A person's compassionate speech and actions are like sunshine, clean water, and flowers which bring brightness, purity and joy to the world - Hsing Yun.

From one of my students (name covered)

The Recognition of Excellence ceremonies happened on Friday, the last day for students and staff for the year (although staff will continue to come into the campus during the next week and I have plenty to occupy my mind before I'm done for the year).

I certainly feel appreciated in my job - there were loads of lovely comments from colleagues yesterday that I really felt humbled to receive.

During the day, two completely unsolicited moments deeply affected me.

The message written in Sharpie on a folded up piece of A4 paper by a Year 10 student (4th form for older readers) will go into my glory box of memories.

The student in question is quiet and unassuming - I initiate a hello to them every day (I won't identify their gender) and they say hello back. That's about the extent of our daily interaction as we both get on with our days.

I was genuinely surprised when I was handed a bag of presents. Later, when I got back home I saw the 'card' in the bag.

Thing is, they are in Year 10 (a year group that is not generally noted for its sentimentality) and the student didn't need to give me anything. Didn't need to write any message at all.  

But they did. They took a moment to send me that message which, little do they know, I will treasure forever.

The second came from a staff member who recently resigned from our campus and so I farewelled her during my speech.

Once the students had all left and we'd packed up, she came to say goodbye and said, "You're the best Principal I've ever worked for".

Woh. That was a lump in the throat moment.

Both of these unsolicited compassionate words were like sunshine - they brought joy to my world and I'll tuck them away into my purer mind (as Wordsworth calls it) and recall these 'little, nameless, unremembered, acts of kindness and of love' when needed.

'Unremembered' by the sender over time, probably, but not by the receiver.

Tintern Abbey has often been a well spring for me and so I'm ending this post with some more lines from that poem, because Wordsworth sums things up better than anyone:

To them I may have owed another gift,
Of aspect more sublime; that blessed mood,
In which the burthen of the mystery,
In which the heavy and the weary weight
Of all this unintelligible world,
Is lightened: - that serene and blessed mood,
In which the affections gently lead us on, -
Until, the breath of this corporeal frame
And even the motion of our human blood
Almost suspended, we are laid asleep
In body, and become a living soul:
While with an eye made quiet by the power
Of harmony, and the deep power of joy,
We see into the life of things.

The bliss of solitude (William Wordsworth)

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

While gearing up for Daffodil Day this week at school, I thought I'd do some daffodil themed positive closes during our morning LEAN meetings. 

Yes, Daffodil Day is actually August 30 in NZ, but our seniors have been on exam leave since then, so we decided to wait.

Today's close: Look at the stars, look how they shine for you, and everything you do - Coldplay.

Then: As we live a life of ease, Everyone of us has all we need (has all we need), Sky of blue (sky of blue) and sea of green (and sea of green) - The Fab Four

After the yellow theme filters through, a brace from WW:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance - William Wordsworth

And some of the best few lines ever written:

In vacant or in pensive mood, they flash upon that inward eye, Which is the bliss of solitude - WW

I will sit right down, waiting for the gift of sound and vision (David Bowie)

Visionaries

First – some defining comments: a visionary is variously described as a person given to fanciful speculations and enthusiasms with little regard for what is actually possible, a dreamer, a person with unusual powers of foresight.

I love dreamers, I love working for dreamers (where have they gone?), and I love being a dreamer. You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.

My favourite visionaries and something of their thoughts

George Martin When I have a gut feeling about something, I've generally been right. And when I've listened to experts, they've invariably been wrong.

John F Kennedy/ Robert Kennedy There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why... I dream of things that never were, and ask why not? (R.K.)

Allen Ginsberg Follow your inner moonlight; don't hide the madness.

William Wordsworth We have within ourselves/ Enough to fill the present day with joy,/ And overspread the future years with hope.

John Lennon/Yoko Ono A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality. Y.O. Imagine… J.L./Y.O.

Luis Brunel All my life I've been harassed by questions: Why is something this way and not another? How do you account for that? This rage to understand, to fill in the blanks, only makes life more banal. If we could only find the courage to leave our destiny to chance, to accept the fundamental mystery of our lives, then we might be closer to the sort of happiness that comes with innocence.

Albert Einstein We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.

George Lucas 'Star Wars' is fun, it’s exciting, it’s inspirational, and people respond to that.

Lao Tze Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success. Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream.

Nelson Mandela It always seems impossible until it’s done.