Gazing Into The Mirror

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This has been a summer for taking stock, for deep reflection about the direction of my life and what I hope to accomplish while living it. Change is the only constant in this universe. Everything must change or die.

I mistakenly thought that one reaches a certain age and the self is clearly defined, a finished product. Not true. The day we stop growing is the day we die. I realized that I needed to make some changes, that the dissatisfaction and restlessness I have been feeling were the result of my desire to move forward, to discover, to learn more. I needed new challenges.

I became a teacher because I love to learn, and I want to give back to others what my teachers so graciously gave me. It is a most important vocation, one I feel blessed to have been given more than two decades ago.

This summer has been about reaffirming what I am looking for in my work. I need creative challenges and the chance to discover something more about this life. I want to continue to work with students who see the world in a unique way, and who have big dreams. I have always been lucky in that regard: the students I have worked with in my teaching life have been the best part of the job.

Change: it keeps us on our toes, helps us to stay focused and invigorated, and makes us grow and further define who we are. Human beings are always becoming. We are never finished, and we must never rest on our accomplishments. It is a good thing to stand and look into the mirror, even if the image is blurred and not fully articulated.

There are always fresh horizons and new worlds to explore. It is okay to feel a little apprehensive, a bit discombobulated, for that is when we summon the courage to step off the cliff, ever closer to our destiny, and never more fully alive.

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