He FINALLY Asked; She Said Yes

When your daughter asks you to take photographs... and then responds to the finished products with "They're beautiful!! Thank you mama! You did great. It looks like we paid someone!"

So worth it!  My thirty day growth challenge is paying off already.

I love the happiness in these images.

In a Nutshell
Her gratitude warms my heart.  I'm so happy she loves these images, and happier still that she loves these two guys and they love her in return.

Search for the Hidden Treasure

It's been 81 days since I asked our faculty to begin journaling their joy moments.  I know it takes commitment, time, effort to focus on the positive in your day to day activities, and sometimes we feel that we don't have any of that left to do one more thing. 

That's why I decided to start my mornings with my joy journal -- it's the first thing in my day, not the last. This allows me to reflect on yesterday and to prepare for today.

I've felt better since I've been doing this, but I didn't consider that it was evident on the outside.  Until this week when someone I haven't seen in a while commented. And then I knew for sure that this "joy thing" is working.  

Don't get me wrong, my days haven't been perfect.  Aggravation sets in sometimes. I get cranky. My to-do list is growing, not shrinking - nothing is getting crossed off.  But even in difficult situations, I've had a sense of peace that I hadn't previously had.  

I'm telling you this to say, if you haven't made joy journaling a daily habit, now's the time.  Start today!  

I thought this passage from Sarah Young was a perfect prompt to remind us to seek Joy everyday:  

"On some days Joy is generously strewn along your life-path, glistening in the sunlight.  On days like that, being content is as simple as breathing the next breath or taking the next step.  Other days are overcast and gloomy; you feel the strain of the journey, which seems endless.  Dull gray rocks greet your gaze and cause your feet to ache.  Yet Joy is still attainable.  Search for it as for hidden treasure."

In a Nutshell

When you conscientiously seek joy in the small moments of every day, you will develop a positive mindset and an inner peace that will shine through on the outside.  Search for the hidden treasure of joy in your life.  Journal it!

Advice from My Third Grade Review Partners

One thing's for sure: our students' are learning a lot about writing this year!  Not only are they becoming better writers themselves, but also they are pretty good peer review partners.

I dropped by a second grade class finishing their writer's workshop for the day and I was overcome with pride when they let out a collective "Awww" after their teacher told them time was up; they were in the flow!

Then I had an awesome experience with a group of third graders who told me not only what they liked about my story, but also exactly what I need to do to make it better.

This started weeks ago when I happened upon their class just as they were transitioning from drawing a picture of a place they wanted to write about to actually writing their stories.  I joined them, drew my picture, then wrote my story. I mentioned this experience in an earlier post.

I returned to their class a day or so later while they were learning about adding dialogue to their stories to make them more "in the moment."  I rewrote my story; it needed serious revision.

It's been several weeks, and I hadn't had an opportunity to share my story with them or to hear theirs. Today was the day.

Here's the revised version I read them:

The door slammed open and away he ran!
"Chance! Where are you going?" I shouted as I ran after him.
No answer. Down the hall, down the steps.  First, he; then, me.
"Chance! Stop! Come back."
Across the driveway.  Onto School Street.
He was running as fast as he could.  I was chasing him as fast as I could.
"Stop, now!" I yelled, but he didn't comply with my demand.
I kept running as fast as I could, and . . . I was catching up to him.  He must have been slowing down, running out of steam.
Finally: he stopped.  And I stopped when I caught him.
"What are you doing?" I demanded.
"Running away. I hate school. I don't want to be here any more," he sassed.
"Well, you can't run away from school.  You have to stay until your mom picks you up this afternoon," I replied.
Exhausted, we walked back to school, holding hands, or rather, I was holding his hand to prevent another escape.

Sweet children - they were quick to tell me what they liked.  Bravely, though, they also let me know that my story needs "some onomatopoeia in the part where he's running."

I think that's pretty good writer's advice.  Thank you, third grade! You bring me joy!

I'm off to the revision cycle.

In a Nutshell
Students are learning!  Our new writing program is building skillful writers. And, I'm learning, too.

Hurricane Force Grumbling: Impeding Joy

When things don't go your way, when things are not done to your liking, it's easy to turn to complaining.  And one complaint leads to the next.

This negative mindset functions much like a tropical depression that gathers energy from warm water, circulating counter-clockwise, gaining speed and tightening into hurricane force.

A complaint here or there may not seem problematic, but gather all those complaints together in a "warm water environment" where other folks are drawn in with their complaints, and pretty soon, the tropical depression of complaints circulates counter to good intention, gaining momentum, building to destructive hurricane force.

Regrettably, this negative cycle happens all too often in our work environments.

I was reminded this morning of the destructiveness of this thought pattern in this excerpt from Sarah Young's Jesus Calling:

"There is one thing, however, that displeases Me: your tendency to complain.  You may talk to Me as much as you like about the difficulty of the path we are following.  I understand better than anyone else the stresses and strains that have afflicted you.  You can ventilate safely to Me, because talking with Me tempers your thoughts and helps you see things from My perspective.

 Complaining to others is another matter altogether.  It opens the door to deadly sins such as self-pity and rage.  Whenever you are tempted to grumble, come to Me and talk it out."

Too often our complaining hinders our ability to experience joy, to be grateful. It's a mindset issue; is your glass half full or half empty? Are you choosing pessimism or optimism?

Complaining focuses our energy on the negative: what's wrong, what we don't like, what aggravates us, what someone else needs to do.

Instead, let's focus our energy on the positive: what's right, what we appreciate, what makes us happy, what we can do to improve a situation.

Complaints are lodged for someone else to make the repairs, to fix the problem, to right the wrong. Legitimate concerns, on the other hand, are followed by or accompanied with potential solutions; this places us in a positive position.

The next time you find your cranky self in complaint mode, try flipping your mindset.

For example, instead of complaining about having to prepare meals, I can choose to find joy in serving my husband and children.  (Yes, I wrote that in my joy journal yesterday! I found joy in the mundane, in something I really don't like doing - cooking & cleaning.  Joy is in the mindset.)

• Instead of complaining about having too many academically deficient students in your class, be grateful that you have the opportunity and the skills to make a life-changing difference for these kids.  
• Instead of complaining about lack of administrative support, be grateful that you've been empowered to handle your discipline and have open communication with parents. 
•  Instead of complaining that you have to cover a colleague's class, be grateful you are available to do so.

In a Nutshell
Complaining impedes joy.  The negative mindset that accompanies complaining leads to hurricane force destruction.  Choose optimism instead.  Look for the good in every situation, and you will find joy as you experience gratitude.

photo source: http://www.livescience.com/56397-photos-hurricane-matthew-how-storm-evolved.html

Consciously Cultivating Gratitude

I started listing my "joy moments" and things I'm grateful for in a colorful notebook during the summer.  Nothing huge - just little things that, when I reflect on them, make my heart smile.

More than once, I've reread my entries and experienced those heart-smiles all over again.

"Joy" scripture jumps off the pages of my Bible these days.  "Joy" quotes monopolize my Pinterest feed.  These reminders nudge me toward conscious choices. Every day I have a choice: I can choose joy.

Joy leads me to gratitude.  I have so much to be thankful for.

Because of my Amazon addiction, which is fueled by my research frenzy, three books on gratitude arrived in my mailbox this week.  Can you believe some Ph.D. has spent his career researching gratitude?  It's true.  Empirical research.  Proof.

This paragraph from Robert Emmons' Thanks! How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier particularly hits home with me; it's a personal call to action:

...gratitude is more than a feeling.  It requires a willingness to recognize (a) that one has been the beneficiary of someone's kindness, (b) that the benefactor has intentionally provided a benefit, often incurring some personal cost, and (c) that the benefit has value in the eyes of the beneficiary.  Gratitude implies humility - a recognition that we could not be who we are or where we are in life without the contributions of others. (p.5)

Emmons alerts us to these points in the first chapter of his book:

• "a person who experiences gratitude is able to cope more effectively with everyday stress"
• "gratitude requires contemplation and reflection"
• "While gratitude is pleasant, it is not easy. We have to work at it.  It must be consciously cultivated."
• "gratitude is morally and intellectually demanding"

I was already on the joy journey. Emmons' research feeds my intellect as well as my emotion, further solidifying my resolve to find joy and to express my gratitude each day.  I choose to consciously cultivate a spirit of joy and a grateful heart.  Will you also consciously cultivate joy and gratitude in your own life?

In a Nutshell
Have you found greater joy in each day since you've been journaling? Share your journey.

Make Joy a Habit

It's been a month since that hot August morning when we met in the auditorium to kick off this school year.  Does your joy journal reflect a month of finding joy in each day, of expressing gratitude for what you have?

I know you've been busy.  I know you're still overwhelmed with the tasks of getting to know your new students, your new curriculum, your new role.  But I'm hoping that you've found joy in the ordinary, that you've recognized your gratitude for even the things that cause you stress.

Maybe you're thankful for 

• that student who seems to have parents who don't have time or interest in their child's schoolwork.  You have something to offer him: understanding, love, good teaching
• that colleague who can't get it together.  She needs your expertise.
• your extra-curricular responsibilities that keep you away from home late into the evening. You have a secondary platform for reaching students; your influence is huge.

Maybe you found joy

• in wiping away tears 
• in finishing a math lesson in one class period!
• in the note a former student sent you saying "thanks"

You will reap the benefits of choosing joy each day, of seeking and noticing the things that give you joy.  Your gratitude will grow and show.

In a Nutshell

Remember to find joy in each day.  Writing it down will help you develop a habit of seeking, of noticing, the little things that give you joy.  If you haven't yet committed to writing daily in your joy journal, make that commitment now.

There's truth in this borrowed phrase:

I'm not telling you it is going to be easy; I'm telling you it's going to be worth it.

Feel free to share your joy moments in the comments section below.

Grounded in Tradition

I'm really liking our school's new logo.

The iconic oak trees shading our playground hold so much history for this little town, and more recently, for our school.

The new logo speaks to me this way:

The oak tree represents our roots and the foundational aspects of character building and academics we strive to instill in our students.  The mighty oak in its antiquity represents wisdom, steadfast loyalty, and strength, all of which are character traits we endeavor to pass along to our students.

The trunk and limbs, represented through the two arms and hands outwardly stretched, embody the support we provide for our students as they develop their potential.

The leaves represent our students and staff as individuals of varied ages and sizes who, collectively, make up our BCCS family.

Grounded in tradition, a phrase from our Alma Mater, reminds us of where we came from.

Reaching for the future, a statement of hope.

What is unseen in the logo is just as important as what is seen.  Roots.

Roots grow deep into the ground to weather the worst of winds, to drink from within the soil, maintaining life.  Likewise, there is much unseen support at BCCS.  So much that happens that you and I don't see, from the board room where policies and finances are handled to the bathroom where little ones' tears are wiped away, from visionary planning to lesson planning: these are the roots that make BCCS strong.

I'm grateful for this mighty oak - our school - that was planted by a tiny seed - an idea - in our founders' imagination.  I'm grateful for the roots that have taken hold, for the trunk of unwavering support, for the diversity of leaves on our tree.

BCCS gives me joy.

In a Nutshell
To be a Blazer is to be rooted in a tradition of excellence, to grow strong in character and intellect, to contribute to the whole while simultaneously pursuing individual potential.

Choose an Attitude of Gratitude

And, we're off to a joyful start of a new school year!

We have so much to be thankful for, yet we sometimes get so busy in getting things done that we fail to take those few moments to reflect on what we have.  That's why I felt it so important to begin our first faculty gathering with a call to choose an attitude of gratitude.  

Build a habit of thankfulness. We cannot take our school for granted; we operate under a performance contract, one that is increasingly under greater scrutiny.  We must be thankful for our school, our facilities, our coworkers, our opportunity to exist here, and continually strive to exceed expectations.

Seek joy: be willing “to see even the small good things around you — to allow yourself to give them due notice and to allow these things to lift your spirit.” source

Take a moment every day to reflect on all that is good and right in our work environment and in your life.  See the good, ever how small it is.  Create solutions, rather than drowning in a sea of problems.  

Together we will change our outlook, we will enhance our school climate, we will find greater satisfaction in our jobs, and we will perform better when we honestly acknowledge the good things happening around us. 

We are going to have great year! 

It will not be without its challenges, but we can use these as opportunities for personal and professional growth, both individually and collectively.  

I am confident that with all 70 or so of our employees choosing daily to operate with a thankful heart, we can positively transform our school into greatness.

In a Nutshell

Every day, write down at least one thing that brings you joy that day or that you are thankful for that day.  Date your list.  And periodically, re-read it.  This is your Joy Journal.  Write in it daily.