Things that make me happy (in no particular
order):
·
flowers, plants, landscapes,
birds
·
hazy, humid summer evenings (and
the light during this time)
·
sunsets and campfires
·
moon rising (especially over
lake)
·
sleeping in a tent
·
smell of the Northwoods
·
yoga, yoga and more yoga
·
things orderly and clean
·
kids when they are talking to
each other
·
Daddy when he is playing with the
kids
·
my girlfriends
·
a nice run
·
a good sleep (and being
ultra-relaxed upon waking)
·
my work, my work, my work
·
my students, my students, my
students
·
riding my bike with my Dad
·
going out west and driving on the
open road
·
traveling to cities and scoping
the architecture
·
sharing opportunities, a-ha
moments and kick ass achievements
·
grampa + grama
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
What True Success Means to Me
This summer, my students have all created blogs through which they can more deeply explore and express themselves, their work, their interests, their ponderings on life. They can post on whatever they want – and several have really run with this – but at minimum they have to post on a particular prompt or topic that I throw out each week.
Since I’m interested in developing my own skills as a blogger, I thought I would also respond to my own prompts. I’ve thought a lot about this topic of success. So many ways to look at it and examine it. So many ways to imbue meaning to it. For me, it comes down to confidence. I feel successful when I feel confident. The truth is, I haven’t felt this way for much of my life. I’ve had some great experiences, yes, but I’ve never felt as though I had a “niche” in which I could excel. This topic of confidence comes up quite a bit through my work with McNair. Just how do you build confidence? Can you instill confidence in yourself or do you have to create ideal conditions that will bring it to the surface naturally? I don’t think it can be forced, but I do believe it can be nurtured.
As I’ve grown more confident in my work and my ability to do good work, I’ve felt more successful in my life. So for me, success is more a feeling than it is a tangible outcome or acquisition of a particular item. Success is feeling good about myself, my work, how I generally exist in the world. Success is moving forward in my personal development and feeling that I am taking myself to new heights whether it be through going deeper than I have before, challenging myself at a level beyond my reach or just “feeling good” about where I’m at in life.
My yoga practice has elevated my confidence by developing my physical strength and stature, as well as my inner strength and stature. I’m much more “at ease with what is” as a result of my practice. I can accept myself while still stretching myself – literally and figuratively. As I lean into the discomfort that often accompanies any type of growth, my confidence builds.
I’ve been listening to Incubus per one of my students who absolutely loves this band and I’m finding one of their songs really resonating with me. It’s called Drive and it talks about fear and how it can become a serious force in life if we let it. I love the lyrics, “whatever tomorrow brings, I’ll be there, with open arms and open eyes.” A great many other people might allow fear to dictate their actions, “but lately I’m beginning to find that when I drive myself my light is found.”
When I say that I’m feeling more confident in my life, and myself I really mean that my fear is starting to subside. Even if just a little, it’s a great start and it feels really good. As my confidence builds, I am becoming more the driver of my life. That’s true success to me.
Since I’m interested in developing my own skills as a blogger, I thought I would also respond to my own prompts. I’ve thought a lot about this topic of success. So many ways to look at it and examine it. So many ways to imbue meaning to it. For me, it comes down to confidence. I feel successful when I feel confident. The truth is, I haven’t felt this way for much of my life. I’ve had some great experiences, yes, but I’ve never felt as though I had a “niche” in which I could excel. This topic of confidence comes up quite a bit through my work with McNair. Just how do you build confidence? Can you instill confidence in yourself or do you have to create ideal conditions that will bring it to the surface naturally? I don’t think it can be forced, but I do believe it can be nurtured.
As I’ve grown more confident in my work and my ability to do good work, I’ve felt more successful in my life. So for me, success is more a feeling than it is a tangible outcome or acquisition of a particular item. Success is feeling good about myself, my work, how I generally exist in the world. Success is moving forward in my personal development and feeling that I am taking myself to new heights whether it be through going deeper than I have before, challenging myself at a level beyond my reach or just “feeling good” about where I’m at in life.
My yoga practice has elevated my confidence by developing my physical strength and stature, as well as my inner strength and stature. I’m much more “at ease with what is” as a result of my practice. I can accept myself while still stretching myself – literally and figuratively. As I lean into the discomfort that often accompanies any type of growth, my confidence builds.
I’ve been listening to Incubus per one of my students who absolutely loves this band and I’m finding one of their songs really resonating with me. It’s called Drive and it talks about fear and how it can become a serious force in life if we let it. I love the lyrics, “whatever tomorrow brings, I’ll be there, with open arms and open eyes.” A great many other people might allow fear to dictate their actions, “but lately I’m beginning to find that when I drive myself my light is found.”
When I say that I’m feeling more confident in my life, and myself I really mean that my fear is starting to subside. Even if just a little, it’s a great start and it feels really good. As my confidence builds, I am becoming more the driver of my life. That’s true success to me.
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