Week 3 Reading Blog

The Art of Possibility – Chapters 5-8

Chapter 5

The silent conductor.  I can apply this concept to many aspects of my life.  As a parent, I was able to guide my children to make (usually) appropriate decisions regarding their actions.  I did not need to raise my voice or get in their faces or make a big show of my authority.  I did a lot of waiting patiently (and silently) while they thought things through and made choices.  As an educator, I choose to allow students to make decisions and choices, while I am poised on my chair, ready to jump in and support them whenever needed.  I allow them to make mistakes and then try to figure out why they made them. I told my children and I tell my students that it’s OK to make mistakes, just not to make the same ones over and over. 

Chapter 6

I love Rule #6.  If only I could figure out how to live by it all of the time.  For me, the world we live on demands that we take our responsibilities and ourselves seriously, some if not most of the time.  The time to stand your ground (and take yourself seriously) and the time to make light of a situation often follows one after another, many times a day.  I think if I can just keep myself in check, and remember to think before I act, I can practice living by Rule #6 – and not take myself so seriously.

Chapter 7

The information I’m walking away with from chapter 7 is the reminder that when we are in a situation we don’t like, we tend to misplace our attention.  Instead of focusing on how things are, we instead shift to how we think things should be.  Maybe it’s just human nature – we try to analyze situations, even when they are not near and dear to us, and make conversation out of what is wrong with the situation and how it should be handled differently.  I appreciate the intention of the author, who, through examples, demonstrated accepting the way things are, and clearing away the “should”. I also appreciated the differentiation between talk in a downward spiral, and talk from a central point, with unlimited direction.  I need to remember these ideas when talking to my children and my students.

Chapter 8

As is the common thread throughout this book, the author is again, through examples, giving us permission to “let go”.  We’re encouraged to take notice of things that are holding us back, and make a conscious decision to change it.  I cannot tell you how many situations I’ve been in where I have been guilty of “holding back”, whether due to discomfort or unfamiliarity or upbringing!  When I do let go of inhibitions, the experiences in my life are much more full and enjoyable.  I need to remember that I cannot ask things of my students that I am not willing to do myself!