"Create a life you can't wait to live." This quote by Zig Ziglar says so much to me about our outlook, our passion, and our willingness to plan and act in a way to make that happen.
Notice that the first part of this statement is about the action of creating - not about wishing it to happen or expecting others to make it happen for us. We can be inspired by our own dreams and the encouragement of others, but each of us creates our present and our future by our dominant thoughts and the choices we make. Whatever you do, wherever you live, or whatever your age, our choices determine our path.
Every action (or inaction) has a consequence - intentional or not. Do we plan (and act accordingly) to succeed or set ourselves up for failure by failing to plan? Do we live life with purpose and expectation of good things? Every morning we wake up with a new opportunity to make a difference in our own life and the lives of others. Do we take advantage of that opportunity by our intentions and our actions? As you look in the mirror each morning, ask yourself, "What will I accomplish today? How can I make a difference? Who will I touch or influence?"
We must also recognize that not every plan will turn out as we intended, so we must anticipate roadblocks and be flexible when things go awry. These things don't keep us from our intended goal, but certainly may offer us a detour or a longer path. Again, what will we do in response to these challenges? Creating is messy. It takes time and effort. It is much easier to buy a packaged product or follow someone else's lead, and sometimes that is OK to not reinvent the wheel. But make no mistake, SOMEONE took the time to do the creating, and we can't always assume that there will be something out there that will fill our need. Creating does not ensure perfection, but it does give us a chance to control our own destiny.
The action of creating should come with a vision, a plan, and ultimately a decision. My dad used to tell me, "Not to decide is to decide." Those are powerful words. We can choose to sit back and wait or we can choose to move forward. But if we wait too long or are indecisive, the results are no longer in our control. Choosing to create takes courage. There is no one to blame but ourselves if something goes wrong, yet the success is ours as well. When we create our own destiny, the reward seems so much sweeter.
Purpose requires Passion. "Change your thoughts and you change your world." Norman Vincent Peale offers an important perspective that must be present if we are to "create a life we can't wait to live." If you "can't wait to live," you are excited, eager, and enthusiastic! And your attitude is contagious.... so so choose to be positive and passionate. There are a multitude of quotes out there that encourage us to strive to think positively, so why not choose to have an attitude that will produce positive results? One of my favorites is "Attitude determines our altitude." Whatever thoughts dominate our consciousness will provide the framework for us to see possibilities, to achieve, and to persevere through the inevitable challenges that come our way. Unfortunately too many of us choose to to be discouraged, fail to start or just simply, give up. It is an ongoing internal battle to maintain this positive outlook. Of course there are days when we are discouraged, but choosing to find that light at the end of the tunnel gives us a place to focus besides on our present situation. Move forward with thought, word, and deed. Rear view mirrors in cars are an important feature, but the windshield is bigger for a reason.
We are educators. Change happens to us every day, every school year, without fail. We often have no real say over the policies and decisions (that impact our schools and classrooms) made by voters, legislatures, board members, and others despite our best efforts to influence those decisions. But no one else controls how we respond. Every day we have the opportunity to make a difference in spite of the changes going on around us. Choose to be a positive part of the change. Choose to create a classroom, school or district where everyone is excited to go to work and to learn each and every day. It begins with you. "Choose to create a life you can't wait to live" and then spread that passion to everyone you meet!
Notice that the first part of this statement is about the action of creating - not about wishing it to happen or expecting others to make it happen for us. We can be inspired by our own dreams and the encouragement of others, but each of us creates our present and our future by our dominant thoughts and the choices we make. Whatever you do, wherever you live, or whatever your age, our choices determine our path.
Every action (or inaction) has a consequence - intentional or not. Do we plan (and act accordingly) to succeed or set ourselves up for failure by failing to plan? Do we live life with purpose and expectation of good things? Every morning we wake up with a new opportunity to make a difference in our own life and the lives of others. Do we take advantage of that opportunity by our intentions and our actions? As you look in the mirror each morning, ask yourself, "What will I accomplish today? How can I make a difference? Who will I touch or influence?"
We must also recognize that not every plan will turn out as we intended, so we must anticipate roadblocks and be flexible when things go awry. These things don't keep us from our intended goal, but certainly may offer us a detour or a longer path. Again, what will we do in response to these challenges? Creating is messy. It takes time and effort. It is much easier to buy a packaged product or follow someone else's lead, and sometimes that is OK to not reinvent the wheel. But make no mistake, SOMEONE took the time to do the creating, and we can't always assume that there will be something out there that will fill our need. Creating does not ensure perfection, but it does give us a chance to control our own destiny.
The action of creating should come with a vision, a plan, and ultimately a decision. My dad used to tell me, "Not to decide is to decide." Those are powerful words. We can choose to sit back and wait or we can choose to move forward. But if we wait too long or are indecisive, the results are no longer in our control. Choosing to create takes courage. There is no one to blame but ourselves if something goes wrong, yet the success is ours as well. When we create our own destiny, the reward seems so much sweeter.
Purpose requires Passion. "Change your thoughts and you change your world." Norman Vincent Peale offers an important perspective that must be present if we are to "create a life we can't wait to live." If you "can't wait to live," you are excited, eager, and enthusiastic! And your attitude is contagious.... so so choose to be positive and passionate. There are a multitude of quotes out there that encourage us to strive to think positively, so why not choose to have an attitude that will produce positive results? One of my favorites is "Attitude determines our altitude." Whatever thoughts dominate our consciousness will provide the framework for us to see possibilities, to achieve, and to persevere through the inevitable challenges that come our way. Unfortunately too many of us choose to to be discouraged, fail to start or just simply, give up. It is an ongoing internal battle to maintain this positive outlook. Of course there are days when we are discouraged, but choosing to find that light at the end of the tunnel gives us a place to focus besides on our present situation. Move forward with thought, word, and deed. Rear view mirrors in cars are an important feature, but the windshield is bigger for a reason.
We are educators. Change happens to us every day, every school year, without fail. We often have no real say over the policies and decisions (that impact our schools and classrooms) made by voters, legislatures, board members, and others despite our best efforts to influence those decisions. But no one else controls how we respond. Every day we have the opportunity to make a difference in spite of the changes going on around us. Choose to be a positive part of the change. Choose to create a classroom, school or district where everyone is excited to go to work and to learn each and every day. It begins with you. "Choose to create a life you can't wait to live" and then spread that passion to everyone you meet!
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