Success is peace of mind as a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming – in all areas of life.” -Coach John Wooden

Lately I’ve been watching closely how new digital tools and Apps are shaking the Education field and how they can be used not only to improve the students’ potential for learning, but also making it easier for educators to focus on what they do best, provide this learning.

I plan to expand more on this subject in the coming months, as I get to work closely with leaders in the field who are revolutionizing their classrooms by adding to their student’s learning experiences through the use of innovative ideas and these digital tools.

As a passionate reader and learner myself, I’m also very excited to see that in the connected world we live in, there are some new groundbreaking ideas on how reading a book can be transformed into a more involved and engaging experience. The video below is just a little teaser as to the great potential found in the publishing and education industries.

In this video, software developer Mike Matas demos the first full-length interactive book for the iPad — with clever, swipeable video and graphics and some very cool data visualizations to play with. The book is “Our Choice,” Al Gore’s sequel to “An Inconvenient Truth.”

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius—and a lot of courage—to move in the opposite direction.” -Albert Einstein

Tonight marks the eve of my father’s quadruple bypass surgery.

As I lie awake tonight failing to get any sleep in anticipation for the big day, I can’t help reflecting on some of the most profound and enduring lessons I have ever learned in my life: the lessons my father has taught me.

Some lessons he’s taught me directly, and others he never actively tried to teach me. He simply lived them. Here’s a few of the top ones that come to mind.

Family comes first
From an early age my father taught me the value of family, and how important it was to be at peace with this subject. He’s always used the analogy of having a strong foundation at home, so that you can support any storm that comes your way later on. Over the years he’s always shown unconditional love for every one in the family and I’ve lost count of the multiple times he’s stepped up to support us through anything, no matter how stressful or busy his own day was.

On integrity
I feel like my dad’s written the book on integrity. I admire the way he always has stood by his word, and takes accountability for his actions, at times having admitted to his mistakes and sharing what he’s learned. Never making false promises and teaching me to always under promise and over deliver. He’s without a doubt the most reliable person I know. He’s taught me about the importance of respect and trust, and that once lost, it’s very difficult to get either one back.

Persistence and patience
My first lessons on persistence and being patient came as a child as we spent our weekends and summers away from the city, in a farm where my father would teach me how to plant all kinds of seeds and wait for them to grow. Oranges, bananas, lemons, cherries, corn, papaya, mandarins, tomatoes and lettuce were just a few of the many seeds I cared for under my dad’s supervision as a kid, and in time these lessons sank in and changed my life forever. There’s nothing wrong with wanting things “yesterday,” but the satisfaction of getting something after putting in the time is far greater and deeper than anything achieved overnight.

No great thing is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen.” ~ Epictetus

Work ethic
My dad’s work ethic is impeccable. He’s taught me the value of being punctual and working harder than anyone else. He used to tell me how important it was to do your very best every day, no matter what your job title was. Whether just starting out as an Intern, being a well seasoned employee in a large company, or filling the shoes of a CEO, he’s taught me the importance of giving the absolutely very best you can every single day. Hard work pays off.

Inquiring minds
When I was a child, my dad would come into my room and drop a book on my bed, asking me to read it. He didn’t do it often, but every time he did I would rush to start reading it, as over the years every single book he recommended proved to be a worth story with lots of profound meaning.

He’s taught me to have “conversations” with some of the greatest minds through reading their books. He’s also taught me to always ask as many questions as possible and to question everything. It’s funny to think about it now, but our immediate impulse upon first hearing the news of him needing bypass surgery, was to consume as much information on heart disease and the clinical procedure itself from all types of sources including books, medical journals, Nat-Geo magazines, documentaries, and anything we could get our hands on, as if knowing more about it could help us conquer this challenge. And here’s the thing. We have no doubts in our minds that it has helped.

On matters of the heart
My dad is a man of few words when it comes to expressing love, but that surely doesn’t lessen the amount he feels. One of the most romantic stories I have ever witnessed in my life was when my father surprised my mother a few years ago. They had decided to buy an apartment in a new complex still being built just outside of the city, and the completion date was still another year ahead. In order to save money, they bought the apartment in its most basic version, unfinished walls, unfinished floors, no furniture, not even electrical fittings, thinking they would renovate and finish it once they had moved in.

He ended getting the keys of the apartment a few months ahead of the scheduled completion time, and secretly worked on getting it finished in order to surprise mom. I remember spending many weekends as a kid helping him clean and pass tools as he worked on different areas of the apartment. For months he secretly worked on making this home a dream for my mom, installing the floor tiles they had picked together, painting every room, new bathrooms, new kitchen, installing new windows, and even getting new furniture for every room (they had talked about bringing the old furniture into the new home just to save some money).

Finally, after months of preparation, one day my dad asked my mom to go for a drive so they could check how the construction of the complex was going. My mom happily agreed still thinking that she would find buildings half finished. She couldn’t believe her eyes when they arrived at the entrance of the apartment complex. She was almost in tears when they went up the stairs and my dad casually handed her a key and asked her to open the door of her new home. Inside my mom found a finished home furnished and decorated beyond her wildest dreams, cooled bottle of champagne and everything included. A tear fest ensued.

Without a doubt, my father is one of the greatest men I know. A teacher whose lessons have shaped my life forever. And there is still so much more to learn from him. I can only wish I can one day become half the father he’s been, and pass on some of these lessons to his grandkids.

To my father and his unbreakable heart.

Update 1: Thank you so much for all your messages and wishes for my dad. It really means a lot to our family. You guys rock!

Update 2: Dad has come out of the quadruple bypass surgery looking better than ever, and even the doctor called him champ! Thanks again for all your kind wishes, our family really appreciates every message of support we have received over the past days.

We don’t have to be superstars or win championships… All we have to do is learn to rise to every occasion, give our best effort, and make those around us better as we do it.” -Coach John Wooden

First of all I want to thank all of you for the constant stream of support messages I’ve received over the past few weeks for my family and my father’s upcoming heart surgery. Thank you so much.

It’s no secret that since I first found out about my father’s condition, I’ve been studying and reaching out to some people in the medical community to help me better understand what exactly goes on in coronary artery disease, as well as the surgery involved (in the case of my father, quadruple bypass surgery), and what we can all do to most effectively help him recover and maintain a healthy lifestyle beyond this.

During this process I’ve come across a great deal of information on the advances the healthcare field has made along with technology, and I can’t help but feel the utmost respect for the people behind the remarkable stories and discoveries made over the past few years.

It would be nearly impossible to post here all the great videos and articles out there (and you would be scrolling down for days), so I narrowed it down to just a few of the excellent videos available online from the TEDMED Conferences, which will introduce you to some of the people behind this fascinating world of medical technology, and how they are helping save and improve people’s lives everyday. I hope you enjoy them.

We need to stop disease from divorcing us from our dreams. -Charity Tillemann-Dick

Charity Tillemann-Dick tells a double story of survival: from double lung transplant, and of her spirit, fueled by an unwavering will to sing.


 

Scientific visualization expert Anders Ynnerman shows sophisticated new tools for analyzing data.


 

David Pogue explains how the iPhone might save lives.


 

Dr. Keshavjee mesmerizes as he unveils a breathing lung on stage and describes how this technology is saving lives.


 

Eric Silfen of Philips talks about combining biomedical data in new ways.


 

Eric talks about the frontiers of wireless medicine.


 

Finally, I’d like to leave you with this quote and video from Bill Gates on how vaccines are saving children’s lives:

Big victories like eradicating a disease make us proud of what humans beings are able to do for one another, and that pride inspires us to do even more. -Bill Gates

Bill Gates: Vaccines Save Lives.

It’s amazing to see how much content -and the platforms we use to both create it and consume it- have evolved since cave painting was trendy among the prehistoric humans. And the rate of change has been truly remarkable.

Here’s a look at an excellent way to visualize these changes throughout the years, with an infographic created by digital marketer Philip Sheldrake and illustrator Nic Hinton.

What do you think the future of content holds?

Partial completeness comes in many forms. Like in the form of a little voice inside reminding us of what other people sometimes like to use to excuse their shortcomings: “You can’t have it all and you can’t be everything. That’s just the way it is.”

Refuse to accept partial completeness. Just work harder.

Have you ever heard people (or even yourself) say things like: “if you are successful in your professional life, your personal life will take a toll, or it will be at the expense of your health”? Or perhaps some other variant of this?

Richard Branson, the guy behind the Virgin Group (an empire of more than 300 companies, 50,000 employees, and 25 billion per year in revenue) had an interesting response when he was asked “How do you become more productive?” He said: “Work out.”

Working out can add several hours to your work day, among many other life-changing benefits.

Often times we find it safer to hide behind our perceived limitations. But that’s all they are, perceived. It’s never too late to just ignore them and build a blueprint for a complete life.

There are perhaps other videos that better illustrate this point, but I’d like to leave you with one that has caught my attention featuring Neil Pasricha (the mind behind 1000 Awesome Things) at a TED event in Toronto. He’s a great person with some great ideas for an awesome life.

I’ve always been a firm believer in the profound impact education can have in our lives, and how knowledge and our ability -and desire- to learn, is a key motivator in the actions we take everyday to improve the quality of our lives, and of those around us.

Education at all stages of our lives, from our infant years to our wiser years, empowers us to enjoy our life experiences in more detail and with a greater sense of appreciation.

Over the past few days I’ve had the pleasure to learn about the current state of children’s education from an educator whom I deeply admire for her infinite passion and commitment to continuously grow and innovate beyond her classroom. During our conversations it has become clear to me that one important challenge we face today lies in how to transform the way we teach children into a more engaging and interactive experience, and in integrating technology in the classroom in a way that enhances their education and prepares them for the challenges they will face in the coming years.

Our current education system takes many things for granted and there is a great window of opportunity in challenging the way we’re educating our children. A radical point, but one that could open many doors for children, as well as for tech companies around the world that can benefit from getting involved.

Over the past few years the pace at which we’ve innovated in other fields has multiplied, while education -perhaps due to its bureaucracy or simply the complexity in incorporating new initiatives across an entire public system- has not kept up with similar rates of innovation.

However, that is not to say that there is no innovation in Education. On the other hand, it is a space that is becoming busier every day with startups and individuals who are taking on these challenges with powerful and innovating ideas. Here’s a couple of articles listing some of them:

100+ Online Resources That Are Transforming Education

School Tech: 6 Important Lessons From Maine’s Student Laptop Program

The Case for the Virtual Classroom

We just need to connect the dots now. Outside of the public education system there are some great initiatives that can improve education and the experience children have while being educated, and now I can see that there are fresh and motivated minds who are ready to take on the challenge of integrating these initiatives into their classrooms. It’s up to the rest of us (parents and individuals) to create a demand for this change and find ways to support it in any way we can.

Here’s a quote that stands out for me and summarizes the message I’d like to leave you with:

We should be waking them up to what is inside of themselves.

It’s a quote from a talk given at the RSA by Sir Ken Robinson, world-renowned education and creativity expert, that illustrates the link between 3 troubling trends: rising drop-out rates, schools’ dwindling stake in the arts, and ADHD. I highly recommend you watch the entire video below to understand the lesson and power of this quote.

if you enjoyed this video, I encourage you to also watch Sir Ken Robinson presenting at the TED conference last year.

Shortly after I heard about my dad’s heart condition, I tackled my nerves around it by consuming as much medical information in order to understand the causes of the condition (clogged arteries), and what the solution (bypass surgery) entailed. So over the past couple of weeks I’ve read a number of books and articles on heart disease, as well as medical journals, as if understanding it better would somehow help to get rid of it more efficiently.

As I reviewed all this information, it occurred to me that although we have progressed and innovated greatly in many areas of our lives with all types of Web and Mobile applications, we still have a long way to go when it comes to our own body.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could measure and keep track of our body’s activity, symptoms, reactions, and even moods, in order to determine when something’s off, and help prevent a number of diseases? Perhaps prevent being told one day by your doctor: “you need quadruple bypass surgery”?

“What gets measured gets improved.” -Robin Sharma

It’s become clear to me through my readings and talking to doctors that in preventing heart disease (and many other diseases that plagge millions every day), it is essential to keep track of certain indicators in your body like cholesterol levels, blood pressure, weight, fitness levels, and many others that although they may seem trivial when you look at them individually, combined and over a long period of time they can alert you of a severe condition that might be developing.

The good news is that there are already some great folks doing extraordinary work that is leading us down that path. From mobile apps that measure your heart rate, apps that record your fitness activities, a body scale that records your weight via WIFI, one that records your sleep patterns, and platforms like Google Health and Microsoft Health Vault that combine all this data in order for you to keep track of your entire family’s health.

However, as much as I like looking at these challenges logically, I am aware that there are many other factors that play a part and believing that a mobile app could predict the occurrence or existence of a disease precisely would be shortsighted. There is still much for us to learn about the human body, but the potential to start using technology we keep in our pockets everyday (mobiles) and fill the gaps in our days (standing in line) by entering a few basic things into these body apps, the same way we find the time to share a link to an interesting article online, send a tweet or update our Facebook accounts, then perhaps one day these apps could also alert us of a developing condition and in time help save a life.

On reading an article about heart disease from National Geographic (Mending Broken Hearts), I came across a message that stood out for me from the director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Women’s Cardiovascular Center:

“…it’s hard for a person to worry about a disease that hits ten years down the road-particularly since heart patients, unlike cancer patients, can’t easily observe the progress of their disease. You’ve done damage over the years, and it will take years to undo that damage. This is hard to sell to patients. We do what we can, but then people go home.” -Leslie Cho

We still have a long way to go, but at least we have a starting point for things we can do when we go home.

Here’s a short collection of some innovative apps out there:

Withings WIFI Body Scale

FitBit

Withings Blood Pressure Monitor

Instant Heart Rate

Adidas miCoach

Nike + iPod

Runkeeper Fitness App

iCholesterol

Microsoft Health Vault

Google Health: Using Devices & Apps to Track Your Health

Google Health: Managing Your Family’s Health