Lift your chin-call it exercise

From Rudy Francisco's Complainers

Jess Lifshitz, a phenomenal educator, extended an invitation to bring a poem with us into 2022. In the past, I have had resolutions and then shifted to goals and then dreams and then plans and then and then and then. I loved the idea of a poem guiding my thinking heading into the new year. I have sat with this poem, I have written this section up in my gym. Things are so hard right now, in the world, there is so much weight. I have been guilty, for the last few months, of allowing it to weigh me down. So it is time to stand up straight, lift my chin- and call it exercise.

I still have plans, goals, dreams, and intentions for this 2022 and years going forward. I want to continue working out and getting into better shape, I want to continue to better myself as a teacher, I want to steal time to read and find that part of me again because aside from student work and school reading and researching I have had very little bandwidth for joyful reading. So I will be taking that back.

The last thing this poem really made me consider is that while there is a lot of bad there is also a lot of good. I am blessed. I am wicked strong. I can stand under this weight, I can lift it. I need to recognize that more and complain less.

Life is hard

Life is heavy

My burdens are mine

I am training to lift them

Stand up straight, lift the chin-call in exercise.

Happy New Year

Chase after what brings you joy. We all deserve it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8NVLq2fGLc