Pictures. Documents. Money.
When it comes right down to it, even these are replaceable.
This week a fire has been raging in our area. It made me think about what was really important. The evacuation zone was about 1/4 mile away. We could see flames from our front yard.
I was making a mental list of things to grab.
I hope you are having a wonderful weekend but I don’t feel comfortable saying “happy” Memorial Day. It is a day of remembering men and women who gave their all. Literally.
No matter how horrific or mundane, their deaths have meaning. As do their lives.
They fought for the principles our country stands for. Things like freedom, equality, and the rule of law. They did this by signing up for the military. With this act, they chose meaningful lives. And sadly, deaths.
We need to help our children find meaning.
I’ve been listening to a fascinating book on Audible (have I mentioned how much I like Audible lately?) Antifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. It is hitting on something I’ve been concerned about ever since I decided to share my Genius Paradigm ideas.
When I first started talking about the Genius Paradigm, I didn’t want to sound like Mr. Rogers just telling everyone that they are “special.” Not that they aren’t special – I love Fred Rogers! But he was called out as one of the reasons for the entitlement problem that we have today, and I don’t want anyone to think I support entitlement. I feel the people who blamed Mr. Rogers didn’t get what he was saying. He didn’t mean that you didn’t have to work for things or that everyone should get a trophy.
What kind of story are you stuck in? The kind you want to read about? A real page-turner (in a good way)? Or is it a little bit boring and predictable? Is the protagonist (you) living up to their full potential? Or are they living someone else’s life by getting caught up in video games and TV shows?
It takes some work and planning to realize your genius and write the story you want to live. A genius paradigm is easy to talk about but not always easy to implement.
It’s worth it, though.
I love quotes. You probably figured that out by now if you follow me on social media. I’m continually sharing what other people have said. Quotes inspire me.
Recently there has been a quote that keeps following me around. It keeps coming to me and pushing me. I put it on a sticky note on my computer, but I feel like I need to do more and share it with you. Here it is:
Gratitude changes things and things right now need to change! With my Gratitude Project I suggest writing in a gratitude journal each day, but what if that doesn’t sound interesting to you? Here are some activities that you can do to share your gratitude in other ways. I’m all about individualizing and being the protagonist in your own story so do what works for you!
In this case, I’m not talking about gym class.
Flexibility has a lot to do with the growth mindset that I’ve talked about earlier. We need to see ourselves and others as able to change and grow. Our teens are in the middle of going through so many changes in their lives that helping them learn and internalize this is critical. Being flexible also has a lot to do with being imaginative, creative, and innovative.
Read Part 1 HERE.
Read Part 2 HERE.
As we were going down the biggest rapids of our trip, I got off balance and fell backward out of the raft. I tried to grab on to the boat, but I was ripped away from it. Water gushed up my nose, and I fought to breathe. The cold hit me and took all the energy out of me. The current slammed me into rocks, and the raft with my family was floating away from me.
Read Part One of my story HERE.
Rafting down the Arkansas River in Colorado, you are surrounded by some of the world’s most beautiful scenery. There are cliffs of red with majestic mountains. The trees are all different hues of green with beautiful wildflowers scattered within them. The river rocks are all different colors and the water glimmers as it slides over them. It looks like an ever-changing mosaic.
My husband, son, and I were able to attend a camp this summer. They usually host hundreds of kids, but due to the current situation and regulations, they could not have kids sleepover unattended. They did an excellent job of being flexible and finding ways to still serve their community. It is a high adventure camp, and they are used to having campers do much of the work. The counselors have had to shift their viewpoint. They no longer have campers; they have guests. It is a different paradigm. And they have nailed it.
I attended this camp several times when I was young, and all five of my boys have been campers here at least a couple of times. Our youngest was supposed to be here for two weeks this summer. I love this camp for so many reasons, but the one that I’m writing about today is that it encourages my family and me to do hard things.