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The Power of Creativity Ep. 21

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The Power of Creativity Ep.21

the power of creativity

Listen to this episode to find our why creativity is a much needed skill and how you can nurture creativity.

Show Notes: 

Episode Summary: 

What is the world’s most desperately needed skill and one that no one is talking about? Creativity! Creativity is wildly misunderstood but needed now more than ever. In this episode, we’re talking about why we need creativity and how you can get more of it.

In this episode:

Introduction:

Have you ever said something like, “ Oh, I’m not creative?”

Most people think of creativity as skills in art, music, writing, or drama. If you have a broader perspective, you might see that there is creativity in home design, architecture and landscaping.

But have you ever considered that you need to be creative in plumbing, or in medicine?

And what does creativity have to do with schools?

We all have the potential for creativity inside of us, and we need it now more than ever.

What’s the big deal about creativity?  Why do we even need it?  If you are starting to tune out because this topic is for teachers in the arts- stick around.  In the next 20 or so minutes, we will make our case for the importance of creativity!

Quote: 

“Art is seeing the world that does not exist… Civil rights activists are artists. Athletes are artists- People who imagine something that is not there.”

Ava Du Vernay, Film Director and Producer 

Why we need creativity

Albert Einstein, a very creative thinker and innovator once said, “We cannot solve problems at the same level of thinking that we were at when we created those problems.”

  • Creativity is the ability to see things in new ways and bring together knowledge and experience to create things that haven’t existed before.
  • It is a skill, and one that we can all get better at with practice.
  • It involves being open to asking big questions- what if?…how could we?…how? What’s the purpose? What is the end result we need?
  • Creativity is the key to problem solving and innovation.

Our world has plenty of problems that need solving. So do our schools.

We need to be able to envision new ways to approach things, new, innovative ideas that can change our problems for the better.

The Expression of the arts is only one form creativity, the one we usually think of first.

Oscar nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay said,

“Art is seeing the world that does not exist…Civil rights activists are artists. Athletes are artists- People who imagine something that is not there.”

Let’s take a look at a couple of real world examples of creative skills in jobs we would not ordinarily think of as “creative.”

Consider a plumber who skilled at diagnosing potential problems in a 100 year old house and overcoming them. He doesn’t know what is behind the walls until he gets in there. He needs to be able to combine old parts and new ones to make everything work correctly. He needs to understand the architecture of houses in different eras, and adapt as needed to what’s behind the walls. He also needs to understand the sequence of the work, and understanding the timing of it, for example who needs to come in first- the electrician or the carpenter?

Or consider medical professionals. They diagnose complex medical issues. It seems to be very scientifically based, with years of college work and residency and a lot of different facts and the use of data. But in the end, all the medical professional has is a bunch of different data points. Diagnosis is not always a simple thing. Medical professions have to sift and sort through data, get the patient’s experience and understanding of the problem and then make a diagnosis. That is very much critical thinking. It involves creativity.

Future jobs are going to require new types of work and new skills.

Future work will be more about being able to make complex decisions and use critical thinking.  Technology and AI are already doing much of our work that does not need human technical skills. We have machines and robots that do many things, but we need skilled workers to creatively design them and to be able to program them.

Why is there such a lack of emphasis on creativity?

In one of the most watched Ted Talks ever, Sir Ken Robinson talked about the lack of creativity in schools.

  1. Creativity is often associated with the arts, and as a rule, we don’t support arts as a necessity in this country. When the budget requires cutting, the arts are often the first to go.
  2. We like our rules and procedures and benchmarks, steps and standards. Those things are not all bad, and they offer rigor, but we need both rigor and creativity. Creativity is often the opposite of those kinds of things- open ended, inquiry based and intuitive. These things tend to be collaborative, which tends to be difficult measure.

Think of making a cake. You need some established ingredients- such as flour, baking powder, and salt.  The recipe gives us rigor, it is safe and offers a tried and true procedure.

But making a cake also involves creativity. What flavors can you use? What form will the cake take?  What kind of frosting? How will you package, wrap or serve the cake?

The best bakeries invent new flavors and combine ingredients in novel ways. If you have ever watched baking shows on TV, you’ve seen the incredible artistry in cakes. There are 1000’s of Instagram accounts devoted to baking cakes and it is not all about the rigor, it is about the rigor plus the creativity.

What are some reasons why creativity is stifled?

  1. We’ve been taught that there is one right answer- it is on the test and measured.
  2. We encourage compliance in education, be quiet, do your work, don’t challenge the status quo.  Children who ask too many questions or who argue against the rules or procedures are often considered disruptive.
  3. Creativity takes time and exploration of ideas. We have too much to do and not enough time.
  4. Creativity often involves being vulnerable. New ideas are often ridiculed. Or followed with “ We’ve tried that before.”

New ideas challenge us because it means change, and many people struggle with change. It is safer to stick with the status quo, do what you have always done.

In times of extreme change which requires more creative and innovative solutions, people often want to revert to some prior practices. Let’s just go back to the old ways- the ways we used to do it in the good old days. Let’s get rid of technology. Let’s go back to requiring the same books for every student. Let’s require a lock step curriculum so that every teacher will conform to the standards in the same way.

These things give a false sense of stability while ignoring that new challenges need new solutions. The genie is out of the bottle, and you can’t put it back.

Remember the first computers in schools? We needed to figure out how they could help us with instruction beyond Oregon Trail and Where in the World is Carmen San Diego. It was more than a novel amusement.

Then came cell phones in schools, do we find ways to use them? How? For the most part, we have not used what we know about problem solving and innovative ways to address students’ use of phones in the classroom.

For example, old cell phones can be used with QR codes to give students directions at learning centers. They can be stripped down and used with school wi-fi. That is using creativity to solve a problem.

Without conscious decision making around how we use cell phones in schools, the result is students’ unbridled use of phones at odds with classroom needs.

Now the new “threat”  is AI in schools. The first reaction is, “they will cheat!” In many places the first instinct with new technology is  “Let’s ban it.”  Then we rethink how we could use the new technology. The real challenge is, how can we use these new technologies responsibly, ethically, and with critical thinking? That requires creativity and innovation.

Almost every school and business will say they value innovation, but they do not devote time and energy and learning into doing the kinds of things that innovation requires.

 What are some skills and aptitudes that could help increase my creativity?

In his book, A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink explains the six high concept, high touch senses we need to dig into to develop creative synopsis in our brains so we can, as he says, “reap society’s richest rewards and share its greatest joys.”

These aptitudes are as follows: Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play and Meaning. We all have these aptitudes, but in today’s world many of these muscles have not been used to their fullest capacity.

  1. Design- consider moving beyond just the function of something, to the design of something. He suggests not just thinking about creating a product or a service but to also consider creating something that is beautiful, whimsical, or emotionally engaging.
  2. Pink challenges us to move beyond just making an effective argument to telling a story. Nothing beats a compelling story.
  3. Symphony- think about Symphony as putting all of the pieces together.  Consider looking at the big picture and you may find a new way of seeing things.
  4. Empathy- in a society that relies heavily on logic you can build upon your creativity by figuring out what makes your peers, friends, family, and students tick. Forging relationships and caring for others allows you to see things you may not be able to see if you only look at the world through a logical and analytical lens.
  5. Play- we don’t always need to be so serious. Laugh, be lighthearted, play a game, explore your sense of humor. Yes, there are times to be serious but that does not need to occur as often as some of us think. Play makes us more relaxed and open, reduces stress and calms us, all things that lead to creativity.
  6. Meaning- we live in a world where we accumulate lots of stuff. That often stifles our creativity because we don’t need to think of creative solutions. We don’t have to, the world has already given us thing that solve many of our problems. Take some time to look for true meaning. Whether that is in exploring your values, your spirituality, or your purpose, give yourself the gift of taking some time to find meaning to what you do.

How can we unleash our creativity?

We can all become more creative and that creativity is the key to the future. Here are some  ideas:

  • Try new things. Encourage students to experiment without the need for perfection. Expand your horizons and broaden your world which exposes you to new ideas. Get out of your silo- talk to teachers of different ages, in different schools. Talk to people in other professions.
  • Use brainstorming. Allow all answers and in the initial brainstorming, encourage quantity or quality. Do not be quick to shut down new or outrageous ideas.
  • Use movement to facilitate thinking. Walk and talk. The body activates the brain to make ideas better. Physical movement can change the way we think. Take a lap around the school.
  • Get into flow. When we are involved in an activity and in the moment, we not only lose track of time and space, but we often open up magic. We see larger possibilities and we open up different parts of brain. Flow requires time and opportunity. It involves having choice of what you do and being allowed time to be in the work.
  • Engage with the work you are doing. In his book, Creative Schools, Ken Robinson says “Great teachers understand that it’s not enough to know their disciplines. Their job is not to teach subjects; it is to teach students. They need to engage, inspire, and enthuse students by creating condition in which those students will want to learn.”
  • By really engaging with the work you are doing, and the students you are doing the work with, you will see your creativity soar.
  • Challenge the status quo with real questions. Why are we doing this?  Is there another way we could do this?  What would happen if?… Listen and consider the questions. Don’t automatically shut down ideas.

 Conclusion

We end our discussion on unleashing your creativity with his definition of creativity from Sir Ken Robinson:

“Creativity is the process of having original ideas that have value.” He further states, “in this world, there are many great schools, wonderful teachers, and inspiring leaders who are working creatively to provide students with the kinds of personalized, compassionate, and community oriented education they need.”

We hope you will take away these key points from today’s podcast: Creativity is a process. You have original ideas. Now you know to use your creativity to give value back to the world.

Recap: 

Creativity is vital to not only the arts, but to problem solving and innovation. We can all become more creative and teach our students to become more creative as well. Our creativity may very well be our gift to the world.

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

Do Schools Kill Creativity?  TED Talk Ken Robinson

A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink

Creative Schools by Ken Robinson

Connect with the Inspired Together Teachers Community:

Download our FREE resource: The Inspired Teachers Guide to Taking Back Your Life.

Website: https:www.inspiredtogetherteachers.com

Instagram: Inspired-Together-Teachers

Facebook: Inspired Together Teachers

Facebook Teacher Warriors Group: Teacher Warriors Facebook Group

Linked In:  Inspired Together Teachers

More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Are you a teacher struggling to balance your best work with your best life?

If you are dedicated and caring but often overwhelmed and exhausted, join us at Inspired Together Teachers. We’ll give you inspiration, strategies and tips that help you navigate life’s challenges as a stronger, more confident, and more joy filled person, both in and out of the classroom.

Inspired Together Teachers will give you practical tools to experience more of what matters most in your life.

Co-hosts Paula Schmidt and Michele Vosberg are award winning educators with the experience and skills to help teachers thrive in life and work. They’ve taught at all levels, worked with thousands of teachers, and conducted workshops around the world. They are also the authors of the #1 best-selling book The Inspired Teachers Journal: A Weekly Guide to Becoming Your Best Self.

Paula and Michele would love to have you to join them on their quest to lived inspired lives.

 

 

Build Your Star System of Support E. 20

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Build Your Star System of Support S.2 Ep.20

Star system with shooting star, build your star system of support

Listen to this episode to learn why you need a star system of support and how teachers are better when they work together.

Show Notes: 

Good bye dream team- hello star system! In this episode we’re going to describe why the superstar teacher is a myth. You can be a superstar, you just can’t be one alone. Teaching today is tough and we need more than a dream team. What we need is an entire constellation because together, we can all shine more brightly.

You’ve probably heard of or used the phrase “dream team” or better yet, you actually work with a dream team! We all need a system of support in our lives. Today, we are going to expand our idea of support. But first, let’s talk about the superstar teacher. Maybe you are one, or you know one, or you wish you were one.

The solo, inspirational, hero, teacher is a myth.

American Society teaches us that it is our individual efforts that help us to thrive. We love a good hero story. We revere story of the struggling person who pulls him or herself up by their bootstraps and achieves great things. We covet being the best- the top of the class, the fastest on the team, and honor the individual pursuit of excellence.

In school, we are judged and graded on our individual work. Yet in life, our success is often interconnected with that of others.

We’ve seen the myth of the individual hero in teaching. Our favorite teacher movies honor the solo teacher who works hard and through their personal efforts, often a great sacrifice to their personal life, changes a student, a class, or an entire school. The stories are inspiring, but often, not realistic.

These teacher movies focus on the lone teacher and things they do to inspire their students and bring about change.

What you don’t see is all the other people behind the scenes, sharing the load and helping that teacher. Let’s face it, it might not make for a good movie, but it is the way things work in the real world.

There are huge benefits in working together.

In his book Big Potential: How Transforming the Pursuit of Success Raises our Achievement, Happiness and Well-being Shawn Achor busts the myth that we achieve our best through our solo work as we work hard and strive for success.

Achor’s research suggests that we need to stop trying to do everything alone.

Here are some key findings:

  • Working together allows us to find more energy, share resources, and lessen our stress. Those are three HUGE problems teachers today face.
  • We are also smarter together. We are stronger and more creative. We are also more resilient.
  • Strong teamwork is even connected to measurable better health.
  • When we work together, we not only raise the performance of the group, but we also increase our own potential.

Strong teamwork leads to better success and more personal happiness.

Teachers need the benefits of working together.

Teachers today are desperate to reduce stress and increase resilience. Resilience grows when you have a strong support system of people who believe in you. Another reason is that teachers need more time and energy and a better balance in home and work lives. We can accomplish more if we work together and share the work.

Being surrounded by people who will lift you up is a game changer. The more people we have to share stress and offer solutions, the lighter our personal load will be.

“The more you help people find their light, “Achor says, “ the brighter you both will shine” (p.18).

Achor also says, “We all have the power to make others better. And when we commit to using that power, there is no limit to what we can accomplish” (p. 54).

You may have heard or used the phrase “dream team.” Achor calls this system of support a “star system.”

Achor’s research consistently shows one strong conclusion:

“You can be a superstar; you just can’t be one alone. What you need is a star system, a constellation of positive, authentic influencers who support each other, reinforce each other, and make each other better.” (p.68).

In work and life, Achor shares, the way to win is to create a star system, a group of people whose members “assist each other, carry each other on their shoulders, and make each other better” (p.68).

How can you build a star system of support?

Recognize the talents and gifts of yourself and your colleagues.

We each have talents and gifts. It is easy to take our own talents for granted. We think, if I can do something easily, everyone must be able to do it easily. In reality, others struggle with things that come naturally to you. Likewise, others do naturally what you struggle to do.

Recognize what it is that you do well. Do you relate well to students? Do you have a great sense of humor and use it effectively in your classroom? Are you very organized? Do you connect well with parents? Do you use technology successfully?

How can you help a colleague by using your strengths? Look for appropriate times to share your special knowledge or skill with others.

Do you know the strengths and gifts of others at your school?

Respect the various strengths that each person brings to the group. If someone likes to keep the conversation focused, assign them the role of group facilitator. If another person has a strength with organization, allow them to prepare the materials for the meeting and handle follow-up contacts.

Take time to learn the strengths each person brings to your school. Then, embrace and build upon those strengths.

You can also create a star system by finding shared dreams and vision.

It is easy to see the ways we are all different. If we focus only on our differences, it is difficult to build community.

Look beyond the differences with your colleagues. There are human attributes you share. Perhaps you are all working to help a particular student achieve. Perhaps you share the vision of how to transform your school. Perhaps you are united in the face of a district challenge.

When we look past our differences and into our shared dreams and vision, we can use that synergy to help us create better classrooms and schools.

Imagine what the world would be like if we saw everyone, no matter their age, gender, ethnicity, ability, religion or political beliefs, as a co-creator of a shared dream. The world would be a better place.

Brene Brown says, “It’s hard to hate people close up.”

Finally, you can create a star system by being intentional about and not feeling guilty about sharing the work.

Just like you can’t  look at one person and say “that’s a dream team”, you can’t look up in the sky and see one star that makes up an entire constellation. It is a group effort. Even if one person has to shine a little brighter at one time or another, each person is still a part of something bigger, it has to be a group effort.

Recently a team member on the women’s Belgian track team was injured. The team risked getting disqualified from an important meet. A shot putter agreed to take one for the team and ran the hurdles. She was not a hurdler, and actually stepped over the hurdles rather than jumping over them. Her efforts, even though she came in last, kept the team from being disqualified and actually gave them two points towards the final score.

When we share our talents, find a shared dream or vision, and share in building greatness in our school, we are using our community to help us thrive.

How can you create your own personal star system of support?

We all need different types of support. find people who can support you in the following ways:

Someone who cheers you on

Someone who you can confide in

Someone who can mentor you

Someone who motivates you

Someone who stretches you

Someone who brings fun

Someone who believes in your dreams

Someone who loves you unconditionally

Know that in true reciprocity, you are also likely performing these same roles for others in your life.

Your system of support is important, now more than ever.

We end this podcast with a comment sent to us by a teacher. We included it in our book, The Inspired Teacher’s Journal: A Weekly Guide to Becoming Your Best Self. Our book is full of quotes and advice from teachers. Here’s a shout out to Dani Way-Lawler, a high school special education teachers for her quote:

“Find your Teacher People and love them hard. Teaching is hard and wonderful all at the same time. No one can do it alone. Find those people who will cry with you, let you vent, laugh with you, help turn crazy ideas into reality, support you, build you up and celebrate victories with you. Hold them tight. They are the ones who will tell you that you can do it, even when you don’t think you can.”

You can be a superstar, you just can’t be one alone. Find your people and together you can create a star system of support.

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

Big Potential: How Transforming the Pursuit of Success Raises Our Achievement, Happiness, and Well Being by Shawn Achor

13 Inspiring Teacher Movies

Quote: 

“You can be a superstar; you just can’t be one alone. What you need is a star system, a constellation of positive, authentic influencers who support each other, reinforce each other, and make each other better.”

Shawn Achor

 

Connect with the Inspired Together Teachers Community:

Download our FREE resource: The Inspired Teachers Guide to Taking Back Your Life.

Website: https:www.inspiredtogetherteachers.com

Instagram: Inspired-Together-Teachers

Facebook: Inspired Together Teachers

Facebook Teacher Warriors Group: Teacher Warriors Facebook Group

Linked In:  Inspired Together Teachers

More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Are you a teacher struggling to balance your best work with your best life?

If you are dedicated and caring but often overwhelmed and exhausted, join us at Inspired Together Teachers. We’ll give you inspiration, strategies and tips that help you navigate life’s challenges as a stronger, more confident, and more joy filled person, both in and out of the classroom.

Inspired Together Teachers will give you practical tools to experience more of what matters most in your life.

Co-hosts Paula Schmidt and Michele Vosberg are award winning educators with the experience and skills to help teachers thrive in life and work. They’ve taught at all levels, worked with thousands of teachers, and conducted workshops around the world. They are also the authors of the #1 best-selling book The Inspired Teachers Journal: A Weekly Guide to Becoming Your Best Self.

Paula and Michele would love to have you to join them on their quest to lived inspired lives.

 

 

 

The Power to Design Your Life E.19

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The Power to Design Your Life    S.2   E.19

the power to design your life, words expressing things we value in lifeWe all want to live our best, truest, and most fulfilled life. You can leave that chance, or you can make it a choice. Today, we’re talking about how you have the power to design your life!

Show notes:

In this episode:

In the first episode of this podcast we discussed three kinds of life- the caged life, the comfortable life, and the inspired life.

In the caged life, you feel trapped. You feel stuck in your relationships or job or social groups. You are unhappy more than you are happy. You wonder, is this all there is?

In the comfortable life, your life is easier. You have every reason in the world to be happy, but often, you are not. Your go to expressions is, “ It’s fine.” Its fine is a tell that you are in the comfortable zone. Life is not miserable, but it is not great either.

In the Inspired Life, you have a lot of energy and are proactive in making things happen that serve you. You have high levels of engagement whether it is a work or with your partner or family and friends. You are generally optimistic and look forward to things. You know what you want out of life and you are willing to work for it.

If the inspired life sounds good to you, then you will want to listen today as we talk about how you can design your inspired life.

Let’s explore drifting versus designing.

There is a chance that if you want an inspired life, it will happen naturally. But there is a better chance that you are going to have to be proactive in making that life what you want it to be.

Many people just drift through life. They are like a leaf in a current, drifting along, never resisting the current and going wherever the current takes them.

If you are drifting, you probably spend your days reacting to the challenges that appear. You feel ambivalent or even unhappy about your work, your home, the activities you are involved- pretty much everything. You might feel resentful of others, but don’t see another way.

Drifting teachers might complain about things at school or home, but don’t really do anything to fix it.

The other route is to design your life.

Think about what a designer does. They have a vision for what they want, and they work on developing and clarifying their vision. They have goals and plans and take action to make those plans come to life. They look for the challenges and rather than just deal with them, try to prevent them from happening in the first place.

In their book, Designing Your Life, which is based on a course at Stanford University, Bill Burnett and Dave Evans say, “Designers imagine things that don’t yet exist and then they build them, and the world changes. You can do this in your own life. You can imagine a career and a life that don’t exist; you can build that future you, and as a result, your life will change.”

A formula to help you design your life…

Here are suggestions based on what we’ve have learned by watching and interacting with people who successfully design their life.

Based on this, we offer you this formula:

  • envision the life you want to live
  • choose your priorities take actions accordingly
  • create habits so that you do the most important things
  • surround yourself with people who support you

Envision the life you want to live.

This might be a good place to mention that everything we are talking about here is in our book, The Inspired Teacher’s Journal: A Weekly Guide to Becoming Your Best Self.

Have you ever made a vision board?  It doesn’t have to be an actual board. It is also not just a cutting and pasting activity.

The purpose of vision boards is to keep your dreams and wishes close to you. You need to see them every day, and remind yourself what you want and what you’re working for. Without a clear vision, it is easy to drift through life, accepting whatever comes your way.

You’ve probably heard of manifesting. Manifesting usually starts with vision boards, and often stops there. That is not how we go about designing a life.

Developing your vision means doing some soul searching. You need to look within to see what is important and what you really want out of life.

Your vision can also become part of your purpose, it is your “why”. When the going gets tough, having a strong vision will keep you focused and motivated.

Here are some questions to help you find your vision:

  • If you were to describe your dream day, what would you be doing?  Who would you be with?
  • What kinds of feelings do you want to have on a daily basis?
  • What do you love about your current life?  What would you like to change about your current life?
  • Are you trying to fulfill someone else’s dreams for you?
  • Where or when are you your true, best self?
  • What do you love to do? What are you passionate about?
  • Who needs you?
  • What is worth fighting for?
  • When you look back on your life, what would you be proud to have done?

You need to own your vision. You can see it, and feel, it. The picture is clear.

Build support for your vision.

Support consists of action plans, personal habits, and how you connect with the people around you.

“Dream big and move your feet.”

You need action plans. How do you plan for action?  You need a system to make sure you take action. What does it look like for you? Make sure you have a way to make things happen. If you leave everything until you get around to it, you’ll never get around to it.

You will  need to devise habits that support building the kind of life that you want. It can be difficult to get rid of old habits and adopt new ones, but it is easier when you truly have a vision and goals you are working for.

Habits may be small, but they compound over time.

We often think of habits as something we HAVE to do, something that limits us. If chosen carefully habits can actually give us more time and freedom by eliminating choices and decisions we have to make. When it is a habit, you just do it.

In the book Atomic Habits,  James Clear says, “Small Habits are a vote for who you are and who you want to be.”

Here are some examples of habits that support goals:

  • If your goal is to read more, plan to read 20 minutes per day
  • If your priority is quality time with your family, have supper together each night.
  • If your goal is to spend more time with friends and becoming healthier try exercising with your friends.

What habits could you incorporate into your life that align with your vision for your life?

Get support as you design your life.

Shawn Achor researched how people achieve happiness and success with 1000’s of people in countries all over the world. He shared his findings in the book Big Potential.

His found out that “Individual effort does not account for the most happiness or the best performance.”

Achor says, “You can be a superstar, you just can’t be one alone. What you need is a star system; a constellation of positive, authentic influencers who support each other, reinforce each other, and make each other better.”

  • Who is supporting you?
  • Who is someone who will dream with you?
  • Who can mentor you?
  • Who encourages you?
  • Who challenges you?
  • Who loves you unconditionally?

We end with another quote, this one from Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy in their book Living Forward,

“Real transformation happens when people take responsibility for their own lives and begin to live intentionally in every area. When they begin recovering their passion and start seeing progress, their lives change. Changed people result in changed families, changed schools, synogogues and churches, and companies and governments. And when this happens, you begin transforming culture in profound and lasting ways.”

We say if often, you are more powerful than you think!

Recap:

Designing your life is not impossible. You need to envision the life you want to live. You choose your priorities and take actions and create habits so that you do the most important things.  And you surround yourself with people who support you.

You don’t have to drift along, accepting whatever comes your way. You have the power to create a life that you love.

Quote:

Designers imagine things that don’t yet exist and then they build them, and the world changes. You can do this in your own life. You can imagine a career and a life that don’t exist; you can build that future you, and as a result, your life will change.”

Bill Burnett and Dave Evans

Resources mentioned in this episode:

The Inspired Teachers Journal: A Weekly Guide to Becoming Your Best Self, by Paula Schmidt and Michele Vosberg

Designing Your Life, by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Big Potential by Shawn Achor

Living Forward by Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy

 

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Inspired Together Teachers Podcast S1 E1. The Inspired Life

 

Connect with the Inspired Together Teachers Community:

 Download our FREE resource: The Inspired Teachers Guide to Taking Back Your Life.

Website: https:www.inspiredtogetherteachers.com

Instagram: Inspired-Together-Teachers

Facebook: Inspired Together Teachers

Facebook Teacher Warriors Group: Teacher Warriors Facebook Group

Linked In:  Inspired Together Teachers

 

More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Are you a teacher struggling to balance your best work with your best life?

If you are dedicated and caring but often overwhelmed and exhausted, join us at Inspired Together Teachers. We’ll give you inspiration, strategies and tips that help you navigate life’s challenges as a stronger, more confident, and more joy filled person, both in and out of the classroom.

Inspired Together Teachers will give you practical tools to experience more of what matters most in your life.

Co-hosts Paula Schmidt and Michele Vosberg are award winning educators with the experience and skills to help teachers thrive in life and work. They’ve taught at all levels, worked with thousands of teachers, and conducted workshops around the world. They are also the authors of the #1 best-selling book The Inspired Teachers Journal: A Weekly Guide to Becoming Your Best Self.

Paula and Michele would love to have you to join them on their quest to lived inspired lives.

 

Unwind and Relax with a Wallet-Friendly Staycation Ep.18

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Unwind and Relax with a Wallet-Friendly Staycation

book, beach, relaxing beverage, relaxing staycation

No money? No problem! Listen to this episode to learn ways to relax and unwind by having a fun and easy staycation! 

Show Notes: 

Episode Summary:

Are you in need of a vacation and don’t have the time or can’t afford to take a trip? Everyone needs to get away, have a change of scenery and experience new things. Vacation-like experiences are closer than you think, and they don’t have to cost a lot. In today’s episode where going to give you ideas for having a great vacation close to home.

In this episode:

Are you feeling stuck at home, and wishing you could go on a vacation?  Or maybe your vacation is over, or not coming up for awhile. Today we’re going to take about fun ways to take a vacation without leaving home.

When you read about or hear about staycations, they often involve doing house projects. Yes, you can clean out and organize your closets during a staycation. Some of us do those kinds of projects as a default- I can’t afford to go anywhere, so I’ll get my home projects done. But that doesn’t sound like a vacation to us. We all want, and deserve something that recharges us. We want to have the experience of getting away from it all, relaxing, and coming back feeling rejuvenated.

How do you get that “I’ve had a vacation” feeling?  You intentionally create it.  We’ve got some ideas.

Consider what you would do if you were on a vacation.

  • Maybe you like to relax at the beach.
  • Many people love going to museums and seeing new things.
  • Some people love shopping in new places and finding unique things.
  • Many vacations involve seeing the tourist sights of a local area.
  • Adventure might be in the mix in your vacation- engaging in some kind of sport or activity.
  • Eating our in new restaurants is something we often look forward to on vacation.
  • On vacation we often switch up our routines in terms of sleep- sleeping in, or staying up later than we usually do.

What would you like to do on your vacation?  Make a list. Then, see how you could do things in your own area.

 Take our list from above. How could you do these things on a staycation?  

  • Maybe you like to relax at the beach- is there a local beach you can visit? A local park? A local swimming pool?
  • Many people love going to museums and seeing new things. Have you visited your local museums or historical sights recently?
  • Some people love shopping in new places and finding unique things. Have new stores popped up in your area that you have not yet visited? This is the perfect opportunity to support a local business and expand your shopping horizons.
  • Many vacations involve seeing the tourist sights of a local area. Many of the wonders of nature are free or inexpensive. There are often outdoor options like caves and state parks or indoor options like historic homes and symphony performances.
  • Adventure might be in the mix in your vacation. Engage in some kind of sport or activity. Have you tried geocaching? You would be amazed at the adventure involved in finding the hidden treasure!
  • Eating out in new restaurants is something we often look forward to on vacation.  Give yourself permission to go to that upscale restaurant or the burger shop you have wanted to try or haven’t visited in a while.
  • On vacation we often switch up our routines in terms of sleep such as sleeping in, or staying up later than we usually do. Here is your chance!

Vacations also often involve people we don’t see often.

  • Friends and family from out of town
  • People we like to spend time with but are often too busy to see
  • People from out past that we miss- your best friend from high school
  • Often people from lots of different ages come together and share stories and memories.

How could you arrange time to see these people during a staycation? 

  • Have a backyard cookout and invite people.
  • Plan a day to go see a friend who you don’t see often who lives near you- or involve them to spend a day with you.
  • Meet friends or family halfway between where you live for a day at a park, a lake or a zoo.

Find fun and creative things to do in your community that you don’t usually do.

  • We all probably live near a tourist attraction that we have never been to. If not now, when?
  • If you are interested in history, explore the history of your town. Even small towns often have a historical museum or historical site you may have never been too. The library likely has historical  information of the area. It is also fun to look at historical pictures of places you see around you everyday.
  • Consider the towns near you- are there new parks to explore? Hiking is great exercise and you will feel like you are somewhere new. If you like to hike, find a trail. Even it if you have hiked it before the vegetation is always changing and it can feel like a new trail. State and country parks are fantastic and offer new experiences, boat rentals, food stands, and outdoor playgrounds for kids. You can pack a picnic lunch or  pick up a pizza on the way.
  • Look at local events calendars on-line and see what is happening near you. Every place has local festivals, summer concert series, restaurants and bars, and other places you probably haven’t been to.
  • If you love to cook, go to the library and check out some cookbooks from around the world. Pick a few recipes and make them. You will shake up your eating experience.
  • If you love to read, grab some books and drinks, snacks and a lawn chair and head to someplace different to read.
  • If you have access to bicycles, bike around a new neighborhood. Bike trails are available in many places.  If you don’t have a bike they are easy to rent or can be inexpensive to buy if you find them used.

Quote: 

“How do you get that “I’ve had a vacation” feeling?  You intentionally create it.”

Inspired Together Teachers 

 Recap:

If you can’t go away on a vacation it doesn’t mean that you can’t rest, relax and be rejuvenated. Give yourself permission to get out of your daily routines. You can slow down, let go of work and enjoy many wonderful experiences without going far from home or spending a lot of money.

Connect with the Inspired Together Teachers Community:

 Download our FREE resource: The Inspired Teachers Guide to Taking Back Your Life.

Website: https:www.inspiredtogetherteachers.com

Instagram: Inspired-Together-Teachers

Facebook: Inspired Together Teachers

Facebook Teacher Warriors Group: Teacher Warriors Facebook Group

Linked In:  Inspired Together Teachers

 More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Are you a teacher struggling to balance your best work with your best life?

If you are dedicated and caring but often overwhelmed and exhausted, join us at Inspired Together Teachers. We’ll give you inspiration, strategies and tips that help you navigate life’s challenges as a stronger, more confident, and more joy filled person, both in and out of the classroom.

Inspired Together Teachers will give you practical tools to experience more of what matters most in your life.

Co-hosts Paula Schmidt and Michele Vosberg are award winning educators with the experience and skills to help teachers thrive in life and work. They’ve taught at all levels, worked with thousands of teachers, and conducted workshops around the world. They are also the authors of the #1 best-selling book The Inspired Teachers Journal: A Weekly Guide to Becoming Your Best Self.

Paula and Michele would love to have you to join them on their quest to lived inspired lives.

 

Get Out of Your Head! Ep.17

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 Get Out of Your Head!    S. 2  E.17

 

Listen to this episode to learn more about ways you can access three types of wisdom and go beyond your rational, analytical brain.

 

Show notes:

Episode Summary:

Do you spend most of your day in thinking mode? Our jobs require us to do a lot of thinking, reasoning and analyzing. Our best work comes from thinking…or does it? In today’s episode we are going to talk about three ways of accessing wisdom. Is it time for you to “get out of your head”? Listen up to find out.

In this episode:

What type of wisdom do you use most? 

You likely spend most of your day in thinking mode. As teachers, we are in the information business. Information is largely brain based…. or so we have been taught.

Let’s try a little quiz:

Which statement is most like you?

1. I am connected to my rational side. I tend to analyze and think through things. I follow my head.

2. I am connected to and often lead with my feelings. I follow my heart.

3. I am connected to and often follow my gut instincts. I go with my gut.

The results of that quiz are a signal about the types of wisdom you access most.

If you related most to #1, you follow your head.

If you related most to #2, you follow your heart.

If you related most to #3 you follow your gut instinct.

These are three different types of wisdom that you can access. Most of us tend to use one over the others, but we can learn to use all three types.

 Three Types of Wisdom

Brain wisdom IQ

 If you have with brain wisdom you:

  • Rely on knowledge, mental activity, rational thinking, planning, reasoning
  • Focus on security and survival
  • Uses rational thinking to avoid fear and anxiety

We were all taught to learn with our brains and to teach with our head. Brain work includes research, reading, and analyzing data. We access the wisdom of others through our brains by watching, listening and reading.

It is in the decisions we make thousands of times a day. It is easy to fall back on brain wisdom and we can even get stuck there.

If you have ever worried or overthought things, you have been stuck in your brain wisdom. You can get so stuck there that you can actually start spinning- thinking of something over and over again and analyzing it in a million ways and which causes anxiety and leads to even more spinning.

Much of the time, brain based wisdom is necessary and useful. But it is not the ONLY way of accessing wisdom.

We can also access our heart wisdom and our gut wisdom. You can easily get this concept if you think of the characters from the Wizard of Oz.

You have the Scarecrow, who is looking for a brain- he wants brain wisdom, also known as IQ (Intelligence Quotient).

You have the tin man, who is looking for a heart. He wants to access heart wisdom which is also known as HQ (Heart Quotient) or EQ (Emotional Quotient).

And then you have the cowardly lion. He is looking for courage- which is also know as GQ (Gut Quotient).

Heart Wisdom 

Another way of knowing is heart wisdom. With this kind of knowing, you know it in your heart. You feel it. Or you follow your heart.

Those with heart wisdom:

  • Trust their heart more than anything else
  • Have strong emotional/social Intelligence
  • Notice, control and express emotions in empathetic ways
  • Rely on their feelings and relationships to guide them

Think about times when you have felt heart wisdom.

  • You are often with other people, there is much heart wisdom in connections with others.
  • You are likely relaxed.
  • You might be outside in nature, not in a desk or a classroom.
  • Maybe you are in the shower, relaxing with water pouring onto your head.
  • You might be on vacation, enjoying the fun and sun.
  • You feel heart wisdom while engaging in the arts, music, poetry, art, drama
  • You might also feel heart wisdom while exercising- you are out on a run or on the treadmill.
  • Heart wisdom often comes to us when we are playing, relaxing or resting.
  • It very much occurs when we are laughing.

Think about what those circumstances all have in common.

  • You are not worrying or obsessing.
  • You are out of a work routine.
  • You are probably enjoying whatever you are doing.
  • You in present and enjoying the moment.

If you want to access heart wisdom, the recipe is clear. Play, relax, laugh, get out of your normal routine, be around others and be in the moment. These are the things that lead to new ideas and new insight, greater problem solving and yes, wisdom!

 Gut Wisdom 

Here is a little quiz for GQ:

  • Do you go with your gut?  Do you listen to your instincts and almost always follow them?
  • Do you sometimes just feel things in your bones and know it is right?
  • Are you easily able to throw caution to the wind and just do something?
  • Can you roll with it rather than feel the need to plan out everything?

You react with your gut if you often react instinctively. You know in your gut whether something is good or bad, or whether you like someone or don’t. You are often quick to react and make instinctive decisions.

If you regularly do these things, you are accessing your gut wisdom.

We also call this body wisdom, instinct, intuition, your conscience, even inner spirit or God.

If you feel the instincts, but your brain self-doubt keeps you from following your instincts, you might need to work on accessing your gut wisdom.

How do you access your gut wisdom?

  1. Listen to your body. Pay attention to physical sensations in your body when faced with a decision. Notice if you feel tension, discomfort, or a sense of ease in different situations. Your body often gives subtle signals that can provide insights into your intuition.
  2. Practice mindfulness and meditation. Engaging in mindfulness and meditation practices can help quiet the mind and create space for intuitive insights to emerge. By cultivating present-moment awareness, you can connect more deeply with your inner wisdom.
  3. Trust your initial response. When faced with a decision, trust your initial gut reaction or first instinct. Sometimes, overthinking or analyzing can cloud your judgment. By honoring your initial response, you may tap into your intuitive wisdom. If you feel like something is dangerous, pay attention.
  4. Try journaling and reflection. Write down your thoughts and feelings in a journal regularly. Reflecting on past experiences and decisions can help you identify patterns and understand how your gut instincts have guided you in the past. This can provide valuable insights for future decision-making.
  5. Seek solitude and quiet. Find moments of solitude and silence to allow your mind to settle and your intuition to surface. Being in a calm and peaceful environment can help you connect with your inner voice and gain clarity on important matters.
  6. Engage in creative activities. Creative activities such as drawing, painting, writing, or playing a musical instrument can help bypass the analytical mind and tap into your subconscious. Engaging in these activities can open up channels for intuitive insights to flow.

Here are a couple of other things that come to mind when you are thinking about gut wisdom:

  • Let go of self-consciousness. You may think everyone is judging and watching you, but they are probably too busy with their own things to worry about you.
  • Do something outside of your comfort zone. Stretch yourself. Try new things.

Sooner or later you are going to want something that is on the other side of your fear. You will always likely feel some fear, but you can learn to live with being scared and move forward.

Following your gut instincts can be difficult for some people. However, it often pays off in terms of making you feel more whole and your life more authentic.

Life coach Martha Beck says,

“Experience has taught me that the way to a joyful life is always fraught with fear, and to find it you must follow your hearts desire right through the inevitable terrors that arise to hold you back. If you don’t do this, your life will be shaped by fear rather than love, and I guarantee, the shape will be narrow and tiny compared to your best destiny.”

Remember that accessing your gut instinct takes practice and self-awareness. Be patient with yourself and trust the process. Over time, you will develop a stronger connection with your inner wisdom.

Recap: We are all used to living and working from our heads and brain wisdom is accepted and appreciated.  However, we also have access to heart wisdom and gut wisdom. Together the three  types of wisdom can make for a more complete picture of wisdom and real knowing. Maybe it is time to get out of your head and into the other ways of knowing.

Quote:

“Experience has taught me that the way to a joyful life is always fraught with fear, and to find it you must follow your hearts desire right through the inevitable terrors that arise to hold you back.  If you don’t do this, your life will be shaped by fear rather than love, and I guarantee, the shape will be narrow and tiny compared to your best destiny.”

Martha Beck

 

Connect with the Inspired Together Teachers Community:

Download our FREE resource: The Inspired Teachers Guide to Taking Back Your Life.

Website: https:www.inspiredtogetherteachers.com

Instagram: Inspired-Together-Teachers

Facebook: Inspired Together Teachers

Facebook Teacher Warriors Group: Teacher Warriors Facebook Group

Linked In:  Inspired Together Teachers

More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Are you a teacher struggling to balance your best work with your best life?

If you are dedicated and caring but often overwhelmed and exhausted, join us at Inspired Together Teachers. We’ll give you inspiration, strategies and tips that help you navigate life’s challenges as a stronger, more confident, and more joy filled person, both in and out of the classroom.

Inspired Together Teachers will give you practical tools to experience more of what matters most in your life.

Co-hosts Paula Schmidt and Michele Vosberg are award winning educators with the experience and skills to help teachers thrive in life and work. They’ve taught at all levels, worked with thousands of teachers, and conducted workshops around the world. They are also the authors of the #1 best-selling book The Inspired Teachers Journal: A Weekly Guide to Becoming Your Best Self.

Paula and Michele would love to have you to join them on their quest to lived inspired lives.

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