When You Change the Way You Look at Things

When you change the way you look at things, the look of things change. This is so true. Here are some things I used to believe...


I used to believe you had to work really hard. Now I believe it's far better to enjoy what you do every day (have fun!) so that it doesn't feel like work.

I used to believe you had to go to college. Now I believe college isn't for everyone. Find your own path. Be happy.

I used to believe you shouldn't miss any days from work.  That it was bad to take a day off or call out sick. Now I believe there are far more important things (and people), and sometimes it is worth taking a day or two.

I used to be "judgy" and believed it was wrong of parents to take their kids out of school for extended vacations. I see this a lot at school, as a teacher. Now I think some of the best extended learning opportunities are through travel and experiences and learning about different cultures and perspectives.

I used to believe in being reserved and keeping a whole lot to myself. This made me seem standoffish, unapproachable and aloof to many people. I now believe in being authentic and vulnerable sooner rather than later, and I find it really helps to build relationships.

I used to believe in playing things safe, having a plan and a back-up just in case things don't go as planned. I'm starting to believe that I need to just go with it! 

I used to believe that something bad would happen if it seemed like all was going well for too long. I now believe that everything is temporary. The highs.  The lows.  Good times. Bad times.  All of it. 

I used to stress a lot about circumstances that are out of my control. And to be honest, I still do to some extent, but I'm realizing that things always work out. And it's in the midst of my most challenging times and darkest days that I see the beauty in the people around me, and it's when I learn my greatest lessons.

Next school year, I'm taking a leap of faith and moving on to a new school. It's something I've been putting off for years because change can be...scary. But being comfortable is never good for anyone, and I've been comfortable for a while now.

A colleague told me something interesting today. She said, "Change is good, even if it ends up to be a bad situation because that experience will get you closer to your goal and what makes you happy."

I'll let you know how things go next school year.

When you change the way you look at things, the look of things change.