Summary

[00:00:00] Dr. Stacey Gonzales: So I just thought of something that, an image that popped up in my head from the last recording I just made for the podcast and when I was an educator. One moment that really stands out for me was this day when I was teaching this short story called The Most Dangerous Game. [00:00:30] When I was a new teacher, I had so much enthusiasm and I was so open, and I had such a vision and purpose and mission because I knew I was there to inspire kids, to see themselves and to take risk. and to connect with literature so they could [00:01:00] connect with themselves. So I was teaching this short story called The Most Dangerous Game, and I dressed up like a tree. [00:01:07] Literally. I got camo. I asked the science teacher who was a hunter, I could borrow some camo. I dressed up in his camo gear. I got leaves from like a fake plant and like put it all in my. I put like green, like green under my eyes, you know, kind of like, um, army paint on my face camouflage. And when the kids walked into my classroom, I was standing outside the door dressed as a tree and I. [00:01:44] vaguely. Remember my mentor who at the time like made this big deal out of it, like Stacy doesn't care. She comes in like a tree. She just like, and she like loved it. And I'm sure other teachers were like, what? Who is this woman? Like what is [00:02:00] she doing? And I don't know, it just like it felt so, right. It felt like, of course this is how you get kids to connect. [00:02:08] Like this is what we do, this is how we. , it, never occurred to me to feel self-conscious or to question the fact that I would walk into school. Trust is a tree, and those are some of my earliest career memories in my first career where I just, I was a great teacher and kids connected with themselves in deeper ways because of how I showed up in the c. [00:02:39] And so today I was on a mastermind group call and the icebreaker was, if you were a tree, what tree would you be and why? And I hadn't even thought about that story, which I actually wish I would've cuz I would've shared it. It would've been a great story. But as I [00:03:00] was preparing for tonight's build in public podcast, [00:03:08] I started thinking about how I talked about being a tree today and this vision I have of myself as a tree and my roots being deeply planted and my leaves stretching and glistening up towards the sun and bending and being open and receiving. and I feel the most calm, confident, and strong inside that I have felt in a long time, that I have felt like when I was back in the day and that new teacher showing up as a tree. [00:03:57] Right? [00:04:00] And if you look at the. Of what's happening in my life right now relative to financial security and success. It's pretty dismal, and by most accounts and purposes and, and right from other's perspectives, I'm. , it's, it would be reason for freaking out. Actually, the old me would be freaking out, right? [00:04:38] The corporate past me when I had a ton of money and had no inner peace, no ability to even see or remember the tree. And so there's a part of me, especially when it comes to. What I'm noticing, like the [00:05:00] fact that I'm, I am pursuing this with everything I have, but it is causing pressure and stress on those I love and it's impacting my family and they're sacrificing for me and, and I am standing tall and steady like the. [00:05:25] and trusting my roots are deep and trusting that my, my leaves and my branches remain open to receive. And so I don't know what will happen. I don't get to have the insight to know what's gonna happen in the. , but I know that this is a testing moment for me, and this is a defining [00:06:00] podcast because right now, externally things look really dismal. [00:06:09] But from where I am sitting inside, things are so beautiful and I can see it. And so that is the place. Where I'm sitting right now in my tall oak tree. Calm, confident, beautiful space. Thank you for listening and being with me on this building public journey.