Monday, September 10, 2012

Back To School!

Back to School! Well, Children are back in school again! Isn’t it amazing how FAST life passes? Where does the time go?! We are back to schedules & early mornings & homework & sports. Life moves quickly. Enjoy your babies. Be present as your children grow. Watch every morning sky & know that you have been given another fresh, clean day that many haven’t been given. Life brings new friends & fresh starts & so many things to learn. My mother taught me as a child that there are very few BIG moments in life...that most of living is every day...ORDINARY moments...big lessons to learn...some ordained days but a lot of ORDINARY mixed in as well. I hope & pray that we can all learn to be content in the ordinariness of life, & truly celebrate when the beautiful surprises pop up...that we can make the most of our ordinary days by what we put in them... I also learned from my mother (who is the happiest person I know!) that we each CHOOSE whether to be happy or unhappy. Positive or negative...content or discontent...that it is all decided in our minds...that we can be happy anywhere if we choose to be. Kiss the face of a child...fix your favorite sandwich or dessert...Pull out a funny memory so you can at least smile while you cry! Today I celebrate ordinary days. We have many extraordinary days at Denton Creek, but not all days can be special...some days are by nature more ORDINARY...but each day I am reminded that the KIND of day I choose to have is largely up to ME! I hope we will create enduring memories for our learners this year...that we will help them grow & thrive in ways not even defined yet! That we can turn more of their days from ORDINARY to EXTRAORDINARY. I'm out to build bridges this year with our students...with families...with each person I meet. I hope you'll build bridges with me - even on ordinary days! -Mr. Mac

Monday, March 19, 2012

WORDS

As many of you probably know, I am fascinated & haunted by words!

Not in the frightening sense, or even in that writing scares me. It bewilders, frustrates and confounds me at times, but the act of writing doesn’t frighten me.

But I am brought up short by words I’ve written, said or have not written or said and should have. There are some in particular I wish I could take back or certainly take another run at.

I’ve spent a lot of years writing articles, stories, even a book - just about every medium trying to come up with just the right word, the best turn of a phrase to convey my exact meaning. Sometimes the words flow as they should and it’s extremely gratifying. Other times, the words lay there, inert, awkward, not quite right and not at all what I envisioned.

See, that’s the thing about writing. Ideas are easy. It’s having a great idea and not screwing it up on the way to the page that’s the tricky part.

It’s kind of the same with life. I’ve written notes or letters to people and have caused hurt. Almost always unintentionally. Sometimes the hurt is inevitable because of the circumstances or the need to call out behavior that is harmful. But there are times when the words come out in a stream of emotion and what I thought I conveyed was instead interpreted as something else. And feelings were hurt. Distances created. Friendships tarnished.

It hasn’t happened often and only a handful of times over my life. But words are powerful and they can be heat-seeking missiles and once we fire them, it can be very difficult to undo the damage they have on impact; no matter how hard we try to clean up the mess.

This isn’t meant as a confessional. More like reflection and a renewed effort to handle words with greater care.

So, I am grateful that words fascinate & haunt me. By the power they carry to move, transport and change.

I also love words for the very same reason. They can be carrier pigeons taking possibilities in flight that can bring truth, healing and make the soul soar. Words like, friendship, joy, healing, hope and love.

May our words find the light that brings out the best of what they were meant to be!

-Mr. Mac

Monday, January 9, 2012

20 TIPS FOR A POSITIVE NEW YEAR

Happy New Year!

It's hard to believe we're already into 2012! I found these tips from Jon Gordon that I'd like to share with you as we begin a new year. There are some really good ones!


20 Tips for a Positive New Year

1. Stay Positive. You can listen to the cynics and doubters and believe that success is impossible or you can trust that with faith and an optimistic attitude all things are possible.
2. Take a morning walk of gratitude. I call it a "Thank You Walk." It will create a fertile mind ready for success.
3. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
4. Zoom Focus. Each day when you wake up in the morning ask: "What are the three most important things I need to do today that will help me create the success I desire?" Then tune out all the distractions and focus on these actions.
5. Instead of being disappointed about where you are, think optimistically about where you are going.
6. Remember that adversity is not a dead-end but a detour to a better outcome.
7. Don't chase success. Instead decide to make a difference and success will find you.
8. Get more sleep. You can't replace sleep with a double latte.
9. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
10. Mentor someone and be mentored by someone.
11. Live with the 3 E's. Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy.
12. Remember there's no substitute for hard work.
13. Believe that everything happens for a reason and expect good things to come out of challenging experiences.
14. Implement the No Complaining Rule. Remember that complaining is like vomiting. Afterwards you feel better but everyone around you feels sick.
15. Read more books than you did in 2011. I happen to know of a few good ones. :)
16. Don't seek happiness. Instead decide to live with passion and purpose and happiness will find you. www.Seed11.com
17. Focus on "Get to" vs "Have to." Each day focus on what you get to do, not what you have to do. Life is a gift not an obligation.
18. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:
I am thankful for __________.
Today I accomplished____________.
19. Smile and laugh more. They are natural anti-depressants.
20. Enjoy the ride. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy it.

-Jon Gordon (used with permission)


My thanks to Jon Gordon for sharing these & my wish for you is that 2012 will bring you peace & prosperity!


Mr. Mac