Planning For Your Life

As I look back on my life it seems obvious that I should have always been a teacher. I was on that track as a graduate student in Philosophy. What do you do with a degree in Philosophy? You teach…Philosophy!

Unfortunately for me, I woke up one day in 1975 and said to myself, “what could I do with a degree in Philosophy? Teach? Do I want to do that? I don’t think so.”

It seems simple enough until you realize, with a lifetime of experience, that you should have been a teacher.

I justify this decision by saying that I was a teacher for the last 22 years. I built my business by doing workshops at companies and adult education classes. I always liked getting up in front of people, even though I am private with most people.

As I have been making this transition from Financial Planner to Middle School Teacher I have begun to reflect on what I have to contribute.

1. I love people. I am genuinely interested in who you are.
   
2. I quickly adapt to my circumstances. I can assess and adjust to let people know that I am with them.
   
3. I know that every person is unique, important and worthy. Everyone wants to excel at something.
   
4. I know that people learn in different ways. Not everyone will understand.
   
5. I know that it is more important to learn how to learn than learn to remember. Know that you can acquire any skill, learn any language, and achieve any goal if you know how to learn.
   
6. I know that if I can reach just one child every year that I will have fulfilled on my destiny.
   

Like most of you, I want to make a difference. We all want to leave some kind of mark, some legacy, even if it is just with our family. We want to be remembered, as a way to keep ourselves alive a little longer.

If you’ve raised children you have already left a legacy. How will your children remember you? How will they relate to you? Whatever it is, you have left your imprint on them.

If you have built a business you have already left a legacy. How will the employees remember you? How will your customers remember you? How will your community remember you?

If you have worked in any profession that requires human contact you have left a legacy. How will you be remembered?

The larger personal goal, yet to be realized, is to know that you have made a difference, that you have made an impression, that you got through to someone, that you connect to people in a way that makes life better for you and them.

With your help I can accomplish this goal. I really would like your assistance in my endeavor by introducing me to any teachers or principals that you know in the Raleigh/Durham area. Any advice you have that you think would help me, please email me so we can set up a time to talk.

I know that I am needed and wanted out there and I look forward to stepping out.

Marc

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The children in our neighborhood will be heading back to school next week so I guess that signals the end of summer.

For me the signal for the end of summer is the waning produce from my garden. It has been a good summer and the garden produced some good crops of peas, beans, spinach, squash, peppers and tomatoes. I managed to freeze or can a lot of it and look forward to using it into the winter ahead.

Here is a picture of some of the squash.

Today I tilled the squash under and prepared the soil for a second crop of green beans. I hope to get one last good crop before it freezes so I can have some beans this winter.

I know that we will have many more days of warm weather ahead but it is always sad to see the end of the garden. It is a signal that things are changing, evolving and slowing down.

Life, however, never slows down. In fact, as we grow older it seems to move ever faster and we have to work at slowing it down. A garden, though, is a great way to slow time down because there is nothing you can do to make plants grow and produce any faster.

And when you are working in the garden you need to stop and take notice of every little aspect of it. What is new that you missed yesterday, what needs special attention, what needs to be harvested today? And if you have a particularly small crop (mine was a pepper called Tai Hot) that you need to get right down on to pick and that has hundreds of fruit, time can really slow down.

I’m lucky that my kids are grown and gone so that I can have the time to contemplate and work in my garden. If you have kids, especially young ones, your life is probably in a constant whirl of activity. I remember those days of after school activities and constant juggling of schedules to make it to the events.

But even if your life looks like this it might be a good idea to find something in your life to slow you down. To slow you down long enough to appreciate LIFE. Maybe it is yoga, or meditation, or a walk around the block or your garden.

With school back in session it might seem like things just got more hectic, that time just sped up a little more, but if you take some time to just consciously slow it down you might find that small piece of time where you can take notice of that most important thing just in front of you right now. A moment just to be present to life, your life and a chance to say “thank you”.

Here’s hoping that as your summer comes to a close you find a moment just for You.

Marc

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Have you ever wanted to make a difference? Have you heard of the concept of Pay it Forward?

There are a group of people with just such a mission and you can join them.

http:/www.payitforward.name

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