I'm writing this post in a hotel room adjacent to the airport in Chicago, where I've been for 30 hours. I was supposed to fly home to Phoenix yesterday after a week of visiting my parents. But a Chicago winter snowstorm grounded all planes, and it seems my new home is now the Hampton Inn until a plane can be found to haul my unhappy self out of this God-forsaken land of snow and wind. At least I have the complimentary breakfast bar available from 6:00-10:00 with a magical amount of ingredients for culinary enjoyment.

But here I am, trapped in a budget hotel room with three teenagers (one that snores, one that passes a concerning amount of gas, and one that is constantly negative). I am irritated. I am inconvenienced. I am also warm, fed, and in front of a TV streaming every Simpsons episode ever created rather than hold up on the floor of the Chicago airport. I continue to work on reminding myself that my state of being is largely dependent on my state of mind. It's not easy.

Why is it so effortless to focus on what is going wrong rather than on what is right, positive, and good? I don't know the answer to that (maybe Lori Robinson can point us to a brain science resource), but I know for me, it takes significant effort to focus on the positive. But when I do, things get easier and much more enjoyable.

As we head into the next semester of what promises to continue to be challenging, I invite you to join me in reframing the narrative. Not to gloss over or "happy talk" the reality, but focus on what IS going well. Focus on who in your orbit brings energy and light, and reflect on the progress being made that others might not easily see. It's there. I promise.

And if you find yourself stuck in a Hampton Inn (or its equivalent) anytime soon, here are three Laurie King "original recipes" you can use to pass the time and please your pallet:

The Savory Waffle: Make two mini waffles in the waffle maker. Snatch up one sausage patty from the sausage chaffer. Take a 1/2 container of cream cheese and one hot sauce packet and mix them together. Spread the spicy cheese concoction on each waffle. Assemble as a sandwich. Enjoy!
The Breakfast Sandwich: Toast an English Muffin. Spread cream cheese on each piece. Slice one hard-boiled egg and place on the muffin. If you happen to be there on a scrambled egg day, even better. Enjoy!
Apple Crisp: Slice one apple into a bowl. Pour about a half a cup of apple juice over the apples. Microwave for two minutes (or just until the bowl starts to melt!). Empty one or two bags of oatmeal over the apple and toss in a packet or two of butter (or "heart-healthy" butter substitute as is available). If there happens to be brown sugar on the bar, throw that in too. Stir it up and microwave for a few minutes until it looks like something you may want to eat. Pour some milk over it and...Enjoy?

Leadership and Learning