Practicing

Brené Brown continues to keep me company on my walks to and from school. Each time I listen to her book Dare to Lead, I learn new things about myself and the culture I want to be part of.

It’s been a week of intelligent muting for things that are feeding my negative mindset. For that reason, I’ll start with the positives:

• My classroom, oh my classroom! It’s been hard work but so rewarding. The benefits of the new setup are already piling up: engagement, communication, comfort, a sense of community! I am now taking a few minutes to celebrate my determination to get this done. For the first time ever, I can say this is the best classroom I’ve ever had.
• Tim and I have gotten back on track with our meal preps instead of ordering each night for dinner. Last night we enjoyed dinner together, at the table, and without our phones. This isn’t common for us because of our schedules, so I’m glad it happened.
• To support some of my students, I decided to join NaNoWriMo and, hopefully, write a novel in November. Yikes! (that’s all I’ll say about that)
• Cairo’s weather is getting better, the air quality is still an issue, but I’m sweating less on my walk back home. That means it’s time for scarves!

Now to some statements related to my not-so-positive thoughts from these past weeks:

• I admire people who choose vulnerability over comfort.
• I recognize that hard word isn’t the goal, self-care is. Accomplishments being just one part of what keeps me well.
• I shouldn’t aim for significant changes around me, but instead changes in myself.
• The word “perfect” is slowly making its way out of my vocabulary.
• Giving back means more to me than recognition. And it’s taking me a lot of reflection time to recognize this.
• My students and the work we do this school year will be the best thing that will happen to me before I leave Egypt.
• As I prepare to move on, I become aware of all the things I’m ready to offer somewhere else.

This is my way of dropping what’s bothering me and start a new day with a more positive view of things.

The photo (which I updated) I took one busy afternoon in Maadi, I believe it represents my everyday feeling: this is crazy but also so unique.

Now off to bed!