The Great Unstoppable You

The Great Unstoppable You

Originally written for

my 5^th Grade students,

Class of 2007-08,

for their graduation

Rededicated to my new students, Class of 2008-09

Whom I will teach with the same dedication

May you start each new “today”

For the rest of your lives

With

Uncommon Courage,

Incredible Insight,

and

Perfect Playfulness

Your 5^th Grade Teacher

Mr. Adam Stuart

August 14, 2008

Wake up! Wake up!

Today is your day.

It’s a fresh new start

Can you hear what I say?

The sun has come up

And the slate has been cleaned

It’s time once again

To dream every dream

This is YOUR day

Made special for YOU

To think your OWN thoughts

And DECIDE what to do

So get out of bed

And get on your way

Hold your head high

And choose to be brave

For THIS is the day

When your dreams WILL come true

Because NOT ONCE will you give up,

Doubt or be blue

And when troubles do come

As surely they will

You will face them with heart

In fact you’ll be thrilled

You know each difficulty

Is a strength-making tool

And every new challenge

Only serves to serve you

So head out that door

With your face facing high

Facing every fear

And putting real try in each try

For today is YOUR day

There’s NOTHING you can’t do

NO challenge is too great

For the great UNSTOPPABLE YOU!

- Here’s to an incredible year!

- Mr. Stuart

Unleash the Love

Well, it's back to school for teachers in Orange County, and my son and daughter were there to help me begin getting my room ready for another wonderful, incredible year. (click on the picture to enlarge it. Bella's face is priceless :-)

As tired as I was today (didn't sleep last night in anticipation - can't believe I still get this excited after 10 years) the first photo I saw when I opened my desk drawer literally infused me with energy.

The photo was from last year. After I dropped off my students for lunch I would visit with my son who had been dropped off minutes earlier. Even if I had been going on days of late-night studying and ready to drop by noon, I would leave him with an abundance of energy to finish the day, or at least make it for 2 more hours until I made the same visit with Bella. It was truly a daily phenomena that blew away physical impossibilities.

As I packed up last year, I purposely put this picture face-up in my drawer so it would be the first thing I saw this year. In early June, I felt entirely depleted and seriously thinking of returning to the more realistic, and sane, traditional way of teaching.

It was my hope that seeing this picture at the start of another year would somehow bring me back to life......and it did, in a big way. As soon as I saw it I called Brosden over to show it to him (who was busy wondering if he could throw a boomerang in the room without breaking anything).

We could see the love we have for each other in the photo, and as we looked at it, could feel love flowing within, between, and all around us.

Energy never dies. When we feel exhausted it usually means we've either given it all away or have put it into negative emotions like worry, fear, doubt, anger, hate, bitterness, etc. But put that energy into love for another, and have it returned from them back to you....and there will be a positive energy-attracting synergy equal to the amount of unconditional love put into it.

Love is the greatest and most empowering source of energy on the planet.

YOU WANT MORE ENERGY?

Don't just give it....UNLEASH IT!

(A BIG thank you to Veronica Therese, a wonderful elementary student from another school. She knows I break @ 3 yardsticks a year and gave me this yellow flexible one for my birthday. It perfectly embodies the "Bend-Don't Break" philosophy, and I will think of you and Mother Teresa throughout the year as I use it, who said "Love until it hurts, then love some more."

Love doesn't break you, the lack of it does. And I will make sure every single one of my new students are filled, covered and surrounded by love every single day this year....loved for who they already are, and loved for everything they could become)

HERE'S TO THE UNLEASHING OF LOVE!