Letting Go Of The 'Cruise Control' Button!

I was once going through a bumpy spell when it seemed like nothing I tried was working with one particular class. I found myself being crabby with a colleague who always seemed to possess a positive outlook, no matter what the situation. I told her that I felt very uncomfortable about the advancement of that one class, and that many of the students seemed to lack the essential basic skills to study the subject matter.

My colleague continued to share her simple attitude that has further transformed not only my teaching vocation, but my personal life as well. She suggested that having an exigent class like the one I had was a blessing more than a burden.

She asked me, “Has this class made you more... or less creative?” “More”, I said. She asked, “Has this class caused you to be more or less resourceful?” Again, I replied, “More.” She continued, “Has this class led you to pray more... or less?” I laughed and said, “MUCH, much more!!.” She then she made her point.

She told me that the last thing a teacher should ever want is to become “comfortable.” She continued saying that comfort breeds complacency, which leads to a false sense of security. She said that whenever we get comfortable, we tend to develop a false sense of confidence and security. We believe we’re in full control of a situation. Often, that false sense of security allows us to take things for granted, including our class.

Often, when a subject, lesson, or class becomes easy, it’s also easy to shift into a pattern of 'cruise control'. This kind of attitude of complacency can sometimes lead us to not push ourselves to a higher level of excellence.

The truth is, when everything’s comfortable, we actually believe we’re in control of things. But when things get uncomfortable, God gently reminds us of who’s really in control: He is. Comfort is…comfortable, but remember, it’s not the goal. The goal is constant and never-ending improvement. Such a simple shift in our thinking can make a huge difference in our performance both in and outside the classroom.

So step outside your “comfort zone” and thank God for the “tough ones.”