Lost & Found: A Water Bottle’s Lesson on Looking Forward
I had the opportunity to visit Fayetteville, North Carolina, to see my dad and a few family members at the end of July. As I shared in a previous blog, I come from a divorced family, like many of our students today, and have been traveling through airports and on airplanes since I was very young. Now, much later in life, I feel like I have the hang of it, especially with TSA Pre-Check!
When I left Oklahoma City, I purchased a water bottle to take with me on the flight and put it in my backpack for easy access. However, when I got on the plane, there was no room in my designated area to put my bag in the overhead compartment. The flight attendant moved it to another location on the plane, which meant no access to my water bottle during the flight.
When we landed in Charlotte, North Carolina, for my connecting flight, I realized that my water bottle from earlier was no longer there. I thought it had fallen out of my bag. No big deal. Fast forward to my departure from Fayetteville to fly back to Oklahoma City. At the security checkpoint, my bag was selected for inspection. I had a choice here – be grateful or be frustrated. I chose to find gratitude in the moment. I was grateful for the security personnel following processes and procedures to ensure safety, effectiveness, and efficiency for the flight.
During the bag inspection, they told me that the water bottle (that I thought I had lost) could not go with me to my next destination. The officer offered me a choice: either go back out of the security checkpoint to drink it or throw it away. With the line long, I decided to throw it away to avoid any delays. But I also laughed and smiled, explaining that I thought the water bottle was lost and/or left on my initial flight from Oklahoma City. The security officer laughed too and wished me a great day. I echoed his sentiments and expressed my gratitude for his support.
As I walked away from the security checkpoint, I thought about the choice the officer gave me. It echoed through my mind that life is really all about choices and surprises. I was surprised to find something that I thought I had lost and was given the choice to look back or look forward.
Reflecting on “don’t look back,” I thought about the start of the school year for all of our leaders, teachers, students, parents, and community members. We have a choice – focus on the past or focus on the future.
For me, we can’t look back and dwell on the past with a mindset of redoing things or fixing mistakes. We should use past experiences and/or mistakes to shape our future and opportunities. But we should look forward with hope and optimism. When we think about the choices of the new year, we should look forward with positivity, patience, kindness, hope, and optimism. What does that look like?
Positivity: Approach each day with a positive mindset. Focus on what can go right instead of what might go wrong. Celebrate small wins and find joy in everyday moments. This attitude can transform challenges into opportunities and create a more enjoyable environment for everyone.
Patience: Understand that good things take time. Be patient with yourself and others as you navigate new experiences and challenges. Patience helps in reducing stress and leads to more thoughtful and effective solutions.
Kindness: Simple acts of kindness can make a huge difference. Be kind to yourself and others, showing compassion and understanding. Kindness fosters a supportive and welcoming community where everyone feels valued.
Hope: Hold on to hope even in difficult times. Believing in a better future motivates us to keep moving forward and to work towards our goals. Hope can be a powerful driver of resilience and perseverance.
Optimism: Maintain an optimistic outlook. Expect good things to happen and believe in your ability to achieve your goals. Optimism fuels motivation and inspires those around you to also see the bright side of things.
The experience with my water bottle reminded me that life is full of unexpected moments and choices. Just like I had to decide whether to look back and retrieve the water bottle or move forward without it, we all face moments where we can choose to dwell on the past or embrace the future. By focusing on the positive aspects of our experiences and making conscious choices to move forward, we set ourselves up for a brighter and more fulfilling journey.
As we start this new school year, let’s embrace these characteristics and apply them to our daily lives. By choosing positivity, patience, kindness, hope, and optimism, we can create a brighter and more fulfilling future for ourselves and those around us.
Always remember to smile, as it not only lifts your own spirits but also those of others. And, always be kind – to yourself and to others! Thank you for answering the call to serve. I am grateful for you!
Keep shining bright, friends!
Dr. C
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