Living Audaciously

By Oskar Cymerman

I was a fearful child. Once, I spilled ink from my refillable ink pen on a 50 zloty banknote and thought I ruined it. I remember the green face of general Swierczewski turning dark violet. Money was tight in the communist Poland of my youth. I was afraid.

I was scared my mom will yell at me for being so irresponsible. Perhaps, I would have gotten a spanking. I don't know.

I still get flooded with adrenaline to the point I shake sometimes. It's always allowed me to focus, but I never liked the feeling. We call it "fight or flight," but I didn't know it then.

I always ran away from a fight. Avoided conflict. Blended in. Never stuck my head out of the sand. I took the safer route.

I was successful, but unfulfilled.

Unsure. Incomplete. Lost.  

And then something happened. I cannot put my finger on any one thing that caused it.

I decided to run in the direction the danger was coming from. And the funny thing is, that whether I'm running toward or away from risk, my body experiences the same reactions. My mind experiences the same emotions. The end result is the only thing that's different. And it makes all the difference.

I feel alive. Vibrant. Relevant. Happy.

Sometimes, I experience bliss.

I went out for a run recently and the beauty of all things struck me, and I was filled with this feeling of utmost happiness, and tears collected in the corners of my eyes, and I was overcome with bliss. I think that's what that was.

Don't ask. I can't explain. I don't want to rationalize. I just want to experience.

Life is not made up of stuff. It is made up of experiences.

So I choose to run away from safety, through fear and angst, and toward danger to experience happiness, because I found out that safety is dangerous, fear is an illusion, and happiness is bliss.

My body and ancient mind are programmed to do the exact opposite. But that just won't do.

Many students run away from danger. They don't take enough risks. This prevents them from learning and experiencing life to the fullest. We need to help them realize that most fears live only in our minds. When we face them, we become free. We need to teach them to live audaciously. But we must live audaciously ourselves first, because we can't teach what we don't know.

Oskar

You have the power to change the world. Use it often.

Tomorrow Is A New Day

By Oskar Cymerman | @focus2achieve | BAM! Radio Network & Teaching Channel Blogger

I'm writing this one, because I'm slacking. I need to kick myself in the ass and get going again. Maybe I need someone else to smack me. I don't know.

You up for it?

I need to hold myself accountable. The best way I know how to do it is to tell you. Should you ask, I'll need to produce an answer. And, I do not want it to be I'm trying or Getting to it or It's been hard or whatever bullshit story I keep telling myself as an excuse.

I have a confession to make. I started blogs for my chemistry classes and I had students blog. Twice... And one of those involved posting their Who Am I Infographic...

Yep. I suck.

You see, the whole idea was to get students to reflect. Slow down. Learn about their own learning. Think about their own thinking. Do metacognition.

I know I'm missing an opportunity to help them grow beyond the confines of their current paradigms and the system. Learning is one thing. Figuring out what is really going on in your mind is power unleashed. 

So, I'm stopping this madness right now. Pulling my shit together. Excuses be gone.

Yep. I am in a funk and I need to slap (yes you read that right) myself out of it. I don't know about you, but it takes a few strong words for me. Not negative, just strong.

Tomorrow. Is. A. New. Day.

I read about motivational interviewing recently. I'm having my kids look within and blog about it. Some students are struggling in my class. Others in other ones. Life ain't no picnic for some. So I'll tell them to respond to these:

1. Rate your motivation on a scale of 1 through 10.

2. What would your life be like if you made a major change? What would the positives and negatives of that change be?

3. List your strengths. (If this is hard, think of the time you were successful at something)

4. What is the first step you can take to start changing?

“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are. ”

— Chauncey Depew

Bam! Just wrote that game changing lesson plan. Now I'm feeling it. You feeling it too?

Oskar

PS. Whenever we can get our students to dig deep and reflect like this, they grow like mushrooms after rain. Except, they don't become soup or stew. They renew. But we have to keep bringing the rain. So they can process the pain. And gain. 'Cause that's the game.

You have the power to change the world. Use it often.

I'm Pretty Weird, But The Universe Is Big Enough For All Of Us

I was a weird child. Once in second grade, I wore underwear to school thinking they were shorts. I remember that red pair of underwear. Rubber band drawn through waist. White numbers figuring prominently. Swag.

As an adult, I am still weird. In an adult sort of a way.

I mean, I don’t wear just underwear to work. And though I do wear a pair of pants every single day, they sometimes have a stain on them.

My shirts are often wrinkled.

There are times I feel inadequate.

But I'm creative too.

Ideas find me and I create with them. I create more ideas, things, and new understandings. I learn and apply what I learn. I apply it in new ways. I question. I push limits. I challenge the status quo and society’s rules.

Sometimes, others have a difficult time accepting my wild and crazy ideas.

But I can't help it. I hate average, fitting in, and imitation.

I am a dreamer. Or maybe I’m delusional. Or, maybe it’s all the same.

I care.

I love life, people, and the universe.

I love helping students learn and understand the world. I love conversations, even if I’m awkward while conversing. I love helping all people.

Sometimes, I try to help when help is unneeded or unwanted. If I know it, I want to share it.

This is how I’m wired.

The cool thing is I can change my wiring. Maybe not all of it, but I can change a lot. With the right tools and the know how, I can change and become an upgraded version of myself. I know that sounds nerdy weird, but it’s true.

A little over a year ago, I decided to change. After years of dormancy, I made the decision to check back in. I realized that being alive is not enough. I wanted to truly live. Experience. Participate. Live with intention.

I did that by awakening what I always had a lot of: Imagination. I started learning and applying what I learned, solving problems I thought unsolvable, setting goals I believed impossible.

I'm doing all of that and I'm loving it.

I'm using awesome tools: books, online classes, videos, conversations, and reflection. And, a lot of processing.

I started writing. I think I’m good at it. I know I love it.

I am rewiring my brain. Changing. Participating. Learning. Sharing. Growing.

Now I want the same for my students. I want it for my 3 year old son and I want it for all kids. I want them all to believe. Be present. Truly live. Scale mountains. Crush obstacles. Change the world.

I want to give them a tool to help them rewire the parts that need it, and strengthen the connections that make them unique, special, and gifted.

We are all unique. All of us are special. None of us are put on this earth to be insignificant.

We have a purpose.

We dream. We risk. We struggle. We learn. We rise to new heights.

The Universe Is Big Enough For All Of Us.

We All Have The Power To Change The World.

This is why we’re all here.

My purpose is to create, write, and teach. I combined these skills and wrote my first book “Crush School” to change the way students learn and teachers teach. I want every student to have access to it.

We have to go for deeper learning. We have to go for lifelong skills. No more 5 minute university. We have to teach students, not subjects. We must do this, because the future is uncertain.

We’re progressing, but we’re heading into the unknown.

We must educate legions of lifelong learners ready to face anything and everything the future throws at them.

So grab a copy of “Crush School” and use it to help students learn how to learn.

With the right tools and the know how, students can learn anything, learn more effectively, and be active participants in the uncertain future. My book is such a tool. It’s not the only tool, but it contains the know how. You can pay $7.99 for it or use the code CrushSchool2016 at checkout to get it for FREE. 

And, if you don’t like the book, you can trash it and leave a bad review here.

You Have The Power To Change The World. Use It Often.

Oskar

PS. Ask yourself: What is my purpose? Decide to fulfill it. Then do it. I guarantee that you will love it.