Wonder Women, Pirates & Rock Stars

this gorgeous artwork can be found HERE.

Sometimes the planets align just so and a rare cosmic event occurs that inspires the mind and thrills the soul.  Or something like that. 

I have had just such a series of events in my life lately.

1. Conversation with lovely friends at my latest writers group meeting.

2.  I began reading Teach Like a Pirate by Dave Burgess (love this book!)

3.  Ran across the oh-so-fabulous art while scrolling through my Facebook feed.
4.  Nancy Jo Lambert began a new Twitter hashtag about sharing your library stories #TYSLib (read more about that HERE)

And then IT HIT ME.

The beautiful, glorious, challenging TRUTH in life is...we are ALL Wonder Women (or Super Men) & we can all be Pirates and Rock Stars. 

Like most folks, this is not a new truth for me to have discovered, but I seem to need to be reminded of this particular truth every now and then.  Such a when I'm closing out my last year as a longtime middle school librarian and entering a totally new exciting (yet slightly terrifying) new journey as a high school librarian. ;)

a bit of backstory, if I may...

A few nights ago I was sitting in my favorite chair in the living room talking to my husband.  It was getting late, and I had just come in from moving a load of boxes into my living room from my office.  I was tired, hot, sweaty and badly in need of a giant-sized Mason jar of sweet tea and a foot rub. 

I was feeling a bit defeated, if you want to know the truth.  My personal belongings had somehow multiplied while living in my office and while I had assured my hubby on my way out the door that this would be the last trip, it indeed would not be.  Not only that, but I still had to make a trip into the office to finalize some paperwork.  And a new box of books had just arrived to be processed.  And...well, you get the picture.

Apparently I get melancholy when tired, hot, and sweaty with loads of work looming and few days to get it all done.  I began to list to my husband all the reasons I was afraid I wouldn't be successful in this new endeavor. To go back to Wonder Woman, I had forgotten that I possess bullet-proof bracelets.  

He listened patiently (well, full disclosure--he IS a counselor, after all.  he listens patiently professionally, so he is quite good at it), waited for me to finish and then just looked at me and asked some very simple questions.  Questions that got me to calm down & reflect & realize that even with the learning curve that comes with every something new--I'VE.GOT.THIS.  (and you do, too!)

I've got this because I care. I have passion for what I do. I LOVE learning new things and taking on new challenges. I've got this because I know down deep that every "failure" is leading me to success if I have the right mindset. If I remember my true identity as an Amazon warrior with bullet-proof bracelets..

One of the things I had become quite nervous about was filling my predecessor's shoes when it comes to organization and systems. She was a MASTER organizer, let me tell you.  Color-coded everything type of gal. MAD skills in this arena.

I tend to be a bit more...

Around here I'm known more for my impromptu bursts into song and my over-the-top displays and my love for matching readers with books they will love than for a beautifully color-coded organizational system.

After my epiphany I realize that while she definitely had her gifts and talents, so do I.  And it is OKAY if they are not exactly the same.  It doesn't make either one of us less.  

My good friend who is taking my current spot next year has shared that she feels the same way about stepping into "my" spot.

She says it will be hard to follow a rock star.  I get it.  I really do.
But what she is forgetting is that SHE is a rock star, too.

I got to thinking about this late last night and I realized that out of all the librarians in my school district there are really none of us that have the same particular gifts/talents/skill sets.  I mean, yes, we all know how to do the craft that is library work, but each of us approaches things in such a different (yet equally beautiful) manner.

As my brilliant friend Julie said at our writers group gathering Tuesday night---there is room for both Billy Joel and Elton.  They are BOTH rock stars even though they have vastly different styles.

If what you are doing is WORKING,
If kids are IN your library and WANT to be there,
If you are passionate about what you do and you share that with your students and teachers,
If your library is a hopping hub and heart of the school,
That's what is important, no matter your exact style.

Be YOU and be open to learning from others.  Be YOU and be open to sharing what you know with others. Not everything you learn or share will be an exact match for you, but if you are open to it, you just take what DOES work, tweak it and make it your own.

Remember your bracelets.  Remember your eye patch.  Remember the roar of the crowd.
Because YOU are Wonder Women, Pirates, and Rock Stars, people. 
Now go out there and be AMAZING.