Being the chess board for me is the delicate balance of "wearing many hats". I have many roles in my life. I am a head of household, a mother, a girlfriend, a coach, a teacher, a friend, a daughter, and probably other things to. Oh yes, and a student....soon to be a graduate! My life is definitely an ongoing game of strategy, but usually so long as I get enough sleep, I manage things quite successfully.
I especially liked the quote, "as the board, or the context in which life occurs to you, is to give yourself the power to transform your experience of any unwanted condition into one with which you care to live. It's so true! There are so many things in life that don't go as planned, and some of them can be pretty bad, but it is possible to find something good that comes from these situations.
I find that so many people refuse to accept responsibility for what goes on in their lives. Especially being a high-school teacher, I hear my students blame anyone and everyone but themselves. I try to teach kids to consider the consequences before they make choices, rather than afterward. I teach them to be accountable to themselves. It is always easier to blame someone else though.
The Art of Possibility is a read that reminds us of many things we already know, but forget while going through the daily grind. It's been good for me to be reminded. I'm sure my family will appreciate my reflection from reading this book. I'm a better person for it.
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It's a strength and weakness of our culture that we so believe in the individual that we tend to ignore that everything we do and don't do effects all of us in some way. Teenagers can be excused of this a little because they are just beginning to come into their own self-awareness, but it's also crucial to instill a sense that we are connected and blame doesn't remove responsibility as much as show how immature we are with our lack of understanding how we effect one another. It is a delicate balance, indeed.
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