Why we don't need to be good at everything.

Did you know that students today have a bazillion choices about activities?

Even in my tiny school of just 65 students the kids can be in FCCLA, FBLA, FCA, FFA, student council, eco meet, scholar's bowl, forensics, volleyball, cross country, football, basketball, track and that is just within the school. There is church, 4-H, youth group, summer league volleyball, basketball and softball/baseball, work and volunteering.

So I decided to have a little talk with my students that are in everything.

I asked them...." Would you rather be really good at a few things, or just okay at a lot of things?"

The response was exactly as I anticipated "What are the choices?"

There are not choices kids. You can do every activity and be in every organization, get all your homework done and hang with friends but what does it boil down to?

A feeling of failure when we aren't good at all of it. Society makes us think we should be doing a bazillion things and be really good at all of them.

I am not and I came to this realization this weekend and so on Monday I withdrew from the master's program.

Yep....I am a quiter.

I can be a mother, wife, teacher, daughter, advisor, sponsor, and student and I can do them all well. But I can't be good at all of them.

So I am no longer a student myself, at least not in the traditional sense. My masters program will always be around but my husband may not and my daughter will not be small and welcome my company greedily for very much longer.

So I am going to "Practice what I teach" and be really good at a few things. The important things.