Self-help, leadership, and motivational literature is all about getting out of ruts and expressing yourself authentically. Much like religious devotional literature, they all riff off of the same sorts of human truths. Also like devotional literature, what you connect with is often more a matter of tone than content.

I like these pithy outlines that I found on Pinterest today. They appear to be outlines from a "Crucial Conversations" workshop that Jami Breese put together in a creative and accessible manner. These notes have piqued my interest in Crucial Conversations, so I'll be keeping an eye out for potential future workshops.

I'm going to go through a couple of the ideas that I like here. Since it seems like the outlines are each in a specific order, I'll follow that order myself.

This sketch makes me think of the following:

• "How did you get your way as a child?" Well, I imagine I sulked, considering how sulky I can be today. This is not a good thing. My sulking is one of the behaviors that I believe most exasperated my wife over the years. I need to learn how to assert myself and stand up to people without falling into a sulk.
• "Unbundle with CPR: Content, Pattern, Relationship." I don't really get what the diagram shows, but I like how it ends at "relationship." I can't imagine much that doesn't. Despite all of my most difficult characteristics, I'd like to think that I always try to end at relationship. It doesn't mean I know how to get there, though. So perhaps I need to figure out what "pattern" and "content" are in order to get to the "relationship" part more effectively.
• "Unhealthy motives:"​ 
  

I've printed off a few copies of these for my classroom so I can keep them on hand. Perhaps I'll post them to my filing cabinet with all my other resources. And then, once I get this apartment fully set-up, once the girls are settled in their new place, I'll be able to pick up the book and possibly try to adopt some of this. Maybe just one of them. Maybe just one.

Because I'm a dork and I have two whiteboards to put up in my home so I can lay out these ideas and try to get my life back on track. Because, as much as I'd like to deny it, I'm likely a teacher through and through. 

It's been hard to take photos over the last few months due to my continuing depression and lack of routine. I haven't gone anywhere new and I'm not really seeing those "special" things in the commonplace like I would if I felt better.

Nonetheless, here are a few photos I've posted to social media over the last couple months.

I also created a jeffnords profile for Playstation, signed up for DeviantArt and DailyMotion, and signed up for businessorpleasure.ca, hoping to make it the centre of a future project. I don't expect to use DailyMotion and DeviantArt often, if at all, but it's nice to have them on hand in case I ever need them.

I think it's safe to say that I'm currently working at about 25%. My brain is having trouble taking in new information. It's like my processor has moved into a sort of survival mode, where I'm doing all the things I'm supposed to do to get through hard times... and nothing more. 

I haven't been able to sit and concentrate on a YouTube video or television show for months; I can barely take in a podcast; I have no creative or insightful things to offer to anybody right now.

And I have to admit that my students are not getting the best version of "Mr.. Nordstrom" right now.

It's kind-of embarrassing. Understandable, not humiliating, but embarrassing.

I read an article yesterday that summed it up nicely. I posted a section of it to my Tumblr: 

*BLAM*

Needless to say, I can't wait to get my brain working right again.

A few months ago, I picked up a copy of Sting's The Last Ship from a library sale. I gave it its first real listen just last week.

As usual, it's an excellent album. Loads of excellent storytelling and tasteful, pristine production.

But this song's my favourite.