Mindful Monday: Life's Truths

January has a funny effect on me. It tends to make me re-evaluate where I've been and where I'm heading. And well, it led me down an introspective rabbit hole. Bear with me. :) 

Life. It’s a funny thing. It's ever so complex, and yet it can be boiled down to a few truths that are universal to all of us.

• ​Things always change.
• Loss is unavoidable.
• Nobody knows what they’re doing.
• And hindsight is always 20/20.

These four statements are true, no matter your age, your background, what part of the world you live in, or what generation you are from. However, we rarely accept these truths.

Things are always changing, and yet we try our darndest to control it all. I think it’s one of the biggest illusions we tell ourselves is that we’re in control. When in reality, trying to control it all leads to stress and anxiety. It's such a catch-22. Not being able to control life's circumstances leaves us feeling stressed. And on the other side of that coin, trying our best to control it all also leaves us stressed. And while easier said than done, the serenity prayer says it best. "Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." It's being able to know the difference of what is or isn't in our control that will save our sanity.

Coupled with things are always changing, nothing lasts forever. We lose jobs. Friends come and go from our lives. Our money seems to disappear faster than we make it. Our health fades. And unfortunately, our loved ones don’t live forever. Even though we know loss is inevitable, we don’t ​tend to handle it well. Loss of any kind creates an awful void​.​ Unfortunately, many adults have learned how to compartmentalize and not deal with it. Instead, I would encourage you to sit with the loss. Feel your feelings. Be upset. Be mad. Because at the end of the day, if you don't acknowledge what you are feeling, it has a way of showing up when you least expect it and usually in unwanted ways. 

And here’s the thing, nobody, I repeat, nobody knows what they’re doing. We’re all making it up as we go, doing our best putting one foot in front of the other and that’s OK. Not Oprah, Dr Phil, Brené Brown​ or anyone else, for that matter, knows what they are doing. I assure you, they are not "in" on life's secrets. Instead, we must walk alongside each other. We must support and lean on one another. Lend a hand when we can, and be brave enough to ask for help when needed. 

The philosopher Søren Kierkegaard ​once wrote, "That life must be understood backwards. But with this, one forgets the second proposition, that it must be lived forwards." While yes, I would absolutely agree to the value of being retrospective, we can't live in the shoulda, woulda, couldas. I get, all too well, that hindsight is 20/20. But we can't beat ourselves up by second guessing our decisions. 

All this to say, give yourself grace. Life is hard. Change is hard. Loss is hard. We are all doing our best, trying to make the most of this journey we are on.  

Mindful Monday: Ultimate Weight Loss

Happy 2026! 

People often start a new year with goals, typically focusing around health and fitness. The most common goal being to lose weight. 

But did you know that the ultimate weight loss is forgiveness? 🤯 (read that again) 

While we ask our students and even our personal children to forgive their classmates or siblings, as adults, we are not always quick to do so. Maybe our life experience has led us to be weary of others. Maybe the same person in our life has done us wrong multiple times. Perhaps the wounds are still fresh. 

But at the end of the day, how much are you holding on to? How many others are living 'rent free" in your head? How much is disrupting your inner peace? It's time to forgive. It's time to move on. It's time to lose that heaviness. There is no better time to shed that extra weight than now. 

Here's the takeaway, when you forgive someone, it's NOT for them, it's for YOU. 

So as we start another calendar year, consider losing what’s no longer serving you. Here's to us all letting go of the extra baggage we've gotten so used to carrying around. Try forgiveness- not for them, but for you.

Mindful Monday: It's Not a Period

I ran across this quote last week...

​As the end of another year approaches, it doesn’t have to be a period. 

Let's face it...life doesn’t happen in nice neat chapters. There always seem to be loose endings, unfinished business, and unexplored storylines. The ending of a calendar year doesn’t mean it’s the end of opportunities. 

Several weeks ago, I wrote that any time is a good time to start. Start in the middle of the week. Start at the end of the year. Start at the end of a day. There’s no right time, which means, there’s certainly no wrong time to live your best life. 

Who knows what’s in store for each of us in 2026, and that’s the exciting part about next chapters, the story has yet to be finished. December 31st is merely a comma in the story of our lives. Don’t close the book. Don’t put away the pen. There’s still so much more to be written.

Wishing you all a great last week of the semester, a restful break, a joyous holiday, and most importantly, a new year filled with endless possibilities! 

Mindful Monday: Choosing Joy for Yourself

There is so much magic this time of year! 

But it’s easy to get sucked into the hustle and bustle of it all. It’s easy to get jaded between the dreary days, ​the long to-do lists, and the crowds everywhere you go​; it’s not all just twinkle lights and jingle bells. Which is even more of a reason to choose joy for oursel​v​es. 

I challenge​ you​, this month especially, to schedule​ joy into your calendar. ​This time of year, we find ourselves pulled in many directions, making magic happen for others, and often stretching ourselves quite thin. ​However, even though this old adage may seem worn out, it still holds true- we must take the time to fill our own cup before we can begin to pour into others. Don't wait until the new year​ to fill your cup, you deserve joy now. 

Consider set​ting your alarm 10 minutes earlier so you can enjoy ​y​our favorite morning beverage ​i​n peace and quiet. ​Or maybe make a fun playlist​ of all your guilty pleasure songs for you to ​e​njoy on your way ​t​o work. Take the scenic route home and look at some Christmas lights​. ​Plan to meet up for dinner with your favorite people. Make time for the little things​. ​Make time for the things that are important to you. ​Make time for joy in your life​. ​

Mindful Monday: Teacher Tip

​It is officially December, and with one flip of the calendar, my to-do list just grew exponentially. 

Between end of semester deadlines, and the endless holiday festivities, it's easy to get lost in the minutia. It's easy to bury your head in the work and push through thinking you have to get it all done. And when you're consumed with a task, minutes quickly turn to hours. 

Here's the thing, no awards are given at the end of the year to the teacher that stayed the latest. There is no award for the teacher that puts in the most hours planning a lesson. And there is certainly no prize to the staff member that works the most at home. 

The same goes for the holidays. There is no award for the best decorations. No prizes are given for the best presents bought. And unfortunately there is no bonus for the best lawn installation. 

All this to say, pace yourself. Do your best, but know your limits. Rest when needed. This is a magical time of the year; you don't want to miss it. 

Mindful Monday: Simplicity of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is often an overlooked holiday. Let's face it, if you have stepped foot into any retail store since November 1, the only holiday you'd know is coming is Christmas. However, Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday of the year. 

Don't get me wrong. I love Christmas. I love the magic of it all. I love the twinkle lights and all the holly jolly music that encompasses the season. But at the end of the day, Thanksgiving is the best in my book. 

Hear me out. Thanksgiving is the best because of the simplicity of it all. It's all about food and family. And yes, I get that family is rarely simple. But generally speaking, it's a time to slow down and savor the moment, to take stock of our lives and reflect. It's a time to be grateful for all we do have. There's no perfect presents to go hunting for. There's little to no decorating to worry about, and no untangling of lights. Thanksgiving is simply about being, well, thankful.

I hope that you know next week when our students' families are counting their blessings, they are counting YOU among them for loving their child like your own. Next week, when your teammates or coworkers down the hall are reflecting on this semester, they are thinking of YOU and are thankful for your continued friendship and support. Next week, when you are taking stock of this season of life you find yourself in, know that YOU are blessing all those around you with your passion and talents, and we are all better off for it.

Happiest of Thanksgiving to You All!

Mindful Monday: Start

Starting something new is hard.

Changing up a habit can seem impossible. 

Branching out is scary.

However...

Never trying leaves you wondering what if.

Staying the same is boring.

Not changing can leave you with regrets. 

The first step is always the hardest. It requires you to be brave. It requires you to believe in something that you're not even sure is possible. It requires you to accept failure as a possibility. 

Being brave enough to try something new does not mean you're not afraid. Franklin D Roosevelt once said, "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear." If it's something that you can't stop thinking about, then it's important to you. And if it's important, then it's worth taking the risk.

Here's the best news of all. You don't have to wait to start. You don't have to wait until the calendar flips to a new month. You don't have to wait until the new year begins. And you certainly don't need anyone's permission to start. 

Start the new hobby you've been wanting to try. 

Start working towards a goal that is important to you. 

Give life to an idea that you've been contemplating for a while. 

Take that first step. Be brave enough to suck at something new. And frankly, that's usually the biggest hurdle you have to get over. You have to stop holding yourself to impossibly high standards. You have to give yourself room to fail and understand that it is a part of the process. Just start...you'll thank yourself later!