Postcards from the Funny Farm

I’m a person who enjoys having a lot of projects ongoing all the time.  Still, I recognize that stillness and reflection are crucial for the projects to succeed.  At work this is most true.  We have several tests we are giving the kids right now and the pressure is on to see them succeed.  Whether it is subject/predicate standards or just plain spelling, we as teachers are thinking about what we can do to get them to score the highest.  In the process, I think many classes get burned out and do less than they would have given more PE or just restful time in class to prepare.

At home this is prevalent.  My kids are reaching up for me (ages 1,3, and 10) metaphorically or literally and I can feel the pull on my attention.  I am thinking about my blogs and the things I need to do as a normal grownup in the world at home but they aren’t concerned about any of that.  Kids don’t think outside the box, they live outside the box.  Do I push them off or do I spend time with each of them.  Again, the forced stillness is so crucial to happy and healthy parenting.  I try to spend time with each of them even if I am not 100% successful.  Of course, the time with my wife is also crucial.  Am I making enough time to be romantic?  This is a priority for me, even though my wife might not agree with that statement!

What is it you are rushing to do?  Make sure you take the time for stillness.  You will find it boosts your productivity and gives you a paradigm shift.  You’ll never know until you try!

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe via -or-

In the past I have recommended sites that sell discount printer ink.  Now I have discovered something better to recommend: a site that combines the best sites in one place so you can pick what’s best for you.  This is the future I think of online ink ads.  It is better when you can compare several offers rather than the products simply offerred by one site.

This site offers deals from all the major brands such as Canon, Epson, HP toner cartridges, Lexmark, Brother and Dell.  Their prices are often 80% less than retail.  While you’re there you can check out other supplies such as paper (incuding photo paper), printable greeting cards, envelopes, cables and more. They are are an amazing resource for support and tips as well If you are interested in ways to save ink, the many types of printers out there, or other topics such as fixing your own printer without the dealer. Not only do they have absolute best prices (and you can compare them right there) but they are also like an online “support” window with the helpful page content they offer.

I shop for ink often and in the past I have had my bookmarked pages.  Now, they may vary as a result of this newfound bookmarked page that combines the best of all.  I highly recommend you try it.

Summers can be for resting, especially if you are a teacher. They can also be times to test yourself and learn lessons that benefit you all Winter long. Going along with the teacher thought, I want to raise the idea of “training.” In all businesses there is an element of training. This training is usually meant to stretch the worker to a place where she/he will be more productive.

Along the way to increased productivity unfortunately we meet Mr. discomfort and sometimes … Mr. pain. Do you know him?

Training is about opening your mind. Many of us have minds that are so closed they must be pried open. That has been my mind this summer. I’ve been teaching 8th graders that cuss and insult adults and consider themselves adults on top of it all. I realize now, with only 2 days remaining in the session, that this has been training. Like ankle weights for when I return to my 4th grade class. I don’t like to dwell too much on my own occupation in these posts. It is meant to be a parallel to your job, your “training.”

As you probably know from reading my blog, I am always analyzing and seeking new cognitive strategies to battle life’s troubles. Sometimes I even see it as a sport. I am a student of psychology and a fan of all human things that inspire.

But sometimes you have to just live it.

I have 900+ posts and counting here. Each post has some sort of cognitive mechanism conveyed. In a simpler word: ADVICE FOR YOU. And, maybe myself? Well, this post is here to stop the advice. I hope you can transfer that to your life whether you are a Type A personality or not, you give yourself advice I know. It is occasionally time to stop training and just live your stuff out. The yellow pad is a great tool but you can’t walk through life with it at your side. You are creative, you are responsible. Why not lay down the cognitive stuff and simply trust yourself for a while. I think you will be proud of yourself in a while when you stop and look back on what you’ve lived. You will also find your mind was more open because you let go. To close, remember this: you can shop for treadmills all day, but until you get on one, you aren’t exercising.

I just read that 460 million vacation days went unused last year by American workers … no wonder we have so many mental problems in our country! To all those people so worried about missing work I say this: “Be responsible, go on vacation!” This post was inspired by a discussion at Loose Suits.

Of course people with jobs that don’t offer sick days, like freelance writers and the like, might not click on this article. Theirs is a different dilemma that I could discuss at length as well. Having said that, we are all faces with the importance of taking vacations. So if we know how important they are, why aren’t we taking them? In my opinion, folks with vacation days would be “sick” not to use them!

Any problems we have at work and at home will get worse if we don’t use our vacation days.

I look at vacation days as a time to regroup. It’s a time to get romantic with your spouse. Vacations are a time to find inspiration in even those “nothing” moments. How many times have I taken a simple walk in a new place and had tomes of inspiration flood into my mind. It can heal what you thought was impossible stress. I have written my best songs while taking vacation time.  It can be really tough to find the flights you desire, that’s why it is helpful to plan way ahead.  If it is a priority and you are willing to wait you will fare better!

Looking for timely new york flights is even harder than looking for cheap flights to germany. However the flights to thailand can be bought at the last minute too. This is true for a number of other flights as well.

I’ve been highly stressed out at work before. (hasn’t everybody?) It can feel like radioactive heat burning you up … it deserves you a day off. After a “mental health day” the heat goes away. I get fresh new ideas that ironically make me more valuable to my employer. What? More valuable by taking time off? Yes. It’s a time to sharpen my axe.

I think the paranoia many have of getting in trouble at work for taking sick days is unwise. People need to get over it and just take those vacation days like clockwork. It just might be the difference between a promotion or being written up for lack of productivity. The article I read on this was truly staggering. The best argument for this is simple: Look at pictures of your loved ones over the past few years. When you do so you will see just how fast this thing called a lifespan is passing by. Is work that important to Americans? Do people think a real man doesn’t call off work ever? Do that many Americans really think they are heroes for not taking a vacation? Getting any getaway locations in mind yet? I am. Here’s a place to buy your travel supplies. Enjoy.