Recently I had one of “those mornings.” I seemingly woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I just knew it wasn’t going to be a good day.

When I took the dog out for a morning walk, it started to rain. It was going to be a rough day.

I was tired and didn’t want to do my workout. It was the start of, as Judith Viorst shared in a children’s book about Alexander, a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

When I started my swim workout, I began to think about everything on my calendar – all the meetings and obligations ahead of me. It was going to be a long day.

While swimming, I became aware of my negative self-talk – my defeatist attitude. I needed to fix my mindset. It didn’t need to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. I had the power to make it a good day.

Whether a teacher or a superintendent, your mindset impacts dozens, potentially hundreds, or even thousands of children daily. My negative mood changes conversations, decisions, and culture if I am undisciplined or lazy in my mindset.  

I get to choose my mindset each morning – so do you. We make every interaction better when we are intentional in our self-talk and live with a positive attitude.