Tag Wise Words

Responsible Reading and Radical Listening – The Time I Met Will Schwalbe

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There were so many things I wanted to title this post… “Long Live the Tree Books,” “Becoming a Watch Deputy,” and (the title that almost made the cut) “Buying Books We Knock Over.” (I call dibs on all these titles for future posts.)

This past spring Aunt Carol recommended that I read The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe. The End of Your Life Book Club is a memoir of the books Will and his mother read and bonded over during her diagnosis and treatment for Stage IV pancreatic cancer.

I am not gonna lie. Reading this book made me feel smarter because Will and his mother Mary Anne read some AMAZING stuff. (I have an entire Goodreads book shelf dedicated to books I learned about in The End of Your Life Book Club.) It wasn’t so much the knowledge about the books they read that increased my intelligence; it was the way Will conveyed the powerful life lessons fostered by their reading, conversations, and the tremendous responsibility assumed because of their reading that made me feel smarter.

Will SchwalbeWill was announced as the author of the 2017 Capital READ in June. I was so excited! The date went immediately on my calendar and I ordered a new hardback copy of The End of Your Life Book Club from Amazon Marketplace.

Will Schwalbe 2When my copy arrived, I discovered that I had unwittingly ordered an autographed copy. I was bummed because I wanted my copy to be signed when I met Will. (Silly thing to be bummed about, right?) My signed copy ended up being a cool thing. Continue reading “Responsible Reading and Radical Listening – The Time I Met Will Schwalbe” →

Take Note

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Take Note

Professional development is a topic that makes most people groan in despair. I really have no problem with professional development. In fact, I have served on many professional development teams in the past. As a fairly new employee to State Technical College of Missouri, I have the benefit of taking part in the professional development programs offered, including the “new” teacher services. While I am not a “new” teacher in the sense of experience, I was definitely “new” to the collegiate teaching scene.

Upon completion of my first year at State Tech, I received an invite to meet with Angie, the Professional Development Coordinator. Her invite stated that she just wanted to visit with me about the successes and any concerns from my first year to form an instructional mentoring partnership. (Sounded fun and fancy to me and Angie said she was willing to have donuts at the meeting.)

When we met, Angie and I discussed what we believed to be successful about my first year and I shared my concerns (which wasn’t much). She listened, shared stories about her own experiences as an adjunct professor, and discussed ideas for addressing my concerns. (She even remembered the donuts!) To conclude our meeting, Angie thanked me for my time and presented me with a brand, new composition book to use as a journal of my teaching. She did not realize just how special that notebook was.

Take Note 2I have always had an obsession with notebooks and journals. Writing is one of my favorite outlets and I have a little bit of a list-making obsession. For the last few years, I have re-purposed the notebooks left behind by my students as they move onto the next year’s courses. I don’t mind recycling, plus some of those kids drew really great sketches for me to enjoy every time I use their discarded notebooks. When I was in grade school, my favorite notebooks were made from recycled paper. I loved the tint of the gray pages and the softness of writing on the thicker sheets. When my friend Erica gave me a journal for my birthday a few years ago, I was so excited. A new notebook just for me! I used that journal to begin the writing for my blog.

When Angie presented me with this new notebook, my joy was instantaneous and I thanked her with a huge hug. Who knows what great things I can do with those fresh, lined pages! Continue reading “Take Note” →

A Flat Attitude or “Flatitude”

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A Flat Attitude

Attitudes get a bad wrap. It isn’t the attitude’s fault that we got grounded. It isn’t the attitude’s fault that we got the speeding ticket. It isn’t the attitude’s fault that we were misunderstood and left out in the cold to lick our wounds.

Why you ask?

Well, attitudes don’t choose us. We choose the attitude.

Just as we blame a tire for going flat, it isn’t the tire’s fault we drove over a nail or broken glass. It isn’t the tire’s fault that we drove it until the tread wore too thin. It isn’t the tire’s fault that your husband likes to gawk and spends more time driving on the rumble strips along that highway than he does between the yellow lines. 😉

Just as a tire that is neglected becomes flat, so do our attitudes.

I was in danger of suffering from flatitude when people started texting on cell phones. I wanted nothing to do with texting. I found it annoying, lazy, and a depreciation of the communication between members of the human race. My attitude towards texting was downright hostile. Continue reading “A Flat Attitude or “Flatitude”” →

Allergic to Reacting?

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Allergic to Reacting 1

So after my proud post about Digging for Spring, I had a few things pop up that were NOT in my flower beds.

Thursday night I had what looked like a blood blister on my middle finger. It hurt and was really ugly. Hubby squeezed it for me until blood and puss came out. Attractive, right? 😉

Friday night my hands kept going numb. It was like they were constantly falling asleep.

After a restless night of tingly hands, my right forearm began itching and a raised hive covered the entire inside of my right forearm. Tiny bumps followed shortly and my hands ACHED. My knuckle joints were very stiff and felt like they were on fire. My nose itched constantly and my lips were tingling. Something just wasn’t right.

I did what any mom/wife/daughter/friend/teacher, who has too much to do, would do. I took some ibuprofen and Benadryl and went about my business.  Continue reading “Allergic to Reacting?” →

Lacking Instruction – Wise Words Wednesday

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Lacking Instruction

There are days I really wish I had an instruction manual for life. There are days that I think I should write an instruction manual for how to NOT live. There are days that I am pretty sure I am not smart enough to follow an instruction manual (if I had one) to save my life.

We all feel this way sometime.

The best part of our imperfection is that we all suffer from it.

Our mistakes are part of the human condition and they are tools for personal growth.

The three steps to surviving imperfection are as follows:
(Unofficial Instruction Guide for Life)

  1. Laugh at YourselfBe able to laugh at your mistakes
  2. Be able to learn from your mistakes
  3. Forgive yourself for making mistakes

Continue reading “Lacking Instruction – Wise Words Wednesday” →

A Good Kick in the Teeth – Wise Words Wednesday

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A Good Kick in the Teeth

I worked for Disney World (like a lifetime ago) as a performer in the theme parks. I LOVED working at Disney. I loved the work, the people, and living in Orlando; it was a dream come true. In the events following 9-11 there was not as much work for the employees of Disney. (It was hard to be happy, even in the happiest place on Earth, as America reeled from the attacks on our country.) After a few months of struggling to make ends meet and suffering from the distance between my family and myself, I made the decision to move back to Missouri. It was like a kick in the teeth. I smiled through my decision but it was a tough one.

Today I am so glad I had to make that move. A few months after returning home, I got a call to become a teacher, literally. (Thank you, Dawn!) One year into my teaching program, I ended up on a blind date with the man who became my husband.  Today I have an amazing life (17 hours away from Disney World) and I am smiling a sincere and grateful smile.

Walt Disney knew something about getting kicked around. He faced ups and downs and made the impossible possible. Today his vision continues to inspire, entertain, and delight millions, if not billions. Continue reading “A Good Kick in the Teeth – Wise Words Wednesday” →

There are 25 More Letters – Wise Words Wednesday

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There are 25 more letters

“Friends” has always been a source of humor and healing for me. I own all ten seasons and LOVE to binge watch Joey, Monica, Chandler, Phoebe, Ross, and Rachel at any time.

One of my favorite “Friends” quotes ever is, “I don’t even have a pla.”

Rachel had drug Monica and Phoebe into the depths of depression over her inability to get a job and they were drowning their sorrows in a gallon of frozen adult beverages. Of course by the end of the episode, they had found their way onto a new adventure but it just goes to show you don’t always have to stick to Plan “A.” (or Pla “A” in Phoebe’s case)

Like the plans in “Friends,” rarely do our own intended endeavors work the way we hope. Sometimes we don’t even have a “pla,” but we do have options.

png 1 “If Plan ‘A’ doesn’t work, the alphabet has 25 more letter.”

Continue reading “There are 25 More Letters – Wise Words Wednesday” →

Kindness Speaks Loudly and is Seen by All – Wise Words Wednesday

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The Language of Kindness

Often we don’t notice what others are doing unless it is out of the ordinary. Kind acts aren’t out of the norm for many of us, but they are definitely something that makes us stop, watch, and listen. Kindness communicates beyond words.

Earlier this week I wrote about digging for the gold in others. Finding value in each person makes our days richer and brighter. Adding kindness to our gold diggery enhances the quality of our lives. Digging for the gold in others unfortunately is not something we do all the time. Hopefully we can all start to look and listen for the “golden” traits in those around us.

The Intentergy Challenge for today is to break away from the norm and commit acts of kindness that speak beyond words. Seek past your regular routine to make a positive impact on the life or lives of those around you. Hear cries for help or love that you don’t normally hear and answer them with compassion and understanding.

Check out April Positivity Challenge for 36 ideas on carrying out random acts of kindness.

While we cannot always see the hurt or troubles in the lives of others. We can see the impacts kindness makes. While we don’t always have the right words, our compassion and positive energy echo loudly with love and appreciation.

Humankind = Be Both

By: Melanie A. Peters

P.S. Being kind is cool. Let’s get everyone to jump on that bandwagon.

 

A Hook Out of Water – Wise Words Wednesday

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A Hook Out of Water

Last week I had the pleasure of taking my niece and nephew fishing with us. They had not been fishing much and were VERY excited to go to Grandpa’s pond and reel in their first big catch.

My sister had lovingly chosen fishing poles for each of them. An Avengers pole for my nephew and a Moana pole for my niece. As I carried them to the kitchen table with my tackle box, my nephew looked suspicious.

“What are you going to do to my fishing pole?” he asked in his little voice.

“I’m putting a hook, weight, and floater on it so you can go fishing,” I replied.

His eyes got the size of saucers and he said, “A real hook? Yippee!”

My niece was equally excited about her “real hook,” but at nine years old she was too cool to say, “Yippee!”

The “Yippees” kept coming until it was time to put bait on those “real hooks.” Both of my guest anglers were appalled to tears that I would expect them to touch a worm. They wanted to used the fake bait my daughter had in her tackle box. I said, “Okay, but the fish don’t bite as well on them and those fake baits stink way worse than worms.”

“Worms are gross,” my niece informed me.

“They may be gross, but the fish sure love them,” I said. Continue reading “A Hook Out of Water – Wise Words Wednesday” →

“I am very allergic to poison” – Wise Words Wednesday

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Aren’t we all allergic to poison?

In “The Secret of Life of Pets” Max tries to avoid a bite from a one-fanged python by letting the other animals know he is allergic to poison.

This scene makes me laugh (really hard) every time.

The crazy thing is…we are all allergic to poison, but it seems we are way too willing to allow poison into our lives.

Poison comes in many forms. Negativity, guilt, shame, fear, and grudges are toxic to our happiness. Some suffer toxic relationships. There are physical poisons too, such as drugs, alcohol, and unhealthy foods. The crazy thing is we knowingly ingest that bad stuff. I try really hard to avoid the physical poisons. Drugs are something I have never done. But boy, do I like wine, chocolate, and fried chicken. (Hopefully my consumption of these is not too bad for me.)

Mr. Yuck

Mr. Yuk

When I was a kid, my mom put Mr. Yuk stickers on any products that were poisonous. That ugly, green guy told us to stay away or at least make sure we didn’t eat whatever yucky stuff was in those packages. Why don’t we have Mr. Yuk stickers for the emotional poisons in our lives? Continue reading ““I am very allergic to poison” – Wise Words Wednesday” →