The clock read 4:47 a.m. I leaned over and, in my first act of gratitude for the day, softly kissed my sleeping angelic Susie on her smooth cheek. Got out of bed. Dressed in my neon walking outfit as my second act of gratitude. Brewed a cup of fresh coffee. Looked at the weather. 97% humidity. 97%! I should have put on swim trunks. But, after a brutal walk in the just-after-dawn south Georgia sun on Thursday, I decided to beat the sunrise this morning.
As I was having 78 minutes and 6 miles of hydrotherapy, I was thinking about Rogette and Kathy. Boy, did they throw me into a loop with a one-two punch. You know, it's not enough to dream a dream of a time when we don't use the words "student" and "teacher." Too many of us have ruined both words, and use them to separate, distance, limit, and even incarcerate people with them. We have to free ourselves and others by closing the gaps between "us" and "them." Truthfully, we're all "we." We're all students and we're all teachers. Teaching is about being in the right human relationship. Teaching is in learning and learning is in teaching; teacher is in student and student is in teacher. It is an expression of caring; it is a celebration of connection; it is a celebration of faith; it is a celebration of hope; it is a celebration of love. It is both an external exercise and an internal process. And, yet, so few search inside themselves.
When you practice the "Just Like Me" exercise each day, especially before each class, when you take the Teacher's Oath each day, especially before each class, interesting and fascinating things happen. Slowly. you'll see your life and the world differently; and, as your perception of your life changes, it has a great influence on the way your life unfolds and the way you live your life. First and foremost, you begin to realize it's all about people and you must be a people person. This particular exercise and the Oath help you, as the Taoists would say, live like water: flow slowly and persistently around such negative obstacles as disrespect, denigration, dishonor, insincerity. As you slowly erode them or move them out of the way, you'll slowly stop surface looking at the body, at the clothing, at the gender, at skin color, at the GPA, and you'll see the person. When you go below the skin, you'll see each student, as do each of us, wants to feel cared about, wants to be understood, wants to be noticed, wants to be accepted and embraced, wants to belong and be connected, wants to be loved, wants to be believed in, and wants to be happy. You'll feel, as Kahil Gabran might say, that you will be giving others your faith, hope, and love, not just your abstract, meaningless words.
Don't believe me? Read EMOTIONAL LIFE OF THE BRAIN by Richie Davidson of Wisconsin.
As you' "angel-ize" demonizing mindsets, you'll soften negative feelings, breach the walls of toxic biases, shatter denigrating stereotypes, rip out disparaging labels, treat your "diseases" of being too busy or having better things to do. Your teaching will become meaningful and purposeful; you'll focus your attention on the present moment where you presently are and be more aware; you'll see possibilities in the impossibles; you'll less likely miss opportunities; you'll release imprisoned imagination, creativity, and abilities; you'll reach for your unique potential and those of others; you'll discover your own hidden extraordinary, as well as that of others. You'll acquire a love, a kindness, a compassion; you'll get an unconditional love in what actually is and acquire an undying faith and hope for what can be; you'll get calm, clear, self-assured, and open; you'll be better able to see intently; you'll be better able to listen intently; you'll act caringly, not just say "I care." That is, you will acquire a non-judgmental otherness; you'll become mindful, attentive, alert, alive, to and in the moment; you'll begin to stand in others' shoes, to think about how what you're saying and doing is being heard and seen by the other persons; you'll cultivate respect, dignity, decency, empathy, kindness, generosity, compassion, and connection.
I know. That's what has happened to me over the last 23 years since my epiphany.
These exercises succeed or fail on the strength you give them to engage the inner you, to make you feel, to make you think, to give you a glimpse into your own heart and soul as well as someone else’s head. The purpose is to unconditionally love everyone and serve everyone, and become intensely aware of both yourself and others. Trust me, it'll keep you busy. There are other exercises I do each day on this day--e.g. "Word of the day," "Water Diary," "5-3-1," "Raisins,"--but let's keep to these two. Do them. Slowly. Keep it small and simple. Be patient. Take baby steps. Uncomfortable as they may be, trust them. Struggle with being aware of them, expressing them, and, above all, living them. It will be rocky and winding. Give it a month. Feel what starts to happen. To be honest, you probably will need much more than a month. I did. I needed years to "un-trench." But, if you keep at it, you just might discover a life changing force as I did that extends beyond the confines of the campus into a work-life integration.
When you do, you'll never go back.
Make it a good day
-Louis-
Louis Schmier http://www.therandomthoughts.edublogs.org
203 E. Brookwood Pl http://www.therandomthoughts.com
Valdosta, Ga 31602
(C) 229-630-0821 /\ /\ /\ /\ /\
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/\"If you want to climb mountains,\ /\
_ / \ don't practice on mole hills" - / \_
