What I Learned from My Beagle

I live with a beautiful beagle named Abby. She is full of enthusiasm and continually gives me lessons on living a good life.

Be open and friendly to all. Abby is the friendliest dog I've ever had. She greets every person and dog she meets on our nightly walks enthusiastically, confident that she will receive a warm reception. And nine times out of ten she is right.

Keep your nose to the ground to sniff out opportunities. Abby is a nose with four legs. Her sensitive nose leads both of us in interesting directions on our walks through the neighborhood. As I was writing that last sentence, I was eating a cracker and cheese while Abby was outside. She just came racing into my room and leaped onto my chair with me, following her nose, even though the food was gone. I can't sneak anything past her.

Persistently go after what you want. Often I think she's stubborn, but Abby is just following her instinct, chasing a smell or seeking out a new friend. She definitely has a mind of her own, and is not afraid to use it!

Don't hold a grudge. Love unconditionally. No matter whether I've been upset with her, if I've left her all day in her crate, or if I'm slow to help her get what she wants, Abby is always glad to see me. She shows her welcome and happiness with her whole body; her adoring eyes and waving tail always bring a smile.

Be willing to detour when something interesting attracts you. Tonight on our walk, Abby poked around, sniffing everything she could reach. Because we stopped to meet two new dogs and sniff at the ducks, we arrived at the park at exactly the right time to see a man on an old-fashioned bicycle with a giant front wheel and a tiny back wheel. What a surprise! I never would have seen it without her " encouragement" to take it slow. How many things in life do I miss because I'm in a hurry?

I hope I can live up to Abby's example. I want to be more like her, totally living and enjoying every minute.

Stress

What are the effects of stress? How does behavior change with stress? Currently everyone at work is under stress, with changes to come, but no idea what they will be or how they will affect us. The secrecy and waiting have combined with a load of work to put everyone on edge.

I thought I was handling it well, but this morning I lost it with my beloved dog. She was refusing to get off the bed and into her crate. I tried my usual treats, kind words, and begging. Then I resorted to yelling at her and succeeded in scaring her enough that she ran to the crate. Is that really why I got so upset with her? No, I definitely think it was stress-related. I worried about her all day, feeling bad, guilty, sorry. When I got home she was just as glad to see me as usual. That's unconditional love and forgiveness. Just what I needed to counteract the stress. My goal tomorrow is to master the stress, to be patient at home and work, and to relax. We'll know next week what the changes will be, and then we can start the adjustment process. Once we know we can accept and move on. The stress is in the waiting.

First Day of Summer

The first day of summer brings to mind thoughts of summers past. When I was a child summers seemed to stretch out forever. We played at home usually watched by Gussie, who took care of us and did the ironing. We watched TV, played in the yard on stilts, barrel, and playhouse. We sat in Daddy's hammock and chased our beagle. We sweated through the hot and humid days, playing baseball with the neighbor kids. Those days were carefree and helped me grow up.

As a young teacher, I loved summers! The days were for rejuvenation and relaxation, getting ready for the next school year. As I became an administrator, my summers slowly shrank, down to seven weeks, then two. Now summers seem so short, with just a few days off to restore my soul. That makes those days off even more special and important. It makes me want to use them to my best advantage, to get the most benefit for my peace of mind.

I think the key to a successful summer for me now is to enjoy the entire summer, not just think of it as a few days. I need to keep a summer frame of mind all the time, letting go of work when I can and enjoying my time. Spending time reading, writing, walking, staying cool, scrapbooking....these are all things that I can do all summer. I will spend my thoughts and days well, choosing a positive outlook.

This summer is a time for reflection, rejuvenation, and creativity, a time for me.

Collaboration

Today I presented the workshop "Team Planning for Student Success." It was full of quotes on teamwork and cooperation and was well-received by both groups who attended. I had fun with them, and was exhausted when it was over. The interesting part is that I kept thinking about my team at work, and how all of this applied to us. We used to be a very cohesive team, but lately a few cracks have appeared. Several people today mentioned that the hardest part about strong collaborative teams was keeping the momentum going. So true! One characteristic and requirement for effective teams is trust. Right now there's a lack of trust and respect with one person that is hurting the team. It's important that we solve that situation and get back to the productive team that we can be. It's time to use the QBQ questions. What can I do to improve collaboration? How can I build the spirit of trust and respect?

What Would I Do If I Wasn't Afraid?

What would I do if I wasn't afraid? That's a question from the book Who Moved My Cheese that I have referred back to numerous times. It helped me leave a bad marriage, spend a summer in Maine, and continue to grow. It's a question that I must answer on a daily basis, as I am always faced with choices and opportunities. There is a quote in today's newspaper from Christopher Reeve: "Either you stay in the shallow end of the pool, or you go out in the ocean. Too often fear immobilizes people...perhaps they're scared of what could happen if they try, or they're afraid of what people may think. At any moment, your life can unalterably change, so there is no excuse for letting fear stand in your way."

Fear is a theme that continues to surface in my life. There are some big things I would like to do, but current reality, future financial security, and fear of failure make me afraid to try. I'd love to quit my job, write for publication, and have a second home in Maine. I've jumped off a cliff before, quitting a good job in Harlingen in order to spend the summer in Maine, and it turned out okay. I was able to move to Dallas and begin a new career, eventually bought another house, and established new roots. Was there a cost? Yes, there was definitely a financial cost as I used up my retirement account in order to make this happen. While I do not regret that decision, it does greatly impact my thoughts and concerns about the future.

Somehow, I believe that my future financial security is connected to writing. My job today is to overcome my writing fears of failure and exposing my innermost thoughts, and take the first step toward writing practice and success.

Continuing to write this blog is my commitment to writing. It must be a daily practice in order to be effective, in order to establish my belief in myself and my abilities. The blog helps me figure out what I want to say, and it helps me establish my voice. It is my writing lifeline. Thank you for this venue to learn and grow.