11-22-2019

Mary’s Minute

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”

                                                                                ~ William Arthur Ward

What if there was a magic pill that could make every day feel like Thanksgiving, our jobs always make us happy, and turn ordinary things into extraordinary?  Like every diet pill I have ever tried, it sounds too good to be true, but gratitude is that silver bullet.  

Committing ourselves to a life filled with gratitude is truly a way to a happier life.  Research shows that we cannot process negativity and gratitude at the same time in our brain, so if we are actively practicing gratitude, we cannot be negative.  Research also shows that people who express their gratitude to others are happier – and not just in the moment, but the happiness lingers for days.

As we approach Thanksgiving – a holiday that many of us say is our favorite – our hearts are focused on gratitude.  I think that what most of us like about Thanksgiving is the simplicity of the holiday.  The focus is on family, food, and gratitude.  So what if our goal was to keep life that simple – to focus on gratitude (and of course family and good food!)?

Making every day Thanksgiving, sans the turkey, is a way to live happier lives.  We truly can transform our lives through the simple act of gratitude!  By the way, I am grateful for all of you!

                                                            Happy Thanksgiving Week!

                                                                        Mary

11-15-2019

Mary’s Minute

“Remember, teamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do that is to overcome our need for invulnerability." --Patrick Lencioni

I do not take it for granted that I have been part of an incredible team at Perry Central over the years.  And when I say team, I really mean multiple teams.  I feel like I am part of the overall Perry Central team that encompasses the entire school community working together for our students.  I am proud to be part of the team with our supportive school board. 

The team I probably work most closely is our administrative team.  We solve problems together, we laugh together, we work hard together, and we make mistakes together.  I think part of being a team member is always assuming that your partners have the best intentions.  Today one of the administrators said, “I hope I didn’t step on your toes.”  I replied, “When we are all dancing the same dance, we can’t step on each other’s toes.” When we work with the same goal in mind, come at situations with the same set of values, and trust each other, we don’t get upset with each other when mistakes are made.  

I believe that part of a winning team is believing that every member is doing his/her best and has good intentions!  I make mistakes often, but my hope is that my team members know that I mean well, and in my heart I am doing my best, so they can trust me.  Great team members trust each other.  I am proud to be part of a trusting PC team, dancing the same dance!

                                                                        Have a great week!

                                                                                                Mary       

11-8-2019

Mary’s Minute

“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”                                                           

~ Marcus Garvey

I just returned from the annual meeting of the Southern Indiana Superintendents Club, a group that was founded in 1894.  Each year when I hear the history, I feel a deep connection to club members who came before me and gratitude to be part of the tradition. 

We all have groups to whom we feel connected.  Families, faith communities, sororities or fraternities, clubs, and universities are just a few of the groups that may stir a feeling of connection to the past and a pride in the future.  In fact, when we think about it we share a connection with all humans who came before us and those who will come after us.  It is an exciting and humbling feeling.

I have said before that I feel a keen sense of responsibility to the people at Perry Central who came before me.  I feel a need to work hard to keep the traditions of excellence alive, and I have a sense of obligation to the future, as well. 

The Southern Indiana Superintendents Club has met every year since it was founded in 1894, except for 1914 because of a flu epidemic and two years during World War II.  The group is dedicated to upholding high ideals of public education and committed to preserving the rich history.  I am proud to be part of the group because of the current members, but I am equally honored to share a connection with the past and to know that someday I will be part of the root system for those who carry on the tradition in years to come.

                                               

                                                                        Have a great week!

                                                                                    Mary

11-1-2019

Mary’s Minute

“Grief does not change you, Hazel. It reveals you.”

                                                ~ John Green from A Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars is Zoe’s favorite book of all time.  It helped her through a tough time when she was diagnosed with lupus, which in many ways was a type of grief as she mourned the loss of a normal healthy life.  Lupus did not change Zoe, it exposed who she was.  

As I read this quote, I thought about the word “grief” and how other words could be substituted for it – both positive and negative.  Read the quote above, substituting any of the following words for grief:  hardship, illness, a joyful occasion, a new career, natural disaster, retirement, a tough class, a windfall, and the list goes on.  When things happen in our lives, we experience change, but the experience itself does not change us.  The experience reveals who we are at the core.  It points out whether we choose to embrace the new experience or fight it, whether we see the good or complain about the challenges, whether we make excuses or think of creative strategies. 

As we experience the ebb and flow of life – the changes both good and bad – we must remember that we are not changed, but exposed.  Whatever changes we are facing, we are showing who we really are in the way that we handle the change.

                                                                       Have a great week!

                                                                                    Mary