Did you ever notice that life seems to coSmell_the_Flowerme at us in waves of activity?  I find this especially true of my life as a teacher.

On the job I tend to vacillate between high energy and burnout. Maybe it’s because I’ve always looked at energy as limitless commodity rather than as a renewable resource. When I run out of energy, I feel disappointed with myself for not measuring up to what I want to accomplish, and I feel angry with myself for needing rest.  What a slave driver!

Life as a teacher can be a lot like labor, coming in waves of activity the same way that labor contractions speed up and slow down without our having much of a say about it. Eventually the baby is born, no matter how much stress and anxiety we feel, but it’s sure a lot easier once we learn to relax through the contractions.

That’s what I want to do with my job: I want to learn how to relax through the waves of activity without panicking, understanding when to push and when to rest, having the confidence that each season will eventually bring about what is meant to be.

I have come to believe that thoughts create emotions, rather than the other way around. I must transform my belief about energy and accept rest as a positive, desirable, enjoyable way of renewing energy, instead of seeing it as a waste of time.  Perhaps then I will be able to breathe through the contractions of life, and reduce stress for the health of my body and the strength of my bones.

May you, too, enjoy the peace that passes all understand, both at home and at work.

Kathy

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