Happy Friday, RISERS! I hope this week has been good to you and that you’ve been able to stay safe and dry as the remnants of recent hurricanes pass through Tennessee. Enjoy a weekend of whatever fun things you’ve planned. This week is the first football game of my daughter’s senior year. She plays mellophone in the marching band and has a solo in the half-time show.
Quote of the week: “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” –e e cummings, an American poet
Movie of the week: I’d like to recommend one of my favorite movies, Sidekicks, starring Chuck Norris and Jonathan Brandis. I can totally relate to this movie because, well, I am a dreamer. My husband is the realist. The movie is about a boy named Barry, who has asthma and constantly daydreams about adventures with Chuck Norris. Because his physical body is considered weak, he imagines himself in situations where he is strong (and often rescuing a damsel in distress). Barry has many people in his life who try to make it as miserable as possible. Each daydream adds another one of the people in his life, and the outcome is pretty fantastic. Without giving away the entire plot, I want to encourage you to watch this movie, which is available on Amazon Prime. When you find yourself retreating into your dream world, ask, “What fear am I trying so hard to escape?” and then look inside yourself to find the answer. I think this movie will become a favorite for you.
Joke of the week: What do you call a duck that gets straight As? A wise quacker.
Nugget of Wisdom for the week: In keeping with the theme of dreaming, I want to encourage you to really look inside yourself and identify what it is that makes you happy. Many of you are trying to decide what career field to go into as you get ready to graduate from high school and move to college. Don’t believe anyone who tries to tell you that you aren’t supposed to enjoy your career, or that you’ll be stuck in a dull nine-to-five existence and hate it. Many books give advice on finding your “sweet spot”—a job that requires your natural abilities, passion, and drive but will also be a money-earning situation for you. Many people must force themselves to go to work each day, because they simply must make money to pay their bills. But by planning and dreaming now, you can do what it takes to not just go to work and earn a good living, but also to really enjoy it—to feel like you can change the world with your efforts. That’s what I call living in your sweet spot.
Have a great week. Remember, you are most awesome and YOU ROCK!
Marion Rhines is a foster-turned-adoptive parent. She lives in Knoxville, Tenn., with her husband and five children. She has written and published two children’s books as well as two foster-care-themed novels. She has a Facebook blog, Tips from the FLIP Side, and enjoys working with children of all ages.
