What If Today Was Your Last Day?

If today was your last day...
Would you make your mark
By mending a broken heart?
You know it's never too late
To shoot for the stars,
Regardless of who you are
So do whatever it takes
'cause you can't rewind
A moment in this life
Let nothin' stand in your way
'cause the hands of time
Are never on your side

If today was your last day
And tomorrow was too late,
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past
Donate every dime you have?
Would you call old friends you never see?
Reminisce of memories
Would you forgive your enemies?

The lyrics above are from a song called “If Today Was Your Last Day” by Nickelback. What powerful questions are asked in this song! I ask you, what if you woke up and found out that today was your last day. Would you do anything different today? What if you had two days… would you live the first day in a way so that you wouldn’t have regrets on your last day?

It’s easy to procrastinate. To put off the hard stuff. To fool ourselves into thinking that “one day” we’ll make up for, make right, or make better. At the fear of sounding like an alarmist or extremist…what we should realize is that life is not in our control, and our “one day” MAY be today. What would I do today if today were really my last day alive?

What if today were not my last? Would I just coast through the day? Would I even try to make a difference today? Would I give my best to the people who mean the most? I’ve often wondered if it would be worse to live a long time and look back on the past and have regrets of things left undone, relationships not mended, goals not met, or chances not taken.

Life is unpredictable. Think of the stories you have heard where someone was thrown a curveball and had to face a shortened life or an excruciating journey. 

Randy Pausch, famous for his “Last Lecture,” is an example of someone who made the most of the time he had in his shortened life. I wonder if he had any regrets as he reflected on his days on Earth.

Don Meyer, the recipient of the Jimmy V award at the ESPYs a few years ago, is a survivor. 

What we learn from situations like these is that there is a common thread among all of them: the truly important “things” in life are not “things” at all, but are about relationships with others – assistance, forgiveness, memories, honesty, and above all else, love.

As a mother, I ask myself, “If I died today, what would my daughters remember most about me?” put another way, “What will my daughters FEEL when they think of me after I’m gone?” 

As an educator, I ask myself these same questions. "If I died today, what would my students remember most about me?" and "What will my students FEEL when they think of me after I'm gone?"

For all, I hope that I live my life every day in a way so that when those questions are answered, they remember that I LOVED them. I hope they feel a warm, comforting, safe, and proud feeling.

What do you hope that others will remember about you?

Cancer Patient Lifts Up Others' Spirits - Motivation Monday #17 {April 28, 2014}

Every Monday I post quotes and/or videos to inspire and motivate you through your week. Get ready for a great week!

When you feel like giving up... get inspired by Chris Rumble's video he created at Seattle Children's Hospital just one month after being diagnosed with leukemia in 2012. 

How's Chris doing today? Here's an update...

CNN also did an update on Chris. 
Click HERE to watch the video.

"I think if you ask anyone who knew me before I wasn't always in the best of moods. But now, afterwards, I can't wait to come to the rink every day. I can't wait to be happy. I think it rubs off on other people, too."   -Chris Rumble

Who will you inspire this week?

Five Strategies for Getting Through a Mentally Hard Run

I'm currently a part of #500in2014, a challenge to run or walk 500 miles by the end of the year. It started on Twitter among educators, and it's been a lot of fun to share the experience with friends across the country. (Thank you @Principal_EL, @MathMinds, @GoldenEagleEye, and @BUCSlead for the daily inspiration!)

Today at school, I knew that I would be going for a run tonight, and I planned on 4-5 miles. When I got home from work, I had a pre-run snack, checked out Twitter, and then hit the trail. All was good... so I thought!

As usual, the start was the hardest. Soon into my run, my head was trying to talk me out of it. I thought things like, "Just walk. You walked 5 miles yesterday... go ahead and take your time." I also thought, "Maybe you should just go out a mile then back for a total of two miles." Believe me when I say, it was like a pinball machine in my head. The thoughts kept coming and banging around in there!

source

By the end of the run, I completed 5 miles, and I did it in my fastest time yet (which is not really all that fast, but fast for me!) So how did I turn it around? I used some strategies during the run that helped me get through it, and I realized that there are some great analogies to be had for running through life. 

Here are my five strategies for getting through a mentally hard run:

1. Set yourself up for success. I have found that I enjoy running in the morning more than running in the evening. I think it's because I drink a cup of coffee before my Saturday morning runs with my friend, Karen. So today, I had a cup of coffee when I got home from school give me an extra boost for the run. I charged my phone so that I could use my Nike+ running app to track my miles, and most importantly, to play my favorite songs on my playlist.

2. Set small goals along the way. When I started the run and I had thoughts of walking. I said to myself, "Just run to the 2-mile mark, then you can walk back." Then, as I got close to the 2-mile mark, I told myself I would run to the 2.5-mile mark then walk back (for a total of 5 miles.) When I hit the 2.5-mile mark, I said to myself, "Well, you've run 2.5 now, go ahead and run to the 3-mile mark and you can walk for the last 2 miles." Now you can guess what happened when I got to the 3 mile mark.... :-)

3. Turn your focus outward. I was tempted to think about myself, the doubt, the walking, the wanting to give up... but I turned my focus outward. I started looking at the runners and walkers I was passing, and I thought about them.  I thought about their own challenges that they may be having themselves. I raised my hand in a greeting, made eye contact, and smiled.

4. Visualize. Create a mental model. As I ran, I pictured myself at the finish line. Over and over as I ran. I saw myself running fast and strong as I got to the end of my run. Intentionally, I called up that image as I ran. Also, I had seen a certain runner on the trail during the week who made me want to "look like him." He ran fast and with ease. He became my mental model.

5. Remember your supporters. The #500in2014 community is extremely encouraging and uplifting. I thought about them as I ran, and I thought of their encouraging words. When I was having trouble doing it alone, knowing that they were "on my team" lifted me when I couldn't lift myself.

As I reflected on my run, I realized that the strategies used to get through the mentally hard run are strategies that apply to other situations, including ones at work, with family and friends, when working on a project, etc. 


What do you think? Have you ever had to get through a hard run? What strategies would you add?

Using Metaphors to Describe Your School

Metaphors help us make sense of the world. They take abstract ideas and turn them into something concrete. They build a bridge between new information and something with which we are familiar. 

Try this creative way to find out what your students, administrators, and teachers believe about your school.

READY 

From the list below, have students (or staff) to underline the metaphor that best describes the school. Then have them to circle the word that describes what they want it to be. 

Factory                            Jungle

     Museum                      Summer Camp

Prison                             Family

Greenhouse                     Orchestra

Launching Pad                  Art studio

                                                       Team                          Laboratory

Are there metaphors that you would like to include that are not on the list? 

AIM

Ask your students or staff to fill in the blank:

I want our school to be a _________________________ because _________
_______________________________________________________________.

FIRE

Discuss the following with your students and/or staff. (Each person should answer and discuss.)

What role do I have in moving the school towards my desired metaphor?

What will I need to start doing in order to help move the school towards my desired metaphor?

What will I need to stop doing in order to help move the school towards my desired metaphor?

What questions would you add to the list?