This past week has moved at such a frenetic pace that I have found myself in that weird place where the days just string together and I have lost track of time altogether. I know that I am getting good sleep, exercising, and taking care of myself, but for some odd reason, I just can't seem to find a beginning or end to moments of time because they all seem to mesh together. I'm really not sure if I am explaining this feeling very well. In fact, it seems to be a pretty abstract feeling that I am going through and I am in desperate need of some focus. Sir Winston Churchill once stated, "You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks" and to be quite frank, I feel like I'm in a kennel right now. For me, the blur is real.
No one can actually evade the blur. It is an inherent part of life that we all go through from time to time due to stress and an overactive mind. The blur preys on lack of focus and finds a way to consume us to the point that we feel like we are zombies walking around aimlessly. In our heads, we are trying to break free, but our bodies appear to be going through the motions, which gives the impression to others that everything is just fine. The problem is that the blur is a master of disguise and it is up to each of us to recognize when it is creeping in and make an intentional effort to turn it away. It's a tough thing to do because we equate being busy with being productive and before we know it, we are just chasing the futility of checking things off our to-do lists.
The blur is not our friend no matter how much it tries to cozy up to us and make us feel like we are doing the right thing by grinding away. As a fan of going through the grind, I am probably more susceptible to the blur taking over because I crave the achievement aspect of getting things done. I think most educators can relate to this because our jobs are such that there really is no end to the work we do. That is probably why the blur has set up residence in schools and taken advantage of the folks who are most vulnerable to its seduction. The only remedy, however, is to force ourselves to wake up and tell the blur where it can go. This might require that we lean on each other to fight it together.
The challenge is real and the the blur is a foe with uncanny strength. In fact, you might be reading this right now thinking that the blur has sunk its hooks into you. If that is the case, let me be your ally. Stop what you are doing immediately and go visit with a colleague about something other than work. Take five minutes of your time and throw the blur off course by engaging in something that you really don't have to do. The trick is, the blur will get bored and leave because you are not serving its purpose and you will have the opportunity to do a hard reset. It sounds lame and stupid, but honestly the blur doesn't know any better and this is all it takes to move forward. If you don't believe me, try it and see what happens. You might just like what comes into focus when you actually do it.
#OwnYourEpic #Embrace
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