Somewhere in Between

I've recently become very fond of a saying our pastor quoted in a sermon a while ago...

You're never as good as people say you are. 

And you're never as bad as they say either.

You are probably somewhere in between. 

This comes in handy when a fellow teacher or co-worker is feeling really down in the dumps about what parents and others are saying about them. Our pastor was also saying it about himself in his role of leading our congregation. (And we all know that parents & church members can be very opinionated) Often we only hear criticism from those who whine the loudest and we only hear praise from those who gush over us unrealistically.

It's more important to keep a level head.

The reality is, you--in your job, volunteering, as a parent, etc...--are most likely doing better than you think but there's always room for improvement.

At least that's what I keep telling myself.