How do you start out your day and how do you use it for good all day?

For the last 25 or 26 years, I have been doing a morning ritual that entails kneeling down by my bed (when I am traveling, I still do it only because I know I'm about to get in the shower to get ready for work) with two Yellow Lab noses trying to nose my nose, and I pray. I no longer pray for "things" or even necessarily my circumstances to change. I have a firm belief that God has a pretty good idea of what is going to happen to me and my loved ones, already. No, the prayers are for me. While that, on the surface, likely sounds pretty shallow, I know that, for me, helps keep me disciplined and ready to do what God has asked me to do:  love Him, love my neighbors (including Dave, of course, as he has been my "neighbor" for 31+ years), and spread love when possible.  

The next thing I do (75% of the time, honestly, I'm good at this; 25% of the time, I am either late or a day behind) is to read passages from three prayer and meditation books. Why three?  I have three separate sets of prayer partners with whom I am accountable for sharing what I think about the reading for the day and truly reading and taking in what is going on with them.  On this note, Dave and I are spending some time this month in Tucson (from where we moved away from to come back to Texas three years ago).  Yesterday, I got a chance to go to a great meeting of people who also want to keep their side of the street clean, and I got to sit next to my dear Becky and Deb, who are my prayer partners for one of my readings. 

Of course, I am skipping over all the gymnastics we go through to feed the dogs, take them on a walk down to the river park in our neighborhood (where our youngest Lab, L.C. (Elsie) chases deer like she wants to become one) or in the neighborhood where we are renting here in Tucson, and figure out what else we have to do for the day. 

Here's what I DON'T do, upon awakening. I will not verbally (or in written form) spar with someone just because they are looking forward to a good argument.  In my adult years, I have learned to say my piece, listen to others', and hopefully leave as friends and family, still.  One thing I also try to do is avoid people in my life who do not fill my bucket.  Whether that is someone I work for or with, someone on Facebook who is saying totally disrespectful things, or even someone who just ranted to the gate agent that he was going to sue her for not getting him out of ________ (fill in the blank with any city---I've seen in happen in many of them).  I have a firm belief that I might not want to stick my nose in where it doesn't belong (we're trying to teach Kirby that he likely shouldn't try to get down in the hole where an armadillo just slipped into), I also feel the need to speak for those who don't always speak up.  
On that note, I typically keep my head down while I am working, as I LOVE the work I do (teaching teachers and school leaders about how to get better in our craft), but I am going to shout from the rooftops and sing a "Hallelujah!" if someone I've watched move on from being my "boss", especially when they are deceitful, two-faced, and lacking skills in areas we most need them right now.  In cases like this, I am hopeful I get the chance to say what I truly believe, which is "How you do anything is how you do everything".   And, on the same note, if there is someone I believe who not only has the "more than uber-competent skillset" but also the character to back up his work, I pray I can be of service to somehow do my small part to get them in that leadership role that has been vacated.  

My dear friends, family, and colleagues will more than likely know that I will say what I believe, even if it somehow takes me out on a teetering limb. Educators deserve our very best, so I won't ever apologize for that.

How do you wake up and how do you use your day for good?

Happy Communicating to all of you,

​Shelly