Happy New Year 2024! 

I was thinking about the New Year and trying to think of a list of New Year's resolutions or goals for the next twelve months. I was having a hard time, as it seems we live in a time of uncertainty.  Normally I feel I am an optimist, but I was finding that the New Year was not bringing many bright thoughts.  With this, I felt I needed to dig a little deeper to figure out why finding goals for the year felt difficult. 

Optimism and feeling hopeful come from a willingness to take risks and take on challenges.  Having a growth mindset is important when stepping into new situations or responsibilities.  There is always a risk of failure or not rising to expectations.  When one looks at situations as win or lose, one can hesitate and self-doubt.  To be an optimist is to look at the challenge or the future as an opportunity to learn.  As I thought about this, I already felt better.  I know there is plenty of room for me to learn! 

Children learn to be optimistic from their parents.  We model the behavior of looking at challenges as growth opportunities.  Dr Suzuki said "Children learn to smile from their parents." Perhaps this comes even when facing a particular challenge or seemingly insurmountable task.  As adult caregivers we need to moderate that tasks are not so overwhelming as to ensure failure.  However, we must also allow our children to fail so that we can share in the learning experience. Can we encourage our children to try something just to see what will happen and not whether they will win or lose?  What was the outcome of the disappointment?  What steps were needed to better succeed? When children learn that situations are not "win-lose" but "learn-learn" then we can build optimism into accepting new challenges.  When risks can be taken with hope and a positive attitude, the results can be surprisingly better than expected.

Yesterday I was able to announce to my class that I am going to practice more in 2024!  Time seems to fly by each day, and I often do not get enough time to practice.  Although this is a low risk challenge, I am going to figure this out and find the time--even for just a few minutes each day.  

The PLAYATHON is coming on Sunday, March 17th at the Shops at Chestnut Hill.  We will provide six hours of continuous music.  But the most important part of this is the promise to practice extra hard the ten days prior to the performance.  Ms. Lisa has started a 100 day Practice Challenge.  Can you practice 100 days in a row?  She is going to try, and maybe we can all do this together! 

Modelling optimism is good for both mental and physical health.  Less stress, better sleep patterns, and lower blood pressure are just a few of the physical benefits. Perhaps we can all join in by being optimistic.  As Dr. Suzuki said, "Where love is deep, much can be accomplished."