What's Your Life Syllabus?
“Welcome Back”
Yes, to the newsletter, but in this case, I use those two words in the sense of a new school year and to reflect on how those two words… WELCOME and BACK, when combined together in late August or early September, meant something that didn’t always feel that welcoming.
As a student, these words conjured up a combination of fear and excitement. And actually, when I was a teacher, they’d also conjure up fear and excitement.
But in both cases, the harmless, well-intentioned Welcome Back meant one thing:
My freedom was over.
Goodbye, carefree days of summer. Hello, assignment notebooks, syllabuses, and expectations. (And in my teaching days, add meetings, lesson plans, assessments, and learning plans to that list.)
It always amazed me how my entire world changed within five minutes of being back. One minute, the sky’s the limit. The next, I’m staring down a calendar full of deadlines and obligations from September to Memorial Day. Initially, I’d always kind of resent being back and swear to myself I was going to escape to an island and work at a tiki bar.
But, after the shock of being back wore off, I’d crack open my new planner, pencil in activities, and see how the expectations were manageable. (Alternate theory: The Kool-Aid from the school in-service kicked in.)
Regardless of how I came to the conclusion, I did always remember that while having tons of free time is great, being productive and contributing to something felt even better.
This leads me to What I’d Rather Be Talking About this week:
While we all love the carefree days of summer, there’s something to be said about being “back in school” (whatever that means to you) because it positions us to learn, take action, and meet the people who will help us make our dreams come true.
The work we do to achieve those dreams can be found in our Life Syllabuses.
What does yours say?
So it looks like we’re starting things off with a homework assignment:
Hey, it’s September, what did you expect?
Here goes,
Abbey
LISTEN:
I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in having “live as long as possible and be as healthy as possible” on my Life Syllabus. If that’s your goal too, listen to How to Prioritize Your Well-Being and Unlock Your Purpose on the Earn Your Happy Podcast.
I love Hoda & Jenna, so was happy to learn that Jenna Bush Hager was a guest on “Everything Happens.” Here, Jenna tells us how to Get in the Game.
STREAM:
Question: What’s the best tea to drink to live to 100? Get the answer in this trailer for the documentary, “Live to 100 Secrets of the Blue Zone Documentary with Dan Buettner,” on Netflix. (Sidenote: We’re getting our blue game on at our house… and currently viewing episode 3. So good!)
Photo by Gary Butterfield on Unsplash Speaking of documentaries… have you heard of Curiosity? I literally JUST discovered it in a random search. It’s touted as “The global entertainment brand for people who want to know more” and has documentaries, films, podcasts, and university lectures from professors all over the world. Here’s a sneak peek at their lineup.
EAT:
What’s a newsletter without some tasty and nutritious bowls? These are perfect for the end of summer. Also, check out Jessica Seinfeld’s recipes like this curry dish - easy-to-make, normal ingredients that you probably already have in your cupboards. (My two requirements.)
Who doesn’t like a computer-generated voice delivering 10 Mind-Blowing Cooking Hacks? And save money at the store with these helpful tips.
READ:
This one’s for my Spanish-speaking friends who want to learn more about Spanish history. My friend Rafael López Manzano wrote a book called Historia Esencial de España (Essential History of Spain). I’ve just started it and find it fascinating! It’s also an example of someone “going for it” and accomplishing a dream of writing a book. Awesome, Rafael!
TRAVEL:
Traveling soon? Make sure you’re not making some common airport mistakes. Check out the Unwritten Rules For Airports (especially #9).
While you’re traveling, stay safe. The creators of Travel Past 50 shared how to protect your identity in their latest newsletter. (Sign up! It’s full of helpful advice for any age.)
Want more ideas to protect against identity theft? Check out this YouTube.
What are the Must-Have Travel Apps? Get the lowdown here.
ON A SERIOUS NOTE:
As we all know, every new school year, new season, and new day brings possibilities. And those possibilities can remain “out there” in the realm of possibility, or they can come true if we put them into action.
How do we do this?
You guessed it, we’re coming back to that Life Syllabus.
Why not put your syllabus together and go for those dreams? I mean, why not?
I’ll leave you with this clip from John Krasinski from The Office, which tells the story of how he was ready to give up on acting and told his mom he was going to quit. His mom, who had always encouraged him to “go do it” when it came to his dreams, suggested hanging in a bit longer. Krasinski did, and three weeks later, something great happened…
So, your homework… whether you’re in your home, office, classroom, or exploring the world is to GO DO IT.
How’s that for a Welcome Back?
Until Saturday,
Abbey
Want more tips and life inspo? Thursday newsletters are for everyone. The Saturday Sidebar is one of the extra bonuses in a paid subscription. It’d be cool if you gave it a read! (Trial subscriptions are available.)
