1-26-2018

Mary’s Minute

“Roadblocks are not barriers – they open your eyes to other routes.”

                                                                             ~ Joyce Restaino

I love the metaphor of roadblocks for life challenges.  Reading this quote makes me picture myself driving down the road and coming to a roadblock.  The first thing that comes to my mind is a mental search for an alternative route.  When we face challenges in life, sometimes we go into destructive mode.  We have negative self-talk ("I’m so stupid."  "I can’t believe I got myself in this mess.")  We blame others or we let the setback paralyze us. 

In contrast when we approach a transportation roadblock we go into problem solving mode, and the neatest part of all is that we may have the opportunity to learn a new route that provides a different perspective and beautiful scenery.

Detours are easier when we have notice.  Sometimes signs are posted, and an established detour route is well marked.  In life, sometimes we know change is coming and can prepare.  Other times things just happen without warning.  We just come face to face with the blockade in the center of the road! 

In our lives, we will face setbacks, and it is easy to see the negative. Using the analogy of the roadblock, we should use life’s challenges, to put us in problem solving mode and best of all, see challenges as having the potential to lead us down a path that we might not have ever imagined, but that is more beautiful than the original trail.

                                                                          Have a great week!

                                                                                     Mary

1-5-2018

Mary’s Minute

“Have a vision. It is the ability to see the invisible. If you can see the invisible, you can achieve the impossible.”

                                                                                 ~ Shiv Khera

A New Year is upon us – 2018!  Wow!  In our society it is expected to use the New Year as an opportunity for reflection and goal setting.  The press does it, and we do it personally.  At my house, we had a jar for 2017 where we added scraps of paper with events – big or small - as they occurred with the date, like “Zoe left for college,” or “Our family had a nice dinner together.”  On Dec. 31^st, we read the snippets out loud to reflect on the year.  News feeds on the last day of the year buzzed with the highlights of the year, with the “best” and worst” of 2017.  After we finish looking back, we quickly look forward, by setting goals/resolutions for the coming year. 

I think reflection and goal setting are keys to growth, so I am not at all criticizing these actions, plus they are entertaining!  

I just think we need to be sure to also include visioning in our model.  When you think about the New Year and set your goals – create a vision of what you want in your life, in your profession, in your classroom, etc.  It is psychologically proven that visualization is a powerful tool for reaching goals.  Paint a picture in your mind of what you want your life to be like, and see how that works along with the list of goals you set for yourself. 

                                                                       Happy New Year!     
                                                                                 Mary