I am less than two weeks into the routine that I almost forgot had once existed of waking up, going to work, teaching, driving home, eating a snack or early dinner, spending some time listening to music or reading online, grading papers or planning lessons, winding down/reading, and going to bed to do it again the next day. It feels nice to be back into a routine, but it is important to keep things fresh, to keep setting goals, and to keep my mind and body active.
I have taken some steps to complete many of the goals I have set for myself during the summer and I am very satisfied with the results that I am noticing and how I feel mentally and physically. Last year I used to wake up at 6:00am and hardly have time to shower, get dressed, eat, and leave for work. I would arrive about 20 minutes early, but I still often felt rushed. For the past week and a half I have been waking up no later than 5:30 and I have been taking my time to complete my morning procedures: breathing and taking in the morning, doing push-ups, leg-raises, stretching, showering without needing to rush, getting dressed calmly, eating while SITTING down, and spending a few minutes envisioning the day, setting my goals, and thinking of what I need to accomplish.
I have found that waking up earlier adds lots of peace to your life because it provides more time to reflect and collect your thoughts. I have also had time to commit to things like exercising and stretching, which I previously made excuses for not doing due to lack of time.
Whenever a person wants to make a change in his or her life, it is important to make changes in small steps, not to drastically change everything. It is hard for a smoker or a drug addict to just quit and never look back; they need to take steps to wean off.
I feel that this "small steps"approach has been magnificently successful in my life, specifically in two areas of my life: nutrition/health and my spiritual/mental well being or sense of purpose. For over 4 years I have become health and wellness conscious and one of my top priorities is making sure I lead a healthy and purposeful lifestyle. On the healthy end of things, I made small steps 4 years ago by eliminating soda and most sugary drinks in general, as well as not using extra salt or putting mayonnaise or dressings on sandwiches. These things become second nature, and soon I began eating breakfast everyday, providing myself with the necessary energy to start my day. There have been many steps in between, but today I am at a point where I read labels, manage my plates well, am nutrient conscious, and try to avoid things like high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, meats containing sodium nitrite, and any products with growth hormones or excessive preservatives. I also eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and take daily vitamins, and I have only been sick 2 or 3 times since over a year ago when I began teaching professionally and interacting with over 100 kids each day. Not too bad for a guy who had mono twice in high school and consistently found himself with nagging colds.
From graduate classes I've been taking, information I've been provided from friends, and from articles I've found independently, I have learned a lot over this past year about nutrition and have really made some significant life changes. This may be something interesting that I can speak about in the future, since I find it so important to be healthy and to live a high quality life (both now and in the future).
My spiritual or mental sense of purpose has developed a lot over this past year and there is much to be said about this; too much for me to get into currently (since I have made a personal commitment to post a blog once every two weeks), so I will save it for a future blog, but it is something that has greatly interested me and an aspect of my life that has exponentially been developed.
For now, I will end this blog with a stolen quote from someone who has greatly influenced me recently on the mental and peace-of-mind front, Richard Carlson. He ends his book Don't Sweat the Small Stuff...and it's all small stuff, with the definitive statement:
"Treasure Yourself."
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Remembering Inspiration
Tomorrow is my first day back to school. I am excited and looking forward for the new year. I love change; it keeps life fresh and exciting and I also love the feeling that I am more confident and prepared to be an effective teacher.
Below is an e-mail that I wrote back in April during parent-teacher conference week. I am extremely grateful to be where I am today and to have a job in a scarce market, especially because I know many good people who will make great teachers one day who are struggling to find work.
Mr. Leventhal (Leventhug),
I just got home from parent-teacher conferences, and some parents relayed powerful messages to me from their kids. This reminded me of how important it is to thank those who have inspired you and to tell people how much you appreciate them. Sorry that this is five years late.
My mom told me she ran into you at conferences a few months ago. She told me you showed her where I spent most of my time during English class--the hallway. She also said she informed you of what has been happening in my life. I am about to finish my first year of teaching English at ********** High School and it has been a life changing year with plenty of ups and downs and corkscrews-but ultimately it has been one of the greatest experiences of my life, and I feel so fortunate and lucky to have found my niche doing something that I love and something that I find purposeful.
I cannot attribute exactly where I got the idea that I would make a good teacher or enjoy teaching as a profession-but I do know who inspired me the most: you. I always felt that my personality was valued in your classroom. I felt comfortable and knew that I could express myself; I think I really needed that in high school. I learned so much about subjectivity and I began to really value approaching life with an open mind, and I was influenced by your equanimity. I learned so much by having the freedom to explore, and I personally felt that school should always be like that. I started envisioning myself as a teacher, but it was only a fantasy.
You also gained my respect by putting me in my place when it was needed. I sometimes had to be told that I was wrong or that I had stepped out of line-and I appreciate that more now than I did then, but it still helped me to have a better sense of myself and to learn who I was and what I believed was right.
When it was time to go to college I knew that I had to step it up and grow up. I realized that my dream was achievable; I set a goal and never looked back.
I have learned this past year that teaching is much harder than it looks and it is very demanding. Summer has a new meaning. But I also realized that the allure of teaching--the idea that you can make a difference in someone's life--is so rewarding. I have never felt as high in my life as the moments when I have impacted a student and receive positive feedback--or any moment when a genuine connection is made in, or outside of the classroom with a student.
I also learned how important it is to show people that they've connected with you or made a difference. Thank you Mr. Leventhal. You are an amazing teacher.
Sincerely,
-Dave Brown
I am so thankful for the life I was given and for those who surround me and have helped and influenced me on this journey.
Below is an e-mail that I wrote back in April during parent-teacher conference week. I am extremely grateful to be where I am today and to have a job in a scarce market, especially because I know many good people who will make great teachers one day who are struggling to find work.
Mr. Leventhal (Leventhug),
I just got home from parent-teacher conferences, and some parents relayed powerful messages to me from their kids. This reminded me of how important it is to thank those who have inspired you and to tell people how much you appreciate them. Sorry that this is five years late.
My mom told me she ran into you at conferences a few months ago. She told me you showed her where I spent most of my time during English class--the hallway. She also said she informed you of what has been happening in my life. I am about to finish my first year of teaching English at ********** High School and it has been a life changing year with plenty of ups and downs and corkscrews-but ultimately it has been one of the greatest experiences of my life, and I feel so fortunate and lucky to have found my niche doing something that I love and something that I find purposeful.
I cannot attribute exactly where I got the idea that I would make a good teacher or enjoy teaching as a profession-but I do know who inspired me the most: you. I always felt that my personality was valued in your classroom. I felt comfortable and knew that I could express myself; I think I really needed that in high school. I learned so much about subjectivity and I began to really value approaching life with an open mind, and I was influenced by your equanimity. I learned so much by having the freedom to explore, and I personally felt that school should always be like that. I started envisioning myself as a teacher, but it was only a fantasy.
You also gained my respect by putting me in my place when it was needed. I sometimes had to be told that I was wrong or that I had stepped out of line-and I appreciate that more now than I did then, but it still helped me to have a better sense of myself and to learn who I was and what I believed was right.
When it was time to go to college I knew that I had to step it up and grow up. I realized that my dream was achievable; I set a goal and never looked back.
I have learned this past year that teaching is much harder than it looks and it is very demanding. Summer has a new meaning. But I also realized that the allure of teaching--the idea that you can make a difference in someone's life--is so rewarding. I have never felt as high in my life as the moments when I have impacted a student and receive positive feedback--or any moment when a genuine connection is made in, or outside of the classroom with a student.
I also learned how important it is to show people that they've connected with you or made a difference. Thank you Mr. Leventhal. You are an amazing teacher.
Sincerely,
-Dave Brown
I am so thankful for the life I was given and for those who surround me and have helped and influenced me on this journey.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Rooted.
My time off from work has come to a close; I have been home from Colorado for the past two days and I have worked the past two days as well. My first summer off as a teacher has been refreshing and rewarding, and there is so much energy in me for this up coming school year.
Summer break was much needed and there is so much to write about my trips, but I will save that for a later time.
For now, I am writing to offer myself some personal peace of mind. This summer I cleared my head, felt at peace, felt engaged with the world around me, and felt satisfied and confident with my life and my state of equanimity. I have over the years developed a very calm and reflective disposition, partially due to my different traveling experiences and gaining different perspectives, partially due to books that I have read, and partially due to maturing in general. I have learned that the obstacles in our lives should be looked at as opportunities to succeed, and that we should solve problems immediately if possible. If there are no solutions to certain problems, then forget about them.
Today I felt stressed and overwhelmed from meetings and thinking about planning for the new subjects that I will be teaching this year. I found myself thinking way ahead in time and wondering what I would be doing in classes a month from now, if I would finish all of my graduate work, or if I would have time to read all the novels that I will be teaching along with the books that I plan on reading for pleasure.
Then I realized, thanks to Richard Carlson's book Don't Sweat the Small Stuff...and it's all small stuff, that one's thinking can create a snowball effect. The more I thought about everything that is on the horizon, the more I felt overwhelmed. I have lessons to plan, books to read, graduate work to complete, and my personal life to worry about. Will I complete or be able to handle all of these tasks? Yes. Will I have time to breathe? Yes. Will I have time to be happy and return to my summer-like state of zen? Well, I will definitely be happy.
Humans are amazing in that we have the power to completely manipulate reality. Our perceptions create our reality. We have the capability to slow down and enjoy the little moments and to not fret over our "problems" and daily obstacles--but some of us choose to be stressed and busy. We have the option of choosing to be calm and collected. It is not helpful to worry or be stressed about things that are accomplishable. If there are things that we cannot handle or have no control over, then there is no sense in worrying about them. My current stresses are all positive and manageable; they will serve the purpose of shifting me back into gear.
Will I remember the things that stressed me out today one year from now? Sometimes you need to stop and reflect about the bigger picture.
Summer break was much needed and there is so much to write about my trips, but I will save that for a later time.
For now, I am writing to offer myself some personal peace of mind. This summer I cleared my head, felt at peace, felt engaged with the world around me, and felt satisfied and confident with my life and my state of equanimity. I have over the years developed a very calm and reflective disposition, partially due to my different traveling experiences and gaining different perspectives, partially due to books that I have read, and partially due to maturing in general. I have learned that the obstacles in our lives should be looked at as opportunities to succeed, and that we should solve problems immediately if possible. If there are no solutions to certain problems, then forget about them.
Today I felt stressed and overwhelmed from meetings and thinking about planning for the new subjects that I will be teaching this year. I found myself thinking way ahead in time and wondering what I would be doing in classes a month from now, if I would finish all of my graduate work, or if I would have time to read all the novels that I will be teaching along with the books that I plan on reading for pleasure.
Then I realized, thanks to Richard Carlson's book Don't Sweat the Small Stuff...and it's all small stuff, that one's thinking can create a snowball effect. The more I thought about everything that is on the horizon, the more I felt overwhelmed. I have lessons to plan, books to read, graduate work to complete, and my personal life to worry about. Will I complete or be able to handle all of these tasks? Yes. Will I have time to breathe? Yes. Will I have time to be happy and return to my summer-like state of zen? Well, I will definitely be happy.
Humans are amazing in that we have the power to completely manipulate reality. Our perceptions create our reality. We have the capability to slow down and enjoy the little moments and to not fret over our "problems" and daily obstacles--but some of us choose to be stressed and busy. We have the option of choosing to be calm and collected. It is not helpful to worry or be stressed about things that are accomplishable. If there are things that we cannot handle or have no control over, then there is no sense in worrying about them. My current stresses are all positive and manageable; they will serve the purpose of shifting me back into gear.
Will I remember the things that stressed me out today one year from now? Sometimes you need to stop and reflect about the bigger picture.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Objective
I have decided to start utilizing this space more often. I set out on my first blogging venture by creating this website over half a year ago, but as you can see by viewing my posting history, I have irregularly (and hardly) utilized this medium of expression. It has been a personal goal of mine to write more often, both to connect with others, but more importantly for a means of self exploration, preservation, and reflection.
I want to in some ways "reboot" this blog by setting some personal, manageable goals. I will post on this blog at least once every two weeks, reflecting on my life, my thoughts, my experiences, and my classroom. I want this to be an open and honest forum. I want to create and share knowledge.
I also want to set an objective for this blog, or a purpose. During my high school years I never enjoyed school if I thought there was no purpose to something I was learning. As a teacher now, I have a difficult time teaching anything if I do not find it purposeful. Life is too short to engage in anything with no purpose, so I want to make my purpose explicit, for both myself, and any potential readers.
My purpose for writing this blog is to explore my thoughts, record my thoughts, and preserve who I am today. People are ever changing, and in some ways, I want a relic to exist in which I can reflect on who I am and/or who I was.
I also want this blog to be a place where I share the things that are important to me, and in turn, hopefully inspire and/or influence others. I think I have a unique, optimistic, and idealistic world-view that can be contagious--or at least some ideas worth spreading. I became a teacher because of my love for people, communicating, and altruism. I want this blog to be a reflection of that as well. I am extremely outgoing, but when it comes to my personal thoughts, I am a total introvert. I want to start sharing my inner self with others--something only a few of my close friends have had access to over the years. I think that in suppressing one's ideas, beliefs, and dreams, one is limiting his possibilities for connecting with others and achieving great things.
We are all people sharing similar journeys: we should communicate and support each others' ideas and dreams. Part of that is sharing our own.
I want to in some ways "reboot" this blog by setting some personal, manageable goals. I will post on this blog at least once every two weeks, reflecting on my life, my thoughts, my experiences, and my classroom. I want this to be an open and honest forum. I want to create and share knowledge.
I also want to set an objective for this blog, or a purpose. During my high school years I never enjoyed school if I thought there was no purpose to something I was learning. As a teacher now, I have a difficult time teaching anything if I do not find it purposeful. Life is too short to engage in anything with no purpose, so I want to make my purpose explicit, for both myself, and any potential readers.
My purpose for writing this blog is to explore my thoughts, record my thoughts, and preserve who I am today. People are ever changing, and in some ways, I want a relic to exist in which I can reflect on who I am and/or who I was.
I also want this blog to be a place where I share the things that are important to me, and in turn, hopefully inspire and/or influence others. I think I have a unique, optimistic, and idealistic world-view that can be contagious--or at least some ideas worth spreading. I became a teacher because of my love for people, communicating, and altruism. I want this blog to be a reflection of that as well. I am extremely outgoing, but when it comes to my personal thoughts, I am a total introvert. I want to start sharing my inner self with others--something only a few of my close friends have had access to over the years. I think that in suppressing one's ideas, beliefs, and dreams, one is limiting his possibilities for connecting with others and achieving great things.
We are all people sharing similar journeys: we should communicate and support each others' ideas and dreams. Part of that is sharing our own.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Living.
I have been doing a lot of soul searching this summer, and as I take more and more trips, read more and more authors, and work on more and more graduate work, I realize that I am not satiating my hunger for new knowledge or experiences, but rather I am increasing the ever growing hunger for experiencing this life to the maximum level possible. This can sometimes be scary for a 23 year old with a whole life story waiting to be written--where will I take this? What is my destiny? What will be my legacy?
I am a huge dreamer, and I do not think anyone should sacrifice his or her dreams or goals for security or conformity. I have recently been following Chris Guillebeau's blog The Art of Non-Conformity. This blog, along with some books and documentaries I have been reading and watching over the summer, as well as the many new experiences I have had during my summer travels backpacking through Peru, visiting a friend in Southern California, and my soon to come hiking excursion in Boulder Colorado, has helped to re-ignite a desire to live my life to the fullest.
I have a deep seeded passion for teaching, but I consider myself a well rounded individual and I have many interests. It is scary to think about teaching for the rest of my life--although pursuing a career as a teacher is one of my life-long goals. Sometimes I think it would have been beneficial to have had some vagabond years before landing a good teaching position--but I need to remember that I am fortunate and if I am a good teacher, I have the opportunity to create new experiences and excitement within, and breaking out of, the borders of my classroom.
The reason I am creating this post is to release some steam, and also to practice what I preach. I am a firm believer in goal setting and I think it is important for people to write down their dreams and goals. This can be therapeutic--it can also be the first step in accomplishing something. I am going to begin a running list of some of my goals and dreams--things I want to do, things I want to learn, and places I want to see.
-Speak fluent Spanish
-Write more often
-Write a book: possibly a novel, children's story, or a self-help book
-Become a better guitar player
-Play guitar/sing at an open-mic night
-Perform stand-up comedy
-Try out for a movie or television role (not really a dream of mine anymore--but it was during my class-clown days of high school)
-Start drumming again
-Learn how to mix music/become a dj
-Coach a hockey team
-Travel to 6 continents (I may skip out on Antarctica; 3 are checked off so far: North and South American and Europe)
-Adapt a healthier, sustainable diet (check out The Future of Foods, Food Inc., and Annual Additions: Nutrition)
-Stay physically active and adapt a more regular physical activity schedule that promote lifetime heath and wellness
-Continue to develop as a teacher and individual and help as many people as possible to accomplish their goals and reach their potential.
Some of these bullets may be general, and there maybe be no specific plans put into place to enact these goals--but stating a goal is a first step towards achievement. This is public now, so I feel more accountable.
I am a huge dreamer, and I do not think anyone should sacrifice his or her dreams or goals for security or conformity. I have recently been following Chris Guillebeau's blog The Art of Non-Conformity. This blog, along with some books and documentaries I have been reading and watching over the summer, as well as the many new experiences I have had during my summer travels backpacking through Peru, visiting a friend in Southern California, and my soon to come hiking excursion in Boulder Colorado, has helped to re-ignite a desire to live my life to the fullest.
I have a deep seeded passion for teaching, but I consider myself a well rounded individual and I have many interests. It is scary to think about teaching for the rest of my life--although pursuing a career as a teacher is one of my life-long goals. Sometimes I think it would have been beneficial to have had some vagabond years before landing a good teaching position--but I need to remember that I am fortunate and if I am a good teacher, I have the opportunity to create new experiences and excitement within, and breaking out of, the borders of my classroom.
The reason I am creating this post is to release some steam, and also to practice what I preach. I am a firm believer in goal setting and I think it is important for people to write down their dreams and goals. This can be therapeutic--it can also be the first step in accomplishing something. I am going to begin a running list of some of my goals and dreams--things I want to do, things I want to learn, and places I want to see.
-Speak fluent Spanish
-Write more often
-Write a book: possibly a novel, children's story, or a self-help book
-Become a better guitar player
-Play guitar/sing at an open-mic night
-Perform stand-up comedy
-Try out for a movie or television role (not really a dream of mine anymore--but it was during my class-clown days of high school)
-Start drumming again
-Learn how to mix music/become a dj
-Coach a hockey team
-Travel to 6 continents (I may skip out on Antarctica; 3 are checked off so far: North and South American and Europe)
-Adapt a healthier, sustainable diet (check out The Future of Foods, Food Inc., and Annual Additions: Nutrition)
-Stay physically active and adapt a more regular physical activity schedule that promote lifetime heath and wellness
-Continue to develop as a teacher and individual and help as many people as possible to accomplish their goals and reach their potential.
Some of these bullets may be general, and there maybe be no specific plans put into place to enact these goals--but stating a goal is a first step towards achievement. This is public now, so I feel more accountable.
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