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Finding Peace Through the Retreating Path
This past weekend I enjoyed a very moving and restorative retreat with a group of individuals—no longer strangers. Often, people, my husband included, ask me, “What do you do on retreat?” The time is best described as exploring the many paths life presents, with others, knowing this is your one journey. Like the snow in Minnesota, that’s pretty deep! I usually discover something profound about myself and my situation. It was a time of contemplation within a time of contemplation for me as I currently deviate from the teacher path. This Courage and Renewal retreat brought me back to Parker Palmer’s words about a teacher’s “inner landscape”. I came home…
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Warren Buffet does not keep a full calendar and other time-management tidbits
Warren Buffet told Charlie Rose and Bill Gates that sitting and thinking may be of much greater priority than filling every moment in your schedule. The clip, labeled Busy is the New Stupid, came across my feed with obvious interest. I don’t know if I agree with the stupid part, but busy is an idea that is far overused often, in my opinion, creating a victim mentality. To have time is the most precious thing. Even WB can’t buy more. Most, including me, think more time would somehow alleviate some suffering and stress. There is a constant need to get things done and feelings of always falling short. Surely more…
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Teacher Burnout or Compassion Satisfaction
What innate factors and characteristics make for long lasting and sustainable empathy? My brother is an emergency room and flight nurse trained in transporting patients. These patients are of course in the worst stages of trauma and often in life-sustaining mode when he meets them. Sometimes he’s successful in the transport. The measure is not always qualitative. This job requires much patience and on-your-feet thinking under very serious stress and time constraints. Some patients don’t survive. That is something he must deal with on a regular basis. It takes a special kind of person to withstand this kind of pressure and fatigue. I am not trying to compare my job…
