MAC Week 3 Comment 1 LeVonda Vickery

LeVonda's post

Wk3 reading – Art of Possibility Ch 5-8

Rule #6

While reading chapters 5-8 this week in the Art of Possibility by Rosamund and Benjamin Zander, I found chapter 6 to be quite a refreshing point of view.  What a great rule to remember about not always taking ourselves so seriously.  I am sure that we could all take that rule to heart at some time or another.  This lighten up attitude helps us explore our central and calculating self.  I know that I probably could have taken these lessons to heart during my divorce a couple of years ago.  Sometimes we are so absorbed with ourselves and our own feelings that we don't allow anything else in.  This chapter teaches you how to look inward and observe your own behaviors in order to put your best foot forward.  I love how the authors use different stories to illustrate each chapter and help you make connections to better understand the concepts.  


Chapter 7 leads into the way things are allowing you to distinguish between your assumptions and the facts.  We all make assumptions about things in our daily lives and allow our feelings to cloud our judgement of the actual facts, but when you learn to actually accept the way things are it allows you to move forward.  This sentence really seem to strike a chord with me, "shine attention on obstacles and problems and they multiply lavishly" (p. 108)  I realized that since the position I had at the TV station was eliminated last February that I was more and more focusing on the negative.  Its been over a year since I lost my job and with my unemployment about to run out things have been looking quite dreary for me to support my family.  I have filled out application after application for teaching or basically anything at this point to allow me to support my family only to be turned down time and time again or not even called for an interview.  Believe me that I know just how tough it can be to look at the bright side in my current situation, but this time has allowed me to pursue my Master's degree at Full Sail in order to increase my marketability and skills for the ever growing job market.  I may not be able to control the circumstances for which I have currently been handed, but I can try to stay optimistic and hope that an opportunity presents itself.  After all it is that exact "possibility" that has kept me going even when my life seems at its darkest.

My Response

I'm sorry to hear about your job situation. It certainly is tough out there in the education world.  Even tech coordinators, which would be like a dream job, are being removed.  I hope that this degree will open more opportunities for you. It makes me think of when I used to go to teacher job fairs. Like the book suggested, I focused on the positive when I went and I went at those recruiters with all the energy I had. My attitude was that I was the best teacher they could hire.  I had a business card made with my picture on it (below), a nice suit and tie, 10 pristine copies of my resume, and had many copies of my collection of letters of recommendation.  I remember having the same attitude even when I was a brand new Intern.  The funny thing is, both teaching positions I actually got hired for were NOT the people I "pushed myself" on.  These opportunities came from the fallout of all that energy I put forth.  Both postions were from Districts that were not even at the job fair, but word got around about my zeal and those Districts called me in for interviews.  For me, it is a reminder that God is always in control and that it is because of him I had these jobs.  That keeps me humble.  Humility, as the book also suggests, is the only way we can "lighten up".

Good luck to you.

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