Mindful Monday: Special Occasions

How often do we live for the weekends? Or the next holiday? We are quick to wish the week away and just 'get through' the work week. However, the work week consists of more than 70% of our week. Being disappointed every time Mondays roll around might be a common sentiment, but have you considered that Mondays make up 14% of our life.

If we are lucky enough, we are gifted nearly 4,000 weeks in our lifespan. Of those weeks, there are only a finite number of holidays and weekends to look forward to.

We have to quit wishing our life away. Quit saving our favorite dishes for only when company comes. Stop saving our favorite outfit for only special occasions.

While it's good to have things to look forward to, we have to quit putting off our happiness until some future date.

Enjoy today.

Be present in the moment.

Be grateful for it all.

Because life is the ultimate special occasion.

This quote is from the movie, Shawshank Redemption. If you have not had the privilege of watching this movie before, I highly recommend it!!!

Mindful Monday: You Matter

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Did you know...

• In the US, 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
• Breast cancer is the 2nd most common cancer in women behind skin cancer.
• When caught early and localized, the 5-year survival rate is over 99%.
• Genetics only contribute to 5-10% of breast cancer diagnoses.

Cancer does not discriminate. It doesn't care about your age or your background.

I tell you all this because...You Matter!

I know schedules are full and life is busy. But You Matter. If you have reached the age of 40, it is recommended to get your yearly mammogram screenings. If you're not yet 40, make sure you are at least doing annual well woman exams. While not fun, you are worth it. You are worth the time they take. You are worth the annoyance of it all. 

If you're not taking care of yourself, then who is?

Mindful Monday: You're Not Behind

You're not behind.

You might be asking yourself what in the world I am talking about. 

I'd fancy a guess that we're all guilty of creating timelines or benchmarks when we would like to reach certain achievements or milestones in our lives. ie: By the time I'm 25, I'll be married with a kid. (Missed that milemarker.) After I've been teaching x number of years, I will become a (fill in the blank) coordinator. (Still waiting.) Or perhaps the biggest elephant in the room we tell ourselves, we'll feel like a 'real' adult by the time we reach 30 and have it all figured out. (Any day now!) You get the idea.

When we make these arbitrary timelines, we tend to set ourselves up for disappointment. We can find ourselves frustrated that our lives are not going according to our plans. We start comparing ourselves to others thinking we are behind or not doing something right.

Know this...

1) You are not behind.

2) We're all still trying to figure out this adult thing.

And maybe, just maybe...

3) Perhaps this is the moment for which you were created! 

I have no doubt that you are here now, in this moment, with these students because it's exactly where you are meant to be!

Mindful Monday: Circle of Control

When people tell you to relax, they'll often tell you to "not sweat the small stuff". The phrase was further popularized several decades ago when a book was published by the same name. However, it's certainly easier said than done.

If nothing concerned you or bothered you, I would wonder if you even cared. And on the flip side of that, we can easily get caught up in worrying about things that we have absolutely no control over.

Worrying is a form of self preservation that attempts to prepare us for the unknown. And yet, it can also be a trap - an endless cycle of what-ifs. 

So when you worry this week about your lesson plans, your students, BOY testing, etc, I say thank you. Thank you for caring. But- be careful not to get sucked into the vortex of what-ifs. 

Here's hoping that we won't spend our time and energy worrying about that whcih we have no control over.

Mindful Monday: Lost in Translation

Don Epps made this analogy. Windchill measures how cold it "feels", not the actual temperature found on a thermometer. Communication can be thought of similarly. What was intended in an email or text (the actual temp) isn't always the same as how someone might feel about it (the windchill).

Words are powerful. And when emailed or texted, we lose most control on how they are received and interpreted. Tone and facial expressions speak volumes, generally in our favor. (Although, I admit, I have to tell my face to be quiet sometimes.) While texting or emailing has become our default, a ton is lost in translation.

I strongly encourage you to consider picking up the phone next time, whether it be to a parent, or a loved one. Walk down the hall and have a face-to-face interaction instead of a quick text or email. Make those connections in a personal way that doesn't allow your message to be lost in translation.

Mindful Monday: Joy is Not Extra

Are you making time for things that bring you joy?

It's easy to get caught in the grind, ticking off the to do list, doing what needs to be done. But are you making time for things that bring you joy?

Now that school is back in session, if you find your joy fading, know you're not alone.

The joy and peace you found during the summer months won't sustain you during the school year. We must make time for the things that bring us joy during the school year, as well! It's imperative to our health that we continue to make ourselves a priority!

Doing something that brings you joy, no matter how small, has a wonderful effect on us. It has a way to bring us peace, and it's a great way to reset from the stresses in our lives. If you're not making time for joy, then life's stresses are simply adding up. And that's not sustainable. 

You deserve joy in your life! Not only during the summer months, but during the school year, too!

Mindful Monday: Beauty of Brokenness

Todd Nesloney recently posted a blog stating that "Broken Hearts are the Best Hearts". His premise is that the grief, the pain, the struggle, the hurt...it all makes us better. However, he clarified that brokenness leaves us with a choice. We can choose to be bitter or choose to be better.

Because of the trials you have been through, you are a better teacher. Because of the mistakes you have learned from, you are a better human. Because of the grief you have experienced, you are a more compassionate person. Because of the struggles you have navigated, you are a better friend. 

Know that your mistakes, your pain, your "brokenness" is NOT a weakness and should not be hidden. Instead, your brokenness is what makes you better equipped to lead our students. It's what makes you more resilient. Your brokenness makes you more equipped to traverse this epic journey we call life.

At the end of the day, know that we are not looking for perfect. We are looking for real people who have experienced real life to lead our students in authentic ways. Thank you for embracing your brokenness and choosing to be better because of it.