177.2 Doctor, Professor, Teacher?

This morning I put on my teaching hat and returned to Paradise Valley Community College to teach English as a Second Language after taking the summer off. I do this once a week for two hours and really love it. I am a teacher. No, I don't have my doctorate, and I am not a professor. I'm a teacher. Those of you who know me know that I also teach jewelry design and beading here in my neighborhood, you know that I just like to teach.

This morning I had 14 adults in my class, whose language skills varied as much as their homelands. I had students from Iraq, Burma, The Czech Republic, Thailand, Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, and Peru! Because I reside in Arizona, most folks think that I must be working with a majority of people from Mexico. Not so! This year I have only 1 student from Mexico, but I have 3 from Iraq. Oh, and I have 1 from Vietnam.

The student from Vietnam was very concerned about what to call me. Should she call me Doctor, Professor, or Teacher? I suggested that she call me Susan. This really threw her and she asked the question again and explained to me that out of respect she wanted to call me Doctor, Professor, or Teacher. Having this wonderful Inner Spirit working within me is so pleasing and often surprising! In response to her concern, I heard myself say that I could see respect in her eyes and feel it in my heart. Susan would be just fine.

199.4 The Doubt Devil?

I am thinking of calling this post the Doubt Devil, sort of like the Dirt Devil. Recently I have been doing a lot of thinking about how often I play the doubt card so I don't have to even think about making change. And usually no matter what the goal is that I set for myself whether it be a new belief system or simply upping my exercise, there are lingering doubts about whether I really believe I should, can, or really want to reach a specific goal. Jennifer just wrote an interesting blog entitled Overcoming The Mental Barrier of Doubt. I know blogs are supposed to be short, but I do want to quote what she wrote:

"I’ve been asking the question on this Blog, “What is your biggest frustration?” Overcoming the mental barrier of doubt is one response I’ve recently received.
And MY response to this is that “doubt” is healthy, but letting it become a reason to stop, quit or not move forward in your life is not.
Doubt is healthy when it leads to your honest questioning about what you’re up to. For example: Am I on the right path? Is there a better way? Can I get through this? Am I strong enough? Am I up for the challenge? Can I handle the stress I now feel?
Don’t be afraid if you’re doubtful that you’re on the right path! You might as well find out NOW so you can change. There just might be a better way, and only your Inner Teacher will be able to Guide you.
But if you absolutely know that what you’re doing is right and you’re passionate about it, then your Inner Teacher or Guide will help you get through the challenges and stress. Once you learn to trust in that Inner Knowing, you’ll find your doubts will be replaced with confidence.
On the other hand, if you let doubts keep you from asking healthy questions, then you’re bound to freeze and become immobilized."

The weight loss path that I am on has had its fair share of doubtful moments, but as I have overcome using doubt to excuse inaction, I have also succeeded in making change. One of the first things Jennifer proposed to me as we talked about taking on the weight loss issue was weighing myself everyday. I was so filled with doubt that that was a good idea. Hadn't doctors told me to weigh only once a week? Hadn't a weight loss specialist told me not weigh myself because only she could be trusted to get it right, on her schedule? Facing doubt and then letting go of it and embracing new behaviors has been one of my important tools to success. So maybe doubt is a devil if I let it control my attempts to change without examining or challenging it.