End Quiet Desperation - Arlington, VA, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post - A Professional Networking Community for Educators

End Quiet Desperation - Arlington, VA, United States, ASCD EDge Blog post - A Professional Networking Community for Educators:

End Quiet Desperation

“Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.” -Thoreau

In an era of shifting certainties, there are two ways to move forward: hold on tight to what is comfortable and familiar, or loosen your grip so that you’re ready to grasp new opportunities as they make themselves apparent. A clear-cut enough choice…yes?  But easier said than done.

Letting go of the security of what has been familiar and reliable is difficult. Sure we can see signs that these things will no longer be of as much value to us…but they provide a sense of comfort and continuity…it’s what we know. It is human to hold on to that which is comfortable and familiar.

Then there’s the question of which new opportunities we would grasp on to. Taking risks is always…well…a risk. So we want to be smart and informed before we let go of what we have for