THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021

 THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2021  (only nine more months until Christmas!!!)

I’ve looked at our attitude Tuesday and Wednesday.  I wanted a quick look at our Comfort Zone today.

Getting out of our Comfort Zone

“Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.”

William Shakespeare, Measure for measure

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Regardless of our hesitation or fear, humans need change to be happy. Try to do something you've never done every single day. Don't be afraid to try new things, color outside the lines, and get in the discomfort zone. If you want something you've never had, you have to do something you've never done. 

It might not always seem like it but the decisions we make every day can influence whether or not we face anxiety, disappointments, and stress or peace, happiness, and success. Courage is the willingness to make those decisions every day and live face to face with their outcomes. Everyone experiences fear, doubt, depression, and anxiety. But not everyone has the courage to move beyond life’s setbacks. Nelson Mandela once said,” I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

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As I write this, I’m a substitute teacher in a theater class.  The students are working on making non-verbal sounds (like footsteps, door closing, In the past seven weeks, I’ve been a substitute teacher - which has caused me to get out of my comfort zone!!!  

I told this group that I had been an “Acting” Dean once!!  (I don’t think they got the joke!!!)

Yes, I’m familiar with classrooms - and for 38 years as a professor.  I had an academic position, and the title “Full Professor” (and some students thought I was “full” of something!!  I think they meant I was full of wisdom <smile>).  

This week, I’ve been in two special education classes - the first was totally non-verbal - grunts, guttural noises, and one with a padded helmet as he bonked himself on his head regularly.  The second was a verbal group.  Their first assignment was to write two sentences about their plans for Easter weekend (with prompts like Easter Egg hunt, Easter Basket, food, church services, and more).  I went with this group to art class (the teacher was having the students draw faces - and these students were challenged), and then to PE class (it was nice outside, so the teacher was trying to teach the fundamentals of soccer

They did a lesson on weather, had to read a thermometer and write about the weather.  

Okay - I had two non-so good days.  I had forgotten how students can be to a substitute teacher.  The worst day was punctuated by a student who begged to go to the restroom immediately as the class started.  I said ‘no’.  Before long there were about four students who had terrible bladder problems.   Since then, I write my name on the board and then I write “No restroom breaks until <a certain time - about half-way through the period>” 

I do vaguely remember the tricks students played on substitute teachers when I was a student.  Sitting in the wrong seat, using the wrong name, getting up, and wandering around.  It sure is different than my college students - if they didn’t want to be in class, they just didn’t come.  I felt that my class was important, but I rarely took attendance.  They needed to be responsible for their learning - and attending class was important.  (And, I really had a good member for the days that a particular student missed and would drop them an email to check on it).

(Aside, I was responsible for many grandparents dying.  It seemed like whenever I had a test I’d get a note “My grandmother died and her funeral is today”.  But, one student definitely believed in the resurrection as the same grandmother died twice in the same semester!!!!)

Back to the original theme - getting out of our comfort zone.  

When I retired, I was bored.  My comfort zone was shrinking.  Sit at home, watch TV, eat, mow the lawn, sit, nap, watch TV, take a walk, play games on the computer, nap, snack, watch TV, (and repeat)!!!

In the past, I talked about the play “Waiting for Godot”.  The two main characters are sitting waiting for Godot (as a form of waiting for death and God).  Something deep inside me would not let that happen.  

[Aside - quietly, I am enlarging my comfort zone day - becoming a woman, lowering my ego, learning humility, and not having a television.  I just “couldn’t let my comfort zone shrink”.  Even writing a daily blog keeps me fresh and thinking.  There are times when I think my gender change is basically a challenge to keep my comfort zone expanding!!!] 

I’ll look a little at comfort zones and how to keep expanding them in the future.

Tomorrow (Friday) I have a LOVE WINS theme of honoring your father and mother - when your parents are mean and spiteful!!!

Saturday is a Story

And, Sunday is a Funday!!!  

LOVE WINS!!!

HUGS!!

Karen