Small victories
This life is all about crisis and victory. Learning and failing. Often learning because of the failing. It's interesting to me that anyone might imagine that growth is linear. It seems to me that is rarely, if ever, the case. It seems we are propelled forward by learning from our setbacks and that our behavior is more wavelike than mountain-climbingesque.
This year I may have ODed a bit on the 'extracurriculars'. That word is totally inadequate, but basically I'm in 8 classes. I know, that's more classes than there are days of the week. One of them meets over lunch twice a week. I'm a participant in two of them, and a tutor or facilitator in three of them, and then something else which is like participant-meets-facilitator in another two. I have been learning so much from each of these experiences. It's interesting to me how something can go so well with one group and with the next it can be so difficult.
I used to dwell on the challenges and beat myself up over the things that weren't working. But then I realized that guilt, in addition to being completely unproductive, is also a manifestation of our ego, and therefore, better weeded out. So now I am trying to focus on the small victories and trying to build on the strengths, without ignoring the weaknesses. But this shift in focus and attitude has paid off in dividends. Not the least of which are mental sanity and joy :)
In this life, we have to try hard, to struggle, to improve. But I think these things can be done with joy and zest rather than guilt and long-suffering.
This year I may have ODed a bit on the 'extracurriculars'. That word is totally inadequate, but basically I'm in 8 classes. I know, that's more classes than there are days of the week. One of them meets over lunch twice a week. I'm a participant in two of them, and a tutor or facilitator in three of them, and then something else which is like participant-meets-facilitator in another two. I have been learning so much from each of these experiences. It's interesting to me how something can go so well with one group and with the next it can be so difficult.
I used to dwell on the challenges and beat myself up over the things that weren't working. But then I realized that guilt, in addition to being completely unproductive, is also a manifestation of our ego, and therefore, better weeded out. So now I am trying to focus on the small victories and trying to build on the strengths, without ignoring the weaknesses. But this shift in focus and attitude has paid off in dividends. Not the least of which are mental sanity and joy :)
In this life, we have to try hard, to struggle, to improve. But I think these things can be done with joy and zest rather than guilt and long-suffering.
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