Category Archives: book

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When Imbalance is Needed

This evening I received a wonderful email from someone who read my book, Along Came a Leader: A Guide to Personal and Professional Leadership. It is always awesome to get a message like this, and this email from Devon asked a great question.

“What measures can I use to prioritize the dozen areas of my life I am passionate about? There are so many projects in which I long to go full speed ahead. However, I have only so much gas and horsepower.” ~Devon

This was my reply:

A balanced life? Hmmmm…

I wish I knew that secret but I will share some of my thoughts on this.

I keep a journal. It helps. I track some basic daily habits in a grid.
I write down my goals for the year. I write monthly goals as the months arrive.
I have a daily to-do list of a few items.
There is honestly always leftovers.

I review my goals often.

The problem I have noticed is that some years my goals are the same as the previous year.
That is when imbalance is necessary.

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Sharing My Children’s Book at Right To Read Week at Bataan Memorial School

Ten Social Emotional Tips for Parents and Children

Last week was Right to Read Week at Bataan Memorial Intermediate School, and I had the honor and privilege of being invited to share my children’s book, Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness.

First of all, the students were absolutely amazing! Over 300 students gathered in the cafeteria for my presentation which included my start as a reader, writer and illustrator, then transitioned into a read aloud of my book, then a live speed drawing of characters from the book set to music, and ended with a question and answer with me any my co-author, Jedi. Jedi is my dog and a character in the book. Everyone was so well behaved and mannerly. Each listened actively as I read the book aloud to them and shared images of the pages on the computer screen. They loved the speed drawing. The question and answer was a lot of fun, but Jedi stole the show when he came out at the end. Every student petted him as they left. Again, these kids were so polite and well mannered. What a great audience. I love Bataan School.

Contact me if you’d like Jedi and I to visit your school.

The Presentation included:

  • My love of reading, writing and drawing.
  • The most influential books in my childhood.
  • How I made the book.
  • A read aloud of Unthink Before Bed.
  • A speed drawing I created to music using my iPad projected on the screen set to music. (Kids loved it!)
  • Question and Answer time.
  • Everyone met my dog, Jedi, a character in the book.
  • Everyone pet the dog as they left. (Almost everyone.)

I encouraged the students to use devices to create not just to consume. I also shared a highlight from the book that devices have bedtimes! Devices are great, but they are often only used for consumption and limits are not placed on them. I like to show people what they can really do with a device creatively.

Unthink Before Bed teaches some great Social Emotional lessons. Imagine reading a book to your child that is fun and entertaining, AND helps them learn great coping skills they will need the rest of their life.

There were ten social emotional lessons in the book that I reviewed with students to help them cope with anxiety and stress: 

  • Create a routine.
  • Put on pajamas.
  • Devices have bedtimes.
  • Store devices in another room.
  • Practice long, slow breathing with eyes closed.
  • Picture your surroundings and your body.
  • Use all of your senses to picture nature.
  • Think ‘just one thing; and the eventually ‘nothing.’
  • Give thanks.
  • Know you are loved and that tomorrow will be great.

I think Unthink Before Bed is a great book and hope you do too. You can order your copy here.

~Kelly

If you like what you’ve read, please share-out with our friends on social media and tag me. Don’t forget the #LeadEveryDay hashtag. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts.

Educator, Author, Keynote Speaker
Twitter: @kellycroy
Instagram: @kcroy
Website: kellycroy.com and wirededucator.com
Podcast: The Wired Educator Podcast
and of course: Facebook.

Sign-up for my newsletter here:

I’ve written two books, Along Came a Leader a book on personal and professional leadership, and Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness .

Send me an email. 

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Leaders Get Rid of the Crappy Stuff

Dan Butler Has a New Book Out: Permission to be Great

Leaders Get Rid of ‘The Crappy Stuff’

When CEO Mark Parker of Nike called Apple CEO Steve Jobs for advice, Jobs told him to “get rid of the crappy stuff.”

According to Forbes, When Parker asked for advice, Jobs said: “Well, just one thing. Nike makes some of the best products in the world. Products that you lust after. But you also make a lot of crap. Just get rid of the crappy stuff and focus on the good stuff.”

Leaders make a difference in the lives of others and the world. They do what has not been done before. They take people to new places. Leaders create meaningful experiences. To accomplish this, however, leaders can’t be tenacious about everything; they must focus on what matters. Take Steve Jobs’s advice to heart: identify the crappy stuff and let it go. Focus on what will produce results. Focus on what matters. 

One of the most important things a leader must do is identify what they shouldn’t do. Don’t try to do everything. Learn to say, “No.” Be proud of what you do, but be prouder of what you didn’t do. There is much wisdom in these words. 

(The above is an excerpt from my book, Along Came a Leader.)

I just finished an interview with Dan Butler for my Wired Educator Podcast. (Dan and I were fortunate enough to present at Jeff Zoul’s What Great Educators Do Differently Conference in Texas.) Dan just published an awesome new book titled Permission to be Great. In the book he discusses six areas that cause mismatches between people and their work. These mismatches cause stress and burnout.

It’s a leader’s job to remove some obstacles, take something off the plate, or as Steve Jobs put it, “Get rid of the crappy stuff.”

My challenge to you: What are you going to eliminate?

Leaders and innovators frequently talk about what they are going to start, do and finish, but there is a finite amount of time and space in a day, week and year. Just like a coffee cup, if you keep adding things will eventually spill over.

As we make plans both personally and professionally, we will certainly be adding new initiatives and goals, but what are we willing to remove?

What needs to go?

I hope you will send me an email or leave a comment below about what you plan to reduce or eliminate.

I hope you will grab a copy of Dan’s new book. It is a great book for leaders wanting to improve their culture.

I loved our conversation. It will be going live next week on The Wired Educator Podcast.)

(I like how both our books have an arrow pointing at each other’s book.)

~Kelly

Kelly Croy is an author, speaker, and educator. Want to learn more? Send an email. • Sign-up for Kelly’s Newsletter. Listen to Kelly’s other podcast The Wired Educator Podcast with over 200episodes of interviews and professional development. • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader a book on personal and professional leadership, and Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness for your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram 

 

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Join me Sunday, January 3, 2021 for Read-Aloud of Unthink Before Bed!

Join me this Sunday, January 3, 2021 for Read-Aloud of Unthink Before Bed!

My dog, Jedi, and I will be doing a read-aloud of our book, Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness this Sunday, January 21, at 7:00 PM on Facebook Live.

All you need to do is ‘like’ my Facebook page www.Facebook.com/kellyshawncroy. At 7:00 PM EST I will broadcast a live read aloud of our book, answer some questions, and you can even meet my dog. I might even draw a picture.

The entire broadcast will last just 30 minutes.

This is 100% free and 100% fun. I hope parents join with their children to start the first week back just right!

Thanks for considering.

Kelly

Want to give your child or a child you know the gift of confidence and tools to tackle worry and anxiety? Order my new book Unthink Before Bed. It is a children’s book on mindfulness. It’s the perfect gift and bedtime book. I am so proud of it! It is a very fun read.

Kelly Croy is an author, speaker, and educator. Want to learn more? Send an email. • Sign-up for Kelly’s Newsletter. Listen to Kelly’s other podcast The Wired Educator Podcast with over 180 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader a book on personal and professional leadership, and Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness for your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram 

 

 

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How to Help Kids Deal with Anxiety at Bedtime, a Television Interview

CBS WTOL Television Interview baout my Book; Unthink Before Bed: A Children's Book on Mindfulness

I had the good fortune this past week to be interviewed on CBS Television Affilate WTOL about my new book, Unthink Before Bed. The interview was a lot of fun, and I am excited it is helping to deliver the message about helping people with anxiety through the simplicity of mindfulness.

Thank you to Paul, the WTOL cameraman, and reporter Zeinab Cheaib. You can get your copy of my book here. 

Click here to read the article on WTOL’s site.

Here is the television interview: 


Here is the article from WTOL:

How to Help Kids Deal with Anxiety at Bedtime

‘Unthink Before Bed’ was written to help kids develop healthy routines as they go to sleep, especially in times of uncertainty.

TOLEDO, Ohio — A northwest Ohio author is doing his part to help kids relax and unwind as they get ready for bed.

“Unthink Before Bed” is a children’s book on mindfulness. Written by Kelly Croy, the piece is aimed at helping kids develop healthy routines before bed, like disconnecting from electronics and nding healthy ways to relax as some children may struggle with anxiety.

“The times that we’re living in right now, every day, we’re a little uncertain of what the next day is gonna look like. Our patterns and routines have been interrupted. The book tries to help young people to develop patterns before bed to develop a way to think strategically about the next day,” Croy said.

Croy’s motivation comes from raising his four daughters and his experience teaching seventh grade English for over 20 years.

He said he has always wanted to write a children’s book and due to the pandemic, he thought now would be the ideal time to help kids release some of the anxiety they may be dealing with before bed.

“I think it’s good for anybody. One of the most surprising comments that I have received is that after reading it, parents tell me it was good for them,” Croy said.

This unique book has a rhyme scheme similar to Dr. Seuss, with fun illustrations based on real-life characters.

“There are over 40 illustrations. I drew them in. Jedi – who’s in the book – that’s my dog. He’s a real dog,” Croy said.

Croy acknowledged the fact that some parents might not be able to read to their kid every night. But, he has a solution for them, too.

In the back of the book, there’s a code that will send the reader to a website that has a recording of the author reading the book, so nobody is left out.

Want to give your child or a child you know the gift of confidence and tools to tackle worry and anxiety? Order my new book Unthink Before Bed. It is a children’s book on mindfulness. It’s the perfect gift and bedtime book. I am so proud of it! It is a very fun read.

Kelly Croy is an author, speaker, and educator. Want to learn more? Send an email. • Sign-up for Kelly’s Newsletter. Listen to Kelly’s other podcast The Wired Educator Podcast with over 180 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader a book on personal and professional leadership, and Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness for your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram 

 

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My New Book: Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness

I Wrote and Illustrated a Children's Book on Mindfulness Titled Unthink Before Bed

I just published a new book titled Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness. It is available on the world’s largest bookstore, Amazon, now. You can get your copy here.

II am very excited to share this book with families. It is a fun bedtime story with incredible artwork. This is exactly what children need to hear right now. (Parents too.)

We are living in uncertain times and children (and adults) need the strategies to prepare their minds for the challenges in today’s world. Unthink Before bed teaches children how to relax, reduce stress, and give themselves an advantage to get the rest they need a prepare for a new day. You are going to love it.

I had so much fun writing this book and illustrating every page. There are over forty, beautiful pages of illustrations. This book has a fun rhyme. I have even built a free audiobook inside the book. I’m not kidding. Wait until you see how I did it!

There are so many great surprises inside this book. Kids are going to love it. Parents are going to love it.

The book hit #2 in bedtime stories yesterday and was featured as one of Amazon’s “Hot New Releases” and one of their Best Sellers. I am so excited.

I will be sharing more about the book, but I just wanted to share my excitement with you!

Thanks for your continued support and encouragement.

Let me know what you think about the new book.

Order your copy of Unthink Before Bed today.

Thanks!

Kelly

Here is more about the book:

Unthink Before Bed is the perfect bedtime book with over forty, beautifully colored illustrations and a whimsical rhyme reminiscent of Dr. Seuss. 

 Written and illustrated by a veteran educator of thirty years and a father of four. This is Kelly Croy’s second book.

Unthink Before Bed teaches children (and adults) how to slow down, build routine, get to bed, and sleep. 

Woven into every stanza and illustration are the ten, secret lessons of mindfulness. 

Reduce anxiety, worry and stress. Fall asleep happily. Get a peaceful night’s rest. 

Enjoy this fun and relaxing bedtime story. 

Readers are leaders. 

Kelly Croy is an author, speaker, and educator. Want to learn more? Send an email. • Sign-up for Kelly’s Newsletter. Listen to Kelly’s other podcast The Wired Educator Podcast with over 173 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader for your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram 

 

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The Importance of Fiction. Especially Now!

The importance of fiction. I’ve met some people in my life who have told me that they don’t read fiction; that they find no value in it. Well, let me tell you a couple of reasons why you should be reading a novel right now.

First of all, everyone needs a story bouncing around in their head. If you don’t feed yourself a story in the form of a novel, your brain will create a story of its own. Do you know what stories your brain likes to create? It loves to create stories that are dark and void of hope. So feed your brain a story.

Second, fiction inspires mankind to attempt things that aren’t considered possible. Fiction pushes the envelope. Fiction motivates, inspires and sparks innovation. One of my favorite quotes of Jules Verne is, “What one man can dream, another can achieve.” Scientists and engineers know how to make things, but it’s the writers who dream up what needs to be made.

Last, a novel is a perfect diversion because it cannot be consumed in one sitting. Unlike movies, television and other forms of media, novels take time. In between those moments of ingesting brilliantly crafted phrasings from a wordsmith, we, the reader, think. What do we think about? Solutions! Choices! Possibilities! What is our hero or heroine going to do? How will they get out of this situation? What if they do x? What if they choose y? What about z? Our brains love to figure things out, and quite frankly… they need the practice. From time to time my brain thinks about some stories I read decades ago and wonders, “What if they had done this instead?”

So, pick up a novel. Take your time. I think the perfect read at this exact moment is Andy Weir’s The Martian, but truly any novel will do. I use to consume Tom Clancy novels like Doritos while others scolded me and waved the classics at me. It doesn’t matter. Find a good story. Entertain yourself. Work your brain. Mark Twain brilliantly pointed out, “The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.”

I was blessed to grow up in a house with lots of books, paper, and writing utensils. Always keep a good book near. Most don’t.

Kelly Croy is an author, speaker, and educator. Want to learn more? Send an email. • Sign-up for Kelly’s Newsletter. Listen to Kelly’s other podcast The Wired Educator Podcast with over 148 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader for your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram 

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FFP 028: How to Build Emotional Intelligence for Life and Leadership

In this episode of The Future Focused Podcast, I focus on the importance of Emotional Intelligence. What is it? Why do we need it? How do we build it?

If you really want to become an exceptional leader… If you really want to live an incredible life… you need to build your emotional intelligence. If you’re struggling in leadership or struggling in life your lack of emotional intelligence may very well be the obstacle that’s holding you back.

Emotional intelligence is something that is growing in importance in both the workplace and home. It is something I believe it extremely important to individuals, teams, and leaders… no matter where you lead… in the home, at work, a sports team… a battlefield, online, offline, everywhere.

Most people don’t know what it is nor why they need it. Well, that is changing, and it’s changing at a rapid pace. Self-care, wellness, and emotional intelligence are fortunately becoming common practice in the workplace and home.

Find out what it is, why it’s important and how you can increase your Emotional Intelligence to bring peace and prosperity, health and happiness, to your life. 

It’s time  to level-up your leadership and design a more dynamic life. It’s time to get future-focused. 

Mentioned in this episode:

The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday: This is the book that I read a section of every day and have been for years. This is one of the ways I build my emotional intelligence.

Sign-up for my free newsletter: To help you kick off the new year and to help you reach your goals and resolutions this year, I am giving away a free copy of my 64-page eBook, The Greatest Year of Your Life (2020 Edition) to everyone who signs up for my newsletter. Become more productive. Get things done. Level-up your leadership. Design a more dynamic life. All you have to do to receive the free copy is to sign-up for my free newsletter. Just click this link and enter your email. That’s it. It’s that simple. This eBook is available only until January 15, 2020.

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Coaching Application: Would you like to work with me to help you achieve your goal of publishing a book, building a website, hosting a podcast, starting a business, becoming a speaker, or achieving another awesome life goal? Complete the following application before January 15, 2020. One lucky applicant will win free coaching. Here is the application: https://forms.gle/762GxbJ8b5oD8xEK9 
Wishing you much success!
Kelly
Looking for a dynamic speaker for your event? • Kelly Croy is an author, speaker, and educator. Want to learn more? Send me an email. • Sign-up for Kelly’s Newsletter. Listen to Kelly’s other podcast The Wired Educator Podcast with over 148 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader for your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram