Top 5 Things That Have Been on My Mind Lately!

I was looking back at some of my recent blogs, and it appears that all that I have been doing is teaching children, reading books, and cycling.....AND, that is pretty much what I have been doing. However, I have found a WHOLE LOT of time to think!

Here are the top 5 things that have been on my mind lately:

#1. ARTICLES! In the last month or so, It seems like there are articles all over facebook that are misleading and are causing people (Me) to feel some kind of way that I just do not like. The articles are full of facts that are not really facts and truths that seem to leave a whole lot out. I am convinced that many of the people who are posting these articles have not read them or are not thinking about what they are putting out into the world... I have stopped reading those articles, because I am on overload... I need time to sit and think and not get caught up in the frenzy that many of these articles seem to be causing. I was talking to my students about these thousands of articles, and they also agree that sooooo much information is out, and most of it is garbage that is presented as truth. I am happy to see so many people writing, but geesh, I'm taking a break from reading articles that are posted on Facebook.

#2. FRIENDSHIP. As I am getting older, friendship seems to mean a whole different thing to me than when I was twenty. My twenty year old friends were there for me when I was talking about boys and what should I do about them. My twenty year old friends were there and were on board when I wanted to drink lots of alcohol and party. However, my forty-something self need a different type of friendship, and I am not sure if some of those twenty year old friends fit into my forty something life. I don't need my friends to talk about boys or men with me anymore, because that is not something that I stress out about anymore. I don't need them to support me in the type of partying that I did in my twenties, because I just do not party like that anymore. The friends that I need now should be empathetic, slow to give advice, quick to listen, present, and patient with the idea that I am still trying to figure this grown thing out, and I am trying to be a friend who does the same. So, I have been thinking about if I should let go of some of my twenty something friends who just don't seem to get me as a forty something person.

#3. CHANGE. I have been actively practicing the fixed vs. growth mindset in my classroom, and I re-read The Alchemist, and they both have reconfirmed to me that we have the power to change our lives. I have a student who comes into class and plays around. He is the last student who is ready when class starts. I have given him strategies and suggestions on how to manage this, and he is still the last person ready when class starts. I keep saying to him "Stay ready so that you don't have to get ready." In other words, I am telling him that if he would come in, pick up his warm-up, get out his pen, and then play around, when the bell sounds, all he would have to do is sit down and start, because he would already be ready. Well, this week, he finally got it. He did what I asked and was ready when class started, and he was sooo happy when I acknowledged the change! My People, having the power to change my life and the power to influence someone to change his life has been on my mind.

#4. The Second Half. I am in the second half of my life, and I am trying to live deliberately. I've been thinking about making plans for my ten year goal. I've been thinking about the people who I want to be with me on my second half of life journey. I have been thinking about if I will stay in the DC area when I get older, or will I move somewhere where I can cycle year round in nice weather...

#5. Christmas. I am going to Atlanta to see my mom for Christmas, and airline tickets are ridiculously high. So, instead of just picking my dates and buying an airline ticket, I have been going online everyday, on all types of sites, and still have not bought a ticket yet. Well, I need to purchase the ticket so that I can stop wasting time thinking about it.

What's on your mind, My People!