As the school year continues on, it's easy to let the 'grind' get you down and it's easy to become comfortable with a state of complacency. We all have a certain level of contentment when we are doing what we are used to doing... we all find reassurance when it comes to replicating the safe and the known...
While this slow but sure to happen transition tries to take hold, be sure to keep on the look out for those pockets of uniqueness and difference. They may not be the most visible at first, but as the school year gets long in the tooth, those unique and different 'happenings' will become more and more apparent.
They will start to stand out more and more... not because more people are exploring the unknown, but because more and more are falling back to the known and their level of comfort. This mass migration toward the known leaves those seeking out the unknown bare and naked in a sense.
It's kind of like all those people who pack the gyms right after the first of the year. They have great intentions and they are committed to doing whatever it takes to improve their health.
They are committed until it's no longer easy to commit...
Now, I'm not saying I'm the bastion of health, because I'm not and I am working on it, but my point is simple:
When we reach a level of discomfort or a certain level of 'unknown,' it's much easier to fall back on comfort and the known.
I challenge and encourage you to go a little bit further toward the unknown and I challenge you to push your level of discomfort.
We expect and encourage our students to push their limits every single day toward their unknown, I see no reason why we shouldn't expect the same from ourselves...