How I became a teacher: From resistance to surrender

Teaching is in My Bones

In his song ‘Father and Son’ Cat Stevens cries, “From the moment I could talk, I was ordered to listen”. These lyrics resonate deeply with me, having been raised by educators. I remember reading phrases like, “children should be seen and not herd” as I hid with a flash light under my covers late at night reading ‘Little House on the Prairie’ books. Learning to cross stitch, through my ‘American Girl Doll’ love affair, I made a pillow with pink, green, and blue thread which read, “Actions speak louder than words” a mantra often touted by my parents. I was reminded by them that attitude is one thing that we can always control and had to check off on my job chart each day whether or not this had occurred. Intense? Yes! But now, I can recognize how it shaped and impacted my world outlook and has allowed me to live a more authentic, whole-hearted life. My parents, the ultimate teachers, were always encouraging yet pushing me. I wanted to rebel, do something different, and thought I would grow-up to be nothing like either of them. No way would I ever go into education although I knew that I would go “all the way” in terms of my education. I always knew that I would go to graduate school and pursue a career path that allowed me to make a difference in this world.

 As a child, I resisted the positive reinforcement, I rejected the premise, and was determined to have independence. There was no way that I wanted to be a teacher, I simply did not have patience for that path! I coached swimming, taught Sunday school at church, and still did not believe I could ever be a good teacher.

I believed that I was going in an opposite direction, I would be a doctor.  I would have authority, people would listen, and patience did not matter.

The further I ran from my parent’s path, the closer I actually aligned myself with them. I am a combination of nature V nurture… a perfect combo platter of my father, deceased mother, and stepmother.

The word “doctor” is derived from the Latin verb “doc re” meaning, “to teach”. When I sit down with a patient, I am patient with them, I listen as they tell me their story. My resistance was unwarranted, yet it was the exact path that I needed to take in order to cultivate my authentic self. I needed to think that I was a rebel, independent, and not easily influenced. Meanwhile, I was actually becoming a teacher and loving it!

Now, I mostly identify with being a “vitalistic visionary” yes, I am a Doctor of Chiropractic, I am a yoga teacher, I have degrees in political science and environmental studies… but I am constantly teaching.

I love teaching through role modeling courage, vulnerability, open heart space communication, and unconditional love. I love connecting with people, collaborating, and giving them my full attention. I love making mistakes daily and learning from them. I love being rejected and redirecting that energy. I love being on this journey of life and I adore being a teacher!

Little did I know, as a child, that my parents were preparing me to be a teacher? They were giving me tools to be the best version of myself, trust my intuition, and value education. They were training me to be a doctor, yoga teacher, and independent woman.  I was learning patience from my father, self-motivation from my mother, and independence from my step mother.  I was cultivating the strength needed to lose my eyes and tap into my raw visionary powers.  They were training me to turn challenges into assets.

Now, it is time to fully cultivate the balance between effort and ease. The balance between being gentle while recognizing that is not the opposite of independence. Each day I am recognizing more and more that I can be my authentic self while maintaining independence as a business owner and doctor.  This realization come further into light with the fact that I still use my Leo rising sign (all fire) as a mask and with this mask I present to the world.  Allowing this to dissipate will inherently shift me further to the collaborative more feminine paradigm of business and simply of living.  Embracing this softer side is frightening but allows for full disclosure of courage, vulnerability, and surrender. This is where I desire to live and will continue to do deep inner work.

What mask are you wearing? How can you tap further into your authentic self? Please join me on this journey by following this blog, posting comments below, and attending my Tuesday evening yoga classes. I continue to feel blessed by each moment and experience in my life. Finding the lesson in the times of transition is how I continue to stay positive and move forward. Just having this rather small realization that I am walking in my parents footsteps… I am a teacher. Choice is ALWAYS your next option. Will you chose to step-up and recognize the beautiful path before you?

Get clear, Be Inspired, Cultivate Vitalism

Dr. Elizabeth M. Wisniewski

Vitalistic Visionary, Yoga teacher, Chiropractor