Finding Shade

“It is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well.” – Rene Descartes

We are all blessed with talents and abilities. The problem is we don’t lean into those. When I first started teaching, I tried to be like other great teachers that I knew. I would steal their phrases, mimic their personalities, and teach how they teach. It didn’t really work for me because I was trying too hard to be someone I was not. So, I decided to lean in on my personality, and use who I was in order to be successful. I relied more on who I was, and what I was naturally good at. Not only did I become a better teacher, I became a better person. We all have different talents, and we should use them in order to be more successful.

Whenever my wife and I travel, we always look to do things that lean into our personality. I took these photos last summer when my wife and I traveled to Durham, North Carolina while our kids were away at camp. We tried a variety of restaurants, we went hiking, and checked out the different places around town. I took these photos at the bed and breakfast we were staying at. There were a couple of beautiful magnolia trees on the property. One thing that makes magnolia trees unique is that they drop their leaves all year round. I just stood under this one, flipped my lcd out, aimed up, and snapped away.