9-5-2014

Mary's Minute

"You are the sum total of everything you've ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot - it's all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are positive."

- Maya Angelou

We are the sum of all our experiences - good and bad, conscious or subconscious.  It is good for all of us to consciously think about what makes us who we are.  We are a reflection of our daily interactions, heritage, religion, family experiences, and so much more.  Sometimes we think of it in terms of the little sayings we have in the back of our heads. I think of my mom constantly saying, "Life is good," and my dad saying, "Treat the people you love the most the best."  I also know I am influenced by each interaction I have had in my life.  When we don't stop and reflect we may fail to interpret and recognize the influences.  When we think about the influence we can better control the effect they have on our lives.

The other reason this is an important concept is that in addition to being influenced by others and our experiences, we are also influencers.  What messages and experiences are we providing to our students or our own children?  As Maya Angelou points out, it is important that we surround ourselves with positive experiences and even more important that we surround our students and our own children with positive experiences. 

We are indeed the beautiful sum of our rich experiences!

Have a great week.
Mary