I enjoy Facebook, period. I enjoy seeing pictures of friends, stupid cat videos, the educational stuff that’s out there, and the positive energy I can find from people with whom I wouldn’t expect to come.
I logged on a little while ago, and caught the tail end of a video from Lindsey Nichols, who is the founder of “Positive Performance Training“, a company that works with the mental training of businesses, coaches, athletes, and teams of all kinds. She was talking about her blog, and an activity she does with teams. She has them first look for all those items with red in them, then go back and look for the blue items and how it’s easy NOT to see the blue things when all you are looking for is red. It’s about seeing the opportunities that may be right there, but we are so busy we look right past them. It’s training your mind to see the blue. She goes on to talk about her own “seeing the blue” moment, then leaves us with some questions to ask ourselves at the bottom of the page. All in all, 15 minutes of my time that were well worth the investment!
#worksmarternotharder
#changeyourthinkingchangeyourperspective
So, I got to thinking, how does this apply to me and what I’m doing? I’ve got one daughter in college and a high school senior. Next summer, we’ll be getting her ready for where ever she’ll be going (Iowa or Iowa State), and after that, my summers will be mine. What opportunities are out there that I’m not seeing OR what am I willing change in order to make things happen?
Some things that pop into my head:
- Farmer’s markets: We’ve been blessed with an acreage that we can afford without breaking the bank. I’ve always been overly ambitious with the garden, planting more than we ever need, so what if we could sell some of that? We’ve talked about it before, but with schedules the way they are, never really did much with it. Could this be an opportunity? I don’t know, but it’s something that’s very plausible.
- Radio broadcasting: I’ve got a face for radio and a voice for it too. I entertained for a brief time getting some kind of communication major in college, but went the teaching route. What if I got a part time gig at the local radio station? Could this work out?
- Technology: I love technology, and am curious where that could take me. I’ve thought about taking classes to get a certification of some sort or diving into the ed-tech realm even further, using Minecraft, Raspberry Pi, or some other ed-techie fun to continue my teaching career and make some more money too.
- Coaching: I’ve talked before about how I love coaching and how it’s a classroom on the floor. Could this be an opportunity that’s in front of me that I’m just not grabbing on to? Does coaching have to be in sports? Could it be mental training? Could it be coaching technology like an after school club with students?
Now, as I think about my classroom, I love how our #patiopdIA has got me thinking about things. I have to use Write Traits, but what can I bring in to continue to push both creative writing and more technical writing? We’ll have a bit longer classes, but no “free reading time” outside of the classroom: how do help my students to read more without them seeing it as an assignment? How do I assess 17 different standards without losing myself in the school work? I still need a life outside of school or I will go crazy. How do I get Minecraft in my literacy class? All great questions that I have to say have me thinking about my own teaching and I can create a better classroom and better me.
The whole idea of the exercise is to get the creative juices going and work from there. Well, it was a success, the juices are flowing! 🙂
So, if you’ve got the time, I encourage you to think outside the box a little bit, think about the opportunities, the “blue”, that are in your life. How do you make things better if you couldn’t fail? What would it look like?
#whatif
July 18, 2017 at 12:47 pm
Summer is the perfect time, isn’t it, to reflect on what we love and don’t love about the work we do. A great opportunity to zoom the lens in on those opportunities and/or passions. Happy reflection!
July 18, 2017 at 2:02 pm
Absolutely! In the past, I’ve been bogged down with everyone’s summer schedule, but there’s something freeing to reflect on what opportunities might be there for me. No, probably won’t act on all of them, but I see them, and that’s huge! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by my blog!
July 18, 2017 at 2:52 pm
Great out of the box thinking.
July 18, 2017 at 3:54 pm
How wonderful that there are so many possibilities for you to potentially embrace and that you’ve taken the time to recognize them! That’s exciting!
July 18, 2017 at 6:37 pm
I have heard variations of “change your thinking change your perspective” and never really took it heart or knew how to apply it. Your post really broke it down into a simple explanation (from the seeing blue versus red scenario). Thanks for sharing and the insight!
July 18, 2017 at 9:24 pm
I love the thought there, blue versus red, because it’s about opening your eyes and really “seeing” what’s around you. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thinking!
July 18, 2017 at 9:03 pm
I love that summer is the time of possibility, knowing that it will not all become a reality! Have fun exploring!
July 18, 2017 at 9:22 pm
And that’s the best part, it’s all the “what if” kinds of things that we all should be thinking about! Thanks for your thoughts!
July 18, 2017 at 10:41 pm
This post today has such an upbeat tone to it so I’m happy for you! All the possibilities you list seem wonderful, and how interesting to know who you are outside the classroom. I did some radio in my twenties and thirties and loved it. Radio people are a subculture. Coaching (not sports) seems like it would be a good fit for you because you have the ability to see the “big picture” and you really care about others. Farming and selling sounds like hard, but rewarding work, and you’d find another community to hang out with. Why not try one and see what happens. Don’t think of it as there’s only one right choice. You are a man of many talents and abilities. Go for it!!!