Trying New Things

Isn't that what we're ALL doing right now? We're all trying new things. We have to. It didn't really start out as a choice, but as our physical separation continues, and our resources potentially become more scarce, we are trying new things. We CHOOSE TO try new things. If we weren't pushed in this direction, we may have never decided to try something new, but I'm looking at this as an opportunity to broaden my horizons and mix things up a little. How about you?

What is something that you've tried since we've been on lockdown that you may not have chosen to do before? I have tried cooking new things (which I have documented in other blog posts, and I will again in the future, because we're now cooking every day!).

One of the things I've felt brave enough to cook for the first time is salmon. Mr. Arnwine loves LOVES salmon, but I'd never tried cooking it before. I've never been crazy about the smell of fish. I will not be cooking crab anytime in the near future (sorry, Mr. Arnwine!), but I know how much he enjoys salmon, so I figured I could try.

The first time, I followed a recipe from one of my favorite cooking magazines, and he was very happy with it. It wasn't my favorite, but he enjoyed it. So today, we tried another recipe, which was simpler, and it was tasty. So now I'm not as afraid of cooking seafood.

If your mindset is "I have to..." or "I'm being forced to...,"  then you'll be unhappier about trying something new. Being told you MUST do something, you do not feel like you have any control, and it's not a happy feeling. However, when you are given a situation that may feel hopeless or you feel helpless, try turning your mindset into an "I CHOOSE to..." to feel that you are empowered to make that choice. It's true that it may not have been your FIRST choice, but you are still choosing to do it, and it's within your power or control.

Many of your teachers are feeling this way about distance learning. We would not have selected teaching you on Google Classroom and Meets as our first choice, but it's better than not teaching you at all. We still get to see you (virtually), talk with you, learn from you, and hopefully teach you something in the process. Recording myself teaching a mini-lesson isn't something I really wanted to do, but I chose to so I can keep teaching! We choose to embrace our current teaching situation because it means we get to continue our classroom community and our relationships with you. Our students are the whole reason we teach. We choose to teach, no matter how we have to do it.

So next time you're told to do something that you may not want to do, try turning it into a situation where you say, "I choose to do it..." because you are in control of your choices and emotions. It's not always easy, but it helps you "control your weather." Will it be dark and stormy today, or will your weather be sunny? Only you can decide. I choose to look for sunny skies, and maybe I'll even see a rainbow!