Ah Hah

I attended a Teachers' Institute today as part of my onsite training/duties as an intern and teaching fellow. It was actually incredibly interesting... particularly the entertainment and the second speaker, Al Walker.

Now mind you, I tend to be somewhat disinterested in motivational speakers or humorists who work corporate/meeting gigs. But this guy really piqued my interest, and I felt he had several truly worthwhile things to communicate.

He talked about several elements to a more healthy/productive life, and one that seemed particularly relevant for me was what he termed "positive expectancy." The idea being to expect the best, rather than continuously anticipating the worst.

It blends into having a positive outlook and being a more optimistic person... but it also suggests a way of taking in and processing information and events because you often see what you expect to see... feel what you expect to feel... experience what you expect to experience.

I liked it because it's something I could truly learn to do much better. I tend to be critical in my assessment of people/places/things in my life; and, if I'm being honest, I think my perspective and expectations about life in general have become much more negative in the last few years. (It's something I've always struggled with, but I think it got worse after a slew of situations beginning in 2005.)

So... a nice wake-up call. A good mindfulness exercise. And an excellent challenge to set for myself in these last few semesters of graduate school and our transition into a new phase for our lives.

Expect the best. (Which seems intrinsically linked to having faith and maintaining self-confidence.) Hmmmmmmmm.