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Isolated Thoughts 🧩

This week on "Being an Assistant Band Director," I was observed, sternly talked to, and praised for great work.  It's been a rollercoaster of a week (that's every week, but especially this week).  It's at times like these, and weeks like these, where my thoughts and words can together either figuratively strangle me or raise me up to new heights.

I try to reflect on every experience that happens in my life; I want to learn how I can grow from each little nugget of information.  While doing this in my teaching profession is something that comes naturally, it is more difficult to do this within my personal life.

It's news to literally no one at this point that I live alone (I have for the past seven months).  Isolation can do a lot of things to our brains.  It can be a great break from the stressors of our day-to-day life.  I love nothing more than to come home to an apartment exactly the way I left it and plop down on the couch, knowing I have no one to impress for the rest of day (I also usually turn on Netflix and let The Office stream for the Xth time).  However, too much of anything can turn negative.

There are times when I wish I came home to other human beings -- People to interact with, to talk about my day with.  However, in all of my "moping" I forget that I literally have dozens of people I could call, text, or FaceTime at any given moment.  Is digitally connecting to them the same experience as being in the same room?  Not quite.  But, it does make me feel less isolated (and often times puts a smile on my face).

You ever have those moments where you think yourself to death (not literally, of course)?  When you live alone, often times you overthink everything when it comes to interactions with others you don't see on a regular basis.  "How's my hair?" "Does this text sound too forward?" "Should I send a cliché emoji to make sure they know I'm being lighthearted?" "I'm probably annoying this person." "Don't rush it." "This conversation is going nowhere and it's your fault."  Do you see how quickly conversations with yourself can turn from innocent to negative?

The words we speak and the words we think over ourselves will, more times than not, ring true.  Like I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm reading "I Declare War: Four Keys to Winning the Battle with Yourself" by Levi Lusko.  In a recent chapter I read, Levi talks about waking up every morning and speaking, out loud, exactly why the day is going to be great and why one should get up out of bed.  It's all Biblically based, and I love it.  Our words are powerful.  We should use them to speak over the day, our lives, and our slightest worry.  Give it a try this week, and see if your life isn't a little bit brighter or optimistic.



"He who says he can and he who says he can't are both usually right."

Love people, be genuine, and speak life over others and YOURSELF.  Don't be held hostage by your own thoughts and words.,

The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.
— Proverbs 15:4

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