No More Excuses, Whiners We are clearly a society of whiners. We whine when life seems unfair and we whine when things don’t go our way. We whine to get out of tasks we should do and whine when we are forced to do these tasks out of necessity. Even worse, when our whining loses its touch, we resort to excuses. I’m guilty, too. I’ll whine that I’m tired in the morning thus creating an excuse not to go for a run. My whine temporarily makes me feel better and my excuse justifies my lack of motivation. The task at hand loses value and my lazy butt stays in bed for an additional 30 minutes. Ironically, later, I’ll probably whine that I’m putting on a few pounds. While whining breaks down our resistance, our excuses enable us to head down the road to no-where-ville. Although I’ll admit to using excuses, at some point, I have to force myself to get over it, make a choice, look at my priorities, and either do the task or accept that I’m not going to do it. As week 13 of a 16 week semester winds to a close, I’ve expressed the same sentiment to my students. After 13 weeks of reminders, nudges, and blatant pushes to complete assigned essays and writing assignments, we’re past the point of excuses. I’ve heard them all this semester – from court dates, doctor’s appointments, swine flu claims, sick birds (yes, this one was the most unique), and car accidents to broken printers, crashed computers, and jacked-up flash drives – the excuses ran wild. There comes a time, though, when excuses are just that – excuses. We have to make a choice and ask ourselves some tough questions. Did I just plain forget? Did I just not feel like it? Do I even care? Without lying to ourselves, whining to others about it, and making excuses to others, we have to make a choice. Do I need to do this? – or – Is it important to me? If not, be honest, and save yourself some stress and heartbreak. If so, quit whining, challenge yourself, complete the task, and rid yourself of excuses. More than likely, it will take more time conjuring up an excuse involving a sick bird or an Internet virus that struck down the neighborhood computers, than it will to just do what you need to do. - Shannon Philpott Blog Entry: Nov. 23, 2009 © Shannon Philpott, 2009. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Shannon Philpott and shannonphilpott.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Category: Blog
California Dreaming
I rarely remember my dreams, but once in a great while, I wake up vividly recalling the night’s events. The scene is clear, my thoughts are still wandering, and the “lesson” or moral of the story hits me smack dab in the face. Last night’s lesson was about “what ifs.” In my dream, I was an eager 18-year old heading off to college in California, thousands of miles away from my southern Illinois family. As I toured my new campus and dormitory, my heart was beating fast as my newfound freedom excited me and the pressures of being alone overwhelmed me. read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Scavenger Hunts: Digging for Dirt
Years ago, I put together a scavenger hunt for my friend’s bachelorette party. I couldn’t tell you if she had more fun hunting down the goodies or if I had more fun creating the list of outrageous items she needed to collect throughout the night. I can tell you that it was one of the most exciting adventures we have been on throughout our friendship. I’ll never forget the look on her face every time she found (or begged) for an item on the list from a complete stranger. Scavenger hunts are often reserved for special occasions and themed parties, but in my opinion, scavenger hunts serve a purpose in the newsroom, too. Plain and simple: reporters are on the hunt for stories everyday – little do they know that the clues are practically falling in their laps. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Big Hair, Tight Jeans and Disco Balls
I took a stroll down memory lane today. In my memory, I was dancing underneath a disco ball to Aerosmith’s “Angel” while awkwardly trying to stay at arm’s length from my dance partner, a boy from one of the “public” schools. Later in the memory I was giggling with my girlfriends about the cute boy that tried to touch my butt and the even cuter boy standing in the corner. We would take a short break for Tombstone pizzas and maybe even a video game or two before heading back to the dance floor – a place where we felt on top of the world and totally rad. REad the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Those Pesky Deadlines
As a reporter, I’m no stranger to working on deadline. A story comes in, I do my research, conduct the interviews, and then write the story – all usually within a day’s time. However, deadlines do not just apply to my freelance work. Deadlines apply to every single aspect of my life. I’m on deadline as a teacher – preparing lesson plans in time for class to start. I’m on deadline as a mom – rushing to get to soccer practices and dance lessons by the time each one starts. I’m on deadline as a home owner – keeping the house clean, the family fed, and the dog away from our valuables. Deadlines are draining and sometimes a royal pain. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Teaching the Teacher
One of the most exciting aspects of teaching is the fact that I don’t always have to teach. I’m not referring to the summer breaks but rather those teaching moments where the students teach the teacher. I specifically chose a career in higher education because I want to be a lifelong learner. I want to learn just as much from my students as they learn from me. It’s a partnership – a coaching relationship – and it’s the best job I’ve ever had. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Missing Mommy
There’s something both rewarding and heart wrenching about missing someone. If you’re missed, it makes you feel valued and appreciated. If you’re missing someone else, it helps you to appreciate and value that person even more. After five days away from my family last week, I’ve come to realize that missing mommy is healthy and painful at the same time. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Retention: Effort = Results
None of us are strangers to the concept of retention. In academia, it is often viewed as a dirty word signaling the profit portion of higher education. But, nonetheless, every college I have ever taught at has focused on the importance of retaining students, and every employer stressed the need to retain quality employees. Personally, we have a natural desire, too, to retain relationships with friends and loved ones. Retention is not easy, though. It’s a pull and play concept. You have to work to pull the person in, work to show the benefits of the institution or relationship, and work to maintain the results. The problem is that most people don’t actively retain; instead, they sit back and hope for the best. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Feature This: Stories With Heart
Feature stories have heart. Feature stories have warmth. Most of all, feature stories force a writer/reporter to evaluate the human side of a community – beyond the facts, beyond the opinions – to find the spirit of the story. I have always favored feature stories (or soft news) as a writer because it gives me the chance to get to know people on a higher level than straight news reporting (hard news) does. Beyond that, it also forces me to work as a reporter with feelings – yes, some reporters have actual feelings :). Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Mistaken Identity: It Wasn’t Me
Years ago, a friend of mine said I looked like Diane Keaton. Although I respect her work as an actress and think that she has aged beautifully, I was quite offended. Primarily, this struck a nerve because she is MUCH older than I am. At first I blew it off and thought that it was just the current bob I was sporting. But, the more I thought about it, the more I fumed. It didn’t feel so good to be compared because I felt like I lost my own identity. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Shannon Philpott-Sanders 