It is a new day and a new dawn. With that brings the opportunity to be a student of life. While you would think I get enough practice being a student in my ordinary life, I would be tired of being a student in life’s classroom, but that just is not the case. I think I will be a lifelong learner, and although they may not always be the lessons I want to learn, embracing whatever comes is half of the learning experience. Being in school makes it easy to learn a lot of new things every day. I hope the same will be true when I enter the working world. In fact, that is probably where the most learning will happen, and I cannot even imagine how much learning will take place. And as crazy as it seems considering how long I have been in school now, I have only scratched the surface of things learned. How is that even possible?! Taking on the role of a beginner every day is exciting and gives a freeing essence of innocence. Being a beginner means it is okay to make mistakes and ask for help. A beginner has the joy of seeing and doing things for the first time and remember what that thrill feels like. Life begins throwing real lessons at you the minute school ends, and learning will never take a back seat. No matter how far we get in life, there will be new adventures to conquer and experiences to be had. At no point can we neglect to endure life’s lessons and see the world through beginner’s eyes. It would be of great disservice to ourselves and the foundation of organized learning set for us. From that point, education is abstract and has no rules. The world is our new classroom. Stay Curious, Kayla ©Inquisitive Perspectives 2019
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Keeping up with the Joneses is highly overrated. Trying to stay up to date with every trend and sticking to the status quo is exhausting, and the programming to fall into that trap is an unfair pressure we think we have to uphold. We want to be unique in so many ways, but somehow, when we begin to deviate from expectations, the uniqueness factor fades to the thinking that we are doing things wrong. Life’s timing is not a finite timeline of events. The time it takes us to get where we want to be in life should not be compared to someone else’s journey. Even if our end point is not exactly where we planned it would be, it is okay. The path we take is ours to explore and wander as life guides us to where we are meant to be. To go down a path just because everyone is doing it would be a great injustice to our dreams and individuality. There are far greater things in life to place emphasis on than comparing ourselves to someone else. Successes look different for people at different times and places. A roadmap for success is nonexistent and having twenty-twenty vision can only be acquired in hindsight. We will reach our peak when we least expect it, but in the meantime, we can support others and celebrate their journey as we trek on our journey. There will be a day for us to realize it is our own time to shine. Stay Curious, Kayla ©Inquisitive Perspectives 2019 I head back today to Toledo to begin my summer session of classes, and the rush of getting back into the swing of things reminded me of the hustle that excites me. I think we get caught up in the Monday slums because the freedom of the weekends (or having an extended break from reality) makes us lose momentum to keep going and not be as productive as we could be. I know I need the time off here and there (and trust me, I count down to it), but I also give completely into it and neglect any sense of responsibility when I am in off mode. My Mondays can be as hectic as they come, and I let that happen in a way. No matter how prepared I think I am or planned ahead for the day or week, I am still usually running late, running around like a mad lady, and hoping I did not forget to pack something. Let me not forget to mention that even though classes begin tomorrow, I have yet to have notebooks designated, let alone have access to the textbooks I will probably need. My younger self as a student would be mortified by this. There has to be a constant sense of organization, even if it is organized chaos. That must count for something too, right? Here is my plan. I have twelve Mondays standing between me and the end of this benchmark of time. Each Monday moving forward can be dreaded or hoped for; life is too short to have that constant dreadful feeling, so a hopeful outlook has to be the answer. I may not always love facing a new week with who knows what thrown at me, but that is part of the adventure. I can only take one week at a time and do whatever it takes to make things happen and get other things done. Monday does not have to be the negative stigma of the week; Monday is a mindset. Stay Curious, Kayla ©Inquisitive Perspectives 2019 Music has had a significant presence for as long as I can remember. My entire childhood, music was always playing in the house, and genres spanned the ages. I thrive on the melodies and live by the lyrics. No matter the mood, day, or reason, a song is always the right choice to express some feelings that words simply cannot do on their own. My musical giftedness is not the greatest, but that has never stopped me from belting out some jam sessions in the privacy of my car. As long as I was commuting every day, I have forty-five minutes each way to get my praise on in the morning and cover some of the greatest hits through the decades and Broadway’s best in the afternoon. Now, I have to get a little creative with my car ride concerts since I only cross the street, but the time spent circling in the parking lot gives me at least five extra minutes. Music is an expression of the soul and emotions. I love nothing more than to listen to music and feel refreshed and in-tune with the elements of a song. Some days more than others, I can sit for hours and let myself drift away in song. It feels so good to get carried away by the melody and get lost in the era. I am an old soul when it comes to my song preferences. Letting the music do the work of expression is freeing and the best release of pent up stress. There are some days that I wish I could just pound out some songs on the piano like some of the greats, but since my piano skills end at finding middle C and running scales, I resort to my musical outlet of expression by playing my flute. And while I am not the best, my four years of band served me well enough to be able to read music and play some hymns. I find it so relaxing. While I do not play as often as I would like, the times I do play carries me to a place where nothing else matters. Hearing is not the only sense that goes into the musical experience. Seeing and feeling are every bit just as important. Each sense can stand alone, but when we allow ourselves to compile our senses, music blooms into so much more. I am usually not the person to be free enough to dance and sing in any public setting, but few rare times I have, the music seems to elevate in meaning and intensity, and it feels like I am floating in the air. When we let the music sweep us off our feet, it is as if the world stops spinning and life is held in a perfect snapshot. Music is life’s perfect song. Music reminds us of life’s perfect timing. Stay Curious, Kayla ©Inquisitive Perspectives 2019 |
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