How important is spirituality in your life? I grew up in a traditional home. We went to church every Sunday and our community was the church. My mom has always been a social butterfly and so we had parties, pool parties, gatherings and fun retreats. I am thankful it was positive. I never remember getting …
How do you practice self-care? A necessity in life. When I find myself depressed or anxious, I look back at the prior weeks. What was I thinking about? Where was my focus? Never fails. I find that my thoughts were negative or I was focused on problems. There have been studies done on the power …
Do you remember life before the internet? The Good ole days! I know when I was growing up, we spent every moment we could playing outside. In the summer and after school, we played kick the can, kickball, hide and seek and organized a talent show for the neighborhood parents. We made forts in the …
What sacrifices have you made in life? What a triggering word! So many people are taught to put others before themselves. Wherever it was learned (i.e. church, family, school, etc.) many are taught to do it for her, them or others. Rarely are people taught to do a self check and do what feels right …
What does freedom mean to you? Freedom is making the choice to live authentically. There will always be people who: Don't wish you well. They might even hope you fail. Want you to live in their perceived idea of who you are. Don't support your decisions or accept who you are. See the worst in …
Have you ever been camping? My greatest, most peaceful and happy memories growing up come from when we were camping. My dad introduced us to camping gradually. We tried out different campgrounds, slept on wood platforms and then he eventually took the plunge and bought a Starcraft pop-up camper. Over the years, we visited various …
When is the last time you took a risk? How did it work out? When I was teaching yesterday, my students and I talked about how growth can feel uncomfortable at times. If we don't take the risk, have perseverance and gently push ourselves at times, we won't realize the amazing things we can accomplish. …
Jot down the first thing that comes to your mind. Let's start with happiness! It's Friday and I'm thrilled to recharge. Our school is moving to a four day week starting this fall and this thrills me! Educators have it rough. While I LOVE what I do, most people don't realize the sacrifice educators make …
What are 5 everyday things that bring you happiness? I had a conversation with a girl today. It went something like this. You can choose to focus on what you don't have or make the most of this moment. She chose to be sad, which is ok too! But as we were leaving, she was …
How would you improve your community? When someone says "be a leader" it usually makes me cringe. Like maybe I don't want to be a leader but a follower. I've realized, however, that everyone can be a leader in whatever role they choose. Being a leader doesn't mean telling others what to do. Instead, it …
Kim Hiles, Author | Educator 