"𝘼 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡" -Quote attributed to Samuel Butler but popularized by Dale Carnegie (it seems like this quote is attributed to multiple people....so who knows who the originator is) When you've found yourself having differing thoughts with someone else, what has your approach been to the conversation? I've found that unless the other person feels seen or understood, most (not all) people are less likely to have 'buy in' into what you have to say and are more inclined to push back and really consider a different perspective. You can corner someone with logic. You can overwhelm them with facts. You can even "win" the debate and they may 'concede' the argument, but if their heart isn’t actually open, nothing really changes. Real change is chosen not coerced. If you've found yourself shifting just to keep the peace or avoid discomfort, your internal narrative likely has stayed intact and perhaps even strengthened. Additionally there may be some feelings of resentment building. The belief is still there,j ust underground and the funny thing about underground beliefs is that they end up resurfacing in other ways. I like this quote because it kind of invites us to see the other person. Instead of "forcing" someone into a belief/position, it asks us to come alongside another person so that they actually come alongside you as well. :) Maybe we ask questions and maybe we allow people to come to their own conclusions, even if it takes a bit longer. Maybe we take the time to understand their "side" before forcing them before they're ready. Who knows, we may end up learning something along the way :) Have you ever “won” an argument but lost the person? Or been on the other side where you gave in just to keep the peace but internally nothing changed? (The video's audio is kind of all over the place, but it had some good points! sorry for the imagery on the clip).

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what “progress” actually looks like—especially when it doesn’t feel Instagram-worthy or linear. I used to think it meant checking big things off my list, but honestly, sometimes progress is just recognizing I need a break (and actually taking it), or letting myself off the hook for not being “on” all the time. Reading some of the recent posts here about emotional bypassing and productivity-as-armor really hit home. That urge to just keep moving, instead of feeling what’s coming up? Guilty as charged. But I’m learning that even pausing, even admitting “hey, today was tough,” counts as progress too. Curious—what does progress look like for you these days? How do you know you’re moving forward, even if it doesn’t look the way you thought it would?

Some fun for Monday: I was just at my part-time job, helping a kid make a craft while reflecting on how tired I am of teaching English here (another one of those evenings, haha), when, by chance, I read a wise quote from Dr. Seuss' "The Lorax" (a story from my own childhood) on a worksheet: "UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." It's not exactly an epiphany, as I already knew that, at least to some extent, but seeing it right there in front of me, on an elementary school level English language worksheet, was sort of enlightening in a sense. I suppose little quotes like these, often stumbled upon by chance, help motivate me to keep working hard and going forward. Any quotes and/or lessons from kids' books that you like? 😁

Share your thoughts and your love with your fellow skoolers :) @Belinda Morey wrote some reflections about progress and asked the question: What does progress look like for you? progress @Tyler Scott wrote a post about lessons from kids' books and how they can help motivate. The question: Any quotes and/or lessons from kids' books that you like? quotes-lessons-from-kids-book Thank you both for your posts!! :) It's much appreciated and I'm excited to hear what others have to say! :)

“Strict with Thyself, Lenient with Others” Those were the wise words of Marcus Aurelius, and likely other Stoics, a couple thousand years ago… It is nice to repeat them, but how many of us live by them? I know plenty of people who do the opposite: The overweight father who forces his son to do sports. The husband who complains about his wife’s weight, but won’t set foot in a gym himself. The old diabetic boss who only hires young, fit employees. The list goes on… Don’t be that person. If you want others to change, lead them by modelling the good behaviour yourself. You cannot make others do what you want, but you can show and inspire them. “Be the change you want to see,” as they say. And if they still don’t change? Be kind, gentle and lenient. Getting angry, or trying to force the issue, will only lead to hurt feelings and worsened relationships. Worse case, they’ve stayed the same but you’ve improved by setting a good example. Just a quick reflection for today. Your thoughts?🤔