Week 3 / Blog 3 – Response to David Middlebrook’s Blog

My Response to David Middlebrook's Blog:

David, you had a serious Dr. Phil session here J What you say is so true. We all have been advised or came to the self-realization that we simply cannot take ourselves so seriously. Who appointed society as the Assessment Team of our lives?? Many years ago, I decided to lighten up. I laugh…..A LOT. Where I teach, classes are held once a week. So when my student walks into my classroom, I have no idea what kind of week they had – what bills weren’t paid, where the baby-daddy is, why there was no hot water that morning, etc. But for the three hours I have them in that classroom, I try to make sure they smile and exhale, even for a moment. I think there is so much we can take from that chapter!

David Middlebrook's Original Post:

In reading chapters 5 through 8 of “The Art of Possibility” there were many emotions that surfaced in me as I read. Most of them were happy emotions as I read how others were inspired to be more than their environment or their thoughts and emotions allowed them to be. In some ways it could have been me in some of the instances as I was able to relate to them.

Here’s what I gleaned from each chapter.

Chapter 5: Leading from any chair
This chapter helped me see that there are leaders everywhere. We have to be willing and vulnerable, as educators, to allow those leaders to rise up in the ranks and have the chance to prove themselves. I remember being given this opportunity in band when I was in Jr High. This allowed me to develop the confidence needed to break out of my awkward teen issues and become a student leader.

Chapter 6: Rule Number 6
This chapter was a big slap in the face. I’ll be the first to admit that I take myself too seriously. The main thing that I took from this chapter is that I need to lighten up, smile, and look at life with a different pair of glasses. Those glasses are ones that help me see that there are endless possibilities and I just need to take hold of them by letting the central self shine through.

Chapter 7: The Way Things Are
This chapter was exercises in learning how to not only coexist with the way things are, but how to use it to our advantage and rise above our circumstances.


Chapter 8: Giving Way to Passion
A couple of thins that struck me as funny and sobering at the same time was the concept of giving way to passion. The authors presented a concept that I had experience somewhat when I was a voice student in college. I remember singing in a voice jury where my professors critiqued my vocal presentation and gave me comments and grades for the semester. When I reviewed the critiques with my vocal coach she commented that it seemed that I had an outer body experience while singing. She was right. In the midst of performing, I forgot about all of the technique and control, which I had practiced and practiced, and just sang the music with passion. Practice engrains technique, but passion drives a pure and free performance.