positivity — Five Things — tabitha lord author

positivity

Monday Musings 7-27-20

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As I get older, my exercise routine not only builds my strength, it maintains my body’s flexibility. A bridge is designed to be flexible in strong winds - it sways so it doesn’t break. A flexible work schedule is often coveted by employees.

Flexibility, in general, is a positive quality. In this uncertain world, where it feels like the goal posts are moving minute to minute, the ability to think creatively, with innovation, and without fear will impact our experience and our ability to act effectively.

I’ve been spending many hours working with a team of educators envisioning how to bring children and adults safely back to school this fall. The collective positive energy of the group, and our ability to think flexibly, is helping us design a program that surpasses the recommended health and safety standards, yet still keeps the children’s experience at the center of our planning. We are required to consider multiple scenarios, and must design protocols to transition between these scenarios. Not an easy task, but as the plans come together, one of the most important qualities that keeps us moving forward is our flexible thinking.

With the current state of the world, It’s tempting to throw our hands up and give in to fear and frustration. But if we do, we’ll be stuck in that space, at least in our own heads. To a degree, flexibility is a mindset, and when we can embrace it, we may feel better about our reality. Things may be different, but we can find a way. Things may be complex, but we can find solutions.

“Blessed are the flexible for they will not allow themselves to become bent out of shape!” – Robert Ludlum

Monday Musings 2-24-20

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Anyone who knows me is aware that cold weather is not my favorite. I‘m a sunshine loving, beach going, hot yoga (emphasis on hot) practicing gal. Years ago, when I worked in education, one of my favorite parts of the day was greeting the children outside in the morning and welcoming them to school. Of course, this meant standing outside, for the better part of an hour, in all kinds of weather, including the bitter cold. I’d wake up on those chilly mornings feeling less than enthusiastic and frankly a little grumpy. Then, I read an article about scientists who worked in the arctic, and just how many calories they had to consume in a day to keep their body temperatures normalized. Apparently, the human body burns more calories in the cold! This was life-changing! Or at least, it was what I call frame-shifting.

After this revelation, every time I went outside in the cold to greet the children, or hike with my girlfriends, or even grocery shop, I thought, well, this calorie burning effort has surely earned me an extra cocktail. Frame-shift!

My example may be somewhat silly, but I’ve applied this idea to other things in my life, and it really does work. Not all the time, and not for all of life’s unpleasantries of course, but enough that I try to regularly employ it when I need an attitude adjustment.

“Positive thinking is more than just a tagline. It changes the way we behave. And I firmly believe that when I am positive, it not only makes me better, but it also makes those around me better.” — Harvey Mackay

In other news…

I’ll be at Richmond Galaxy Con with the Bard’s Tower crew signing books all weekend. If you’re in the area, come say hello!