3/1/2023 0 Comments Hope vs optimism![]() ![]() I’m not talking about friends on social media. Don’t be so busy working – or stewing in your own frustrations – that you ignore close relationships. Invest in relationshipsįriendships matter. But you don’t need to give them any more attention than is needed to deal with them expeditiously. Yes, those parts of our work exist and always will. ![]() If we allow our mental time and energy to be taken hostage by toxic individuals and the messy parts of institutional life, we will slowly become cynical and jaded. ![]() We have to be intentional about our attention. Here are four techniques you can use to reconnect with your hope and optimism. Given that I teach positive self-talk and thinking for a living, I gave myself two assignments. Many people were experiencing a subtle – or not so subtle – downturn in mood and perspective. And I found myself thinking of my work as a meme: “What other people think I do” (a party planner), “What I think I do” (having a generational impact on families), and “What I actually do” (walk behind the elephants in a parade with a scoop).Īfter a couple of weeks in this mode, I asked myself, “If I’m feeling this way, what must other people be experiencing?” I connected with some colleagues and friends I trust and shared what I was going through. I had shifted my attention to a small minority of people who aren’t student-focused and never will be. On several occasions, I grumbled to my wife that my job was feeling like a complaints department. I’d be doing chores around the house and realize I was dreaming of going back to being a soccer coach. However, this past January my sense of hope and optimism began to wane. And I have a daily opportunity to live my passion for ensuring that every student feels like they matter and belong. I work with remarkable people who believe in what we do. At Wilfrid Laurier University, I am part of a community that is passionate about creating exceptional student experiences. I view them as an identity marker and an obligation.įortunately, for many of us who work at higher education institutions across Canada, our campus cultures make it easy to sustain that mindset. I don’t view hope and optimism as a nice thing to have. When I fall into a negative view, it feels disrespectful to immigrant families in general and seems like disregarding what my parents went through when we emigrated from our native Guyana. And it’s important to me – as a child of immigrants – to sustain an appreciation for the opportunities I have here in Canada. It’s something I teach, coach and speak about. It’s a defining feature of my approach to work. From the complexities of COVID protocols to the disequilibrium of the Great Resignation to mounting geopolitical issues, it’s getting hard to sustain a positive outlook.įor me, being a source of hope and optimism is a professional preoccupation. In the last six months, I have noticed a gradual erosion of hope and optimism in myself and many people around me. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |