Seven months ago I began a journey of practicing mindfulness every day and we've reached day 239. Yesterday, I talked about finding your flow and being in focus. Today is a new day.
Humans are creatures of habit, so when changes come our way we have a natural tendency to become defensive and become uncomfortable when the possible benefits of the changes aren't apparent. When our schedules change, we have to make changes to our daily routines, which can be stressful to some. Many don't want to make that compromise and it's understandable, but for those who hold too strongly to the idea of needing control in their life end up upset.
A lot of things in life are beyond our control. I can't control if a meteor suddenly crashes into a building and destroys a city. I can't control whether today will be sunny. I can't control the will of my students. I can't control whether someone likes me or not. I might be able to influence a lot of these things under the right circumstances, but I can never fully control them nor should I. So rather than being upset over such things, I should focus on what I can control: how much they affect me and how I react to them.
Next year is bound to have a lot of changes and I already expected that, but many things might come as unexpected for me. I may end up teaching more kids classes than I do now, I may end up without two consecutive days off, I may end up with a lot of really unmotivated students next year that would make the classes a lot more difficult to teach, etc. But that's life. Regardless of what happens (knock on wood I get a schedule I like) it's my decision whether I let it bum me out or not, so it's on me to make the best of any situation I get put in.
As such, while complaining may help vent some stress, it ultimately does nothing to change the situation. By taking ownership of it, you allow yourself to control how it turns out. If I end up with a lot of out-of-control students, it's on me to find a way to adapt and work with them in a way that gets them to learn. What could be just a shit schedule turns into an amazing experience for growth. It'll be a challenge, but approaching it with a positive mentality can help you see it as an opportunity for growth, which helps you take on the struggle. If successful in growing, you can make a real impact on those students and they'll learn to respect you, making the class something you've changed into a positive thing.
Applying this sort of thinking to any hardship in life can make-or-break how we view our life. It's how people who are on death's doorstep can still be full of so much joy and love for everything. It's how people who live a life of luxury can end up miserable despite living comfortably. We all have our struggles, but it's how we choose to handle them is what really matters.
Peace
"We cannot always control everything that happens to us in this life, but we can control how we respond. Many struggles come as problems and pressures that sometimes cause pain. Others come as temptations, trials, and tribulations." - L. Lionel KendrickI went to a teacher's workshop today to go over the current year and projections for the next school year (new courses, expectations, etc.). Every time there's a meeting like this there are always teachers who express concern over the changes and the uncertainty of the future make some of them anxious. A lot of it is the lack of control they have over their schedules.
Humans are creatures of habit, so when changes come our way we have a natural tendency to become defensive and become uncomfortable when the possible benefits of the changes aren't apparent. When our schedules change, we have to make changes to our daily routines, which can be stressful to some. Many don't want to make that compromise and it's understandable, but for those who hold too strongly to the idea of needing control in their life end up upset.
A lot of things in life are beyond our control. I can't control if a meteor suddenly crashes into a building and destroys a city. I can't control whether today will be sunny. I can't control the will of my students. I can't control whether someone likes me or not. I might be able to influence a lot of these things under the right circumstances, but I can never fully control them nor should I. So rather than being upset over such things, I should focus on what I can control: how much they affect me and how I react to them.
Next year is bound to have a lot of changes and I already expected that, but many things might come as unexpected for me. I may end up teaching more kids classes than I do now, I may end up without two consecutive days off, I may end up with a lot of really unmotivated students next year that would make the classes a lot more difficult to teach, etc. But that's life. Regardless of what happens (knock on wood I get a schedule I like) it's my decision whether I let it bum me out or not, so it's on me to make the best of any situation I get put in.
As such, while complaining may help vent some stress, it ultimately does nothing to change the situation. By taking ownership of it, you allow yourself to control how it turns out. If I end up with a lot of out-of-control students, it's on me to find a way to adapt and work with them in a way that gets them to learn. What could be just a shit schedule turns into an amazing experience for growth. It'll be a challenge, but approaching it with a positive mentality can help you see it as an opportunity for growth, which helps you take on the struggle. If successful in growing, you can make a real impact on those students and they'll learn to respect you, making the class something you've changed into a positive thing.
Applying this sort of thinking to any hardship in life can make-or-break how we view our life. It's how people who are on death's doorstep can still be full of so much joy and love for everything. It's how people who live a life of luxury can end up miserable despite living comfortably. We all have our struggles, but it's how we choose to handle them is what really matters.
Peace
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| No matter what trials you face, it's on us to shine the light on them. |
How can you make the best out of your situation?
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