I rarely sit still. I don't relax like most people think of relaxation. When my house is clean and organized, I feel less anxious. When the grass is cut and clear, I enjoy sitting outside more. I love pulling weeds. It gives me such satisfaction taking the junk out of the ground and manicuring flower beds, by yanking them out and getting dirty. I don't typically sit and just watch television. I'm either on my phone scrolling or working on something on my computer. I'm a veracious reader of non-fiction, historical fiction or stories that involve warrior women overcoming societal norms. Never just fluff reading. Reaction being part of my nature, its been a growth challenge for me to PAUSE. As a leader I've always believed that I needed to have all the answers, that I needed to have immediate solutions or that everything was urgent. This led me to burnout, making too many mistakes and going back on initial decisions. Being so reactive also caused me not think about ...
I recently attended a leadership meeting were we discussed what Abundance Thinking meant to us. In education there is always a discussion of needing "more". More resources, more people, more money, more time, more support, more, more, more!!! However, sometimes there is not a focus on gratitude, or innovative thinking for what is already right in front of us. Don't get me wrong, there are many schools and district that truly do not have equitable resources compared to others. Students and teachers deserve equitable support, in the form of quality educators, updated and rigorous curriculum and learning environments that are safe and engaging. Teachers and staff also deserve livable wages where they don't need to have second jobs or worrying about supporting their families. Those basic needs and supports are essential. However, even in affluent school districts, there are scarcity mindsets instead of abundance thinking. During my discussion with colleagues during thi...