What Makes Me Thrive
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In both my personal and professional life, I have learned to move from simply surviving
and developed a thriving mindset. I have developed self-acceptance, the courage to face my fears
and doubts, and a willingness to hold parts that am ashamed of with great compassion. As a
young adult and teenager, I fought hard to survive, felt misunderstood, and felt that I did not fit
in. However, I was able to change this mindset and decided to trust the process and focus on
possibilities and opportunities. I realized that for one to become a thriver, you have to cultivate a
trusting spirit, be accountable for your choices, have a vision and inner direction, resilience, and
navigate all situations with confident humility.
From a professional perspective, having been a teacher myself, I know that it takes a
great deal of dedication to go every day to school with love, energy, and enthusiasm. Sometimes
this career can be overwhelming as one jumps from one thing to another like lesson plans,
classroom management issues, and grading. However, despite the many ups and downs, I have
come to realize that teaching is one of the most rewarding careers. The hope of changing the life
of students and the joy of engaging with my learners from different cultural and religious
backgrounds boosts my commitment. Besides my previous experiences, my thriving mindset has
been driven by my beliefs, dispositions, and values. I have come to realize that a number of
conditions have sustained my commitment and energy as a teacher and made teaching a
rewarding and worthwhile experience. I have come to love teaching students from diverse
backgrounds and found great joy in doing so.
According to Neito (2013) this all takes the
willingness to learn, humility, valuing and acknowledging our differences, and adhering to the
set practices and policies. However, to remain committed and enthusiastic at work, teachers need
to have an environment that largely promotes meaningful learning.
