awesome, thank you. Thank you. What about you, Clint? What are your thoughts on tips for educators that really do want to connect right now?
Clint Pulver:
Yeah. First off, yeah, I agree with everything that Christian said. And I just, too, thank you again, I know I’ve said that a few times, to all the educators. Thank you, thank you, thank you for what you’re doing, because I know you’re not getting a ton of that-a-boys and that-a-girls and pats on the back. Some of you aren’t even getting the support that you need right now, and it is a difficult time. So just, I don’t know, thank you for what you’re doing, and still trying. Because I think that’s half the problem, right, is if we don’t try, then nothing’s ever going to happen. So, thank you for still trying.
Clint Pulver:
In the corporate world, we call it the power of what we call status interviews. And I call it status interviews because that’s what a medical provider would ask a patient or as someone that’s having an operation. What’s the status? And they’re referring to the vital signs of the patient: your heart rate, your blood pressure, your body temperature, and your respiratory rate. Those are your vital signs that mean whether you’re living or you’re not living. So in the business world, we talk about the power of conducing those status interviews. It’s not a stay interview, it’s not a one-on-one management meeting. That’s not what this is. This is literally an opportunity for you to connect one-on-one with your students. And you don’t talk about curriculum, you don’t talk about their grades. You don’t talk about their assignments. You literally are just trying to check their status.
Clint Pulver:
Mr. Jensen still to this day has done that in my life. I still get a phone call every month from Larry Jensen in Midway, Utah, and he just calls to check my status. He says, “Clint, what are you doing? How are you? What’s going on with your life? How’s your family?” And I think that’s an opportunity that we can’t forget the power of just one-on-one connection. And every kid, again, wants to be seen, heard, and understood. And it gives you that chance to connect, which will ultimately lead to more significant learning and growth. And so consider asking them, “What do you need? What’s getting in the way of your success, and what can I do to help you get there?”
Clint Pulver:
I look back at my life with Mr. Jensen, to be honest, I do not remember a thing that Mr. Jensen ever taught me. I do not remember. [crosstalk 00:55:45] But one thing is, for darn sure, I will never forget the drumsticks, ever, because the drumsticks represented two things in my life. They represented hope and they represented worth. Hope and worth. And he communicated a hopeful story, the possibilities, the potential of something. And then he communicated that I was good enough to do that. And I think more than ever, kids just need a little more hope and they need to be told they’re worth something. And so in your status interview, if you can create an opportunity to communicate those two things to the point that they see it within themselves, man, I think that’s what kids remember. And [crosstalk 00:56:41]
Christian Moore:
That’s awesome.
Jason Johnson:
I love that. I think that’s a really important point. It goes right along with our model of resilience from the WhyTry world. Hope is a really vital ingredient to resilience, and then helping find and express value is really vital to that, too. One thing I did want to point out as well, we’ve heard from a couple students the last couple weeks, and then hearing Clint’s story and knowing Christian’s story, I just really want to express to the educators, if any of you … And we’ve got people tuned in that are counselors, teachers, therapists, probation officers. If you are experiencing any discouragement right now, I promise you’re making more of a difference than you think you are. Those emails that you’re sending are making a difference. Those Zoom message that you’re recording are making a difference. I’ve seen teachers, I’ve heard in the comments here, teachers that are sending out care packages. I’ve heard of teachers writing chalk messages on their students’ driveways or sidewalks. All these little things that you’re doing are providing really, really important sources of hope and worth.
Jason Johnson:
I hope if any of you have had any discouragement creep in over the last few months, which is totally natural, just let these stories inspire you to know that you are making a difference, that that connection is really, really valuable. Clint, Christian, I want to give you both the last word on this. We’re right on an hour. Any parting messages for the people that have tuned in on this? By the way, for those that have been asking, we have recorded this and a recording will be available. And I’m going to put up the resources I had at the beginning here in just a minute, as well. But Clint, Christian, parting thoughts on this wonderful session.
Christian Moore:
Yeah, I want Clint to have the last word. I definitely want Clint to have the last word. And I just want to say, what you were alluding to there, Jason, those small things are big things right now. The smallest thing is a massive thing. A text is huge right now. I know a text, for me, from a friend right now is a big, big deal. The human connection is just so, so needed. Just the story of a principal, the other day I saw, who went and visited all his seniors in high school, literally stood out in the road and they came out on their porch. And he spent I think it was four days visiting these guys, went hundreds and hundreds of miles traveling around so that he could just have a couple minutes with each one of his seniors. And that’s more of a big thing to do, that kind of commitment. But the little things are big right now.
Christian Moore:
And I just want to encourage everybody, Clint has an amazing, amazing website. Just type in the name Clint Pulver, and his website is awesome and it really helps you see the amazing work he does, and I’m just so grateful there are people like Clint out there, man, that fight that fight with everything they have and they do it from their heart. And I promise, he is one person that will not let you down. The other thing I really want to encourage people, we have now over 15,000 families. And I know families are hurting, and kids are … We’re getting a lot of feedback and looking at the data, we have more people unemployed than the Great Depression right now. It’s putting kids in a very, very complicated situation. There’s tremendous emotions with that.
Christian Moore:
I was talking to a judge the other day over the weekend, and one thing he’s encouraging is educators to even let kids know, “Look, if you say your dog is hurting or your dog’s grumpy today, that’s a signal maybe that things at home are really difficult.” And that’s a way that maybe educators or social workers, school counselor, could help intervene, is just letting these kids know, “Man, we got to check in.” If you’re an aunt, an uncle, a relative to these kids, please check in with them, because a lot of these kids are in situations at home where they can’t communicate if they’re being abused or they’re dealing with violence in the house. And we know that this is becoming a very intense issue right now. And as a social worker, I just got to do a little encouragement there that we look for some safe ways. I thought the idea of a kid just communicating, “Hey, my dog’s having a difficult time right now,” is a safe way for them to get the message out that they might need some help. So, that’s why I know it’s so important that we intervene and get it where friends, family, aunt, uncles check in with children. And especially, you might know if a family’s in a difficult situation, please check in with the kids.
Christian Moore:
So please, on our website, just go to whytry.org, and we have a parenting guide that teaches resilience to the whole family. And again, we’re seeing a tremendous success with that, so please check that out. The other thing is we have a podcast, The Resilience Breakthrough podcast. Please share that with educators across the country. We’ve had some incredible, incredible guests on there, past National School Board president, people who really understand children’s issues and education issues and where hope really comes from. So, please check out The Resilience Breakthrough podcast. And let us know how we can serve you any way. And I have to tell you, I would love to do some events with Clint. If you ever want to get me and Clint online, I know he’s got that studio in his house. So if you ever want me and Clint, I think I could talk him into inviting me over to his house and we would love to answer questions, support you guys any way we can. You guys are all my heroes. Thank you for your time today. And I want Clint to have the last word. Thank you.
Clint Pulver:
Awesome. Well, thank you first off to you both again, and everybody at WhyTry for letting me be a part of this, and to jump in and just be a part of it. What you’re doing matters. And again, thank you to everybody that is watching. I hope this has been helpful. I hope that it’s also maybe just reminded you of the significance that you have in people’s life, not just the success, and that you are and can continue to be the best for the world. And that’s what you remember. We never forget the good ones. I think during this pandemic, we’ve been given two things. We’ve been given time, and then the opportunity to choose what we’re going to do with the time that we have.
Clint Pulver:
And I hope you’ll choose to keep dreaming, keep living, control what you can control, count your blessings at this time. What are you grateful for, and what can we change? And every day, again, you have the opportunity to write your story. Go as far as you can see, and when you get there, you’ll usually be able to see a little bit further. If you’re not okay, it’s not the end, so keep moving forward. And find a Mr. Jensen, if you don’t have a Mr. Jensen. And above all, I’ll just end with be a Mr. Jensen: you change lives, you make a difference. Thank you, thank you, thank you. And all my best to everyone that’s watching. Good luck.
Jason Johnson:
Love it. Thank you so much. I’ve put some resources up on the screen where you can check out some of the stuff that we talked about. We’re going to have a transcript and a recording available. Some of you have asked about the strategies that Christian listed. We’ve got those on. And then you’ve got contact information for Christian or Clint, if you want to reach out to them. I’ll leave these up for a few minutes. So thank you so much. Big virtual round of applause for Christian and Clint for showing up and sharing this great information. Thank you so much. Thanks, everybody, and thank you all for tuning in. Thanks for doing what you’re doing helping these kids out; appreciate it.