Students and parents always admire my positivity and desire to bring more light into the world. In fact, a couple of months ago I was contacted by a parent who said: “I´m looking for an English teacher for my son. My friend´s recommended you to me and said you are a very “Positive teacher”.
However, I wonder if they realise that I also have DOWN days and BAD stuff happens to me as well.
Yes, I am a human being, too.
Recently, I have dedicated most of my free time to learning about mindfulness and how I can use it in my work. And the more I am learning, the more I realise that it is crucial for all of us to “live in the present”.
Did you know that our brains “hold onto” negative experiences (aka Negativity bias) whilst positive stuff just slips away? It turns out that it´s easier for us to remember “how we were criticised by our parent/teacher” rather than the beautiful sunrise we saw on the way to school/work.
Incredible, isn´t it?
But here´s the good news!
Due to neuroplasticity, we are able to rewire our brain and train it to focus better on the things that bring us pleasure. This is what I teach my students but I also make sure that it is applied in my personal life as well.
Because I know how important it is to walk the walk not just to talk the talk!!!
I tend to go for a fast stroll in the park opposite our house in the afternoon. It helps me clear my mind, get some fresh air and listen to a favourite podcast. When I started my walk today I had a lot on my mind…But instead of paying attention to the obnoxious voice in my head, which kept reminding me: “your husband´s had a mild heart attack; you don´t have any days off, you´re this or that…”, I decided to SENSE all the beautiful things that I saw around me.
So here are my HAPPY recollections from my 20-min walk:
-magnificent patches of white and violet crocuses
-four squirrels chasing each other happily and absolutely disregarding my presence
-a few flower beds with multi-coloured violets
-a wobbly-walking puppy which reminded me that “making small steps” takes you to BIG THINGS
-an elderly lady reading a book on a bench despite the drizzle
-ducks floating in the pond
-light dancing on the surface of the murky water
“The light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it”
I came back home recharged, decluttered and inspired to share my musings with you.
So pause for a second…What has made you smile today?
By the way, next week I am going to share one of my favourite positive lesson plans, which teaches youngsters how to look after the garden of their minds.
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Love and light,
Marusya Price
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