Friday 1st March must mean all kinds of things to all kinds of people.
To me, and for many other hard working, committed teachers all over the world, it is the start of the March SOLC writing challenge. Always exciting, and always a little nerve racking. I am hoping I can stay the course and wondering how I will fit in this mindful activity of pausing, noticing, crafting, writing and posting a small moment every day, for a whole month, especially given the already overcrowded days. But here I am, so I am diving in.
I started my morning in Ho Chi Minh City today. Saigon, as it was know in the past. It is warm and sticky and I my day started with a run. It's remarkable for me because not every morning starts with a run. In fact, very few week day mornings ever do. My mornings are usually full of before school busyness- getting my family up, making multiple lunches, packing snacks, answering questions, organizing the day, dealing with teenage angst, often reminding myself to not react or just to breathe, and then getting out the door in time to make it to school by 7.45 am. There is always a million things in my head and its always action packed.
Today was different. I am many miles away from home - way down in southern Vietnam - and when I woke this morning running seemed the most obvious thing to do. I realised I didn't have my headphones half way down and decided to keep going anyway. There is such joy in watching a city and neighborhood slowly wake up... shops opening, steam rising from bubbling tea, running by the delicious aroma of steaming hot pho stock, dodging the classic pavement small plastic stools. I am glad I could take in the sights and sounds without Lady Gaga keeping my 160 beats per minute going. I definitely was more present and enjoyed getting to know the roads and lanes I ran down. I also really appreciated the change of scene and pace. A different start to my Friday, as much as I love my regular Fridays, I really enjoyed today.
Here is to a month of pausing and reflecting. A quote from Ellen Langer ,who I just listened to in a delightful podcast, comes to mind ""Mindfulness can encourage creativity when the focus is on the process and not the product." I am excited to focus on the process, not worry about making it perfect and seeing with greater mindfulness.
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