“I am mentally preparing myself for the five-year-old mind. I want to come down to their physical limitations and up to their sense of wonder and awe.” ~Shinichi Suzuki

He's right. Either everything is a miracle or it's not. It just depends on how you look at it. 

This past Saturday I took a violin teacher training class at my music school in Dallas; teacher training for the Suzuki Method specifically. 

Shinichi Suzuki is one of the most incredible people I have ever learned about. For those of you who do not know this name, this passionate man started a method for violin (and many other instruments) that changed the world. No, not every child who learns the violin becomes a professional or even continues it, but it teaches them a wild amount of life skills. Discipline, focus, a good ear, problem solving, respect, posture, memorization, speed reading, coordination, passion, and many other things that I may not be thinking of. Another amazing thing is that ANYONE can learn the violin. Suzuki proved this. Everyone is different in the way they learn.

My own violin teacher, Nicolette Solomon, took from Suzuki as a child, and now I think I understand where she gets her enthusiasm and ENERGY. Suzuki was hopping around on stage with a thousand children at the age of 76 or 77, as if he could never age. My own teacher teaches probably around thirteen hours a day and gives each student 110%, with or without lunch. People like this blow my mind so much, they inspire me to want to blow other people's minds. 

Age is ONLY a number!

I'm a new violin teacher myself, and still learning on how to teach well. I have lots of work to do. I did learn, though, that children are amazingly brilliant in their own unique ways. Each individual child is a miracle to the world. Since they are still developing as human beings, they use what they know in everything they say or do, and entertain and teach us all. I was explaining something about bowing to one of my students, Peter, and apparently something I said clicked (since he had been having a problem with this bowing for a few weeks) when he started going on some tangent about Star Wars and got all excited about it, and then did the bowing correctly (and quite dramatically, so to speak). I definitely started using more Star Wars references with him after that. 

You can make anything fun, even the boring stuff. You just have to think of something you love and connect it to that boring thing somehow. I think this also helps find your passion. What is that one thing you keep constantly referring to? Be silly with it! Physics was my worst subject in school and I found it painfully difficult to find the "fun" in it, but it did make more sense when I found music connections to it, and any other random, witty connection. 

Still not finding any fun in it? If it's reading, read it in Morgan Freeman's voice, or Ellen DeGeneres' (Dory). Works every time for me.

Like a boss.

So yeah, approach boring THINGS with something interesting or fun. As for boring of difficult PEOPLE, approach with love. Accept their flaws, look around them, and think of something that brings out their strong traits, and then focus on strengthening the weakness. 

This takes practice. Repetition is another important thing Suzuki taught. "Knowledge is not skill. Knowledge 10,000 times is skill." When a baby says its first word, they say it ALL THE TIME. Whether that's "mama" or "no", they'll respond to everything with it until they learn more words, and they'll use the new words, but still use the first one they ever said. "Twinkle twinkle little star" was the first song I ever learned on violin, as it is for many other violinists. I learned that song sixteen years ago and I still remember it. In fact, I've played it so much that's it's impossible for me to forget it!

Repetition doesn't just apply to music or studying. Repetition is consistency. I know someone who had a bad habit of cussing. They repeated "replacement words" in their head all the time, and got rid of the bad habit. They did not completely forget about the words, but they did put a stop to saying them. In fact, it made them think more positively. When they'd stub their toe, they'd be grateful that they didn't break it instead. 

If you want to lose weight and you know running will help, you don't run a whole marathon in one day and suddenly lose the twenty pounds you wanted to rid of. (If that happens then you must have a freakishly fast metabolism) You run a little bit every day, and you eat healthy. Step by step. 

I couldn't really figure out the one point I was getting at in this blog, but these are some things I have learned this past week. Hopefully it doesn't sound like babble..

In other news, I'M GOING TO COLLEGE THIS WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I AM SO EXCITED IF YOU COULDN'T TELL. The only thing I'm nervous about is balancing everything. . . I guess I'll just take it day by day! Step by step.

Farewell, lovely Texas. 

How have YOU improved today?

I have never been much of a blogger, so I hope this goes well. Actually, I've never blogged in my life. When it comes to social networking or sharing my thoughts, I usually tweet something witty or upload a picture to Facebook or Instagram. 

Right now I'm in this awkward "in between" high school and college bubble, which has granted me an awesome and long summer, but now I'm basically just sitting around waiting to leave for college. Most of my friends are already in their college classes as I type this, and I must say that I envy them. However, this has given me more time to think about my future and what kind of person I'm becoming and whatnot. 

I have days where I am feeling very motivated and productive, and then the next day will be completely unproductive and lazy, which I hate doing but I guess I'm human. Other days just seem to be nonstop. So, I decided I needed to come up with some sort of motto every day to remind myself of what I can do better the next day: How have I improved today? I think the key to being a happy person is making someone else happy. So, Who did I help today? Did I make anyone laugh or smile? Did I smile or laugh as well? It's amazing what kind of influence we can be on others with the smallest amount of word or action. Like, the other day I was at Target and this mom was struggling with her three small kids and their back-to-school supplies, so I helped her pick out what's best to get while my mom spent basically an entire hour in the gardening section. I have to admit I felt pretty good about myself, almost like an actual helpful employee of Target (I know that store way too well). 
Then, for the sake of our own physical health, did I eat ANYTHING healthy today? For me sometimes the answer is absolutely not. I mean this is 'Merica and there's junk food everywhere whether you like it or not. Did I do any source of exercise? I think even if you do not have time to go run (or swim, which I've preferred lately in this Texas heat), just do 20 jumping jacks and stretch your muscles so you can get that heart pumping. (or you can go on Pinterest and look at pictures of people with awesome fit bodies and motivate yourself to exercise). 
Then, of course, did I get done what I needed to get done today? This is where I have to prioritize; what is absolutely essential to get done, and what can wait for tomorrow. Time management is also required for this.

After I've mentally gone through the pros of today, then I ask: How can I improve tomorrow? Maybe I'll be more productive/helpful tomorrow if I wake up earlier, and maybe I should watch this Netflix movie this weekend instead of starting it at 12 am tonight so that I'll be able to wake up earlier. Tomorrow I'll put peanut butter on my toast instead of too much butter (or nutella). I'll do the dishes before I check my Instagram feed, maybe even clean the counter tops which I hardly do. Instead of heating up a pizza pocket for lunch, maybe I'll actually look for a quick, healthy recipe on Pinterest or in a cookbook and whip up something that my body needs. 
Was I really rude or snappy at someone today? Let's work on that attitude tomorrow. Today I was in a parking lot walking back to my car and someone backed out of their spot without looking and bumped me, almost running me over. I instinctively yelled out "HEY!" and immediately shot my death glare at whoever was in the car about to curse at them, probably a stupid teenager. Then I realized the driver was this frail old man, and his face full of fear and humiliation. I walked around his car to go back to my car and he rolled down his window, politely apologizing. I took a deep breath to regain my patience and politely forgave him. It's amazing how the smallest things can really throw me off, even if I just stub my tow or my zipper gets caught. But, forgive and forget. Think of the big picture. 

Now, I don't ask myself this every day, but at least once or a few times a week. Did I create any memories? If something super awesome, or awful even, happened this week, I wanna write it down or somehow record it so I'll always remember it. The other day my friend Madi and I went swimming and we wore three different swimsuits at the same time because we couldn't decide which one to wear. Why not? Who's stopping us?
Life is short so be awesome. 

For all you HIMYM fans, his guy says it pretty well I'd say.

Madi Bass and I creating our own trends. YOLO. #ididnotjustsaythat

How have YOU improved today?