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 …
Which aspects do you think makes a person unique? For me, an aspect of being unique is celebrating and living our life with true authenticity. I remember the time I realized that so many of us are walking a path others have defined for us. Like cattle, we are all just go along with the …
When you were five, what did you want to be when you grew up? When I was five, I don't remember ever thinking about the future. I played and daydreamed and tried to navigate the world as a very sensitive girl. As a youth, I organized "shows" in the neighborhood and invited all of the …
What’s something most people don’t understand? A lot of people feel they just can't help it. They "fall in love"and they are powerless to their emotions and how they feel. It works the other way too. How many times have you heard that someone "fell out of love" and moved on? I offer another …
Kim Hiles, Author 