12-19-2014

Mary’s Minute

 

“Holidays are about experiences and people, and turning into what you feel like doing at the moment.  Enjoy not having to look at a watch.”

                                                                                                                                                ~ Evelyn Glennie

In the hustle and bustle of the season, we feel like we don’t have time to slow down.  The clock becomes our enemy as we rush from one task to another.  It would be nice if we could take Glennie’s advice more often than on holidays.  I think that we all look forward to Christmas so that we can just enjoy the moment and not look at a watch.  The holidays are a good time to reflect on what we really value and try to add more of what is important throughout the rest of year.  Christmas is a time for thinking of others, giving to those who have less, smiling more, saying kind words to strangers, and slowing down and just enjoying the moment.  Each year I tell myself that I will work to add more of what is important in life throughout the entire year.  I love Christmas!  I love the excitement, as well as the hush that makes the entire world glow.  I love giving to others and showing gratitude.  I appreciate the beauty of decorated trees and twinkling lights.  I marvel at the kindness we show to strangers at this time of the year.  I respect the spiritual traditions that make the holiday special.  These are the things I want to be part of my life!  Christmas represents for me all that is good in the world!             

 

Merry Christmas all year long! 

                                                                                                Mary

12-12-2014

Mary’s Minute

 

“People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

~ John Maxwell

                                   

This week I had the pleasure of interviewing several Perry Central seniors as part of an initiative by our guidance department to give students interview practice.  It was a great experience for me on several levels.  First of all, it was great to get to know these students better.  I loved hearing about their plans for the future, their passions, and their interests.  One student talked about his, “hunger for knowledge,” and the places he dreamed of visiting.  Another talked about her dream to work with special needs students because of the enjoyable cadet teaching experience.

 

I also took the opportunity to ask each student what they liked best about Perry Central and how we could improve.  What almost every one of them talked about was our caring teachers.  They talked about how teachers worked to get to know them as people and that they made sure they learned.  We all know we are here for learning, but as Maxwell’s quote reminds us, without caring, learning is irrelevant.  If I had to pick the single most important element of our school climate it would be to have a caring staff.  These students reiterated for me how fortunate we are at Perry Central to have caring teachers and staff members.  I think these students also helped support the notion that it really does matter.  Taking the time to say a kind word or to get to know a student makes a difference!  Our students really do appreciate the caring environment at Perry Central.  I do too!  Thank you for caring!

 

                                                                        Have a great week!

                                                                                                Mary

12-4-2014

Mary’s Minute

 

“I am told to just be myself, but as much as I have practiced the impression, I am still no good at it.”                   

                                                                                         ~Robert Brault

 

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.”            
                                                                                         ~Steve Jobs

 

The Brault quote is humorous, but sometimes it can hit pretty close to home.  It is easy to say, “Be yourself,” but sometimes it is harder to know just what that means.  As the Steve Jobs’ quote reminds us, it is certainly valuable to be ourselves rather than wasting precious time trying to be someone that society or someone else wants us to be.  A true way to be happy and fulfilled in life is to be comfortable in our own skin.  This is not always easy in today’s world where we are surrounded by external pressures to change physically or emotionally to fit cultural expectations.  We also have to balance the need for continual growth.  We need to be confident and comfortable with who we are, but at the same time we need to constantly be striving to be better.  Comfort comes through self-study and reflection.  Ultimately, there is a need to accept that we are who we are with the fortunate ability to learn and grow to make ourselves better every single day.  The beauty (no pun intended) in being comfortable in our own skin is finding the perfect balance between accepting who we are and pushing ourselves to achieve positive life changes.  The good news is that to achieve this balance is to live a joyful life.               

                                                                                    Have a great week!

                                                                                                Mary