Some years back, before we cut the cable cord, I was an avid watcher of James Lipton’s Actors Studio on Bravo.  I’m not sure why.  I didn’t exactly get Lipton and his politics are considerably left of mine, but I did like his questions. Lipton famously used his rendition of Proust’s Questionnaire. The very first question Lipton asks celebrities is “What is your favorite word?”  Each episode, I put myself in the shoes of the celebrity and tried to answer each of the ten reflection questions (I did the curse word under my breath).  Coming upon the first, my answers generally changed until I thought again about this recently.

Now my favorite word is “yet.”  The adverb version, not the conjunction version; the tiny word packs so much potential.  Moreover, in my role as a Middle and Upper School Head, I am first and foremost a purveyor of the potential of youth.  I am charged with putting my students in a position to develop the best in themselves.  I am charged with weighing whether a student would be well served by what we do at our school.  I am charged with figuring out why a student is not nearing his perceived potential.  All of these duties make yet a very important word in my life.  In fact, it is like I work with a bunch of “Yeti’s” (youth experiencing transitions individually) every day and I love it.

Photo taken courtesy of yeticoolers.com
Photo taken courtesy of yeticoolers.com

Mindset author and psychologist Carol Dweck also loves the word.  One of her most often quoted sections is that a good habit to get into is to regularly use the word “yet.”  For example, “I am not good at Math yet.” ” I do not have what it takes to make the varsity yet.” “I don’t understand how the stock market works yet.”  When one thinks about it, there is great wisdom in Dweck’s commentary especially with our youth.  However, a society that seeks instant gratification hardly has patience for the word yet.  The waiting is intolerable.  The uncertainty is undeniable.  Yet (conjunction), the reward could be invaluable.

Here is a shoutout to “yet.” You keep getting better and better.

Until next time… How would you answer Lipton’s last question: “What would you like to hear God say when you reach the pearly gates (of Heaven)?”

For Further Reading: A great scripture verse to reflect on to go along with this post is Ephesians 2:10.  Paul writes “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”