Breathe - Essential for Life and Leadership

As I write, I am blessed to be sitting back and watch a magnificent sunset over the waters of the NSW South Coast. This is a place that holds a lot of meaning for me as this was the place of my birth, the place of my family for generations and the place that I feel truly connected to myself.
Sadly though, for many educator's, we rush and rush throughout the year not taking stock because of the pace of life. As a result, we miss the moments like these. The moments to breathe and reflect on where we have come from and where we are going.
In moments we take to breathe, we give ourselves permission to be honest, allowing us clearly to see what is important and experience the joy that this gives us.
An example of this happened this morning when I took my daughter's out for their first dive of the season. For my youngest this was her first ever so for her it was a mix of excitement and fear. As I was coaching her my biggest piece of advice was about the importance of breathing. The intake of oxygen is our source of life and if she caused her breathing to become rushed or tried to hold her breathe she could have caused problems.
As an educational leader, I too need to remember to breathe in decision making, not rushed or holding off hoping the problem will go away. As I thoughtfully pace myself, I give space to make the best decision for the situation.

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