When I was in middle school, I showed up to class one day without doing my homework. I rarely did homework because I just couldn’t be bothered to do it, and if a teacher didn’t regularly check, I didn’t see any point in doing it. However, this one day, a...
Continue reading...Press Pause
“press pause” is a weekly publication about chasing simplicity and serenity by slowing down, breathing, and making more intentional choices,
I write about leadership, recovery from food addiction, and other topics that jump up and ask to be written about!
Your Inner Voice has the Power to Change the World
There is a voice inside all of our heads, and that voice has the ability to change the world. We go around listening to this voice all day. It gives us a running commentary on our internal and external reality. We hear this voice when we do something stupid and...
Continue reading...You are (Probably) Terrible at Giving Advice
I used to think that I was very good at giving advice. I would meet up with friends, we would share our issues, and we would give each other advice about what we should do about our problems. I thought this was what it looked like to be a good friend, but I have recently realized that I may not have been as good a friend as I thought I was.
Continue reading...The Uncomfortable Art of Letting Go
My character traits of tenacity (less flatteringly: stubbornness) and self-reliance have gotten me pretty far. The challenge for me is learning to let go and ask for help.
Continue reading...Self-Pity is the Enemy of Integrity
Self-pity makes us live beyond our values, which makes it difficult for us to live with integrity, and therefore impossible to gain peace and serenity.
Continue reading...Living in a Fantasy World Where Dishes Do Themselves
I have never been fond of doing dishes. In fact, I don’t like doing anything that never gets permanently “done”, like making my bed, doing my laundry, cooking, or cleaning.
Continue reading...Staying Open, Humble, and Teachable
Trying to figure out DEIJ in schools is hard work, or rather, complex work, but it is important for all educators to have a very robust understanding of how power, privilege, oppression, and marginalization play out in schools.
Continue reading...Naming Your Feelings
This week, I had one of those days where I couldn’t seem to win. I had two particular encounters on that day that didn’t go my way. In the past, this would have been a very good reason for me to go out and eat fast food, or junk food, or a lot of food, and then go to bed with a stomach that was too full.
Continue reading...Starting with a Vision and a Timeframe, not a Resolution
Many years ago, I decided not to make any New Year’s resolutions because I have a terrible track record for keeping them. This, ironically, is the only resolution that I have ever kept. Recently, I have found a way to achieve the same intended effect as a resolution by going about things quite differently.
Continue reading...Wrestling with Authenticity on the Way to Integrity
Being authentic means presenting yourself to the world as you are, and not trying to hide yourself or any aspects of yourself away because you are ashamed, or feel not good enough. Easier said than done!
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