HUEI-YUAN PAN

 

Last week, @huntahthedrummah sent me a note after one of my Periscope broadcasts:

WHOA!  Not only did he take the time to write me a note, but those are some impactful statements.  The note came out of the blue, and I was floored.

The truth is, I sometimes wonder if the work I’m doing even makes a difference.  As teachers, we pour our hearts and souls into our students.  With some, you can see the immediate change, but with others, it may be years before the lessons you’re trying to impart come to fruition. Worst case scenario – the lesson never does, and you missed your chance to effect change in that student.

I don’t teach for the notes of thanks, but I’m human and they sure feel good.  These notes of encouragement really make a big difference.  When I was teaching in Chicago, my high school principal, Dave, once left me a hand-written note on my desk telling me how much he enjoyed the concert and to thank me and my colleague/friend, Mark, for all our work with the students.  It felt great that someone recognized our work, but it also made a big impact on me that he took the time to write me a note.

The longer I do whatever it is I’m doing, the more I think that life is about creating meaningful relationships with the people around you.  We all know that a hand-written Thank You makes a big difference, but why don’t we do it more often for the people we truly love and care about more often?

Oh…”you’re busy and don’t have time?” Well, what you spend your time doing is what you really care about, not what you say you care about.  How am I spending my time?

 

Notes of Thanks #Huei5for5 Week 2

Last week’s #Huei5for5 Periscope Challenge was a success for my own practicing.  I discovered that carving out the time and sticking to a very specific goal of practicing every day really inspired me to execute, which is something I struggle with as I teach more and more. Even when I was tired or was tempted to do something else after work, the #Huei5for5 kept me focused on executing a very specific goal, and was the first step in creating some new habits.

So, I’m going to try the same tactic on myself again this week, and I’m issuing Week 2 of the #Huei5for5.  This week, I plan to spend 5 minutes for 5 days in a row writing a thank you note to someone.  It might be a big thank you, or even a small thank you. I’m going to shoot for a hand-written card, but even an email, text message, or post-it will work. The goal is to let someone know that I appreciate them, and to express gratitude.

I sat down and intentionally wrote 10 thank you’s over this past winter break.  The purpose was to reach out and express my gratitude for all the support and energy people have shared with me.  The unexpected benefit was that I felt better when I expressed my gratitude.  It was a reminder to appreciate all the opportunities and relationships I have with people who have cared about me along my journey for the past 30+ years.

Sharing

I’ll be sharing my thank you’s on Periscope this week.  I probably won’t read them aloud, but I’ll provide some context and background on what the person did for me, how they affected me, and how I appreciate them.

If this is something you’d like to join in on and write your own Notes of Thanks, just include #Huei5for5 Week 2, and I’d love to continue sharing the kind of inspiration that I experienced in last week’s challenge.

If we’re not folowing each other on Periscope before you start, be sure to let me know so I receive your alerts.  You can also tweet me with #Huei5for5 @hueiyuanpan or DM me on Instagram so I can catch your scopes (or at least the replays).

Share and encourage your friends to participate and keep helping us build the percussion community – good luck!

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Last Week’s Challenge

Today I announced the winner of the free 30 min Skype lesson!  The basic challenge was to Periscope broadcast yourself practicing for 5 mins for 5 days in a row. If you missed the details and want to repeat the challenge on your own this week, all the details are here.

 

Thanks to all who participated!

@drummercouk @rrodz96 @HTHSdrumline @Shun_C @Jaccobyy @DAMIVZombie @danielpardina @Keebs53 @SHARKIERUIZ @Xis_Leija @DylanPachorek

I wasn’t able to just choose one person, so to those who completed the challenge, @HTHSdrumline, @danielpardina, @ SHARKIERUIZ, @Xis_Leija & @drummercouk: DM me on Instagram and we’ll find a time to get together on Skype.

The unexpected benefit of #Huei5for5 was just the incredible amount of exchange that occurred within the percussion community.  Watching the variations and additions to the lesson material, I learned a lot from other people and was inspired to practice more.  I’m super impressed with the quality of Periscope Practice that I saw, and how supportive the percussion community is towards each other.

I’m truly flattered and grateful for all the messages last week sharing how helpful the lessons and #Huei5for5 have been. The truth is, watching other people participate in the challenge really inspired me!