I had a hard time coming up with what to title this post. It is surely not because I have run out of things to talk about. The last month has been a whirlwind of emotions, trials, and joys. Honestly, I am in a space where a lot of things annoy me. It is funny because I talk to my high school students all the time about reframing their thinking but somehow cannot apply that to myself. For example, I work in a small office in the building, with the best team! Yes, we have a copy machine so teachers do come down here to use it. But there is also a staff lounge farther down the hall with everything you could want. We have a bathroom in our small area of five people. For reference, there are also two staff bathrooms just down the hall, not surrounding anything…..completely stand alone. A staff member comes to our small counseling office every single morning at 6:50am spending fifteen minutes and four flushes in this bathroom. I’m sorry, but seriously, there is another bathroom feet away that is not surrounded by desks and people sitting at those desks. I guess I applaud the regularity of this person’s gastrointestinal health, but honest to God. Then there is the hunger games that occurs daily, even hourly, in the parking lot. I arrive at work between 6:40 and 6:45 fairly regularly so the start of my day is like Katniss observing her competition and wondering who is going to pounce at any moment. You see, I have a window in my office where I am able to observe the dog fights that occur daily. Over the last two years, I have watched people literally arrive at work far earlier than they need to just to get a parking spot. The result? They’re angry the rest of the day because they had to arrive at work so early simply to park. Then, there’s a repeat of the vultures as teachers and staff leave to get lunch. It’s like circling the prey and pouncing as soon as they leave. I kid you not…..as soon as one car leaves we watch people run out to move their cars and take the open spot. It’s crazy!

Life is so strange. The things we decide to ruminate over are sometimes astonishing. I just spent five minutes ranting about parking! I sometimes wonder how human nature works. For example, how do we function on any given day? Quite often I have to ask myself to try and maintain calm. I find that I have low tolerance for what I perceive to be incompetence. More than that, I struggle with the “I know everything” mentality that some possess when they clearly know very little. When did we get to a place where we don’t believe that others might know more than us? Seriously! I have always believed that strong managers know how to capitalize on the strengths and knowledge of their employees. They do not dismiss the expertise and skills of those who report to them, but rather value those skills as tremendous assets to the team. I am finding that so many are struggling to adopt the growth mentality for fear that it makes them appear weak or unsuccessful. Maybe I am wrong, but I believe we are stronger together. Those who wish to perform as a lone wolf tend to implode and be alone. Heck, my students know that I will admit that they know more than me when it comes to some things. I even ask them to teach me. My belief is that adopting this way of thinking allows me to build a strong rapport with my students, but also teaches them that we can always learn by others regardless of age and experience. I simply wish others would see the value in recognizing what we all bring to the table. Ha! Maybe I just want everyone to be like me! Stay tuned because there’s so much to discuss. My next few blogs may address some touchy subjects but they have weighed on me lately. We all have things we deal with in life, but they most certainly shape our thoughts and way of living. At the end of the day, we are all doing the best we can and trying to make it through each day. At some point, I hope we do more than just make it through the day. I hope we are living to experience the extraordinary. It’s coming. I know it!