Tag Archives: #dontsweatthesmallstuff

Just Chill & Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

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BLOG Stella by the Xmas Tree
Hold on Tight… to what really counts and let the rest go.

The to-do list is growing by leaps and bounds. It seems to multiply like gizmo with water. The holidays can make life go into warp speed from regular daily life demands to work demands to holiday demands… not to mention catching the latest Star Wars (or you insert your liking) movie. Thank goodness for the music of the holidays to remind us that it is just life and simply enjoy it. Aim not to hold on too tightly. I was there for the past few weeks. I wasn’t treading water very well, and it turned my attitude into something ugly.

So what did I learn and do to turn my frown upside down? I decided to remember the important things that count; the rest is just the rest.

Exercise, Chill, Eat Healthy, Hug, Understand instead of Judge – you know, the basics that we have all heard before. Turns out that they are legit.

1. Work out – it is true so don’t roll your eyes at this. Staying well both
physically and mentally is directly linked to exercise.

2.  Chill – if the schedule is packed, then pack it even fuller with “chill” time. Make it happen because if you don’t, it won’t, and then life has passed you by based on a schedule full of things to do and without complete joy. Work will always be there – even without you.

3. As good as the sugar tastes, it just brings us up and drops us down. Enjoy a treat and then keep it healthy for the most part. Our mouths can actually enjoy carrots if we let our mind believe it.

4.  Hug family and friends. They are the people who count and make your life complete.

5.  Put down the gavel. It isn’t your job to judge so stop.

To add a bit more to this…

Everyone has a story. Who are you to deny someone of that? Far too often we pass judgment on others based on our expectations – regardless of how unrealistic they may be. At times, we are critical of leaders, of colleagues, of friends, of foes because what they do and say is not what we think they should do and say. We have advice free of charge on this… get over it. Unless you are being hurt by someone – in which case you should let the individual know in some way (another time, another blog) – try not to be so dearly offended when the story line goes awry or follows a different outline than your expectations. The best stories are sometimes written without a plan or at least without the plan the author thought was in place.

People will love you.
People will hate you.
And none of it will have anything to do with you.
~ Abraham Hicks

So with that, take a walk, nap, sip some special tea of your choice with a friend, and don’t waste so much time worrying about your neighbor.

And the real lesson to learn… when your puppy (no matter the size) goes beyond admiring the Christmas tree to tearing open the gifts, smile – because you are there to appreciate it and know that life is short so enjoy it.

BLOG Stella by the Xmas Tree 2
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to all! May you enjoy the season and remember that life is short so get out there and live it.

 Stay Calm & Lead On!
Profs Dr. C. & Dr. V.

 

 

Let It Go!

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“Aaagggghhhhhh!” I screamed when I finally found my voice as a gentleman kindly “pushed” me over the edge of the cliff. It was most certainly my own threshold of possibilities. After zip-lining several times down various slopes from “way high up,” I was “forced” by teacher candidates to take the final jump to our final destination – the ground on a global studies trip to Los Cabos San Lucas. As I became somewhat frantic in a minor kind of way – or maybe it was in a major way – the repelling worker smiled at me and said these 5 words… “Why so much drama, lady?”

What?! was all I could think of at the moment. Actually, I think what actually flew through my mind was “I will tell you why so much drama, guy – I am about to jump – no wait, you just pushed me over the edge, and I need to remember not to burn my hands on the way down or hit the cliff wall or the group of teacher candidates below chanting “Dr.V, Dr.V, Dr.V…” And now that I actually think about it (post-zip-lining so perhaps a bit delayed) I have three kids at home who call me mom, and I don’t think I actually signed on for this when I went to “teacher school” back in the day and…Wait, I am on the ground and the teacher candidates are cheering… I knew I could do it! I am so cool! I am like snoopy-joe-cool-cool. Yup – that’s me.” Okay –so maybe I lost you in all the drama, but that actually leads me to our point…you were wondering if there was a point at this point, right? Well, there is.

A little bit of drama can help us get that final push out of our comfort zones and try something we might not normally do. A little too much drama, however, can wreak havoc on our plans and lives. If I would have become completely flustered, I may have started crying, which would have caused the gentleman worker to jump off the cliff himself, or it could have caused me to go too quickly and forget the instructions, causing me to burn my hands something horrible. Or I could have fallen to the ground screaming and scarred my students irrevocably – wait, does that happen anyway? Hopefully not….

Sometimes we find ourselves surrounded by drama queens. Maybe at times we find that we are the drama queens. What is important here to remember is to acknowledge the drama for what it is, know that some can be healthy, too much can be damaging, and sometimes we just have to leap.

Do what is right and follow our hearts – no over-the-top drama needed but a little is okay. Our own advice, don’t let the drama get the best of you and ruin your story. Passion is great, but too much drama can damage the outcome. Hope for the best, scream a little if necessary, and give it a try. Sometimes you just have to let it go – and enjoy the ride.

CAZ_6953

Stay Calm & Lead On!
Profs Dr. C. & Dr. V.

 

Shake it Off

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google images - because you don't want to see us do this!
google images – because you don’t want to see us do this!

The other night while watching a high school volleyball playoff match, one player was starting to get frustrated. She shanked a pass and so, naturally, the other team continued to serve at her hoping she would lose all confidence. She did and it showed. She became frustrated and angry. It was obvious to the whole crowd that her attitude had gone south. That’s when an extremely loud fan yelled “SHAKE IT OFF!”

We could relate. We’ve yelled the very same thing to our own kids when they’ve become frustrated on the court or the field or the course. When we see their attitudes starting to quickly fade from positive to negative, we mom’s yell “SHAKE IT OFF!” And maybe even add a “NOW” to the end.

Sometimes our “mom” personalities kick in for our teacher candidates at SMSU. There are times when our teacher candidates need to “SHAKE IT OFF” – this is true when their field experience placements are received a little bit late, or when learning about the edTPA requirements, or when they did not pass one of their MTLE exams, or when trying to figure out how they will fit in the 45 lab hours that are due at the end of the semester.

Stress can make us act out of sorts and not our rational selves so that is when we need to shake it off. We know the need to shake it off like our teacher candidates do, and we remind each other of it from time to time. 🙂

Here are five ways to help you shake it off:

Breathe – Take a few deep breaths. Inhale for a count of eight then exhale for a count of eight. Get your oxygen flowing to help clear your head!

Refocus – Change your perspective. Only you can change you. Focus on the positive not the negative. Begin again.

Take Responsibility – You are responsible for no one but yourself. Stop blaming others, and stop complaining to others.

Positive Self-Talk – Think positively. Adjust your attitude. Reflect on what you need to do then tell yourself “I can do this! I am an organized person. I’ve been trained for this. I will succeed.”

Fight – Adopt an attitude of a soldier. Be courageous, make some sacrifices, and do the best you can to fight for great results on whatever tasks you are given.

For that volleyball player who lost her confidence, and for our students who are feeling overwhelmed right now—“Keep cruisin’, keep movin’, keep groovin’ and it’ll be all right. And then just “SHAKE IT OFF.”  🙂

Stay Calm & Lead On!
Profs Dr. C. & Dr. V.