Once our bodies have what they need, our brains can jump into productive action. Inspired by a previous supervisor, I consider the question, "What makes sense?" and ponder its application to today's realities.
I’ll never forget my first day working at Songsu Elementary School with Young-ju in Busan, Korea. As we entered our office for the first time, the previous teachers’ materials bombarded us: crowded bookshelves, overstuffed binders, boxes brimming with paper props, and cartons of outdated curriculum supplements. I inched open my desk drawers to find candy wrappers and old origami creations while Young-ju pushed a few student desks together in the center of the room and began unloading the bookshelves.
“Can you help me?” Her voice was delicate, sweet, and leading...
I sat down at the table she’d built and watched: paper was flying out of binders into a recycling bin and page-protected paper shot towards the trash. I peaked under the table for her wand, convinced this was magic. Taking a binder, I feathered its pages. Lesson plans. Hundreds of them, dating back ten years.
“Can you help me?” her enthusiastic eyebrows neared her hairline now.
“Why are we throwing them away?” I inquired, questioning her judgment (I had much to learn).
“We don’t use them. Waste of space. Here.” She handed me ten full binders. “Can you help me?”
Within the hour, binders were empty, props were recycled, and curriculum supplements were trashed, save for a tiger mask, a teddy bear, and an apron. “We have a lesson about cooking. We can use it,” she emphasized while pushing the waste bins towards the door. “We’ll take these down when we go out.” Then she sat at her desk and held up her USB. “My lesson plans are here. That makes sense.”
>> The Power of Thought. Subway, Busan, Korea, January 2020.Sense: “The capacity for effective application of the powers of the mind as a basis for action or response” (Merriam Webster).
While I prefer to believe that I use “the powers of my mind” pretty consistently, teaching under Young-ju's leadership showed me how far that was from the truth. Our quarantine against coronavirus pales in comparison to Young-ju's resistance to autopilot. Daily, she demonstrated how to streamline systems and rhythms by simply thinking. In class, first we’d set up a system. Then, period after period we’d ask, “What makes sense?” Consequently, our sixth period classes were far more effective than our first; it was so rewarding to apply knowledge. I was finding yet another cadence: think, act, think, act.
My ten-year-long wellness hunt has revealed that solid critical thinking is largely inaccessible unless I’m regularly caring for my body (i.e., breathing & sleeping, eating & drinking, and moving & feeling). When my gut is sick, my brain is, too. I think it’s true of all of us that when we care for our bodies, our brains light up. Suddenly, we can see solutions we'd never been able to see before. Sustained by our bodies, our minds can channel our emotions into action. We are capable, competent, and cognizant. We are equipped to connect and contribute. This, my friends, is big. Now, wellness is coming into view faster than COVID-19 testing. Buckle up.
When my gut is sick, my brain is, too. I think it’s true of all of us that when we care for our bodies, our brains light up.
As many of us sit at home today, take a few moments to consider:
What makes sense for our world today?
How can we apply the powers of our minds to its aches and wounds? How can we communicate what needs to be shared?
As I consider these questions myself, let me offer four simple suggestions:
1) Continue to care for your body.
Sound body → sound mind!
For more practical advice on body care during flu season, click here.
2) Give positive feedback.
Research on this topic is astounding. We are more content, creative, and communicative people when we tell one another what we are doing well. As we’re all scrambling to learn new rhythms in this season, consider emphasizing the places folks are killin’ it! (And don’t forget yourself, too!)
3) Assist those in quarantine.
Use reason as you’re assisting others. Who in my neighborhood might need assistance? How can I help? What methods of assisting make sense for their situation and needs? (think: toilet paper, food, soap, encouragement. Don’t forget to minimize germ spread!)
4) Reimagine our world.
The canals in Venice are finally clear! In Hong Kong, citizens can breathe again! We’re catching up on sleep and connection with our families. What can we learn from this global shutdown? How might we apply the lessons of this season as we begin rebuilding our economy, adjusting public policy, and responding internationally?
>> Haze is due predominantly to air pollution.
Hong Kong, March 2019. 
>> Decreases in air's nitrogen dioxide levels during COVID-19 outbreak (Left--January 2020; Right--February 2020)As you identify your own answers to this question, send some ideas my way! I’d love to learn from your brain and share your thoughts in my concluding post on Sunday.
Though panic is natural, last week taught us it’s far from productive.
Community helps us keep thinking! #everymindmatters
Be well, friends. See you tomorrow.