Have you ever wanted something, but got something else instead? How did that work out for ya?

Today was the first day of seventh grade for one hundred and eleven students at Robbinsville Middle School.

It was a good first day. Most of the students were nervous to begin a school year in a new school with new teachers and unfamiliar surroundings. I always love the first day. I love first impressions. And I love teachable moments.

The quote for the day was a quote by Kahlil Gibran
"The significance of a man is not what he attains, but rather in what he longs to attain."

I love this quote because it is an excellent ice breaker to get the kids talking about what they want in life. I ask the question "Have you ever wanted something really bad and got something else instead?"

I always get a lot of head nods. We discuss things they got and then I share a favorite Elvis story….

I tell the class how poor Elvis' family was. Did you know that his twin brother died at birth and it is told that he was buried in a shoe box because they couldn't afford a coffin? That's poor….

Then I tell them about a trip to the store that Elvis and his mom took on one of his birthdays. Elvis wanted a bicycle, but his mom couldn't afford to buy him a bike. She bought him a guitar instead!

Now, what if Elvis had gotten a bicycle instead of a guitar? History may have been rewritten! Elvis received a guitar and developed a love for music and discovered his beautiful voice that led him to become known by the world as the King of Rock and Roll!

Think about it….maybe you didn't get what you wanted, but you probably have all you need to make life all you dream it to be!