Find the Meaning

Hi, all.

It's crazy that August is just a few days away. I can't quite figure out where summer went. I think this will be a line I find myself repeating each year until I retire.

I had an "Aha moment" yesterday due to a much needed text conversation with an amazing friend. I was detailing my busy upcoming schedule, and I told her that I no longer had a life. She then said, "It has new meaning now." It was like someone slapped me and knocked some sense into me.

We all have so much going on in our lives. It is constant and sometimes overwhelming, but it is something that we must choose to embrace. Our lives are constantly changing whether that is because of relationships, work, or family. Change, while sometimes scary, is good for all of us. Every new turn or change adds new meaning in our lives. We only live once. It's important to put everything we have into the people and aspects of our lives that mean the most to us.

My advice today is to always find the meaning in every thing that you do. Finding the meaning makes all the time and effort you put into the many aspects of your life worth while. If you don't find the meaning, you'll end up resenting everything and being miserable. Likewise, don't waste your time on things or people who you can't find true meaning in. Our time is precious and should only be given when it is important.

Yes, my free time will be hard to locate for the next few months, but my life is full of meaning now. I am ok with my time being monopolized by a group of young ladies who have the same goal as I do. It is all worth it. Big thanks to my incredible friend for helping me see the light.

Go do good things,

BT

Make Gratitude Your Attitude

Hi, everyone. :)

I am hoping this post finds you well. I am doing great today! Can't complain about one thing except the Weight Watcher ice cream bars that I bought. I was pumped to see an ice cream bar that had one gram of fat and eighty calories. I opened the box up to find that each bar was not too much larger than my thumb. Depressing. I digress. :)

Today, I have decided to write about an idea that I am going to start today. I invite all of you to try it with me. Each day I am reminded how precious life really is and how I need to truly soak up each second. While I may have my issues and trials, I have been blessed beyond compare, and I would be ungrateful if I didn't spend time each day expressing my gratitude. 

Oprah, my life Yoda, has talked for years about keeping a gratitude journal. It may sound silly to some, but apparently all those who do this find themselves so much happier at the end of the day. Not only do you take time to reflect on what happened to you during the day, you also force yourself to be aware of little blessings as they happen to you, whether that be someone holding the door for you or receiving a call from a loved one. I truly feel awareness is the key to a happy life. We are keenly aware of any negatives that invade our lives, and we often spend much time dwelling on why it happened and what that means for the future. We are not, however, as aware of the many great things that happen to us each day. Attitude is a choice. I don't care what anyone says; it is. If you choose to be happy and focus on the positives, you'll be a happier person. It is that simple. Life is a gift. Downfalls and tragedies are inevitable in our lives, just try not to only focus on those details. 

Each night before you go to sleep, let's both keep a gratitude journal. Write 3-5 different things that you're grateful for. Try to be specific. I am going to do mine for you today as an example. :) 

Just be happy. Notice the little blessings that surround you each day. Focus on the positives, and love each day that you're here!

Go do good things,

BT

Gratitude journal 7/21/12

1. I am grateful for the letter I received today from a college friend. It was nice to know that she thought of me.

2. I am grateful that I get to go to my grandma's house and play double solitaire with her. She'll probably kick my butt, but I love that time with her.

3. I am grateful for my sunburn (I know, weird) today because even though it hurts a bit, hanging out in the sun with my friend yesterday was so much fun. :)

 

No Need to be Perfect

Happy Friday, everyone!

I wanted to write about something that has plagued me my whole life: the fight with perfection. Ever since I can remember, I have been the girl who has constantly beat herself up for not being absolutely "perfect." It still to this day is a battle I face.

The idea of perfection is completely subjective. No one has been perfect except, I think, a gymnast before my time. Other than that, it is merely an idea that we have created in our heads. I don't know if we have created this idea to enhance competition, as a way to make money, or as a way to gauge ourselves. What I do know is that striving to be absolutely perfect and the ramifications of not reaching the goal are more harmful than helpful.

After losing my 4.0 and thus falling from the "perfect" plateau, my very best friend told me that my "B+" added character. I didn't understand what it meant at the time, but that has stuck with me ever since. I have thought about it many times. Our little flaws make us who we are; they make us stronger. However, we often look at our flaws as a downfall or impediment. That's completely untrue. If everyone walked around without any adversity or trials, no one would have that inner strength that pulls us through times where we think all hope is lost. That, to me, is worth each fall from grace I have taken. I know that I can pick myself up from anything. If I was perfect, I would not have a clue.

Not only that, the fact that we aren't perfect keeps us working towards bigger and better things. Whether it be yourself or human kind in general, we all need to strive for betterment. I can always be a better teacher, advisor, or coach. There will never be a perfect lesson, practice, or yearbook. As much as that irritates me, it also makes me excited to see what I can achieve if I keep working harder. That's how we should all think. Instead of beating ourselves up for not being perfect, we should take it as a chance to improve on what we have done. Never settle, but don't berate yourself for not reaching perfection.

At the end of the day, if you know that you did your very best with what you were given, you should be proud. Perfection is a made up idea. No one can be perfect. No one. Be happy with who you are and the bumps in the road you've faced. After all, it adds character. :)

Go do good things,

BT

Little Eyes

Hello!

Baby Teacher is also a Baby Coach, which leads to busy days. I apologize it has taken so long for me to conjure up another post.

Unless you decide to move to a remote part of Antarctica or become a self sufficient hermit, you will be surrounded by people daily. While it's important to always set a good example for everyone, you need to be extra cognizant of the little eyes that are watching you. There are very few things more important than being a good role model for the younger generation.

Kids are a ball of clay. When they are young, they are set out on the table, and each person whom they come in contact with starts kneading and molding the clay. Their little eyes are drawn to the older people around them for guidance and lessons on how to act, think, and communicate. They often emulate what they see. Give them a positive example. If you show them how to communicate with words and not with their fists, you'll create a child who can keep their cool and rationally work through differences.  If you show them respect and the importance of respecting others, you'll create a child who exhibits empathy and concern for the feelings of others. If you show them hard work, you'll create a child who pushes him or herself constantly and doesn't settle when times get a little hard. It's a scary thought, but those who are around youth truly have that much power. Be someone who'd you want your kid to be like. Don't be careless around young children. Even the smallest lack of concern can impact a child for the rest of his/her life. Help build the kid into someone that he/she can be proud of. Being a positive role model for the youth is invaluable.

Little eyes are always watching. Tread carefully. Care about them. Love them. Support them. Be someone worth emulating. :)

Go do good things,

BT

Say Something

Hello!

My favorite times in my classroom are the "teachable moments" that arise more often than one might think. It is in these moments when the planned lesson stops due to a comment I hear or an issue that I see. After a statement during my first year of teaching about how students are unable to stop bullying, I took the opportunity to talk about the unnerving trend that I see with kids and adults alike: the silent witness.

Unfortunately, there will always be evil and ignorance in the world. To try to stop each instance of this would be almost impossible. What concerns me the most are the times when people see cases of others treating another person in an unkind manner and say nothing. This is the silent witness. I once watched an Oprah episode with the Little Rock Nine. Not only were all the students back, but Oprah brought white students who were classmates of the original integrators. One of the white students, now a middle aged man, felt an extreme amount of guilt, not for bullying the Little Rock Nine or being violent, but because he watched it and said absolutely nothing.

We humans have the obligation to stand up and speak out against any who are mistreating others. To not say anything puts us in the same category as the bully. I know there are the thoughts, "It is none of my business. I don't want to get involved." Human kindness is all of our business. No person should be verbally or physically abused for any reason whatsoever. It takes one person to step up and do the right thing. Just one. Others will follow. Will ignorance and evil ever be stopped? Probably not, but, collectively, we can make a difference.

Staying silent is never the way to go. Staying silent may not seem like that big of a deal, but historically, it has been the catalyst to horrors like slavery, the Holocaust, sexism, etc. Speak up. One person can make more of a difference that you might think.

Go do good things,

BT

Be Contagious

Hi! 

My message today is simple and quick. Be contagious. I am not urging you to spread the common cold or any other unwanted illness. I want you all to be contagious with your personality, work ethic, zest for life, determination, or any other desirable quality.

We all know those people in our lives who we love to be around. They are fun, make us laugh, will us to work harder, or just make us appreciate what we have. Those types of people are a true treasure in our lives. Be one of them. Be so happy that you make others happy, too. Laugh, smile, be silly and bring others along for the ride.

Life is short but undeniably special. Seize each day and suck every last ounce that you can out of it. When you do that, you'll have followers. People will want to be around you in hopes that your happiness will rub off on them. A laugh and smile are contagious. Catch one and pass it on. Don't be bogged down by any insignificant aspects of life. The little things can pile up if you let them. If you go through each day thinking about all that you're grateful for rather than what you didn't get, you'll radiate joy. Life is so much better living in the sunshine rather than the gloom.

That's my long awaited message. Be the type of person who you want to be around. Work hard, enjoy life, love those around you, and just be happy. Please don't search out and highlight what you didn't get or what should have been.  Look at all the incredibly wonderful people, treasures, and life that you were granted. Find the good in all that you do. Once you do this, you will be contagious. 


Go do good things,


BT