Welcome to the Wolff Learning Blog!
See the world
The #WolffWay
W- Work ethic
O- Off time
L- Lead with integrity
F- Find your passion
F- Find a way
These week's edition focuses on two of the staples of the Wolff Way- find your passion and enjoy your off time.
In life, there are certain opportunities that allow us to follow our passion; to do the things which make us "feel alive". One of the things that makes me tick is seeing new places and meeting new people. I genuinely go into a funk when I am stagnant on the intellectual front.
This passion potentially developed while living in Diamond Bar, a city in southern California. While in Diamond Bar, our next door neighbor and his family were from China. Our Chinese neighbors were welcoming and I became friends with their son. As a kid I learned about a different language, different written communication, food, customs, and culture. I wish I listened more when they tried to teach me how to use chopsticks!
After about a year and a half of living in California, my parents decided to move us back to our hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
We drove across the country stopping at National Parks, different cities, and seeing our great nation. It was a tremendous experience. I saw. I experienced.. I learned. If you haven't been to the Grand Canyon, DO IT! Pictures do not do it justice.
These experiences proved to be the impetus of lighting an insatiable thirst and passion for learning and growing. Thanks Mom and Dad.
As an adult I visited Jamaica, Mexico, Italy, Netherlands, Germany, and Puerto Rico. I tried some of the food (I'm a little picky). I swam in blue ocean waters and in remote swimming holes. I went to a soccer game in Europe and visited the Colosseum in Rome. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up while in the Anne Frank house. Unreal.
I talked to a LOT of people, asking questions and learning about different cultures. I gained perspective about the world AND about myself. With each conversation, I created more and more opportunities to cultivate empathy for others.
One of my favorite places is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I recently went there for a Wolff Learning assignment to document my passion for travel while enjoying my off time. My wife and I went to see a Steelers game. We were able to attend a Dave Matthews Band concert. In Pittsburgh, people with all different backgrounds only care about two colors: the black and gold of the Pittsburgh Steelers (and Penguins and Pirates). Dave Matthews Band concertgoers only care about one thing, the music. It's refreshing to see all types of people together enjoying themselves.
All of these experiences have helped mold the Wolff Way philosophy. Getting out of one's comfort zone is an opportunity. An opportunity to find your passion and simultaneously enjoy your off time. It does not have to involve a plane, train, or a long ride in an automobile. Take a ride to the city...or to the country. But don't be afraid to get off the porch either!
Get out and see the world. Maybe it will make you feel more alive, make you tick. At the very least, you will probably learn something.
#wolffway
#passion
#empathy
#Pittsburgh
#Dave Matthews Band
