1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:14,360
How can you break free from the messages you, those closest to you, or society tells you?

2
00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:19,020
How can you push yourself beyond what you thought possible?

3
00:00:19,020 --> 00:00:24,360
On today's episode of Life's Next Lesson Plan Podcast, Rachel Rauk, that's me, high

4
00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:29,800
school teacher for three decades, shares her vision for this podcast, along with a lesson

5
00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:37,240
on creating your ideal life based on the powerful TED talk entitled The Danger of a Single Story,

6
00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:42,520
and Malcolm Gladwell's book, Blink, The Power of Thinking Without Thinking.

7
00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:48,080
Each episode will have an action step to help you manifest your dream life, but in this

8
00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:54,400
class the homework is optional.

9
00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:59,760
Hello and welcome back to Life's Next Lesson Plan Podcast, and thank you for joining me

10
00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:01,280
for episode 3.

11
00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:05,680
I'll reintroduce myself for anyone listening who doesn't know me yet.

12
00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:10,560
I'm Rachel, a 51 year old divorced mom in Wisconsin.

13
00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:14,760
I have a 17 year old daughter and a dog and a cat.

14
00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:19,960
I decided to end my three decades long career as an English teacher after this school year

15
00:01:19,960 --> 00:01:26,320
to actually explore new passions instead of just talking or dreaming about them.

16
00:01:26,320 --> 00:01:32,400
Outside of being a teacher and a mom, my interests are career next steps, learning in education,

17
00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:39,440
health and wellness, despite my love for pizza and N.A. Guinness, lifestyle and travel, and

18
00:01:39,440 --> 00:01:41,240
storytelling.

19
00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:46,840
One thing I hear often from retired educators is that the loss of identity is difficult,

20
00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:51,720
especially for those of us who have been teachers our entire adult lives.

21
00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:56,440
This podcast is a way for me to explore a new adventure while also staying rooted in

22
00:01:56,440 --> 00:02:01,640
my education background by putting some of what I taught as a journalism teacher to the

23
00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:03,160
test.

24
00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:07,720
At the same time, my goal is to connect with others looking to take their next steps in

25
00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:12,880
life, whether that be personal or career related.

26
00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:17,800
To bridge my transition out of education, you'll find that this podcast follows a similar

27
00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:20,680
structure to the classroom.

28
00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:25,240
Twice a month I'll have solo episodes and twice a month I'll have a guest with me so

29
00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:27,480
we can learn together.

30
00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:32,760
Each podcast will have a brief lecture or lesson followed by an activity to engage you

31
00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:38,160
in the episode along with some optional homework.

32
00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:43,880
This will remind me of my school days where some students thought homework was an option.

33
00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:48,520
It is my hope that by engaging in each lesson and completing the homework, you will learn

34
00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:54,000
something new but also uncover ideas for your life's next lesson plan, however you

35
00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:56,040
want that to look.

36
00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:59,840
This podcast is not just for educators or midlifers though.

37
00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:05,560
The ideas can apply at any stage of life for anyone searching to feel more fulfilled.

38
00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:14,400
With that said, let's dig into today's lesson.

39
00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:19,880
As the title suggests, today's lecture or lesson is on breaking free from the single

40
00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:26,120
story, creating your own path with the book Blink and Beyond.

41
00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:32,200
So today I'm going to combine two of my favorite concepts I taught in journalism class involving

42
00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:35,840
making quick judgments or assumptions about others.

43
00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:40,920
This also ties to my thoughts about societal influence that I outlined in episode 1 about

44
00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:45,000
the transcendental ideas of nonconformity.

45
00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:49,360
Before starting the interview unit in my beginning journalism classes, I used to show the TED

46
00:03:49,360 --> 00:04:01,960
talk The Danger of a Single Story by Nigerian author Chima Manda Nagose Adiche.

47
00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:08,320
In her articulate talk, Adiche discusses how a limited or one-sided narrative about a person,

48
00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:16,120
a place, or a culture can lead to misunderstanding, stereotypes, and oversimplification.

49
00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:22,200
Adiche begins by recounting her own experiences of growing up in Nigeria where her early exposure

50
00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:26,120
to literature was dominated by Western authors.

51
00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:31,400
She reflects on how this influenced her own writing and worldview and how she initially

52
00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:36,920
wrote stories about things she had never experienced because that was what she thought literature

53
00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:38,920
should be like.

54
00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:44,840
In her talk, she then explores the impact of the single story in her life and in the broader

55
00:04:44,840 --> 00:04:46,000
world.

56
00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:51,520
For instance, she shares a story about moving to the United States for college.

57
00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:56,880
And she's shocked when people are surprised that she speaks English and has a middle class

58
00:04:56,880 --> 00:04:58,880
background.

59
00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:06,120
That's because when they hear Africa, they had created a one-dimensional portrayal of

60
00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:11,280
Africa, usually focused on poverty and war.

61
00:05:11,280 --> 00:05:15,880
Adiche emphasizes in her TED talk that the problem with the single story is not that

62
00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:20,520
it's necessarily untrue, but that it's incomplete.

63
00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:28,280
By relying on one single narrative, we risk reducing complex human experiences to simplistic

64
00:05:28,280 --> 00:05:32,560
stereotypes that distort our understanding of the world.

65
00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:38,760
Ultimately, she urges listeners to seek out multiple perspectives and stories both about

66
00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:45,080
ourselves and about others, which I'll talk about in a minute.

67
00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:51,760
After this powerful talk, I would ask my students, where I taught in the affluent town of Maquan,

68
00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:56,120
to create a single story of me.

69
00:05:56,120 --> 00:06:01,240
This was usually very early in the year before they knew much about me, so they would share

70
00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:09,080
their lists of assumptions, saying things about maybe my middle to upper class background,

71
00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:20,920
my delightful childhood, my high levels of education, my current socioeconomic status,

72
00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:24,200
and stories about how I likely grew up.

73
00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:34,880
Well, after that list, I would then drop some big truth bombs on them about my real story

74
00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:38,520
versus their single stories.

75
00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:44,560
And we'll just say that the room of teenagers was always dead silent.

76
00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:51,200
This lesson definitely opened their eyes to the way they immediately judge people based

77
00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:54,560
on appearance and general assumptions.

78
00:06:54,560 --> 00:07:00,280
We have really good talks about how when someone walks in the room, what are the first two

79
00:07:00,280 --> 00:07:07,480
to three things they look at and what generalizations do they make as a result.

80
00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:15,680
I'm going to go more in depth about this topic on Patreon and share another lesson about

81
00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:23,240
writing a 300 word story using a template and how I created my own story as I wrote

82
00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:25,280
with them.

83
00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:31,160
Just a warning though, that one will be a juicy episode, which is why I need to put

84
00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:32,960
it on Patreon.

85
00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:37,840
I'll definitely be sure to let you know when that's ready.

86
00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:44,280
At this point, I would sort of transition into just a little mini lesson about Malcolm

87
00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:49,240
Gladwell's book, Blink, The Power of Thinking Without Thinking.

88
00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:55,760
I absolutely love Malcolm Gladwell, his research is absolutely fascinating.

89
00:07:55,760 --> 00:08:02,600
But this particular book, as you can imagine, Blink, explores the concept of rapid cognition,

90
00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:09,240
which is making quick unconscious decisions based on limited information.

91
00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:17,080
So how people make judgments in the blink of an eye, without deliberate conscious thought,

92
00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:23,600
and how these snap decisions can be both beneficial at times, but often flawed.

93
00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:30,680
Americans, he says in his research, are definitely the prime offenders of this.

94
00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:37,360
So in his book, Gladwell has seven key themes and ideas.

95
00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:40,840
The first one is about the unconscious mind.

96
00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:45,720
Gladwell explains that much of our thinking occurs below the level of conscious awareness.

97
00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:51,120
We just make split second decisions based on instincts and experiences that we've accumulated

98
00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:56,320
over time, even kind of being unaware of why we make them.

99
00:08:56,320 --> 00:09:03,240
These decisions are often referred to as thin slicing, where people kind of quickly identify

100
00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:11,320
patterns and draw conclusions from minimal data, or again from their own life experiences.

101
00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:15,880
His second idea is intuition versus reasoning.

102
00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:22,320
So the book emphasizes the power of intuition, arguing that sometimes quick judgments can

103
00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:25,880
be more accurate than those made after lengthy deliberation.

104
00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:29,720
It's kind of like going with your gut feeling.

105
00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:36,240
Gladwell presents examples such as art experts instantly recognizing forged paintings, or

106
00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:42,120
a marriage counselor sensing trouble in a relationship with just a few moments of interaction.

107
00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:51,080
I would argue that if you're a mom, there's some truth to motherly intuition as well.

108
00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:54,840
His third idea is the power of first impressions.

109
00:09:54,840 --> 00:10:01,120
Gladwell explores how initial impressions can often be more reliable than carefully

110
00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:03,000
considered ones.

111
00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:09,040
This is illustrated by examples like the way people form impressions of others, maybe

112
00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:15,040
a teacher's first impression of a student, or vice versa, or how individuals react to

113
00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:19,760
products or advertisements.

114
00:10:19,760 --> 00:10:24,520
His fourth idea is the dark side of rapid cognition.

115
00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:33,280
So while quick judgments can at times be accurate, they are also susceptible to biases and errors.

116
00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:39,840
Gladwell discusses how unconscious biases like racial prejudices or stereotypes can

117
00:10:39,840 --> 00:10:42,480
influence snap decisions.

118
00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:48,080
So for instance, he explores the example of police officers making split second decisions

119
00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:54,200
in potentially life-threatening situations, and how their implicit biases can sometimes

120
00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:57,080
lead to tragic mistakes.

121
00:10:57,080 --> 00:11:02,960
He has so many countless examples, so well researched in his book, to back up all of

122
00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:05,080
these ideas.

123
00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:09,560
This fifth thought is the Warren Harding error.

124
00:11:09,560 --> 00:11:15,160
So one example Gladwell uses to demonstrate the danger of biased snap judgments is the

125
00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:20,640
story of Warren Harding, who as some of you probably know, became a US president despite

126
00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:26,080
being one of the least qualified candidates.

127
00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:32,080
Gladwell suggests that Harding's appearance fit the stereotype of a president, leading

128
00:11:32,080 --> 00:11:38,680
voters to make an ill-informed decision based on superficial impressions.

129
00:11:38,680 --> 00:11:40,920
Interesting.

130
00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:43,680
Sixth is the importance of context.

131
00:11:43,680 --> 00:11:50,480
So here Gladwell highlights that the context in which decisions are made can drastically

132
00:11:50,480 --> 00:11:52,480
affect the outcome.

133
00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:58,160
He discusses various instances where the same person can make a very different judgment

134
00:11:58,160 --> 00:12:01,240
in one context versus another.

135
00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:07,960
So one of the most famous examples is the use of the 42nd rule in firefighting, where

136
00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:13,920
experienced firefighters make snap decisions based on context and their knowledge of human

137
00:12:13,920 --> 00:12:15,880
behavior.

138
00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:22,160
And then lastly, he talks about the limits of expertise, so he points out that expertise

139
00:12:22,160 --> 00:12:25,800
doesn't always guarantee better decision making.

140
00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:31,720
In fact, in some cases, relying on expert knowledge can slow down decision making or

141
00:12:31,720 --> 00:12:38,600
even lead to errors, especially when it prevents people from trusting their instincts.

142
00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:46,040
So to sum all that up about the book, Blink, argues that rapid cognition or making decisions

143
00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:50,920
in the blink of an eye is a powerful tool that we use in everyday life.

144
00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:58,620
It can be a force for good, but it also comes with risks, particularly when bi-season stereotypes

145
00:12:58,620 --> 00:13:01,240
influence our decisions.

146
00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:07,440
Gladwell encourages us to become more aware of how our minds work when making snap judgments

147
00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:12,600
and to recognize when to trust our instincts and when to be cautious.

148
00:13:12,600 --> 00:13:18,040
The overall message is that while we should trust our instincts, we also need to be aware

149
00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:23,320
of their limitations and the factors that might influence them.

150
00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:29,080
So in the classroom, after this lesson on assumptions, I would talk about how we should

151
00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:33,120
approach interviewing others in our school community.

152
00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:40,000
This is usually their first opportunity to go outside the classroom and interview someone.

153
00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:46,240
I want them to strip their minds of any preconceived notions of their peers, the custodians in

154
00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:51,880
the building, their administrators, or other teachers that they might interview for their

155
00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:54,400
first assignment.

156
00:13:54,400 --> 00:14:01,600
So this is the part of the lesson where we're going to stop for a moment to reflect.

157
00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:08,080
If you're the journaling type, feel free to pause and write on these topics if it's convenient

158
00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:13,240
for you or you can always come back or just think about them in your head.

159
00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:18,560
I want you to think of a time in your own life you may have been guilty of creating

160
00:14:18,560 --> 00:14:26,840
a single story or judgment about someone or a group of people in the blink of an eye.

161
00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:29,680
Were you right?

162
00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:37,320
How might things have been different if you cleared your mind of any assumptions?

163
00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:41,320
Now I want to switch to thinking about if you have done this to yourself.

164
00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:50,640
Do you set goals for your life based on what others like you are doing or what society

165
00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:53,880
expects you to do?

166
00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:58,600
Have you created a single story for yourself?

167
00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:02,600
If you would like more time to reflect on these questions, again feel free to pause

168
00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:07,760
and journal a bit about these topics.

169
00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:10,080
Who doesn't enjoy a sale year-round?

170
00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:14,800
But especially at this time of year with the burden of extra holiday costs, teachers need

171
00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:21,400
to take advantage of those school IDs with discounts on items at J.Crew, Vera Bradley,

172
00:15:21,400 --> 00:15:26,280
and Madewell, where teachers get a 15% discount on every purchase.

173
00:15:26,280 --> 00:15:35,360
Additionally, teachers with an ID.me account can save up to 50% at Reebok and 20% at Under Armour.

174
00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:41,680
And at Adidas, teachers get 30% off online and in store and 20% off at Adidas factory

175
00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:43,440
outlet stores.

176
00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:48,680
Take your perks where you can get them.

177
00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:54,240
In my own life I've certainly been guilty of doing this to myself and others at times.

178
00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:59,720
I know as a first generation college student it was originally not in my plans to attend

179
00:15:59,720 --> 00:16:02,040
a four year college.

180
00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:09,520
I'm sure some people in my family can tell you I wanted to be a hairdresser.

181
00:16:09,520 --> 00:16:15,840
I had created a single story for my life based on what I saw growing up.

182
00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:22,080
Probably not surprising that it was my own high school creative writing teacher who insisted

183
00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:29,040
on writing me a letter of recommendation for college and more than gently nudging me to

184
00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:31,160
apply.

185
00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:34,520
And the rest, as they say, is history.

186
00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:38,320
Well in this case a career as an English teacher.

187
00:16:38,320 --> 00:16:47,960
So speaking of teachers and class, we're at the homework section of today's lesson on

188
00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:54,560
how to break free from the single story and create your own path using our knowledge from

189
00:16:54,560 --> 00:16:58,360
blink and beyond.

190
00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:07,560
So this idea we need to ask ourselves, are you living based on a single story of yourself

191
00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:10,760
you have created in your mind?

192
00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:17,080
If you listened to episode one, you know that episode at the end for homework we created

193
00:17:17,080 --> 00:17:21,080
a vision board for an ideal life.

194
00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:26,640
In other words, if there were no boundaries, what elements would you love to see in your

195
00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:28,560
life?

196
00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:33,480
If you looked at my vision board on social media, you probably noticed mine involved

197
00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:37,760
a lot of warm weather and water.

198
00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:40,320
So action items.

199
00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:47,520
How can you break free from the messages that you or those closest to you or society tells

200
00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:48,520
you?

201
00:17:48,520 --> 00:17:52,760
How can you push yourself beyond what you thought possible?

202
00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:58,760
So piggybacking off episode one, let's make our visions more concrete.

203
00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:05,920
I'm going to suggest for homework that you choose at least one of these areas to be intentional

204
00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:07,400
about.

205
00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:13,720
It's one thing to dream it in our minds, but we all know that famous cliche that nothing

206
00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:17,440
changes if nothing changes.

207
00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:26,760
I'm definitely living this right now as I jump out of my comfort zone and into a new path.

208
00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:33,360
So there are nine areas and again I think I'll talk about the two I have focused most

209
00:18:33,360 --> 00:18:39,040
on, but definitely all of these have been going on in the last couple months for me.

210
00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:44,240
So number one is to redefine your comfort zone.

211
00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:50,680
So you can evaluate your fears, identify what makes you uncomfortable and why.

212
00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:55,520
If you understand your fears, it can help you approach them more logically.

213
00:18:55,520 --> 00:19:01,600
So if this is where you want to take action, you can start small.

214
00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:04,840
I always live by baby steps.

215
00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:11,080
So taking minor steps outside your comfort zone could look like speaking up in a meeting

216
00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:19,400
when you would normally not speak, trying a new hobby or doing something for fun that

217
00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:21,280
you've never done before.

218
00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:23,920
You never know where it might lead.

219
00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:28,360
Plus small wins will build confidence.

220
00:19:28,360 --> 00:19:34,240
One area you might want to focus on is creating a vision.

221
00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:37,920
So picture yourself achieving your goal.

222
00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:45,160
Imagine the details, how you would feel, what you would see, how your life would change.

223
00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:51,000
The action step here is to write it down.

224
00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:58,800
First research suggests that goals are more likely achieved if they are written down.

225
00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:05,000
We'll actually have an episode coming up on specific goal setting, but break your goals

226
00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:09,680
into small achievable milestones.

227
00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:13,320
Number three, face discomfort intentionally.

228
00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:19,400
So this kind of goes along with number one, but this is a place where you can try new

229
00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:26,000
experiences like a networking event, going on a solo trip, taking up an activity you've

230
00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:29,720
always avoided but admired secretly.

231
00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:33,520
And in this case, we're going to embrace failure.

232
00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:38,160
So we're going to reframe setbacks as learning opportunities.

233
00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:42,920
Because if we don't try, we don't know.

234
00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:49,360
And if we try and we keep trying and we fail in between, but we never give up, we are successful.

235
00:20:49,360 --> 00:20:53,640
See how I'm trying to talk myself into that?

236
00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:54,640
Okay.

237
00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:58,800
Number four, building a support system.

238
00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:02,480
If there's always something you wanted to do, find a mentor.

239
00:21:02,480 --> 00:21:06,960
Learn from someone who has already achieved what you aspired to.

240
00:21:06,960 --> 00:21:08,160
Definitely did this one.

241
00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:11,960
Thank you, Jenna Kutcher from the Gold Digger podcast.

242
00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:17,040
This action step would involve surrounding yourself with positivity and engaging with

243
00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:22,720
like-minded, supportive individuals and maybe doing a little bit of research on who is an

244
00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:27,200
expert in an area you would like to pursue.

245
00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:30,760
Number five is to take action every day.

246
00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:38,120
Do one thing each day that aligns with your dream, no matter how small it is.

247
00:21:38,120 --> 00:21:41,840
So practice affirmations for your action step.

248
00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:47,880
Find yourself daily that you are capable and deserving of your dreams and tick one thing

249
00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:51,480
off your to-do list.

250
00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:53,780
Number six, develop a new skill.

251
00:21:53,780 --> 00:21:59,440
Take a course or a workshop that push you closer to your dream.

252
00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:04,840
Another action step could involve reading a book, attending a seminar, listening to a

253
00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:06,280
podcast.

254
00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:08,440
Personally love that one.

255
00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:10,960
That motivate you to think differently.

256
00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:18,400
Some great personal development books too that I'd like to dive into in future podcasts.

257
00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:21,080
Number seven is to step into opportunities.

258
00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:23,440
Say yes more often.

259
00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:28,680
Maybe accept an invitation or a challenge that you would typically decline.

260
00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:35,160
This also involves for an action step I can relate, not waiting for the perfect moment.

261
00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:36,520
Just start.

262
00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:42,760
You can always email someone you admire, apply for a dream job, pitch an idea that you've

263
00:22:42,760 --> 00:22:53,500
been sitting on, but we're too worried and too vulnerable to reach out and achieve.

264
00:22:53,500 --> 00:22:56,640
Number eight, stay patient and persistent.

265
00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:59,360
So small wins are wins.

266
00:22:59,360 --> 00:23:01,600
Momentum is momentum.

267
00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:04,200
Keep pushing through self doubt.

268
00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:06,560
A sub-big one.

269
00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:09,080
Imposter syndrome is real.

270
00:23:09,080 --> 00:23:12,320
And lastly, practice gratitude and mindfulness.

271
00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:14,360
Ooh, we're in luck here.

272
00:23:14,360 --> 00:23:20,140
I have an upcoming guest who's going to be teaching us more on this topic.

273
00:23:20,140 --> 00:23:25,520
She has an absolutely fascinating post-classroom story.

274
00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:28,760
So in this case, you reflect often.

275
00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:33,240
Appreciate how far you've come, even when the journey feels tough.

276
00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:40,080
Your action step is to try to stay more present, try to manifest and be mindful about the efforts

277
00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:44,400
that you are making toward your goals.

278
00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:51,560
So personally, I've been leaning hard into a lot of these, especially seven and eight,

279
00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:58,160
as I have switched gears and have branched out of my comfort zone, experienced many moments

280
00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:04,680
of doubt and keep pushing through one baby step at a time.

281
00:24:04,680 --> 00:24:09,560
So remember, growth begins at the edge of your comfort zone.

282
00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:16,240
Each time you step outside, you expand your boundaries and get closer to your dreams.

283
00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:19,640
No one else can achieve your dreams for you.

284
00:24:19,640 --> 00:24:32,560
And if no one else tells you, I believe in you.

285
00:24:32,560 --> 00:24:37,160
Thank you for joining me to learn more about the single story TED Talk and Malcolm Gladwell's

286
00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:39,560
book, Blink.

287
00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:44,600
Next week, I'll have a guest here who will be ready to share more stories and teach another

288
00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:49,280
lesson to help us through this thing we call life.

289
00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:54,160
As a special thank you for listening, I've put a link in the show notes to editable slides

290
00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:58,760
on setting up a small interview and photo assignment, modeled after the famous Humans

291
00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:03,640
of New York website and books created by Brandon Stanton.

292
00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:06,440
Teachers feel free to adapt them for a unit in your classroom.

293
00:25:06,440 --> 00:25:12,840
It'd be a great icebreaker, or share them with someone who might find them useful.

294
00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:17,240
If you'd like to subscribe to our email list for special offers, send us your email at

295
00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:21,160
nextlessonplan at gmail.com.

296
00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:26,920
To accompany this episode, I also have a separate set of slides just for our email subscribers

297
00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:30,000
that teach photo composition techniques.

298
00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:35,600
I typically used this lesson along with the Humans of New York interview lesson to capture

299
00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:39,800
artistic candid photos of the interview subjects.

300
00:25:39,800 --> 00:25:45,560
Simply email us and comment photo, and I will share the editable slides with you.

301
00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:49,640
Pass this on to someone else you think might like them as well.

302
00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:54,320
As I mentioned in today's episode, I will be recording some more personal episodes on

303
00:25:54,320 --> 00:25:55,320
Patreon.

304
00:25:55,320 --> 00:25:58,840
I'll be sure to let you know when that is ready.

305
00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:03,960
In the meantime, don't forget to follow us at Life's Next Lesson Plan on Instagram and

306
00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:09,400
Facebook for behind the scenes content and updates, and hit that subscribe button on

307
00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:14,000
Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and iHeart Radio.

308
00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:17,480
We'd love it if you'd share this episode with someone you know.

309
00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:46,480
Give us a review, and until next time, Baby Steps, Friends, Momentum is Momentum.