I've Got Sunshine On a Cloudy Day

It's time to check in with myself and see how things are going. As the sun shines brilliantly through yellow and orange leaves and I patiently hold on to every last bit of autumn sunshine for the day, I find myself thinking back to where I was last summer. Summer 2012 found myself in places I didn't think I'd be, but in places and with people that I was excited to welcome with open arms. I had read a book called "The Happiness Project" and decided that as part of my daily life I was going to challenge myself and model after the author by creating my own rules to live by. I titled these rules my own Ten Commandments . A year later, I am reflecting on how the rules are going, if they've helped me, if they've calmed some of my anxiety, and if they are worth the effort I put in to brainstorming and practicing them last summer.   My first commandment is "think before you speak." I'd say overall this has helped me avoid situations I might not w

For the most part, I am a pretty positive person. My friends call me inspiring, my students call me helpful, and my mom calls me impractical. I like to always look at the bright side, always tell myself that it can be worse, and when things are bad that they too will pass. I'm full of cliches and quotes and I'm motivated by do-gooders and humanitarians. But this week, I'm sad. I'm overtired, I'm emotional, and I'm down right sad. And that's okay, because I am allowed to be sad once in a while. Things I'm sad about this week: 1. The fact that I'm so extremely exhausted 2. Living so far away from the majority of my closest friends 3. Going to a student's mom's wake; no child should have to experience that 4. Being challenged by some pretty tough students on a daily basis 5. Weekend plans changing 6. The weather turning slowly from fall to winter 7. The fact that it's pitch dark out when I get to work in the morning 8. The news F

After a really rough day at work, it's the little things that bring me happiness. I was luckily able to take my thoughts for a walk this evening and breathe in some fresh air while I counted my blessings. A gentle reminder to never take anything for granted.

What is it about Fall that everyone becomes suddenly obsessed with once the air turns crisp? I always felt I was a minority when I said fall was my favorite season simply because of sweatshirt weather, crunchy leaves, apple crisp, and pumpkins. Now, I'm surrounded by fall loving, pumpkin spicing, autumnal overloading people. Fall is by far the best of the seasons, especially since I'm lucky enough to live in such a beautiful state full of variety in landscape and scenery including both city and lush countryside. The trees, the views, and the sunsets are just pieces of what make the full fall puzzle so enjoyable. The rest of it is the anticipation from a year of waiting. We learn to look forward to the changing seasons; it's a new start, a fresh page, an ending to a previous season of memories. The unexpected weather, sometimes still holding onto summer and sometimes ready for winter, the pretty decorations, and the last minute chances to enjoy the fresh air before we all

Do you accept my apology? My poor, poor blog. How easily I forget about you and toss you in the corner to collect dust. You cross my mind though, Blog, I often think to myself, "I need to write about that" or "there's my next blog post" and as quickly as the thought enters my jam packed mind, it disappears. Here is my dedication, in this newly found 47 minutes I have ahead of me. I wish to keep you shiny and new, clear and sparkly. I did have a bit of a webpage snafu and fear that I've lost my followers, or rather, they've lost me. Rookie move, trying to change my URL and thinking it would automatically redirect those who had me bookmarked or tried searching for me. I'm still here! So now, I will make my posts perhaps a little shorter, perhaps a little more focused, and I will most certainly try to make them more frequent. So- share away! Post away! Comment away! I have often found a lot of comfort and serenity in my blog, and I hope to share