Happy New Year

Tonight is New Year’s eve and it is time to put 2021 behind us and look forward to 2022.

I wish you a happy and safe new year. May 2022 bring you lots of blessings and happiness.

2021 End of Year Review

Last year I did this review and I thought it was a good way to review the year so I will do it again this year. 

Describe 2021 in one sentence. 

2021 seemed like a very long year with lots of ups and downs. 

1. What’s one way your life has changed for the better? I learned to slow down and enjoy life more. 

2. What is the biggest challenge you faced? Teaching my first online class. 

3. What would you go back and change (under your control) and why? Decluttered more. I seemed to have accumulated more. 

4. What major life lesson did you learn? People don’t want to really know what I think unless I am agreeing with what they think. 

5. List your Aha moments. Teaching an online class is fun. 

6. Did you achieve your goals this year? Most of them but I could have done better.

7. If so, how? Reviewing my goals on a monthly basis is most effective for me.

8. If not, why? I didn’t seem to have the willpower to eat less. 

9. Set just one primary goal for 2022 using S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-sensitive) Lose at least 5 lbs.

How was your year? Please share. 

Photo by Behnam Norouzi on Unsplash

Build Your Strength

"The NVIV (Next Vista Inspiring Video) series of posts are written by Rushton Hurley and designed to provide students and teachers with fascinating discussion prompts.”

In Build Your Strength, Rushton features an ad from a mail-order pharmacy in Germany. I love how it focuses on the man’s determination to reach his goal.

He gives the following prompts to accompany this video:

“The ad is from DocMorris, a German company that is listed as the largest mail-order pharmacy in Europe. Is this an effective ad for them? Why or why not?”

I love watching this man decide that it was possible to reach his goal and we saw through the changing of the seasons, that it took time but he didn’t give up. This would be such an inspirational video to show students. Even though their goals may seem impossible, if they keep trying and work towards their goal, they will eventually get there. I think it is also important to have some reminder of why they are working towards this goal. As I continue to work on losing weight, I have a photo of what I looked like at my goal weight years ago. I look at it every morning to help me have the willpower to do what I need to do.

Please check out the video and think of other prompts you might come up with. Please share.

Holiday Visitors

It is always fun to have holiday visitors and there is an urge to do all the things all of the time. But it is important to take a step back and include some downtime in the visit. Take time to just enjoy your visitors and relax.

Whenever I have visitors for the holidays, I’m usually bustling around trying to get the house cleaned and organized for the visit. By the time the visitors come, I’m a little worn out! I try to take an hour or two before they arrive to just rest and relax.

Once the visitors arrive, it is go, go, go, all of the time. We want to show them our favorite places and our favorite places to eat. Listening to their expectations, we also want to do the things they want to do too. Plus, it takes patience to make a whole group of people happy so making decisions can be a little challenging.

All this adrenaline rush and stress can be tiring for everyone!

By taking a little time each day to just sit and relax and visit, will help everyone recharge. Encourage those that need a little nap, to take it. I usually pull out my knitting to help me relax but others might like to read or play games on their phones,

If you are a holiday visitor, offer to do some chores for the host. It might involve taking out the trash or doing the dishes. Try to remember that you are disrupting their daily routine so try to find out what the routine is early in the visit.

I love holiday visitors but I need to remember that the time with my visitors needs to be cherished. If I’m too tired or stressed, it is hard to enjoy our time together.

How do you deal with the stress of holiday visitors? Please share.

Photo by Amy Shamblen on Unsplash

Music and Nature

“The NVIV (Next Vista Inspiring Video) series of posts are written by Rushton Hurley and designed to provide students and teachers with fascinating discussion prompts.”

In Music, Nature, Art, and Cell Phone Company Commercials, Rushton features a video of a xylophone in nature.

He gives the following prompts to accompany this video:

“Is this a good commercial for the company? Why or why not?

Did anything strike you as cool about it? Write down one or two things that stood out to you. In your group, and after others have had the chance to write something down, pass what you wrote to the person next to you so everyone gets to read someone else’s idea.

Did you learn something from what stood out to someone else?”

Watching this video was almost hypnotic and fascinating! I kept thinking about the work that went into making this xylophone and how much precision had to be involved! I think this video would inspire many different types of questions and engage students in interesting conversations!

Please check out the video and think of other prompts you might come up with. Please share.