Keep at it - JK Rowlings - Listen to your teachers

You've got to work. It's about structure. It's about discipline, It's about these deadly things that your teacher told you you needed.

JK Rowlings: Author , Teacher, and Scribe Fighting Evil.

So today I have a choice. It is my one day off during the week from my day job. Do I work on my book ideas or do I relax. I've printed out my schedule for the week and I do see at the day job I have massive amounts of time during the day as I don't work until 3pm.

Or do I read.

Argh. Some people say that being being is hard - long hours, stress, crazy parents and students. But then, anyone who deals with the public has learned most people are reasonable and nice. Sales clerks, apartment supers, restaurant workers, hotel staff, and health-care providers can tell you tales. There are always a few who are bonkers or have agendas that include diminishing, demeaning, or degrading someone else or the establishment to get something for nothing (rat in restaurant).

Teachers have it worse. Well, maybe not worse that health-care providers because that is also a very personal area. But, taking care of someone's off-spring is just a witch's brew of emotion and redirecting blame. Oh the stories I could tell, except for the defamation lawsuits and the legal standards that are prevalent in my country.

And here is another way teachers (and maybe health-care providers) have it the worst: Teachers live with hypocrisy. We know how to get things done. We now how to achieve results. We tell students they have to learn. And yet, many of us in our daily lives do not follow our own advice. And when we don't, we face a cognitive dissonance that causes our critical thinking to scream.

Maybe the key is to follow our own advice. Start small. Get a win. Keep moving.

Resolved: the plan for today is two hours on the extra-hard SAT math problems for my book.

I feel better already.

Gratitudes: paper, clean water from the tap, being able to see art.

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