Another day, another few inches of snow.
Last night into tonight we had a minor snowstorm that dropped about four inches of snow on our town. Four inches is kind of the perfect amount. It’s enough to play in, and only takes a few minutes to clean up.
So, this morning, both of my girls wanted to go outside and play in the snow. I took them out for a while and we did some sledding around the neighborhood.
Then, our good friends and neighbors came outside, and the kids had a blast. Eventually, a bunch of the kids went inside, but my oldest, and one of my neighbor’s kids, were in it for the long-haul. They were playing as if it were summer-time, no care in the world (despite their parents beginning to freeze).
My daughter said to me, “This is so much fun!” as I threw a snowball at her.
And it was, and I was glad that we had the opportunity to go outside and enjoy the weather, and each other’s company.
Once I got back inside and started to reflect over a cup of hot tea, I began to think about how important it is to keep our focus on the “fun” of leading and learning.
There are tough times in the work that we do, sure. But, we also have to remember that without fun, we wouldn’t be able to make it from one challenging experience to the next; we need that enjoyment to give us a push into those times that are going to be hard.
And welcoming fun can be uncomfortable at times. In our roles, what others may consider enjoyable may be less so to us. Or, it might take us out of our comfort zone, and identify a weakness of ours, or highlight a risk we don’t feel comfortable taking.
But, we must welcome the fun of others, as much as we want to encourage our own pleasant experiences. Why? Because one of the most important ideas we have to express to our learners is that the process of learning, overall, is a really enjoyable endeavor, and that when we equate learning with fun, we’re more apt to push ourselves further, and harder, to experience it.