Sometimes, you have to buy your own flowers. Sometimes, you have to find the good and celebrate it all on your own. Work like ours is slow and steady. We might see gains in small pieces and sometimes shortchange that view by focusing on what is still left to be finished.
In many ways, that's unfair. Incredibly unfair, in fact.
The to-do list never gets any shorter. I once had a mentor who'd counsel me..."You keep trying to make this a sprint. That's not the kind of race you're in. It's a marathon." He was right except the part that implies a finish line.
Sometimes there are competing forces that slow down our pace. The trick is in learning how to get through them. On some days, our results are better than other days but staying in the race still counts.
The work we do in our schools and for all of our children (and our teachers!) is too important and too big to allow the race to stop, the efforts to weaken, the climb to stall, or the pace to fade. Stay in the race. Find others willing to run the race with you.
They make the best partners. That's where synergy hides. Keep your face to the sunshine and keep plugging on. And at the end of an especially tiring day, go ahead buy your own flowers. You are more than worth it.
In many ways, that's unfair. Incredibly unfair, in fact.
The to-do list never gets any shorter. I once had a mentor who'd counsel me..."You keep trying to make this a sprint. That's not the kind of race you're in. It's a marathon." He was right except the part that implies a finish line.
Sometimes there are competing forces that slow down our pace. The trick is in learning how to get through them. On some days, our results are better than other days but staying in the race still counts.
The work we do in our schools and for all of our children (and our teachers!) is too important and too big to allow the race to stop, the efforts to weaken, the climb to stall, or the pace to fade. Stay in the race. Find others willing to run the race with you.
They make the best partners. That's where synergy hides. Keep your face to the sunshine and keep plugging on. And at the end of an especially tiring day, go ahead buy your own flowers. You are more than worth it.
"There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waitin' on the other side
It's the climb" - Miley Cyrus
I know how you feel. With the winds of change I would rather be a windmill than a wall. And I know that windmill has to have a sturdy foundation especially with the unpredictability of the weather. I just hope our construction crew stays strong.
ReplyDeleteI'd rather be a windmill than a wall? Neat way of looking at it. The construction crew you work with has all the tools and strength it needs to stay the course. Don't let them think differently. Keep on, keeping on, Tina.
DeleteI always myself sprinting in September! It takes me until at least October to settle into marathon mode. :)
ReplyDeleteHow very true. At first I was concerned when ending my career that my list still seemed endless. Then I realized how lucky I was to have worked until the final day.
ReplyDelete