Sunday, July 27, 2014

A Tribute to a Great Co-worker

One of my wonderful co-workers got fired last week. I won't go in detail about why or give my opinion. However, I want to share with you about what I learned from her:
  • Be courageous to follow the beat of your own drum
  • Be opinionated whenever you please 
  • Love children with your whole heart in ways that they know you love them
  • Enjoy good music and dance away to the jams
  • Read books 
  • Pay attention to your instincts and vibes in general
  • Stand for the truth
  • Love your culture and inform yourself
  • Dream big and encourage others always
I will really miss her because she became my friend in the shortest time and we had many great times together. We even looked alike a little bit. All in all I will miss the Queen of Sheba as I used to call her.

I find comfort in a sermon by one of my friends in which he said, "There is some good in every good bye and some hell in hello". So I believe her goodbye is for our good and man the people who fired her have given themselves a loss.

Swimming After Ages

The last time that I remember actually somewhat swimming in water was 5 years ago. I took some expensive swimming lessons with a guy who trained competitive swimmers. I think he played me because by the time I had to go I could still not swim in the deep end. I guess he was enjoying his hourly rate.Anyway, I was disappointed that I didn't reach my goals. However, now 5 years later I quickly learned to swim in like 2 hours...the water was not that deep but I quickly caught on to the swimming tips that 3 of my friends gave me and they were impressed. In my heart, I was glad that those supposedly useless lessons had paid off and will continue to do so. Yes, the moral of the story is be patient with your dreams and goals.

First Time at Six Flags

Two days ago I went to Six flags for the first time for 36 bucks. I have no idea why I went although I did not feel like it. Anyway, I had not been on a roller coaster in ages and after getting on 2 I was through. My back hurts right now and I could not even keep my eyes open on the ride. There was so much gravity and uncertainty in the air and I just realized I don't need that kind of thrill to feel the highs of life. I prefer the feel of water than that of air against a roller coaster. Oh and I didn't scream or raise my hands so roller coasters are clearly aren't for me but I can now more accurately use expressions related to roller coasters.

Storms of Life

I learned something important today about storms in life. And, that is that every storm has a calm within it and you need to find it and cling to it because that can make the difference between surviving and thriving.

Backward Reflections on Life

What do you want to have accomplished by the end of your time? Jot it down and then work backwards so that you can be happy in the end.

Waiting on Nothing

"Good things come to those who wait". How many times have you heard that? I have heard it a couple of times and I think it has a lot of truth to it. At the same time, it should be critiqued because people sometimes waste their time waiting on nothing because of mere ignorance so wait while informed.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

The Sunk Cost Effect

Once upon a time I took a mini- Economics class in college and mainly learned one thing. No I learned a lot but one thing stuck. The sunk cost effect. I remember it because it's all about how some people put so much into something that they can't walk away from it. Basically, they are blinded from other possibilities. So make sure that in your personal, academic, and professional life you are open to other options even if you have invested a lot.

PS. Change that major if you need to and watch your happiness increase in college hahaha

Monday, July 21, 2014

1 Less Problem

Try to focus on the little things that matter in your daily relationships like the smiles and laughter. If  you can't spread genuine laughter and joy to those around you then you might want to re-think what you do around them. Or else they might be thinking in their heads,  "1 Less Problem 1 Less Problem without You". Yes I am referring to the Problem song by Ariana Grande and Iggy Azalea.

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Trusting Your Instincts

Mike Tyson once said, "Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face". What does that mean? No matter how much you plan something unanticipated can and could happen. Then what do you do? You have to trust your instincts and respond in the most sane and sensible way possible.

Silence is the Key

Sometimes all you have to do in the face of accusations is remain silent.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Taking a Deeper Look at You

The things that you hate to see in others might be the very things that you have in yourself. So take a deeper look at yourself first before judging others.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

The Difference between Compromising and Forcing

There has got to be a difference between compromising and forcing. In compromising you are trying to make everyone happy. When you force someone, you basically want to make yourself happy by trying to make someone else think that your happiness is theirs too. The former is based on selflessness and the latter on selfishness. Any thoughts?

Monday, July 7, 2014

Thoughts on Problem and Challenge Solvers

Why do we sometimes gravitate more towards negativity? It can be a good thing if you perceive it because you are a problem or challenge solver. And, even if you are then you have to make sure that you also highly focus on the positives because no matter how small they are, they could be a part of the solution to the seemingly enormous problem.

Thoughts on Personal and Professional Growth

Growth is what we all say we want and need. Wanting and needing it are at times different from being in the process of growth. There are growing pains at  in your personal and professional life. When you go through all that, just remember that it will make you wiser and stronger for what lays ahead. Don't let growing pains touch you in vain.

Saturday, July 5, 2014

Giving and Taking Compliments

Are you always receiving compliments? That's great. Now try to be on the giving end. You never know how much that compliment is needed or will be remembered. Happy weekend!

Friday, July 4, 2014

A 4th of July Lesson

I had a lot of free time on my hands today and it opened my eyes to something I might not have seen otherwise. To make the long story short, I have been working with kids for about a month and everyday has been full of good and bad surprises. Today, after having so much time for myself, I have realized that the tears, laughter, smiles, hugs, noise, and more I daily experience for 6 hours plus are great learning moments for the children and I as we learn to be better people. And, whoever said patience is a virtue...was more than right. Peace!

Thoughts on Discipline in Children

Sometimes when working with children with discipline problems, we are so focused on treating the symptoms like disrespect and aggressiveness instead of confronting the causes.

Autonomy at Work

One of the important things to consider before taking your dream job is the level of autonomy you'll have. So take some time to reflect with whatever will make you the most comfortable and eventually productive.

The Journey of Teaching

There is no formula for being a teacher. It's something that you grow into based on the best and worst days. In spite of that, having a positive attitude about everything and using all experiences as learning moments will go a  long way in the journey of teaching.

The Beauty of Handwritten Notes

Between this month and last month I have received a lot of handwritten notes from different people. All of them have played a great role in keeping me motivated and brightening up my days. Some are signed and others are unsigned. The take home message is let those around you know that you appreciate and care for them.

Thoughts on Teaching Children

When you teach children for extended periods, you have to make sure that you have a great amount of self-control so that whatever happens in your private life doesn't destroy the opportunity you have every morning to slowly or quickly transform a child's life.

Teachers Need a Raise

Whoever said teachers don't need or deserve a raise maybe never ever spent a day in a classroom full of kids with different needs.