Teaching is Everyone's Legacy

Think about someone you consider important to you. Now think about what they have taught you. Maybe it was a grandma who taught you how to cook, a seventh grade teacher who believed in you, a neighbour who took you fishing. People rarely hold a special place in your heart just because they should. They hold that place in your heart because they have helped you become who you are through example, teaching, mentoring or loving.

This will also be your legacy. Your legacy is always as a teacher. You legacy will not be the work that you are paid for, but what you teach others along the way. Think about who in your life you are teaching right now. Are they learning the right things from you? How can you ensure that your legacy is a positive one?

The first step is in recognizing your role as a teacher. When you understand your interactions this way with your colleagues, family and children you will begin to change what you are doing and how you are doing it to maximize the value for  others.

 

This week be practice being conscious of what you are teaching and what you are learning.

 

Sara Rylott

Ready2Fly

Would you rather be right than happy?

Most people would say “Of course not!”, but this reality plays out all the time. Sadly it usually plays out in our personal lives.

There are all kinds of things we like to be right about. Being right about how to load the dishwasher doesn’t make you happy when they are done “wrong” or when you redo them so they are “right”. Unfortunately how we interact with our children is often example of this. Imagine little Susie has a scratch she neeeeeds a Band-Aid. You know she doesn’t but you give her one anyway. All of a sudden all the pain of the injury is gone (what do they put in band-Aids anyway?). She’s happy, you’re happy and life moves on. Now imagine you hold firm that there is no need for a Band-Aid. The scratch turns into a mortal wound, you are the bad parent and you both walk away feeling deeply wounded. But you get to hold on to being right.

Each person is different. You should look at your “right or happy” issues are. Who bears the brunt of these issues? Is it your partner, children, siblings, parents. co-workers, or friends? How do you feel when you are right? Is it superiority, authority, happiness? Why do you need to feel this way with these people?

In the end being right can wind up feeling pretty hollow. When you find yourself in a “right or happy”dilemma try to understand what is really going on and what you are trying to achieve. Hopefully, happy will start to win out over right.