I've got Friday on my mind (The Easybeats)

Photo by Nicole Honeywill on Unsplash

Yes, it's Friyay.

This has been a looooong week for me. Monday morning: I drove the four hours to my Gisborne campus for two great days there. Tuesday afternoon: I drove the four hours back home to Takapau. Hump Wednesday at my Hawke's Bay campus: tough getting back into stride (I kept thinking it was Monday all day). Thursday was great - refreshed and on top of things.

And now it's Friday. I tell my students: it's a rule. Gotta be happy on a Friday. The end of the working week.

I note the following in passing:

• In astrology, Friday is connected with the planet Venus and is symbolized by that planet's symbol ♀. Friday is also associated with the astrological signs Libra and Taurus. I'm a Libra and mum was a Taurus.
• Though Friday has always been held an unlucky day in many Christian countries, still in the Hebrides it is supposed that it is a lucky day for sowing the seed. 
• In Islam, Friday corresponds as a holy day to Sunday in Christianity. Friday observance includes attendance at a mosque for congregation prayer or Salat AlJumu'ah. It is considered a day of peace and mercy as well as a day of rest.
• Black Friday refers to any one of several historical disasters that happened on Fridays, and, in a general sense, to any Friday the thirteenth. 
• Casual Friday (also called Dress-down, Aloha or Country and Western Friday) is a relaxation of the formal dress code employed by some corporations for the last day of the working week.
• Good Friday is the Friday before Easter in the Christian calendar. It commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus.
• POETS Day is a term used by workers in the United Kingdom and Australia to refer to Friday, the last day of the work week. It commonly stands for "Piss Off Early; Tomorrow's Saturday".

Listen, do you want to know a secret? (The Beatles)

Photo by James Haworth on Unsplash

The secret to managing is to be transparent, just, and above all, fair; the best way to handle challenging situations is to understand others along with their emotions and reasoning. 

(Venerable master Hsing Yun)

Nothing succeeds (sucks seeds) like a budgerigar

This is an excellent message for students everyone!

Persistence pays off. Never give up, never surrender!

I need to remember Thomas Edison's message when I'm dealing with Spark over a broadband/ internet issue.

It's easy to give up when the chatbot leads you down a blind alley. It's easy to give up when 'book a call' freezes. It's easy to give up when no one answers the phone at the local Spark office and you have to leave a message and no one gets back to you and you feel like bashing your head against the desk in frustration.

But, then I remember Thomas' message. 

I haven't failed. I'm not discouraged. The failures are a series of steps forward.