10/27/09

Allow

Allow.....such a powerful and helpful lesson to reaching true happiness.

So many times a day I practice "allowing" that it finally seems a bit easier.

I allow the feeling of frustration to pass through me when I realize my alarm did not go off.

I allow my hubby to disagree even if it does not fit my idea of what I wanted him to think.

I allow my son to scream without seeking comfort in yelling back.

How many times we fight life and all its surprises?....We try so hard to change and shift our world to fit our idea of what the world should be that we forget that life is meant to be unpredictable and that fighting all this unpredictability only makes life harder and more miserable.
This is one reason I abhor movies about love. How finite and strict these movies have come to define love. They make it seem as if love ONLY comes dressed in candles, flowers, poems and wine and leave out the gamut of other styles of love that exist in the world. It begs the question, could there be love without flowers? without gifts? without poems? The movies would have you think not and setting you on a lifelong quest for prince charming. But prince charming might come dressed in any of thousands of forms. If attached to one finite idea of love, you might miss it all together.

So next time to meet a person who might not fit the "mark" of a prince charming....allow them to teach you about their style of love.


10/20/09

Painting Again


Art is contagious. I teach children art and their enthusiasm has infected me. I also have come to learn that my own children would benefit from seeing me follow my passions; painting, collage, photography and cooking. I created a painting this past week and as expected my kids wanted to paint too. I had long feared this scenario, yet it went pretty smooth. They painted for 20 minutes then went on to another activity and allowed me to finish my painting without any disruptions. So all this time of not painting fearing the constant disruption and unpredictable mess, I had no idea it would only last for a few minutes. Now my 2 year-old knows what a canvas is and my son sees that colors can be layered when the paint is dry or wet. It's a win-win situation all around. I get to paint, and they learn and get inspired.

10/7/09

Apparently I'm Into Leather...Why didn't someone tell me?

One thing I have learned from reading every one of Katie Byron's books is that what other people think of me is THEIR business not mine. This is a HUGE improvement from where I use to be. I use to painfully care what others thought of me where it would consume all my time and energy trying to change their minds. Trying to control other's thoughts you know is a truly exhausting task; a full time job indeed. Luckily, I am cured from such a distortion of the mind and am free to be me without a care in the world.

I was happy to return to one fo the MOST valuable Katie Byron's lesson today when an acquaintance from work approached me and professed to know that I was somehow into "leather" or that I must had some exotic private life based on the fact that I wear a 1/4" width leather bracelet. His boldness and intrusive conversation both caught me totally off guard and made me chuckle at the same time. When I stupidly erred and continued the conversation, I briefly tried to correct him and make him aware of the plain nature of my life these days, he simply retorted with a smirk, "I've been around, I know". I then made a very conscious and Buddhist choice to just let it go and allow him think whatever he wanted of me and that his thoughts really were none of my business anyway, even if they were about me, his thought were none of my business. If he wanted to think of me as having a more exotic private life, more power to him...enjoy your fantasy buddy! If he only knew that most weeks I hardly even get a chance to put on lipstick, and even less pluck my eyebrows. Exotic is not part of my life....my priorities these days are so far from trying to be a deva...(LOL)
jowf31348
When I got home I shared with my husband this guy's assumptions based on my tiny leather bracelet that my son gave me a year ago. I had even forgotten this bracelet was even on my wrist and we both had a good laugh. It also made me realize that I too have lots of unproven assumptions swimming around my head; mostly about people I hardly know. In light of my experience, I made conscious effort to purge them out of my mind.

Life is quite funny if you have the right outlook.

Have a great day!



10/3/09

What Do Teacher's Make?

A co-worker sent this to my e-mail ad I just had to post it....pass it on!

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life.

One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"

He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers: "Those who can, do.. Those who can't, teach."

To stress his point he said to another guest; "You're a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?"

Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, then began...)

"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.

I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor winner.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental.

You want to know what I make?" (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table.)

I make kids wonder.

I make them question.

I make them apologize and mean it.

I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.

I teach them to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn't everything.

I make them read, read, read.

I make them show all their work in math. They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator.

I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know about English while preserving their unique cultural identity.

I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.

I make my students stand, placing their hand over their heart to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, One Nation Under God, because we live in the United States of America.

Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life.”

(Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.)

"Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn't everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant.... You want to know what I make?

I MAKE A DIFFERENCE. What do you make Mr. CEO?"

His jaw dropped, he went silent.

Been Painting Watercolors

Been painting 5x7's in watercolor.......so relaxing......In teaching art I often get the itch to do it too.....I recommend it to anyone!!! who does not like watercolor-ing?




Have to know how to fight

Do you know how to fight? If you care about your relationships dare to practice fighting.  It does not really matter what you fight over.......