Reading

In reading Phil Jackson's Eleven Rings, I am realizing that I should let a book take me where it is going.  I often read with a purpose, and it is infinitely less enjoyable to read with a purpose than it is to read to go where the author wants to take me.

This is how I, as an English teacher, suck all of the joy out of reading.

This past year, 2012-2013, has been my least inspired year of teaching.  It was year six.  I want my seventh year of teaching and thirty-third year of life to be the best.

The key is something that I have long delayed because I am weak: discipline.  I now belatedly understand that my life, until now, has been an attempt to control everything in my life except for myself.  I do think that reversing the trend will be beneficial, and I also think that in another three years, I will probably want to change again.

This brings me to Eleven Rings.  First of all, I compose this post on my iPad, my keyboarding seems to want to title the book "Eleven Rongs."  I love that.  Secondly, my friends, knowing me, have misinterpreted my reading as "Elven Rings" and make the assumption that I am reading something Tolkien-related.  This is my reputation for nerdiness working for me.  Thirdly, I am really loving this book because I do not know what to expect.  I bought it for the drama of reading about Kobe v. Shaq, but I also bought it because I saw Phil Jackson on The Daily Show.  Jon Stewart was about to go on vacation, and he was totally scattered in the interview; I just remember how calm and serene Jackson seemed in contrast.

That was context.  I am loving that the book, so far, is a memoir that pulls together reflections on Jackson's mentors, spirituality, career, challenges, and protégées.  It feels like the universe is telling me that personal and career development happen in tandem, that I cannot, as I tried to do in the past, separate my personal growth from growth in my career (which largely defines me).  

This shakes out in mundane and boring ways.  I am getting up to work out at 8am in the mornings, three times a week this summer.  That has been lovely.  Physical discipline has really helped me hone in on my mental and emotional discipline.

Due to a hot mess of a recent dating experience, I have also decided that I must learn to overcome my deeply self-indulgent social passivity.  It masquerades as anxiety, but it really is my passivity.

Finally, Jackson listens a lot.  He reacts without being reactive - he quotes Adolph Rupp as saying "there are only two kinds of coaches: those who lead teams to victory and those who drive them."  That must be my teaching mantra next year.