Remember Who You Are

Hello Amazing Educator, 

This is a reminder that someone’s in your corner. 

And as for the corner where you are, you brighten it.

So I’m here to tell you, from my soul to yours, this simple truth: you inspire me.

You are phenomenal.

You are magic in human form.

I call you amazing because that’s who you ARE.

You are not a last-minute addition to the bottom of the list of everyone’s priorities.

You never were.

You’re not just teaching content and curriculum.

You’re not just explaining objectives and helping students meet learning targets.

You’re not simply guiding young people through new skills and strategies.

You are a beacon and a lighthouse.

You’re here to help change lives, hearts, and souls.

And to best do that, you deserve to take care of your soul.

My latest book, Keeping Your Light: Soul Care For the Whole Educator is out now.

I wrote this book because there is a lot of talk around self-care for teachers, and I have learned firsthand that soul care is even more important. 

Soul care means that you are willing to thrive, not just survive. My new book, Keeping Your light, is not just for affirmation or inspiration; it’s for transformation. What you’ll find in this book is a reminder of the truth of who you are. 

Whatever role you play in education, we ALL play a role, in one way or another. Every single person who has ever been to school or taught someone something knows the importance of learning. Yet for some reason, “amazing” isn’t what society at large frequently makes educators out to be. In fact, for too long, education as a whole has been under attack. We live in a turbulent world where people have become less important than things, and as a result, we’re forgetting our shared humanity.

Although we’re susceptible to too many examples of dehumanizing ourselves and one another, we don’t need to be ashamed of or weaponize our humanity. As human beings, we’re imperfect, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have the right to enjoy life in and out of school in a way that makes us feel lit up from the inside out. This happens when we let our souls lead the way. We all fall short of amazing from time to time, but it’s not too late to get back on track to feel, and in turn, be our best. So, I’ll keep saying it: you are amazing.

Even if you made a mistake today, you’re amazing.

Even if it felt like your soul was full of sorrow this week, you’re still amazing.

Even if everything didn’t go according to plan, you still rock. (If nobody else tells you today.)

Even if that student didn’t seem reachable and teachable today, or even if you think, “Nah, I’m not all that. I don’t need any credit. I’m just doing my job. I care a lot. It’s not about me. I do all right.” It doesn’t make you arrogant to acknowledge the truth of how fearfully and wonderfully made you are. It doesn’t make you pompous to look in the mirror and think, “You know what? We’re awesome.” I say “we” because you and I are never truly alone. I’m convinced guardian angels are all around us, both here on Earth and from Heaven. They help guide our path and want us to see ourselves the way God sees us: as cherished and irreplaceable.

Some days are better than others, I know: because the stress of being an educator while also striving to “live your best life” can make you feel anything but amazing. Too often, we’re burdened with problems that we’re made to feel are solely ours to solve. The true solution lies in what’s actually happening within our own souls. And to do this, we’ve gotta keep it real.

So that’s why my book, written with God’s guidance, is about helping you rediscover who you really are. And if you forget how to think and feel that way, this is a guidebook for remembering how. Yes, you can feel incredible every single day–not just on the days when you have to give yourself pep talks in order to make it from the parking lot to the front door of the school. Enjoying a day with no major crises to manage can become a norm, not just some random fluke.

You’re being called to fulfill a higher assignment on this planet, and it’s time to tune in more deeply to what that is. Now don’t worry; this has nothing to do with suddenly quitting your job or running off to take orders at some diner in Vegas (not that there would be anything technically wrong with that.) The point is, you’re here for something bigger. Your soul knows the way toward finding your purpose.

When your purpose was made known to you might be something that has just always been with you. In the summer of 2004, I read Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life on the beach, wondering what my next step would be in life. That book helped spark a decision to make teaching my career. Warren’s powerful words illuminated my soul’s understanding that I’m here to help young people: something I’d always known since I was young, but the book’s message solidified my plan to help make it happen. In this book, you’ll solidify your plan to achieve your purpose.

Yes, you already are living your purpose. But there’s more. 

As a little girl, I was a leader and fearless tomboy, never without friends and always laughing. When I turned 14, something mysteriously shifted. Before I knew it, I started getting relentlessly bullied. I was called “Lurch,” “stupid idiot,” “fat girl,” and “ugly.” As I went into high school, I learned how to craft a poker-faced façade and hide my emotions. The bullying stopped, and I was changing on the outside, but on the inside, I still felt like I was inherently unlovable. In 11th grade, a boy asked, innocently enough, “Meredith, why do you walk around like you’re somebody?” I wasn’t conscious of what he was talking about. Looking back, it must have been my soul that he saw. Our souls know that previous pain and labels do not get to define us. Even if negative lies still sometimes want to try to rule our minds, our souls always know better. The truth is, I am somebody. And so are you: no matter the numbers in your bank account, your follower count on social media, the letters behind your name, or how many awards you’ve received. When we keep up a strong, stoic face for others while silently suffering inside, that’s not a demonstration of true courage, and it isn’t sustainable. In a profession in which you are constantly serving and giving, you have to prioritize time to receive as well. Otherwise, you won’t have anything left to give. It’s a nonnegotiable. When you feel like you’re running on empty, you have to fuel your faith to get you through. Choosing the tools to fuel your faith means that positive choices yield positive results. It also requires asking tough questions, like: Why are we doing it this way? Why are educators continually burdened year after year? Why is more and more and more added to our overloaded plates? 

These questions are rarely answered because all too often, they’re never asked. So it’s no wonder if these days, true positivity may feel a little harder to come by.

So just how do we keep and maintain our authentic, healthy positivity? 

Check out the book or tune in to the Transformed Teacher podcast, where I’ll be walking you through the tools to fuel your faith, as well as a deeper explanation of what soul care really is and why it is so important for educators right now.

If nobody else tells you today, you rock!