I would say that I am fairly outgoing and can make friends easily. I have made friends pretty much everywhere I’ve been….growing up, college, every job I’ve held, where I live…and I am grateful for each and every connection I’ve ever made! I enjoy all the moments I’ve spent with these humans. And, I particularly enjoy it when I haven’t spoken to a friend in a while, but we still manage to pick up right where we left off when we get back together again. These relationships bring me a lot of joy, excitement, and support. In their own individual ways, these friends have changed me for the better.

There is one particular friend that comes to mind when I think of this famous quote, commonly attributed to William Shakespeare:

“A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.”

One thing you may not know about me is that I had a double major in college - Elementary Education and English. I had to read a lot back in school. One author named George Orwell wrote a few works that stuck with me. That is his pen name, however. He is also known as Eric Arthur Blair. He was an English author, known for his novels 1984 and Animal Farm, both of which many of you probably read in school. He once wrote, 

“If thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.”

Brené Brown is legendary. She is a professor, author of numerous books, and podcast host. Listening to her Ted Talks make me feel like I can take on the world. She doles out self-help like candy. I am mesmirized by her messages of empathy, vulnerability, shame, and courage. When I think about my day-to-day balance of life and career, I often ask myself, “What would Brené say to me right now?”

Many of us are sending our children back to school. Teachers and families are fully immersed into the chaos, stress, and joy that this time of year can bring. Which is why it is time to talk about what I call our “white picket fences.” Do you know what these are? These fences do exactly what they are set up to do - create a boundary between you and the rest of the world!

“Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves even when we risk disappointing others.”

-Brené Brown

Welcome to The Calm Blog! I am a former teacher turned SEL coach who is devoted to inspiring children and caregivers through the power of Social-Emotional Learning.