As many know, I've made a lifestyle change recently by leaving a full-time, fast-paced, sometimes high pressure job in, what has always been to me, a high quality health care private dental care practice. I've had the opportunity over the years to work with some amazing people, to have conversations with wonderful clients, learn a lot about customer service and delivering quality care, and developing my character and ideals along the way. There are a few words in my vocabulary that define me, or at least I would like those words to reflect my living... those words are FORM AND FUNCTION, PERSONAL EXCELLENCE, RESPONSIBILITY, and JOY IN LIVING, regardless of what I'm doing, or who I am doing things with.
FORM AND FUNCTION: If it doesn't work either mechanically, technically, or as a procedure I like to either FIX it so it does work well, or move on to something that does work well. If it doesn't look good while I'm using it, or the process looks cludgy, I work to improve how things appear. If things work well, and appear to be working well, and the entire operation is smooth, I am happy.
PERSONAL EXCELLENCE: I believe there is a difference between excellence and perfection... and there is also a difference between excellence and good enough. I strive for excellence which means doing my personal best with the resources available to accomplish the intended goal. There are many ways to get from here to there, and there are many definitions of where "there" may be. That being said, once the goal is defined, I take it as a personal challenge to get the job done efficiently as possible, keeping in mind FORM & FUNCTION.
ACCOUNTABILITY/ RESPONSIBILITY: We are not any of us responsible for everything, and none of us is free from being responsible for something... and levels of resonsibilitiy change as situations evolve. We are accountable for our actions and decisions. It's harder to be totally accountable for our reactions, but we can take responsibility for being as kind and generous as possible. Sometimes we, each of us, are not as kind or generous as we would like and in those instances I think it's good to acknowledge our own shortcomings, and to also allow for them in others... as long as it doesn't become a habit! Remember to maintain your composure, FORM & FUNCTION even as it applies to relationships.
JOY IN LIVING: "If you're not having fun, you're not doing it right!" Wise words from a wise man years ago. If there is no joy in the living, there will quite likely not be FORM & FUNCTION in your activities or relationships. It will be more difficult to be responsible for being kind and generous if we allow a pattern of being grumpy or choosing to be around grumpy people. It is hard to work toward PERSONAL EXCELLENCE if you spend all your time apologizing for being grumpy, or trying to make an unhappy person be more pleasant.
These principles are, to me, essential in living a life of purpose. It has been easy to get off track by working full time outside of the home, by keeping up a sometimes hectic schedule of music and dance, in maintaining a home. Many, many years ago my life was a lot simpler... busier maybe but in many ways less complicated. I've been re-kindling an interest in getting back to those ways of being, and ways of living, that are more simple, more connected, more hands-on, and more likely to sustain me and my family in ways that buying things cannot do. I've been baking bread, building shelves in the greenhouse, clearing brush by hand, viewing the world with a softer eye, picking tomatoes, cooking soups, washing windows, taking music lessons, stretching my body out in the sunshine, walking around the property, listening to the birds, playing music, dancing outside in the breeze, picking flowers, making quilts, writing stories, and stopping to visit with people if they call or stop by. I feel like I'm on my way back home, to my roots, to the things I grew up with. This new life is still just that, new. Structuring my time and balancing time and money is a challenge. But, I feel like I'm on a good path, like being on my way back home!
Way Back Home can be found in the Curvy Road to Corinth.
I got a letter in the mail today, not THE letter (which would be the acceptance letter), but still a pretty encouraging letter from the Univeristy of Maine Farmington. Last month I applied for admission as a full time student, planning to start classes in January 2008. The letter I received today indicates that my application has been received and is being reviewed, and that I've submitted everything they need to make a decision. I've chosen Environmental Science as my major, but also want to concentrate on K-8 Education. 
