Quote and Quiz

I almost forgot. I do really like this quote: “Just because something is fun for someone else, doesn’t mean it’s fun for you – and vice versa.” This was my experience with the school production. While it wasn't terrible, around the time of the last rehearsal I realized I wasn't having quite as much fun as everyone else and felt a little frustrated that I had signed myself up to stay late at school for these past few days in order to participate. I'm going to remember this quote next time something like this crosses my radar.

Also, a quiz, "lightly adapted" from The Creative Lawyer and coming to this blog via The Happiness Project.

1. What part of the newspaper do you read first?

The NYT Magazine or the Book Review if it's Sunday. Styles or Arts & Leisure on other days.

2. What are three books you’ve read in the past year?

Atmospheric Disturbances, If On A Winter's Night A Traveller, and Leaping Poetry

3. As a child, what did you do in your free time?

Played "school," wrote in my journal, made collages (Ha! Wow. Just the same 15 years later).

4. What’s a goal that has been on your list for a few years?

To send out my poems to lit journals more often, to write new things more often

5. What do you actually do with your free time?

Watch television, go out for drinks, clean my apartment, surf the web

6. What types of activities energize you?

Teaching (on a good day), running errands, listening to music

7. What famous people intrigue you?

Let me just say I think this questions is kind of strange. But, let me think... ugh. Do I have to name names? Okay, musicians like Joanna Newsom and Chan Marshall. And lately I've been kind of obsessing in my head about Ryan Gosling but only as his character in Half Nelson, and yet, when The Notebook came on TV over the weekend, I watched it. It was horrible.

Ups and Downs

I got an e-mail back with the resolution chart from Gretchen Rubin, the Happiness Project blogger. It's interesting. Each month has a different resolution, with columns for smaller, concrete activities and ideas for meeting that resolution. Then there's a row for each day to record the activities that worked toward that resolution. I like the idea, though I'm going to try it on a smaller scale. So here's my chart column headers based on the things that have me feeling good and the ways I can change the things that have me feeling bad.

MAY’S RESOLUTIONS: Keeping positive at work while making time for myself outside of work

“Order is Heaven’s first law.” —Alexander Pope
WORK
Planning lessons
Keeping spaces organized
Making my coffee & lunch
Getting enough sleep

ME TIME
Spending time with friends
Exploring other neighborhoods
Being outdoors
Creating things

These last three days have been a series of ups and downs. I've been doing great with keeping organized and making my coffee (though I've been buying my lunch lately). But, these are the easiest for me.

The hard ones are in the second group. However, Wednesday evening I had a great time hanging out with Ellice after work and unwinding at Alchemy (outside my neighborhood!). This hasn't been the best week for being outdoors because it's been icky weather. Yesterday was pretty rough in the afternoon, as in my lessons weren't going over well with the kids AT ALL. I started to lose it. It took Jeanine's prodding to get me to stay to perform in the school play (a group of teachers have put together a song and dance as a finale). Although the performance didn't completely boost my mood or , I did it, and got to spend more time outside my neighborhood afterwards with Elena and Ellice. Then I planned lessons for today and watched the Rays beat the Yankees.

I probably need a template for writing about these resolutions. I'll work on it.

And my birthday is tomorrow! Me time.

False Alarm

I'm in professional development time right after 8th period class. I can't believe I could already be in a bad mood. My lesson was well thought-out. It had been working successfully all day. And then 8th period was a nuthouse.

This is another thing that makes me feel bad: students that have all the potential in the world, but are their own worst enemies. And I'm not helping. This is outside of me. What can I do differently?

Evidence

As evidence of feeling good when I am successful at my job, today has been pretty great because my lesson is going well. I think maybe the part about "feeling right" will be in creating situations where my happiness does not get thwarted by feeling unsuccessful at my job. Maybe just reflecting in a constructive way and building up reserves to buoy my mood.

E-mailed the blogger at The Happiness Project to get her "resolution chart" to see what that's all about. Let you know when I get it.

Happiness Project

Via Slate, I found out about this blog called The Happiness Project. We have six weeks left in school until summer, and in these next six weeks I'm going to make an attempt at my own Happiness Project. If it fizzles, that's fine with me, but it feels worth a shot.

Initial thoughts:
According to the blogger over at The Happiness Project, there are some big, guiding insights to being happier.

1. To be happier, you need to think about FEELING GOOD, FEELING BAD, and FEELING RIGHT, in an atmosphere of growth. Clunky, but it works.

For me, the following things outside of myself make me feel good:

• planning successful lessons for my job
• creating things (poems, collages, this blog)
• keeping the spaces I spend time in organized (including my classroom at school, even my school bag)
• making my lunch for myself, making my coffee in the morning
  
• watching baseball on TV
• getting enough sleep

Things outside of myself that make me feel bad:

• getting behind on my school work
• weekend days spent recovering from nights out
• being too lazy to go places to meet with friends
• spending too much time indoors

I'm not sure I understand the feeling right category yet, but if I figure it out, I'll post.