Last week was very busy and had several stressful moments. My entire family except for me was taken down by the stomach flu, and I had a few “courageous conversations” with staff, students, and parents. The question becomes how do I take care of myself when my main support system is down for the count!
My recipe for success this week was focused on finding those joyful moments. On Tuesday, the Culture and Community Lead team at my school decided we would do “The Git Up” as our whole school dance at the end of the month. They organized the dance practice, planned what we should wear, and then they danced and sang together! Talk about starting movement!
I am not the most coordinated dancer- I am the person in Jazzercise who ends up on the opposite side of the room and wonders where everyone went, but I am excited about making the most of each moment and fully participating in the dance at my school (Yes, I did buy the boots at the top of my blog so I can look a bit more western on the day of the dance- thematic dressing makes me happy).
As I shared before, it was a challenging week. When times are stressful, I typically will buy snacks for my staff, create scavenger hunts, or do something to help spread joy. This week, I shared a story that started from my 11 year old asking if Sonic the Hedgehog has a tail. I replied, “all animals with 4 legs have a tail” (I really had no idea when I made the proclamation), but then decided I could not Google the answer and needed to think of a non-example. After a day of pondering, I shared my wondering with the staff in an email. The sense of wonder and lunch conversations were fantastically energizing! Who knew such a silly question could create a bonding moment!
I waited a few days and my administrative assistant suggested that maybe we can Google before break. So we did! I emailed the answer to staff, and they were shocked that I had Googled it! Honestly, I did not really like the Google answer and began to wonder if an animal has 4 feet, does it really have legs (I know I am completely going down the over thinking rabbit hole!).
When a week has been tough, it is important that as servant leaders, we take care of ourselves. My Valentine’s night consisted of me, my crab leg, and my dogs while the rest of my family was sleeping the Flu away! I engaged in a little retail therapy- the boots and a couple of vintage dresses, and my bucket was full again…ready to give and care for others.
As you finish reading this, I hope that you are thinking about how you might work through your next challenging situation. What are the things you are doing to care for yourself and fill your bucket? I know for me…as soon as I finish this sentence, I am going to put on my boots and practice “The Git Up.” My boots aren’t only made for walking!
Healthy Principal Bell 