Sharpen Your Saw

"Time you enjoyed wasting was not wasted"- John Lennon

The head principal of the school I work introduced this phrase and concept at one of our first staff meetings: "Sharpen your saw."  And while I forget the exact story he had that went along with it, the meaning stuck.  I'll quickly give you a botched up version of what he means when he says that:
      Each of us is like a saw; we're sharp and can be efficient at what we do.  Over time, especially in our every day jobs, our saw becomes dull due to all work and no play.  Every now and then, we need to take time to ourselves to do the things we enjoy and WANT to do rather than things we NEED to do; these things help us "sharpen our saws" so we feel rejuvenated, sharp and ready to go again.  I love love LOVE that he told us to sharpen our saws whenever we can, and to not feel guilty about doing that.  He recognizes that burnout is a serious problem, especially in teaching, and he advocates for us to not work ALL the time; spend time with family, do the things you enjoy so you are a happier, healthier, "sharper" employee.  (He was careful to add to do this within reason.)


Why is this applicable to my life right now?  Because yesterday was my birthday!  Yes, I am now closer to 30 than I am to 20, as my brother reminded me in his voicemail yesterday.  It was a Friday, and normally I would have been at school.  Since it was my birthday, I decided to take the day to sharpen my saw.  I felt like it was a good reason to not be telling children what to do, and a GREAT reason to not hang around and let certain 6th graders push my buttons and give me a stress headache.  So I did, and I love that nobody gave me crap about it- in fact, it was smiled upon.  What great colleagues!


So what did I do yesterday?  ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!! :)  I slept 'till 10, watched 3 movies, cuddled with my husband, took my time getting ready for the day around 6:30 (haha!) ate some Mexican (my fav!), came back and played board games (yes, I'm THAT cheesy!) with my love and lastly, fell asleep to Dirty Dancing.  Oh Beautiful Day!

I found the John Lennon quote at the top of this post on a friend's Facebook page.  I love it!  Because sometimes I do feel guilty for "wasting" time.  I feel like I should be cleaning, or lesson planning, or getting out and doing things.  But I agree with Lennon- doing little things you enjoy, even if it feels like time wasted, is not wasting time at all.  It's sharpening your saw!  I bet my principal didn't know he had some of the same philosophies as John Lennon.  : )


It really is silly some of the things I love to do that can seemingly be wasting time.  BUT, I'm going to share them with you b/c... well, b/c I can.   : )  Warning: Frivolous girly talk ahead!  

So what things do I love that could be seen as "wasting" time which actually sharpen my saw?  Lately, it's been experimenting with eye make-up. I'll update you on other fun "saw sharpeners" as they develop, but today I'll just share about the eyes.

Eyes are SUCH an important part of you (for more reasons than being able to see)!  Upon watching the documentary "The Science of Attraction" I learned that the first thing that attracts a person, weather male or female, is most often the eyes (assuming no crazy outfit or something of the type).  That being said, I think some time should be spent paying attention to them!  ...er...not that I'm trying to attract people... but if people look at them, I want them to look good! 

I love me some great eyelashes; I think they can do so much for your face and I've been in constant search of the best mascara.  Well, I think I found it!  Slightly expensive as it may be, this is my current fav:

Flirt! Far Out Lengthening Mascara
Found at:  Kohl's 
Price:  $12
Those that care about mascara will notice that it doesn't have a regular brush, but instead it has a comb-like end that helps ensure that lashes get separated evenly.  It's not waterproof, which I was hesitant about at first (I always cry when I laugh really hard), but I really love the way it washes off easily in the shower.  My husband laughs when I tell him it's a "good eyelash day."  I swear,  just like the hair on your head, eyelashes either cooperate or they don't.  With this mascara, there are more good days than bad.  ; )

 Mary Kay Eyeliner Brush  This came in the brush kit I had left over from the days that I sold Mary Kay.  While I've gone on to use other makeup products, I still adore this brush!  It's actually got a little comb and brush on the other end that you could use for eyebrows or eyelashes, but this little gal shown is SO thin that you can use it for eye-liner.  Literally just take the brush and dab it on a dark color of eye-shadow (which increases color selection) and then keep the brush close to eyelashes when applying and TA DA!  Beautiful easy eye-liner which is actually eye-shadow!  Fun stuff!


So there you have it, a few things I do to sharpen my saw... or waste time... however you choose to see it.  I hope you take some time to do silly little things to sharpen your saw as well! 


Sorry if I bored you non-girly people to death, but thanks for reading anyway!  
Have a great week and sharpen your saw!  : )


♥ Stefanie