Episode 232 TSP What Did You Expect
Zombieland is real. We may all experience this strange land. Today I will talk about how I woke up to escape from the siren song of Zombieland. I’m Paula Bird, and this is episode 232 of the Teach Suzuki Podcast.
[music]
I have been away for a while from the podcast, but I have been here. There have been so many life changes for me in the past two years:
- There was a global pandemic, and I opted to retire from the university that same year, as I was eligible.
- I am still very active in the Symphony and my private studio, even more so since I now have more time for teaching since I retired from the university.
- My husband was hospitalized about that same time as the global pandemic arrived and never did recover or return home, subsequently passing away in March 2021.
- There have been many things to take care of since my husband is no longer here. Although I was ready for that, taking care of it took time and energy.
There is a dip in energy and motivation after the death of or separation from a loved one. It took about a year to feel as if I was awakening again. I think it is safe to announce that Zombieland is a thing of the past.
I have new chickens that I’ve raised this past semester, and one of them turned out to be another rooster. Apparently, predicting the sexes of baby chicks isn’t an exact science. The new chicks have a new, rather large coop all to themselves, and I’m starting to find my first eggs from this flock. It amuses me to hear the new rooster answer the old rooster in the other coop. If you listen closely, occasionally, you may hear the sounds of a real farm outside my house!
Lately, I’ve been working on a project near my heart for a very long time. I’ve shared pieces of this project with you over the podcast years, and I’ll likely share more with you in the coming months as I work to bring this project to a sense of completion.
For years, I have re-read Dr. Suzuki’s two main books: Ability Development From Age Zero and Nurtured by Love. As a teacher, I found that by re-reading and re-visiting the numerous philosophical points these books contained, I reminded myself of many important things:
(1) the big “why” of my work as a teacher and self-professed ambassador for the Suzuki Method of Talent Education,
(2) timeless philosophical gems about living the best life and raising children to be good citizens with noble hearts and strong character,
(3) how to be respectful to others and why this is important,
(4) the importance of music education in brain activity and ability development, and
(5) how to strengthen relationships between parents and children.
Let me present some additional ideas important to my reading and absorbing Dr. Suzuki’s work. The principles he states are timeless, and by that, I mean that these principles and Dr. Suzuki’s ideas do not belong to any particular generation. We all share beliefs about learning, respect, and behavior that always apply. What Dr. Suzuki wrote and taught in the mid-20th century still applies today and will apply in the hundred years after.
Dr. Suzuki’s philosophy and education principles apply mainly to young children, and although seemingly about education, they also apply very successfully to parenting and relationships in general. Dr. Suzuki prescribes a way of life that, if followed, will also result in strong communities that care about children, each other, and the world around us.
And finally, there is something extraordinary about Dr. Suzuki’s work and beliefs. Taken alone and out of context, Dr. Suzuki’s words stir an expectation in us of what our lives can and will be. What I am most excited about is that Dr. Suzuki does not leave us alone with this expectation, but he spurs us toward intention.
I say this because I have recognized and understood over the many years of my study about the Suzuki philosophy that “expectation” is grounding, and “intention” is motion. Expectation has us sit with excitement and wonder or some other anticipatory emotion, but that is not enough. We need to act to bring our expectations to fruition. We need to set our intentions to achieve what we expect will happen.
This combination of expectation and intention within Dr. Suzuki’s philosophy is the best part of studying and learning with Dr. Suzuki. It is essential to focus on both ideas equally.
My current project is to build on my previous podcast and written work and use Dr. Suzuki’s words as springboards for personal essays and journaling reflections. I am compiling this work into a book that parents and teachers can use as a daily reader and jumping-off point to build a practice of self-reflection, as Dr. Suzuki advised. I promise to inform you as I go along with the project, and I hope you will join me in building a journaling and reflection habit.
Let me encourage you to begin this habit by giving it a top priority. Put it at the top or near the top of your daily to-do lists. Start small in the beginning with perhaps a few sentences or a small paragraph. Allow your practice to grow over time as you build your ability to sit still and reflect, concentrate on developing or recording your thoughts in your writing, and learn how to examine your thoughts on a deep level. Take encouragement from Dr. Suzuki’s reminder, to begin with small steps.
How would we journal expectation and intention? Would we use affirmations? Lists? Perhaps. I am not sure that there is a definitive answer. I find that developing “magic questions” is an entertaining thought exercise. Here are some quick examples of making a list of magic questions about expectations:
· What expectations do I hold now?
· What do I expect will happen (or come to pass)?
· What will I achieve?
· How will this expectation look?
· How will I achieve this expectation?
· What steps will I take?
· What assumptions and facts underlie my expectations?
· What rationale or justification do I rely on when I make these expectations?
· What are some keywords that reflect my expectations?
· How can my expectations limit me or hold me back?
That exercise of creating magic questions around the topic of expectations was interesting, as it usually is. So many sub-thoughts we may uncover around our thinking, whether it is about assumptions, rationales, or explanations.
Dr. Suzuki frequently writes about the importance of self-reflection. In a time when we move through our busy lives as quickly as we can, Dr. Suzuki’s advice can be a tonic. We look for time-saving devices, apps, and routines. We flit from one activity to another and teach our children to follow this example as we drive them from school to sports practices, music lessons, or other events. Gone is the calm space of a few extra moments to sit and contemplate and process what we learned.
I am such a person. I had excellent role models as I grew up. My parents were industrious people who accomplished many professional goals and championed many overflowing to-do lists. Every moment seemed to have a purpose.
My parents did have downtime. They were big readers and had hobbies that they tended to regularly. The overall message I learned from my parents’ home environment is that we were to accomplish a lot in a day. And so my sister and I did just that.
Perhaps our downtime came from the space we created through reading. This activity allowed us to sit at rest, and our reading speeds could adjust to allow us to reflect. However, this reflection type is not what I think Dr. Suzuki referred to. Dr. Suzuki wanted us to reflect much deeper by opening the door into our minds and hearts and examining what we discovered there.
One of the best ways to accomplish this reflection is through Morning Pages. I read about this concept in Julia Cameron’s book “The Artist’s Way.” One of the creative tools in Ms. Cameron’s book is the use of Morning Pages. These are three pages of writing (one side of each page counts as one of the three pages), preferably written by hand and best done in the morning before we have put up our psychological defenses to protect us. I have engaged on and off in the Morning Pages process for decades (30 years now?). Since September 2021, I have engaged in this exercise daily without missing a day.
Some days I may find it difficult to hit upon a topic to reflect on. On other days I reach the end of my allotted three pages before I have finished naming my thoughts and feelings. I found simple solutions to all of these problems, as you will. When I cannot think of what to write, I start writing whatever sentence or thought comes to mind, stream of consciousness, and I write it down. Maybe I will write it a second time, or a third. But at that moment, I find I can continue because I discover what I want to think about on paper.
When my thoughts are too numerous or too big for one Morning Pages session, I make a small note about where I am or what I want to cover and leave the note in my Morning Pages journal -- like a breadcrumb or two to lead me along the path to my secret place in the garden forest.
I have derived enormous value from reading Dr. Suzuki’s two main books. I have spent time reflecting on the small philosophical nuggets he wrote, and the books remind me of how important it is that we take the time to reflect on our lives. I have used a journaling system, mainly the morning pages tool from Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. I rejoice in the valuable lessons I have discovered or taught myself from the simple act of self-reflection.
My current project is to pull out these philosophical nuggets and share my self-reflections as a springboard for parents and teachers to read and use as starting points for self-reflection and learning, like a daily reader. Every time I review one of my past reflections, I am amazed at how powerful Dr. Suzuki’s messages are and how much I learn about myself -- even changing what I know or assume about my life and choices.
I have gathered many helpful journaling techniques that I am excited to share with you. Currently, I am revising the many reflections I have already written. Then I will organize them into a format that a reader can use to either pick a particular theme for the day’s reflection or follow along in the order I present in the book. Along the way, I will share valuable techniques for journaling that I have found to be quite helpful in solving problems, discovering unproductive hidden thinking, or providing reassurance that we are on the right track. Whether you have only a few minutes to make a short list to respond to a prompt or a longer time to consider a puzzling thought on a deeper level, there will be a journaling technique or strategy for everyone to derive value from the self-reflection process.
Stay tuned over the next few months. I will share my progress as I continue this project. Let me tell you that the project is a long time in the making. I started with my self-reflection essays several years ago, and you have heard me podcast several of these reflections over the podcast’s first year. I kept transcripts of these recordings and have edited them to add journaling tips and suggestions.
Working on this project has reassured me that I have all the tools I need to evaluate my decisions, solve my problems, and uncover my limiting beliefs so that I can stop holding myself back with fear.
I want to ask you a question now. Do you have a mechanism for self-reflection, and if so, what tools do you use? What routine do you follow? Please send me an email and let me know. Or leave a comment on my Facebook Page (Teach Suzuki). I’m curious about what others are doing for this process.
Before I sign off on today’s episode, I want to remind you about two very helpful teaching resources. Eva Belvelin wrote a terrific book, Little Things for Little Strings, which is described on the podcast website teachsuzuki.com. I use Eva’s book frequently in my teaching and group class activities, and my students respond with great enthusiasm to the material. My own book, The Twinkle Project, is also described on the podcast website with two brief videos that describe the book’s contents and my reasons for putting the book together. If you haven’t heard about these two books, visit the books’ descriptions on the website. The books both contain many terrific resources for parents and teachers.
If you would like to contact me or comment about the episode, please email me at paula@teachsuzuki.com. You can find the show notes for this episode, including a link to the previous podcast episode about Magic Questions on the podcast website: Teachsuzuki.com. The transcript of this episode is available on my blog at teachsuzuki.blogspot.com.
Until next time,
No comments:
Post a Comment