Back to the Beginning

We each have our own version of what reflection is, what it looks like and what the intentions are. For me, writing about my educational experiences had been my path for so long. For years I had taken to the keyboard to share the journey I was on with the work that I do.

And then I stopped.

The passion for writing fell short. I struggled with this and internalized whether or not I could even have the word "blogger" in my online description of who I was as an educator and as a professional. Defeat set in. Failure loomed. Certain relationships went silent.

As the months passed and the lack of sharing my journey through blogging continued to have zero presence in the online world, I came to the realization that it was my own fears that had been holding me back. And most importantly, it was the fear of failure that had become the barrier to my desire to write.

Some of us are better than others at putting our thoughts, emotions and stories onto the canvas of a paper through the movement of keys on a computer. Others of us have found that sharing our journey is often done more effectively through the simple art of listening and conversing face-to-face. It is the relationships that we form through personal interactions that inspire us to do the work we do.

In the end, maybe we are one in the same. Maybe we should focus more on the "why" and less on the "how".

The reality is that we each have a story worth sharing. Our outcomes in our work are a series of responses we have made in decisions, actions and purposes of each day. Maybe it is time to rethink the vehicle in which we share our own story. Simply put - if we share, we grow.

I have always believed, and still do to this day, that written reflection can be one of the most powerful tools in our growth. Pausing, sharing, refining, editing and publishing our story can be transformational and inspirational.

It is our commitment to reflect that will guide each of us on our leadership paths.

Giving myself permission to step away from the keyboard is what has motivated me to return to it. Spending less energy on how I write and refocusing on why I write has been the difference.

My voice is back.

The story is just beginning.

Learning Through Observing

Mesmerized by the passions of others. Writing, sharing, teaching. Educators striving to make an impact with students, with colleagues and with a community. Learning does not happen in isolation. 

Learning is not a moment in time, learning is constant over time. 

Watching others contribute to ones growth in knowledge has no specific formula. There is no specific way. We stumble, we attempt and we stay firm in our belief that in the end, we are better than where we started because we believe in each other. We believe in our growth.

Our convictions are strong. Anchored through the conversations with others and built on the foundation of trust and a goal to be committed to the organization in which we serve and to learn ourselves. 

Learning occurs through observing. And, doing. We must have a willingness to let go of what we may have thought was once the only path and find the path that will make us better tomorrow than we were today. Sometimes looping back, paths are meant to be blazed through the daily challenges in life. 

Not every step has one that follows. Your path is just that, yours.

Watching, growing, breathing. Being the best version of ones self. 

Always learning. Always observing.