Attitude

Teacher Appreciation Day is Tuesday, May 4th. Whether you're 6 years old or 60, I'm sure you remember a teacher or two whom have inspired you.

I remember when I was a sophomore, I was asked to fill in for another actor in the Spring high school musical, Cole Porter's Anything Goes. The practices were long and hard: I was quite shy as a teenager, so it unnerved me to speak on stage. After the last performance of the musical I went up to my director and said, "I never thought I would have enough courage to speak on stage!" Mr. Ruelas encouraged me with a phrase I'll never forget: "Don't you ever limit yourself!" Since then, whenever I think, "I can't do this!" I remember him telling me that phrase.

Which teachers have inspired you? How have they inspired you? What quotes from them remind you to persevere?

A Parent's Note to a Teacher Anonymous ?I'm the voice of a grateful parent whose child was in your class... the one who needed help to find his way You've been a special blessing as you helped my child succeed and I'm thankful for the part you had to play You gave him so much more than just the lessons in the books you gave him wings... so he could learn to fly You ignited a flame within his soul a passion to learn and grow... to never give up and always be willing to try Your encouragement inspired him and your kindness was so real but the thing that thrills my heart the most is this... By building his self-confidence you changed his life this year he believes in himself... and a brighter future is his!

Today, Simple Truths author Michael McMillan would like to share a blog post with you:

Years ago I met a guy named Noel. Noel was his first name—and he hated it. "Since I was born on Christmas, my parents thought it was an appropriate name," Noel told me. What he hated more than his name was his birth date. "We can never celebrate 'my day,' it's always overshadowed by Christmas," he explained. Noel wasn't a very happy person. It was rare to see him smile. I don't know if it was his name, his birth date or something else… but his attitude did seem to worsen during December.

My birthday falls on April 22—Earth Day. Because I was in 6th grade when the first Earth Day was celebrated, my parents weren't tempted to name me Eartha, Fern, Gaia, Ocean, Zoe… or some other Earth-related name. But if they had, I don't think I would have minded. What's in a name—right? Unlike Noel, I'm glad my birthday falls on an important date—especially this one. I love the concept of Earth Day and feel honored to share "my day" celebrating it. I consider it my bEARTHday, so to speak.

We have no control over where and when we are born, or what we're named, for that matter. While we don't control the circumstances we are born into, we do choose our responses, attitudes and actions. In other words, our choices create our lives. Our choices also affect the Earth. Hopefully as we're creating our lives, we are also creating a better world. Think about it—without Earth, we have no place to live. We couldn't exist. Recognizing this fact, can you think of anything more important than caring for our planet? I can't. That's why I'm committed to being a responsible Earth citizen.

For me, this commitment is easy. Not only is it logical, it's natural, too. It resonates with my soul. I realized long ago when something resonates with your soul, it's important to embrace it. That's why I speak out against corporations that pollute our planet, deplete our resources and mistreat people, animals… and nature. Yes, I believe in capitalism… but not at the expense of our earth and its inhabitants. That's why I support "green" businesses.

Doing what's right and challenging the status quo takes courage… but when we don't make good choices and don't challenge those who pollute and mistreat our planet, we become part of the problem.

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE… but mostly… RESPECT our planet. "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." I agree with Einstein… and the time is NOW. We need to start thinking differently and creating new sustainable Earth-friendly solutions. The status quo has lost its status. Let's make certain future generations can experience this miraculous living planet filled with its endless beauty and wonder. Together, WE can make this world a better place. Happy Earth Day!