Week of Wise Words

“One small crack does not mean that you are broken, it means that you were put to the test and you didn’t fall apart.” – Linda Poindexter

All too often we find ourselves fixated on a flaw or mistake. Our imperfections play an important role in what defines us.

If you have suffered and survived, you are a survivor. If you have loved and lost, you are a lover. If you have crashed but risen again, you are now resilient. If you have burned spaghetti noodles, you are not allowed in my kitchen. Just kidding. You are now an experienced take-out artist. Continue reading “Cracked but not Broken” →

Week of Wise Words

Hello, YOU!

“Be the type of person you want to meet” – Unknown (but wise person)

The person we all want to meet is approachable and considerate. They are honest. They are dependable. They are funny, thoughtful, and above all they care.

Do a quick scan of yourself and your demeanor. Are you approachable? Honest? Dependable? Caring? What about those whom you surround yourself with? Are they who you want to be associated with?

“Be the type of person you want to meet.”

Today take inventory of your approachability.

You may find that there are aspects of your approachability that are lacking. Work on beefing them up. This might mean you have to change your surroundings a bit. Continue reading “Hello, YOU!” →

Week of Wise Words

Without Preaching

“One filled with joy preaches without preaching.” – Mother Theresa

Frequently I find myself preaching to my students the values and lessons that are glaringly missing from their life experiences.

After my mini life-lessons, I often wonder if it was my place to say those words. Then I remind myself that no one else had taught it to them thus far, so I was probably called to preach that particular lesson. Then I have to ask myself, “Do I want to be a preacher?”

“One filled with joy preaches without preaching.” Continue reading “Without Preaching” →

Lemons and Crap: Gifts of Life

Seven years ago my husband and I had a one year-old daughter with RSV, a turkey farm with no contract or turkeys to raise, I was suffering from complications following a ruptured gall bladder, and my school district was down trodden from all sorts of issues. To cheer me up my good friend and fellow teacher, Terri, gave me a card. The front of the card read: “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” The inside said: “When life hands you a big pile of crap. Don’t make anything. (Trust me!)”

I loved that card and I still really enjoy thinking about its message.

Life can send some real stinkers our way. I love to think we can always make something sweet from our circumstances, but there are always exceptions to the rule.

If you are experiencing one of those times, when you just don’t know what to do with what life hands you, take the advice of my greeting card. Don’t do anything.

I am not saying check out permanently. Rather than running yourself ragged to fix something you can’t fix, step back. Look for alternate solutions or resources to find assistance. Consider taking a different path.

Just because that big ol’ pile of poo is staring you in the face, doesn’t mean you have to pick it up.

We are all going to find ourselves in stinky situations and we all have to work through them, but we also have to realize when it is time to step away.

Beautify your life through your intentions and choose to not wallow in the muck of bad luck or negativity.

By: Melanie A. Peters

Kim Anderson’s light at end of the tunnel – I didn’t really know how to start this post, but I knew the moment I heard Kim Anderson’s quote, I had to write about how the truth of it hit home for me.

I am a Missouri native but I have been a Kentucky Wildcat fan my entire life. (Growing up one of the only TV stations that came in clear was from Paducah, Kentucky and so I began to bleed blue at an early age.) My husband, on the other hand, grew up 45 minutes from Columbia, MO, home of the Missouri Tigers, and is a tried-and-true Mizzou man. I always cheered for the Tigers when we watched them (except when they played Kentucky), but was never really a “fan.”

Not, that is, until Kim Anderson became their coach last season. Coach Anderson has had some mountains to climb with his young team, but he has always addressed their adversities with honesty and humor.

A few weeks ago I watched a press conference with Coach Anderson and he talked about a light at the end of the tunnel. His light had a different glow than most traditional talks that coaches preach. He said he could see a “light at the end of the tunnel… there might be a train coming in that tunnel” but there is light. His message basically said, we have to face the light when we get there and work to get past and appreciate the view beyond that  adversity. No matter what light was shining their way, as a team, they could not jump track.

This view on determination and focus is something that we should each make part of our own personal game plan. It might be the whistle of a distracting thought or a speed bump in your daily routine that you find glaring in your direction.It could possibly be a heartache rolling towards you or maybe it is a life-threatening disease or injury rambling your way.

Whatever beam flashes, bumming you out, try to find a way past it. Don’t derail from your established priorities. Consider changing speeds, looking for a new conductor, or simply say to yourself, “I think I can. I think I can.” Coach Kim Anderson is well respected for his ability to coach basketball teams but even more so for his clear view of any situation.

Thanks you, Coach Anderson, for providing a positive spin on what lies beyond that darkened tunnel.

By: Melanie A. Peters

 

Continue reading “Broken Crayons” →