Catching my hat on the rose bush over and over as I garden the day away. Yep, the rose bush kept pulling my cap off every time I walked under it….and I kept walking under it and it kept saying, “Hey!” It felt a little like the movie Groundhog Day. I lost count at how many times that happened but every time it did, I just laughed!
A while back I had been thinking about a previous administrative position I took for a year. As I reflected on that emotional roller coaster of a year, I recalled appreciating the custodial staff so much because they gave me a 5 minute warning to let me know the doors would be locked at 11 PM each night! Thinking back on it, it had its ups and downs – a crystal teacher award and getting great feedback from coworkers, supervisors and families on one end to my husband missing me, missing us and me losing my s*** about once every six weeks on the other.
I had been encouraged to take a job like this my entire adult life. I always responded to these people with, “Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should do it.” I obviously stopped listening to my own inner wisdom and listened to all the voices around me, applied for and accepted the position. I learned a lot about the education profession, laws of special education, appreciation for my professional peers, and what I am called to do and not to do! Although I may have had the ability to be in this role, it did not feel like a calling and did not come from my heart. By March of that school year, I told the administration that I was not going to continue in that role in the fall.
Now that you have the background – here is the GOOD PART! My reflection focused on my decision taking the job coming from my ego. I thought perhaps I’d find more fulfilment in this position, able to support others in a more meaningful way so that I would be happier. I know now that I was not following what my inner guidance was leading me to do in serving others. As I thought about the job, I specifically thought of a teacher that I was supporting. For two weeks I thought about her and some of the interactions we shared. I wanted to call her to tell her that things would have gone differently, more positively if I was coming from a different place overall and not holding all the self-induced stressors of wanting instead of allowing.
Just as I was planning to call her to share my thoughts, I received a fb message from her! I had not spoken to nor corresponded with her directly in almost two years. Here is some of what she wrote:
Hi Jodi! ….wanted to share a little story I thought you might appreciate….my <superviser> called me to discuss one of my students and she mentioned how she continues to be impressed by my IEPs <federal paperwork>. She said she never has to worry about double checking my work before a meeting because I always come prepared with well-written and clear IEPs. She even used one of my documents as a model for the other teachers. I wanted to thank you for making me the IEP writer (and strong, confident teacher) that I am! …Thank you for being such a big supporter and an amazing educator!! 
My desire to share this is two-fold. First, although we see things one way, often others see things quite differently. Sure, that’s nothing new, but it was a reminder to me, especially if I was feeling negatively about it. My choice at the time was to communicate with her and I would’ve gathered the information that way.
Secondly, I find it interesting that when I was thinking of her and our time together, she reached out to me to discuss the same thing! Coincidence? I don’t think so, I think the situation describes synchronicity and is something we can all keep our minds open to, eyes watchful for and ears ready to hear! Not only did this strong, capable, talented young teacher make my day by taking action in order to do so, it made me think –
What energy or thoughts are we putting out into the world and how do they come back to us??
This past week the universe has led me into yet another focus on perspective. This is not my first perspective rodeo, but it’s been a good long ride!
Last Sunday when I was driving to meet a friend to go hiking I noticed that I had sandals on and not my hiking shoes. Immediately thinking of it from a different perspective I came to the conclusion that I needed to take it easy and have a nice slow mindful walk that day. My day turned out perfectly! As an additional perk, I easily slipped off those sandals and walked barefoot back and forth along a log lying across a river just off the path! What fun!
Monday I was picking raspberries out of my garden. As I gently nudged the berries from their grip on the stems, sharing their beautiful fruit with me, a thought popped in my mind. I hunted for the juicy redness amongst the leaves and was turning my head and body to and fro. Just as I was looking at the bushes, I thought, if I don’t stop or pause and take the opportunity to look at things from different angles, I may miss a gift the universe has for me! I kept this message swirling in my mind as I continued to fill my bucket.
My week continued in this way and by Friday, another big message hit me. I had found the cutest little camper for sale about an hour from my home. I made a plan to drive there to check it out hoping that it might be just what my daughter and I have been looking for. I discovered the price tag was too steep for what it provided for us. (If I had channeled Bam Bam from the Flintstones I could’ve easily hit my club two times on the ground – Bam! Bam! and picked it up with my finger!)
Instead of being disappointed that the camper wasn’t meant for us I quickly decided to open my AllTrails app and see what was around. Lo and behold quite a number of trails that looked interesting were nearby and off I went (hiking shoes now in my mini cooper)!
As I hiked alone I thought back to the time in my life when I hiked a lot. I lived in Hawaii and my husband at the time was deployed with the Marine Corps for 22 out of the 24 months we lived there. I remember calling and calling people to find someone to hike with and when I couldn’t find anyone I was sorely disappointed and stayed home. At that time hiking alone just emphasized that I was alone and feeling alone made me very sad. Those two years were a challenge!
Luckily, much time has passed and my perspective has changed! Hiking on my own that day seemed like a glorious idea and it was! I didn’t have the fear of getting lost or feeling scared if I heard a noise as I had in my early 20s. At one point I came to an opening in the woods and had an uneasy feeling…30 years ago this feeling would have made me scared thinking that somebody was in the woods nearby or an animal was close and would make me feel very unsafe. I did have that thought for a second, but was aware that I was looking back at myself as a 24-year-old. I told my young self, “That’s not you any longer, Jodi. You are not alone; you are not in a state of fear any longer; you feel uneasy because you have stepped off the path. You need to look around and see where the path is and find your way back on it.”
With my heart filled with happiness and a bit of excitement in my belly I searched and quickly found a felled tree with trail markings painted upon it. Climbing over its trunk I thanked it and told it that it was still serving and sharing its strength with the rest of us on this trail even in its death. Smiling even more widely, I thought to myself, “I had stepped off the trail briefly and jumped right back on. My uneasiness was a hint to stop and look around.”
I’m so grateful that this trail reminded me of perspective. I can see the paths I take in life and I am able to look at things from different perspectives and to get back on them if I believe I’m heading in the wrong direction! I also now know that I am never alone! I am connected to everything and everyone and I can trust myself to make the right decisions and ask for guidance when I need some assistance. I stopped, I looked, the trees answered.
This past week the universe has led me into yet another focus on perspective. This is not my first perspective rodeo, but it’s been a good long ride!
Last Sunday when I was driving to meet a friend to go hiking I noticed that I had sandals on and not my hiking shoes. Immediately thinking of it from a different perspective I came to the conclusion that I needed to take it easy and have a nice slow mindful walk that day. My day turned out perfectly! As an additional perk, I easily slipped off those sandals and walked barefoot back and forth along a log lying across a river just off the path! What fun!
Monday I was picking raspberries out of my garden. As I gently nudged the berries from their grip on the stems, sharing their beautiful fruit with me, a thought popped in my mind. I hunted for the juicy redness amongst the leaves and was turning my head and body to and fro. Just as I was looking at the bushes, I thought, if I don’t stop or pause and take the opportunity to look at things from different angles, I may miss a gift the universe has for me! I kept this message swirling in my mind as I continued to fill my bucket.
My week continued in this way and by Friday, another big message hit me. I had found the cutest little camper for sale about an hour from my home. I made a plan to drive there to check it out hoping that it might be just what my daughter and I have been looking for. I discovered the price tag was too steep for what it provided for us. (If I had channeled Bam Bam from the Flintstones I could’ve easily hit my club two times on the ground – Bam! Bam! and picked it up with my finger!)
Instead of being disappointed that the camper wasn’t meant for us I quickly decided to open my AllTrails app and see what was around. Lo and behold quite a number of trails that looked interesting were nearby and off I went (hiking shoes now in my mini cooper)!
As I hiked alone I thought back to the time in my life when I hiked a lot. I lived in Hawaii and my husband at the time was deployed with the Marine Corps for 22 out of the 24 months we lived there. I remember calling and calling people to find someone to hike with and when I couldn’t find anyone I was sorely disappointed and stayed home. At that time hiking alone just emphasized that I was alone and feeling alone made me very sad. Those two years were a challenge!
Luckily, much time has passed and my perspective has changed! Hiking on my own that day seemed like a glorious idea and it was! I didn’t have the fear of getting lost or feeling scared if I heard a noise as I had in my early 20s. At one point I came to an opening in the woods and had an uneasy feeling…30 years ago this feeling would have made me scared thinking that somebody was in the woods nearby or an animal was close and would make me feel very unsafe. I did have that thought for a second, but was aware that I was looking back at myself as a 24-year-old. I told my young self, “That’s not you any longer, Jodi. You are not alone; you are not in a state of fear any longer; you feel uneasy because you have stepped off the path. You need to look around and see where the path is and find your way back on it.”
With my heart filled with happiness and a bit of excitement in my belly I searched and quickly found a felled tree with trail markings painted upon it. Climbing over its trunk I thanked it and told it that it was still serving and sharing its strength with the rest of us on this trail even in its death. Smiling even more widely, I thought to myself, “I had stepped off the trail briefly and jumped right back on. My uneasiness was a hint to stop and look around.”
I’m so grateful that this trail reminded me of perspective. I can see the paths I take in life and I am able to look at things from different perspectives and to get back on them if I believe I’m heading in the wrong direction! I also now know that I am never alone! I am connected to everything and everyone and I can trust myself to make the right decisions and ask for guidance when I need some assistance. I stopped, I looked, the trees answered.
A very good friend of mine began a facebook group about one of her passions recently. I loved the idea and so did many people! People are posting and utilizing the platform to share their beautiful garden photos and get questions answered.
I decided that I would do the same and began a facebook group entitled Maturing Mindfully. I was so excited about it and still am.
But here’s the funny thing – my little Jodi (aka inner child) had all these thoughts: Will my friend Courtney think I’m copying her? Am I not being original because of that? Will mine be as popular? Big Jodi started to smile at her little self.
I looked her in her big blue eyes and said, “Follow your heart and do what makes you happy. Remember, imitation is the biggest form of flattery. Ideas are to be shared, and shaped to fit the likes of the creator. You, Jodi, are that creator!” I took her hand in mine and started the group together, happy in mind and in heart! No fears, no worries, just following the yellow brick road to our own version of Oz!
According to Wiktionary, the expression “Too Much Information” was first shortened to “TMI” by former Wall Street Journal reporter Joseph Checkler circa 1988. It was not until the late 1990s however, that the term was popularized by online communities.
I have no idea if this is true or not, but I was shocked to think “TMI” is still hanging in there, that old coot! I wonder how often the average person “TMIs”. Now it’s a verb, Wiktitionary! Anyway, TMI crossed my mind the other day when right after I responded to a friend’s comment, I thought, Oh, TMI! Why did I do that?
So what did I do? Well, I was out gardening with my partner and for some reason I looked at the zipper on my jeans. Why? No idea. Did I catch her looking at it? Did I feel a breeze sneaking in? Peering down, I saw that it was unzipped and zipped it up.
Now for the TMI…
She: I do that all the time. Me: It’s a good thing I have underwear on. I pull my jeans away from my belly and take a peek. Me: Yep, I do. She started cracking up. Me: I thought not only did I question the fact if I had any undergarment on below my waist, but that I had also shared it out loud. At this TMI, I smiled.
COVID Hair cuts- Has anyone cut their hair since being on lock down? The ends of my hair looked like miniature hand brooms, so about a month ago, I took scissors to my hair and…snip snip. Not bad I thought…with my curly hair, the uneven layers will be hidden. Then a few weeks passed and I felt the urge tickling at the tips of my fingers for a second go around. I saw a neighbor getting her hair cut in her back yard, with both her and the stylist wearing masks. I thought, all I can do is ask…. So I asked my adorable hairstlist & it was a done deal!
I hadn’t cut my hair since undergrad! My mimi-me daughter cut hers a couple days ago! I wonder how many people have cut their own hair. Have you?
So I sit here on my couch, at 1:15 am. My feet are propped up and crossed on our coffee table that’s had a long history. (Thirty-plus years ago, my husband and his friend went on a cross country trip and this is one the items he brought home.) Anyway, I sit here wondering Why did I do that?
I awoke to the familiar sound of snoring. I curiously looked up the etymology of snore while writing this. It is from the Middle English for snort. As I picture a hog in his pen, I decide that is a good description of the sounds emitted from his body unbeknownst to him, but quite “beknownst” to me. That body, next to me, trilled with many different snorts – some short, some loud, some that change pitch…I listened for a bit and then began responding to my beloved.
I began to mimic his snores, snorts, sounds. It was as if I was responding to his call. As if we were two birds calling to each other – our very own bird song. I responded to my true love with all the different versions of his call – mimicking each sound back to him. I did this for a few minutes and then smiled and thought Why did I do that? I laughed and popped up out of bed, remembering I the recording I recently made of his snoring. That morning, I let him listen to his beautiful, unique, just meant for me, nightly love song. I wonder what this morning will bring. I’m going back to bed!
So I sit here on my couch, at 1:15 am. My feet are propped up and crossed on our coffee table that’s had a long history. (Thirty-plus years ago, my husband and his friend went on a cross country trip and this is one the items he brought home.) Anyway, I sit here wondering Why did I do that?
I awoke to the familiar sound of snoring. I curiously looked up the etymology of snore while writing this. It is from the Middle English for snort. As I picture a hog in his pen, I decide that is a good description of the sounds emitted from his body unbeknownst to him, but quite “beknownst” to me. That body, next to me, trilled with many different snorts – some short, some loud, some that change pitch…I listened for a bit and then began responding to my beloved.
I began to mimic his snores, snorts, sounds. It was as if I was responding to his call. As if we were two birds calling to each other – our very own bird song. I responded to my true love with all the different versions of his call – mimicking each sound back to him. I did this for a few minutes and then smiled and thought Why did I do that? I laughed and popped up out of bed, remembering I the recording I recently made of his snoring. That morning, I let him listen to his beautiful, unique, just meant for me, nightly love song. I wonder what this morning will bring. I’m going back to bed!
5 – Generation X-ers and Baby Boomers must learn to use technology! Boy it took me an entire day, but I figured out how to make an animated short. What was it for? Nothing, I just had time to do it.
4 – Friends from all over are texting and messaging to check in! I am getting messages from all over. Lock down, humph! You can’t lock down our connections!
3 – New recipes are being discovered. My husband loves to cook, and has started to get a little creative. Did you know you can make a breakfast pizza? That old can of SPAM in the back of the cupboard? No problem!
2 – No texting and driving to let you friend know you’ll be late. The roads are safe since you’re not going anywhere! Text away!
1 – No drinking and driving, to top item #2 – COVID – the new happy hour: Community Video. This brings us back to #5 – technology – Zoom Happy Hour today at 5:00 with my high school besties, over 400 miles away! This silver lining just may be gold!
