I I owe my undergrad professor an apology. He was the ultimate minimalist. He railed against conspicuous consumption, thumping his dog-eared copy of Veblen’s The Theory of the Leisure Class on a desk. He cycled through the same handful of clothes in the same neutral color scheme. He wore shorts that showcased socks he haphazardly … [Read more…]
Get rid of your stuff without putting a burden on someone or something else? Sign me up! Britt at Tiny Ambitions created a mindful decluttering challenge called Minimize in May. It spoke to me for a lot of reasons. It’s important work. (I still have too much stuff). It’s more manageable. (You can only fail … [Read more…]
I am about to close the door on a decade in the classroom. For ten years, I have been able to pursue my passion and do what I love. It isn’t ever easy, but it’s always been worthwhile. Here are ten things that I’ve learned after ten years in my career. 1. Pursue your passions. … [Read more…]
Every Thursday, I drive through my neighborhood absolutely mesmerized by the heaps of trash and recycle that line both sides of the street. Flat screen TV boxes. Old media stands. Towers of single-use water bottles. For nearly three years, I have worked furiously to minimize what sits in front of our house. In fact, I … [Read more…]
The calendar invite notification chirped. There it sat in my mailbox. A 9:00 am meeting appointment for three days from now with my boss. No subject. No agenda. No explanation. Despite having just completed my summative evaluation where I earned the highest rankings, I automatically assumed I was about to be fired or transferred or … [Read more…]
This past week, I had the chance to do some volunteering. Specifically, my students and I packed food (vitamins, veggies, soy, rice) to be sent around the world to feed the chronically malnourished. We rolled up our sleeves and then got FDA compliant. That meant removing everything from Fitbits to earrings and then scrubbing up. … [Read more…]
I’m not sure what it is about time. Some moments, it feels like it’s crawling. Then, all of a sudden, you blink and almost half the year is gone. I started off the year with good intentions. Scratch that. I started with priorities. Rather than worry about where I’m headed or how far I still … [Read more…]
I’ve been a bit busy lately. Instead of blogging, I’ve been spending a fair amount of time pricing out bounce house rentals for our son’s first birthday. I know. I KNOW. My son can’t walk. He can’t even crawl properly. He looks more like a dog scratching its butt on carpet than a graceful cherub … [Read more…]
VIPKID has an affiliate program. There. I said it. I’m not burying the lede on this one, fam. In case you have been living under a rock, VIPKID is the new darling of the side hustle world. For $14 an hour before taxes, you, too, can tutor out of the convenience of your home. VIPKID … [Read more…]
At times, it takes me a while to speak up. I blame my mom. For whatever reason, she memorized an Omar Khayyám poem and taught it to me at a very young age. I knew all about the idea of being unable to cross out a line after its been written, no matter how many … [Read more…]