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!