The Choice Is Yours

Hello,

Anyone who knows me knows I’m a sucker for an audiobook. Why? Where do I start? I can listen while driving, folding laundry, cooking, cheering at my kids’ sporting events, or going for a walk. I can even “speed read” by adjusting the narration speed, and I usually keep multiple books going at once. Best of all? I never pay for them. Thanks to the Libby app, I can borrow audiobooks from my library for free. I. Love. It.

It’s not that I refuse to read with my eyes; it’s just that it requires carving out focused time. And not every book is available as an audiobook. Until recently, if I wanted to read something that wasn’t narrated, my only option was to read it the traditional way.

That changed this year. At the end of each of my posts, I include a “Catch of the Week,” where I highlight something (or someone) worth celebrating. Back in my March 12, 2025, post, "Was It Good for You? (Talking About Reading, Obviously)," my “Catch” was apps that convert written text into audio. Since then, I’ve experimented with a couple. The first was free, and I scanned book pages with my phone’s camera, turning them into audio files the app read. I’ve since upgraded to a paid version of a different app that can scan two pages at once and even convert PDFs and Kindle books into audio files. What once felt like science fiction is now part of my reality.

Of course, there’s a catch. The technology isn’t perfect. If headers or page numbers get scanned, they’re read aloud. Kindle files require me to keep my screen on, which drains my battery. And some words are mispronounced every single time. So, I have a choice. I can dwell on the flaws, complain, and demand a refund. Or, I can acknowledge the imperfections while appreciating how much more reading this tool makes possible.

And that’s the bigger lesson: the power of perspective. We all get to decide whether something is a blessing or a curse. I can be grateful that my husband takes on most of the household chores, or I can get frustrated that his OCD compels him to do them. I can cheerfully watch my kids’ games, appreciating this fleeting season of their lives, or I can lament the loss of my free time. I can complain about the rising cost of groceries, or I can be thankful that our income covers them. Choosing the former over the latter doesn’t make me naïve or blind to challenges, it simply means recognizing that even when a situation isn’t perfect, it can still hold value and goodness.

Choosing gratitude doesn’t mean ignoring the negative; it means holding both truths at once. In my final post of the 2024–25 school year, "Mix Tape: The Hits of the 24/25 Soundtrack," my Catch of the Week was Mel Robbins’ concept of “let me,” the counterbalance to her popular book, Let Them. The point is simple: we can’t control what others do, but we can always control our response.

Here’s where it all comes full circle. Audiobooks may have started as a way for me to sneak more stories into my busy life, but the bigger gift has been the reminder that perspective is always a choice. These text‑to‑audio tools, with all their quirks, become a daily practice in choosing: choosing to see usefulness instead of flaws, choosing to engage rather than dismiss, choosing my own response. In that way, they are less about reading and more about living. Just as Mel Robbins’ idea of let me encourages us to reclaim our agency, these imperfect tools push me to exercise mine. Whether in books, chores, family time, or life itself, the story always comes down to the same refrain: I am the narrator of my life.

~Heather

P.S. I’ve been fortunate to serve as an adjunct professor at Niagara University for more than five years. My students are pre- and in-service administrators who already hold at least one master’s degree and have chosen to return to school to obtain or further their educational administration certification.

What strikes me most is the level of commitment this represents. Many of my students are parents raising families. All of them are full-time teachers or administrators. Some are returning to school after years away. Yet despite these demands, they still invest their time, energy, and resources into furthering their learning.

So, this week’s Catch of the Week is a shoutout to anyone who has gone back to school. You are heroes of persistence and growth. Passion alone isn’t enough—it takes courage, sacrifice, and determination to pursue education while balancing the rest of life. For that, you have my deepest admiration.

P.P.S. Please remember to...

Like and share this post

Check out other posts 

Subscribe to www.lyonsletters.com

Buy and rate your copy of Engagement is Not Unicorn (It's a Narwhal), 

The BIG Book of Engagement Strategies, & 50 Ways to Engage Students with Google Apps

From Amazon or Barnes & Noble