Getting Organized - Chris Hemsworth - The Perfect Day Before

I have sporadic OCD cleaning moments around the house. But then I get lazy and I am cured. It's a very inconsistent personality trait.

from: Chris Hemsworth - actor

It has been about two months and everything but work at the office was put on hold. The summer rush of tutoring. But most of my international students are on their way back to Dana Hall, Exeter, Andover, and other major private schools in America. The international schools in Bangkok are open and soon I'll be back to a normal schedule.

I have been attracted to a title for a book: The Perfect Day Before. I think this is necessary to then have "the perfect day." I have read personal growth books (on and off) for most of my adult life. One of the pieces of advice that I dislike is to describe "a perfect day." As if this will magically happen due to unicorns or angels or a djinn granting a wish. Then what? Live in disappointment for the rest of one's life? Oiy vey!

Clean up the messes one has. Or, in one of the laziest pieces of advice, "cleaning up your room." This gem comes from Jordan Peterson, author of "12 Rules for Life." But, it is easy to remember and has that ear-wing quality of not being able to shake it off. He is a psychologist and they know how buttons are pushed. I am not saying it is bad - just lazy. And very reminiscent of the "make your bed" quote by Admiral McRaven. It is catchy and slick.

Getting out of your swampy and murky life is hard and takes more time than to clean your room or make your bed. Trying to unravel the inflicted (by self and others) knots and issues of years or decades takes time and effort. While I appreciate the platitudes, they are fooling people that a small effort will make a big difference.

What makes a big difference is . . . a big difference. The Chinese saying, "A journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step" is a more nearly honest view.

SO - 1) Plot the journey and 2) Begin walking.

Gratitudes: Podcasts, attractive distractions, and wine.

Comments

Don't trust a skinny cook - Vinne Vrotny - Teacher Hypocrisy

Adults want comfort, but expect students to go into [the] discomfort zone. Are we hypocrites? from Vinnie Vrotny - Blog post Multi-faceted Refractions I live with the thought that I am a hypocrite. I am a teacher almost every day I implore, cajole, push, and pull students to learn more about the immediate subject and themselves. And yet I feel guilty when I don't do the same thing. To find today's quote, I Googled "quotes teacher hypocrisy" and got no love. I got quotes from Don King, Malcom X, Alan Dershowitz (black pot) and others. But no listed, no famous quotes about teachers and hypocrisy. Then I Googled "teacher hypocrisy" and oh boy, were there hits!. Grass roots education ; Condor Voice ; I, Hypocrite Teache r; and today's quote were just a start. I realized that I am not alone. I must admit I also hate lazy teachers. They are robbing students' time. Teaching is a hard job, both emotionally and phy

We shape our buildings - Winston Churchill - Be in action

We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us. from: Winston Churchill, Painter , Political Survivor, Orator , and Nobel Prize for Literature Winner So much negativity in the world and in my thoughts. Originally, I was looking for a quote about the benefits of having positive thoughts. Sigh. There are many quotes like that out there, but the ones I found where either by celebrities or self-help gurus. Not that what they are saying is not useful, it is just I wanted elegant, powerful bon mots from a profound source. So, Churchill. I'd written down in my notes about this quote. It was made in a speech to rebuild the House of Commons after a bombing raid. I noted the quote because it agrees with my belief that architecture influences those who encounter it, whether for good or bad. But in this case, I am presenting it to my gentle readers as a metaphor. Like: "You reap what you sow," or "You've made your bed, so go lay in it."

Anger and Work - Toni Morrison - Tired of being angry

I get angry at things, then go on and work. from: Toni Morrison Author and Teacher Disclosure: I know little about Toni Morrison. Yes, I should read her writings. But I have my own writings to get out of my head. I found this quote because I have become tired of being angry. Maybe I should just scream myself into a coma, but I think I would still wake up anger. Screw the Serenity Prayer. Stuff admonitions of how anger is caused by fear. Stifle thoughts of turning the other cheek. Suffocate ideas of rising above. Smother the idea that this is not productive. But then, a sliver of sanity and the simplicity of Morrison's quote. As I have written before, I like to find the origin of quotes I use, and this one I found (unless this is photoshopped ) So, my two options are to keep my hand in the fire or to move into action. Since I am writing this, I have chosen movement. This entry can be considered the equivalent of picking myself up and brushing myself off.

Benevolent Quotations

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