The Greatest Showman's Greatest Lessons

Over the last couple of weeks, we have had extreme winter weather - well, extreme for South Carolina. Temps in the single digits in the morning and not rising too far above freezing for the remainder of the day.  All I have wanted to do is eat cinnamon rolls and nap.  Not a good combination.

Sunday, I decided it was high time that I get out of the house and do something - even if it wasn't necessarily productive.  For the last week, I've heard lots of friends talking about how great "The Greatest Showman" is.  Hugh Jackman devoted 7 years of preparation and his earnings from the Wolverine movies to commit to this project.  That alone told me that it must be worth it.  I've always been a fan of Hugh.  I knew that it was not something Cheney would go and see - he's not a fan of musicals - but, that it also needed to be seen in a theater to get the full experience. In my winter hibernation, I had see clips and videos of powerful songs that spoke to me, even without the costuming and sets.  I knew it was something that I had to see soon.

So, I got out of my flannel pajamas and made myself public worthy for a movie.  

From the opening notes, I was hooked.  I watched the movie with chill bumps on my arms from the amazing talent that was displayed.  It was a movie that made me want to jump up and clap and sing.  The message that was portrayed through the elaborate costumes, set designs, and more made it captivating.  As I left the theater, I couldn't help but to reflect on some of the lessons that stood out among the story.  

1.  Leaders have a vision or dream that is birthed from deep within them.  PT Barnum knew long before the circus was successful that he was destined for greatness and that he wanted to do something big.  

2.  Leaders take responsibility for their actions whether there are good or bad consequences.  When PT Barnum made Claire laugh during her finishing lessons, he owned that and accepted the consequences of his actions.  He did the same thing later in the movie (no spoilers here).

3.  Leaders surround themselves with likeminded people.  PT had a spouse who supported him 100%.  He looked for partners who were also risk takers and dreamers.  

4.  Leaders have a responsibility to empower those around them.  When PT gathered his crew of acts, he empowered them and brought them out of the shadows. He saw something in them and spoke to it.

5.  Leaders make no apologies for chasing their dreams. Unapologetically, PT pursued his dream, despite what the critics said or the setbacks that he endured.

This movie is probably in my top 5 now.  I walked away with so much more than entertainment.  Each song spoke to dream chasing, being me, and pursuing greatness no matter what others say.  

If you haven't, go see it!  It is well worth the price.  I'll just be over here downloading the soundtrack!

One Word 2018

I gave up on making resolutions years ago.  Partly because I quit them by the end of January and partly because I was making the same ones year after year with the same result.  I think it was 5 years ago or so that I ran across a blog post about choosing one word to focus on for the year.  That idea seemed less daunting to me and decided to embrace that change. 

Over the years I've chosen words like Intentional, Health, and Balance.  I've placed a reminder somewhere - a planner, a chalkboard, an email signature - that kept  it in front of me consistently.  I like the idea of focusing.  Having a resolution list always seemed to send the message that I had done the previous year incorrectly.  Some may think I have, but for me, I felt like resolutions were setting me up for failure.  So, the one word came to be.

This year, I struggled with a word.  If truth were told, I probably could have used Intentional again.  I was more intentional in 2017, but I could have been more.  I could have been more intentional in the way I spent my down time at home.  Instead of getting sucked into the hole that is Facebook, I could have been more intentional in cleaning my home, or cooking supper, or even in my relationship with my husband, family, and friends.  But, that word did not speak to me for 2018.

This year, my word is MOVE.

This covers all areas of my life from my profession to my health. 

I want to MOVE more in my pursuit of being physically healthy.  That means that during the day, I will need to make sure I'm getting away from my desk to walk the halls.  I need to move my body to build strength.  Yes, I'll be signing up for a group fitness class to help me do that.

I want to MOVE professionally.  This is my 18th year in education.  It's been a beautiful journey.  There have been bumps, valleys, and mountains.  Some of those valleys were long and  hurtful.  But, I wouldn't trade them for the world.  They taught me about myself and about others.  I need to MOVE outward in my profession from my small world of influence to a greater one.  I need to claim new territory.  I aspire to MOVE into administration.  This was a long time coming and something I fought against for years - and I'm paying the price for that now - but I have something to offer students and teachers.  That means moving out of my comfort zone into the uncomfortable, but that is where the magic happens.

I want to MOVE in my business.  My side gig is producing, but I want to move forward each day by consistently completing activities that will move the needle forward. 

But, lastly, I want to MOVE others to greatness.  One of my favorite things is to watch  students succeed and to celebrate each milestone whether it is small or large.  I want the same thing for teachers, business partners, family members, and friends.  I want to help  them find their path to success and dreams.  I want to move them to reach further and achieve more.

So, this year, my plan is to MOVE.