The word "meditation" keeps popping up in my life (i.e. doctor's appointments, books, seminars, conversations, etc.), which means it's time for me to start giving it some serious attention. The Universe is clearly giving me signs to lean in and be brave with this new concept. It's time to learn another lesson.
I decided to give it a shot when I got home from work yesterday. I walked in my house, dropped off my belongings, said hello to my doggies, changed into some comfy clothes, and laid down on the living room floor. I closed my eyes and tried to remember everything the books told me to do in order to mediate. I cleared my mind (stopped thinking) and counted my sets of breaths. In and out, "One. I'm doing pretty good," I thought..."Yikes! That's a thought, I'm not supposed to be thinking. Ok. Here goes. Let's start over." In and out, "One. Yes! I did it! Wait! That's a thought. Let's try again." In and out, "One." In and out, "Two. I wonder how far I can go without thinking. Oh no! That was a thought!" In and out, "One." In and out, "Two. The air conditioning just went on. I thought I turned that off. Yikes! I'm thinking again." In and out, "One." In and out, "Two. Note to self...vacuum the floor. Wait! Notes to self are thoughts."
My first experience of meditation on my own, without guidance, lasted about 6 minutes. And as you can see, there was a lot of thinking going on. Since then, I've been reading more about meditation and I have come up with the following conclusion: there is no "right" or "wrong" way to meditate. The way I was meditating was perfect for me because I was doing the best that I knew how to do at that moment. I'm not going to feel guilty (yuck! what a negative word) about only meditating for 6 minutes...that's just where I'm at. I have decided to try meditating every other day. The books say to meditate everyday, but I'm going to start off slowly (I'm not going to feel guilty that I'm not doing it every single day). I'm going to try it for one month and see if I can increase the 6 minutes to 15 minutes. Little, tiny, baby steps.
Meditation had always been something I thought that I could only do if someone was leading me in the process. I didn't know what to think about or how to do it. I still feel a little unclear about the whole process, but I now know that I can do it on my own. No "leader" needed...just my "self".
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Lean In and Be Brave
One of my goals, as a teacher, is to provide students with tools that will help them be successful in and out of school. One of the tools that my students have been working on this school year with me (I teach them about the things that I am working on too), is the tool of leaning into things they don't feel confident in. I can think of many times throughout my life where I have avoided things because I didn't have confidence in myself. They have, of course, changed as time has gone by, but there continues to be things in my life that I am presented with where I actively get to remind myself to "lean in", as opposed to, avoid and run away. Many things can appear to be scary (i.e. asking for what you want or speaking your true intentions) and avoiding them appears to be the easiest thing to do.
Last week, one of my students learned about the true meaning of leaning into something, and she got to witness its positive results. Here is her story (I'll call her "Star"):
Star is a student I work with in reading and writing. Last week, Star, and the other fives students in her group, were working on writing sentences with their high-frequency words, which is what we always do on Monday's and Tuesday's. One of my rules for this activity is that the students must write the sentence they tell me. They begin by thinking about their high-frequency word and then tell me a sentence using the word. Next, they write the sentence they told me using the exact same words.
About a month ago, I noticed that Star was using a blends poster that I have in my classroom to find the correct spelling for words. For example, for the word "grow", she looked at the blends poster (thinking I wasn't watching her), saw a word and picture that worked for "grow" and used it in a sentence (she used the "fl" blend; flower). She only used words in the sentence that she told me that she knew how to spell. Last Monday, I removed the blends poster before Star and the rest of her group came in to our classroom. When I asked Star to give me a sentence that used the word "sharp" in it, she told me, "I have a sharp crayon." I watched her eyes and saw that she was looking at the Crayola box of crayons in front of her...that's where she found her sentence idea and correct spelling of "crayon".
I nonchalantly removed the crayon box and encouraged her to write the sentence she had just given me. When she saw me move the box, she stared up at me like a deer caught in headlights. I could just picture her thinking, "Oh no! What am I going to do now?" I reminded her of our strategy for spelling words we don't know (be brave...write the word the way you think it's spelled, write "sp" above it telling me you are being brave and writing a word that you don't know how to spell, and then we'll correct it together). She wrote, "I have a sharp pencil." She knew how to spell "pencil". I asked her if that was the sentence she told me, and she said it wasn't, but that she meant to say pencil instead of crayon. I reminded her that we write the sentence we say. Then, I went and helped other students. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Star erased the word "pencil" and then just sat there staring at her paper. I encouraged her to sound out the word "crayon" and to write all the letter sounds she heard. I told her to be brave. She wrote "c" and then "r", but that was it. Then, her eyes filled with tears. I looked away and let her lean into her feelings at that moment.
Star silently shed a few tears. I calmly sounded out the next letter with Star, but she had reached her frustration level and would not write anything else. I handed her a tissue, dismissed the rest of the students, and then talked to Star about how I knew she felt scared and upset because I took the crayon box away that had the word crayon on it, but I did that because I wanted her to see that she could write the word on her own. I wanted to show her that she was brave and didn't need a poster or box, or anything else for that matter, all she needed was herself to figure out how to spell the word. After I talked and she listened, I sounded out the next letter with her again. She wrote "a", but I could tell she was ready for a break. I wrote the word "crayon" on the board, and she copied it on her paper. Then, I dismissed her.
Later on in the day, she came back to me for a review class that I'm teaching this month. I thought she would be upset with me, but she walked in with a smile on her face and said hi to me. It just so happened, that we were working on writing in the review class, where she was asked to look at a picture and write a sentence to match it. As soon as Star saw the picture, she started writing a sentence, and boy, oh boy, what a sentence it was! She wrote three unfamiliar words in her sentence and had no hesitations about writing them. She even wrote "sp" above the words. When she told me she was done, I looked at the three misspelled, difficult words, and asked how she was able to write words that she didn't know how to spell, and guess what she said...."I am brave!" I told her that I was soooooooo proud of her for being brave and that she earned the "Brave" award for the day. The smile that followed on her face will be with me forever. I taught her the correct spellings for the words, and again, congratulated her for being brave.
The next day, we continued our high-frequency words sentences, and Star wrote the best sentences! There were many misspelled words, which made my heart swell! She learned how to spell many new words last week, but the thing that I’m the proudest of her for learning was how she learned to lean into something that she didn't have any confidence in and that once she did lean into it, it turned out to be okay. Isn't that how life is? Lean in...
Last week, one of my students learned about the true meaning of leaning into something, and she got to witness its positive results. Here is her story (I'll call her "Star"):
Star is a student I work with in reading and writing. Last week, Star, and the other fives students in her group, were working on writing sentences with their high-frequency words, which is what we always do on Monday's and Tuesday's. One of my rules for this activity is that the students must write the sentence they tell me. They begin by thinking about their high-frequency word and then tell me a sentence using the word. Next, they write the sentence they told me using the exact same words.
About a month ago, I noticed that Star was using a blends poster that I have in my classroom to find the correct spelling for words. For example, for the word "grow", she looked at the blends poster (thinking I wasn't watching her), saw a word and picture that worked for "grow" and used it in a sentence (she used the "fl" blend; flower). She only used words in the sentence that she told me that she knew how to spell. Last Monday, I removed the blends poster before Star and the rest of her group came in to our classroom. When I asked Star to give me a sentence that used the word "sharp" in it, she told me, "I have a sharp crayon." I watched her eyes and saw that she was looking at the Crayola box of crayons in front of her...that's where she found her sentence idea and correct spelling of "crayon".
I nonchalantly removed the crayon box and encouraged her to write the sentence she had just given me. When she saw me move the box, she stared up at me like a deer caught in headlights. I could just picture her thinking, "Oh no! What am I going to do now?" I reminded her of our strategy for spelling words we don't know (be brave...write the word the way you think it's spelled, write "sp" above it telling me you are being brave and writing a word that you don't know how to spell, and then we'll correct it together). She wrote, "I have a sharp pencil." She knew how to spell "pencil". I asked her if that was the sentence she told me, and she said it wasn't, but that she meant to say pencil instead of crayon. I reminded her that we write the sentence we say. Then, I went and helped other students. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Star erased the word "pencil" and then just sat there staring at her paper. I encouraged her to sound out the word "crayon" and to write all the letter sounds she heard. I told her to be brave. She wrote "c" and then "r", but that was it. Then, her eyes filled with tears. I looked away and let her lean into her feelings at that moment.
Star silently shed a few tears. I calmly sounded out the next letter with Star, but she had reached her frustration level and would not write anything else. I handed her a tissue, dismissed the rest of the students, and then talked to Star about how I knew she felt scared and upset because I took the crayon box away that had the word crayon on it, but I did that because I wanted her to see that she could write the word on her own. I wanted to show her that she was brave and didn't need a poster or box, or anything else for that matter, all she needed was herself to figure out how to spell the word. After I talked and she listened, I sounded out the next letter with her again. She wrote "a", but I could tell she was ready for a break. I wrote the word "crayon" on the board, and she copied it on her paper. Then, I dismissed her.
Later on in the day, she came back to me for a review class that I'm teaching this month. I thought she would be upset with me, but she walked in with a smile on her face and said hi to me. It just so happened, that we were working on writing in the review class, where she was asked to look at a picture and write a sentence to match it. As soon as Star saw the picture, she started writing a sentence, and boy, oh boy, what a sentence it was! She wrote three unfamiliar words in her sentence and had no hesitations about writing them. She even wrote "sp" above the words. When she told me she was done, I looked at the three misspelled, difficult words, and asked how she was able to write words that she didn't know how to spell, and guess what she said...."I am brave!" I told her that I was soooooooo proud of her for being brave and that she earned the "Brave" award for the day. The smile that followed on her face will be with me forever. I taught her the correct spellings for the words, and again, congratulated her for being brave.
The next day, we continued our high-frequency words sentences, and Star wrote the best sentences! There were many misspelled words, which made my heart swell! She learned how to spell many new words last week, but the thing that I’m the proudest of her for learning was how she learned to lean into something that she didn't have any confidence in and that once she did lean into it, it turned out to be okay. Isn't that how life is? Lean in...
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Turning a Negative into a Positive
Lists have always been a part of my life (grocery lists, to do lists, wish lists, etc.), which may be a result of my NFJ dad (thank you daddy). I will always remember the list that he put in my soccer bag that included everything I needed for my soccer games (he put the list in a zip lock baggie for safe keeping :)). I absolutely LOVE the feeling of crossing something off one of my lists! When people suggest making lists on my cell phone, I always say that it just doesn't do it for me, there's no satisfaction of crossing off items. If you see me at the grocery store, I stop my cart after each item that I put in my cart, and cross off the item, well, I scribble it off so I can't see it any longer...what a wonderful feeling! Many months ago, I used to say that the things on my to do lists, were things that I HAD to do. "I have to do this. I have to do that. I have to get this. I have to make this." Each time I said I had to do something, or that I NEEDED to do something, I felt a little bit of resentment towards it.
Once I learned the replacement word for "have" to, it changed the way I felt about the items on my lists and about everything else that I "had" to do in my life. Want to know the word? The wonderful, beautiful, non-resentment feeling word is "GET" to!!! That's right; every single thing I do is something that I GET to do...not have to do. Talk about taking something negative and turning it into a positive (life changing :)).
When I first worked on replacing have to with get to, I tried finding things that couldn't apply. I definitely have to pay taxes, don't I? Well, I actually get to pay taxes...I have a choice. There would be consequences for not paying my taxes, but it's still MY CHOICE. And when I tied being grateful into taxes, I realized that I was grateful that I was able to pay my taxes because that meant I had a job, which I was grateful for. Get to and gratefulness, to me, go hand in hand. They’re two peas in a pod. I get to clean the house. I'm grateful that I get to clean my house because that means that I live in a house. I get to pay my bills. I'm grateful that I get to pay my bills because that means I get services (i.e. water, trash, electricity, tv) and have money to pay for them. It was a hard transition to get the word have out of my head, but it was definitely worth it. I get to go to work tomorrow...it's my choice. Sure, if I don't go, there would be consequences, but it's still my choice. I'm grateful that I adore my job and that I have a job. I could keep going :)
When I was teaching first grade and had stations, I used to label things as "Have To's" and "May Do's". Now, if I was teaching first grade, I would label things as "Get To's" and "Extra Get To's." I am blessed to get to teach 1st- 5th grade in my new position, but I don't really have stations any longer because I am a resource teacher and only work with groups of students for a small amount of time. I am mindful of "have" to though. When a student tells me they don't want to do something, I tell them they get a few choices (i.e. work on their work, lose a star, or do their work later and lose out on a privilege). I believe in giving students’ choices and letting them make their own decisions. I am not attached to the decision they choose, although ideally, I'd like them to make the choice I want them to make (get to work right away). Every choice they make has a consequence (positive or negative).
Omitting "have" to and "need" to from my life has helped me grow more than I could have ever thought possible. I am more positive because of it and enjoy getting to do all the things in my life. I get to live and I'm so grateful for that!
Once I learned the replacement word for "have" to, it changed the way I felt about the items on my lists and about everything else that I "had" to do in my life. Want to know the word? The wonderful, beautiful, non-resentment feeling word is "GET" to!!! That's right; every single thing I do is something that I GET to do...not have to do. Talk about taking something negative and turning it into a positive (life changing :)).
When I first worked on replacing have to with get to, I tried finding things that couldn't apply. I definitely have to pay taxes, don't I? Well, I actually get to pay taxes...I have a choice. There would be consequences for not paying my taxes, but it's still MY CHOICE. And when I tied being grateful into taxes, I realized that I was grateful that I was able to pay my taxes because that meant I had a job, which I was grateful for. Get to and gratefulness, to me, go hand in hand. They’re two peas in a pod. I get to clean the house. I'm grateful that I get to clean my house because that means that I live in a house. I get to pay my bills. I'm grateful that I get to pay my bills because that means I get services (i.e. water, trash, electricity, tv) and have money to pay for them. It was a hard transition to get the word have out of my head, but it was definitely worth it. I get to go to work tomorrow...it's my choice. Sure, if I don't go, there would be consequences, but it's still my choice. I'm grateful that I adore my job and that I have a job. I could keep going :)
When I was teaching first grade and had stations, I used to label things as "Have To's" and "May Do's". Now, if I was teaching first grade, I would label things as "Get To's" and "Extra Get To's." I am blessed to get to teach 1st- 5th grade in my new position, but I don't really have stations any longer because I am a resource teacher and only work with groups of students for a small amount of time. I am mindful of "have" to though. When a student tells me they don't want to do something, I tell them they get a few choices (i.e. work on their work, lose a star, or do their work later and lose out on a privilege). I believe in giving students’ choices and letting them make their own decisions. I am not attached to the decision they choose, although ideally, I'd like them to make the choice I want them to make (get to work right away). Every choice they make has a consequence (positive or negative).
Omitting "have" to and "need" to from my life has helped me grow more than I could have ever thought possible. I am more positive because of it and enjoy getting to do all the things in my life. I get to live and I'm so grateful for that!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Good-Bye Fluff - Hello Good Stuff
As I was organizing my office today, I noticed that all my "fluff" books that used to reside on my night stand because I couldn't live without them, had taken up a spot on my office bookshelf (they're actually collecting dust as I type). My "good stuff" books have taken their place over the last 12 months and have more than satisfied my reading desires. My "fluff" books mostly consist of Nora Roberts and Nicholas Sparks (I LOVE their books, probably because I'm an ENFJ). I used to wait for their next books to come out, so I could run over to Barnes and Noble and buy them. Heck, every Christmas and birthday list included their titles. Wow...I have changed. Reading
Now, I yearn for the "good stuff" books. You're probably wondering what those are, right? "Good stuff" books to me are books that help make my life better (self-improvement books). When I venture into Barnes and Noble, the Self-Improvement section seems to call, rather, scream my name. Boy, what a change, since I used to be so embarrassed to even be seen by that section, let alone to be caught looking at a book in that section (I actually would intentionally walk around it's aisles). The Self-Improvement section is near and dear to my heart. It's the section that has helped me understand who I am and continually helps me improve my Self. I am hungry for knowledge...I am no longer hungry for an escape from my thoughts. I welcome my thoughts and treat them as learning experiences. I never know where a thought will lead me...
When I was younger, I used to read a series of books that said, “reading is the key to take you where you want to be,” (I don’t know what series it was from, so I can’t reference it). That saying has been stuck in my head ever since I first heard it. I used to read “fluff” books because they took me where I wanted to be, which was anywhere that my stressful and negative thoughts weren’t. Now, when I read “good stuff” books, they take me where I want to be, which is to a place where I can grow and learn about my Self.Reading
These are the books that are currently on my night-stand, either currently in the process of being read or waiting to be read (if it seems like a lot, it is. I just had a birthday and guess what I asked for ;):
-The Voice of Knowledge: A Practical Guide to Inner Peace, by Don Miguel Ruiz
-When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times, by Pema Chodron
-Operation Beautiful: Transforming the Way You See Yourself One Post-It Note at a Time, by Caitlin Boyle
- Life is a Verb: 37 Days to Wake Up, Be Mindful, and Live Intentionally, by Patti Digh
-Don't Bite the Hook: Finding Freedom from Anger, Resentment, and Other Destructive Emotions, by Pema Chodron
-You Can Heal Your Life, by Louise L. Hay
-The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living, by the Dalai Lama
-My Spiritual Journey, by the Dalai Lama
-Tranquilista: Mastering the Art of Englightened Work and Mindful Play, by Kimberly Wilson
"Fluff" books, at the current moment, do not interest me...it's all about the "good stuff" books. I LOVE reading them! Now, I'm not saying that I won't ever read a "fluff" book again, I really do enjoy them, but I am saying that they aren't, and probably won't ever be again, residing on my night-stand.
Now, I yearn for the "good stuff" books. You're probably wondering what those are, right? "Good stuff" books to me are books that help make my life better (self-improvement books). When I venture into Barnes and Noble, the Self-Improvement section seems to call, rather, scream my name. Boy, what a change, since I used to be so embarrassed to even be seen by that section, let alone to be caught looking at a book in that section (I actually would intentionally walk around it's aisles). The Self-Improvement section is near and dear to my heart. It's the section that has helped me understand who I am and continually helps me improve my Self. I am hungry for knowledge...I am no longer hungry for an escape from my thoughts. I welcome my thoughts and treat them as learning experiences. I never know where a thought will lead me...
When I was younger, I used to read a series of books that said, “reading is the key to take you where you want to be,” (I don’t know what series it was from, so I can’t reference it). That saying has been stuck in my head ever since I first heard it. I used to read “fluff” books because they took me where I wanted to be, which was anywhere that my stressful and negative thoughts weren’t. Now, when I read “good stuff” books, they take me where I want to be, which is to a place where I can grow and learn about my Self.
These are the books that are currently on my night-stand, either currently in the process of being read or waiting to be read (if it seems like a lot, it is. I just had a birthday and guess what I asked for ;):
-The Voice of Knowledge: A Practical Guide to Inner Peace, by Don Miguel Ruiz
-When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times, by Pema Chodron
-Operation Beautiful: Transforming the Way You See Yourself One Post-It Note at a Time, by Caitlin Boyle
- Life is a Verb: 37 Days to Wake Up, Be Mindful, and Live Intentionally, by Patti Digh
-Don't Bite the Hook: Finding Freedom from Anger, Resentment, and Other Destructive Emotions, by Pema Chodron
-You Can Heal Your Life, by Louise L. Hay
-The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living, by the Dalai Lama
-My Spiritual Journey, by the Dalai Lama
-Tranquilista: Mastering the Art of Englightened Work and Mindful Play, by Kimberly Wilson
"Fluff" books, at the current moment, do not interest me...it's all about the "good stuff" books. I LOVE reading them! Now, I'm not saying that I won't ever read a "fluff" book again, I really do enjoy them, but I am saying that they aren't, and probably won't ever be again, residing on my night-stand.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Have You Had Your Daily Dose of Gratitude Today?
I recently attended a class (thank you Kurt and Tracy) that helped me realize that I had been missing a daily dose of gratitude from my life. I've always been grateful for the people and things in my life, but it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I actually started spending part of my day listing a few of those people and things. Now, I begin each morning sitting outside in my backyard with my 12 ounces of caffeinated coffee and two wonderful doggies. I sit back in my chair and bask in the coolness and peacefulness of the early morning. I listen to the hundreds of birds greeting each other (I LOVE the sound of birds) and can't help but begin my daily dose of gratitude by saying that I'm grateful for the birds. Then, the gratitude comes pouring out of my mouth...I'm grateful for the chair I'm sitting in, I'm grateful for the cup that is holding my coffee, I'm grateful for the robe that is keeping me warm, I'm grateful for the sound of my husband's alarm clock going off in the background (that's because he'll come out shortly and give me a kiss good morning :)), I'm grateful for my hands that are holding my coffee, I'm thankful for my ears that allow me to hear the sound of the birds, I'm grateful for each breath that I take, I'm grateful for....the list keeps going. Once I'm done saying my daily dose of gratitude, I feel a wonderful feeling of peace, love, and compassion spread throughout my body. I am grateful for getting to be grateful.
As a teacher, I enjoy trying to incorporate my new lifes' lessons into my educational lessons whenever possible. I've taught my students about affirmations (they say, "I am smart. I can do anything"). I've taught my students about speaking things into existence...if you always say you're not good at reading, you'll never be good at reading; instead, say "I am good at reading."I wanted to teach my students about gratitude.
When I first thought about using the word gratitude in my classroom, I realized that the only time I ask my students to tell me what they're grateful for is during Thanksgiving. I wanted them to be grateful for someone and something EVERY day...not just once a year. Therefore, I decided that I wanted to start "Gratitude Journals" where the students would respond to the same sentence frame "I am grateful for _____ because ______," every day. Can you imagine how many things they'll be grateful for by the end of the school year? When I first asked my 4th and 5th graders to tell me what they were grateful for and that it had to be non-living (they always say "family" so I wanted to change it up a bit), they asked, "How can I write about something I'm grateful for if it's not alive?" I ended up giving my students examples (the funnier the better). I told them I was grateful for my blow dryer because it dried my hair in the morning. I told them I was grateful for having glasses because it allowed me to see their beautiful faces. I told them that I was grateful for having a classroom because it allowed me to teach their brilliant minds. After some examples, they started writing. I was pretty surprised at how hard it was for them, especially the "because" part. I know they'll get the hang of it.
Why is gratitude so important? Well, from my ENFJ perspective, it's because the Universe gives us everything we need and when we say we are grateful for something, that makes us feel like we are abundant, as opposed to, not having enough. Gratitude fills you with positive energy; craving, yearning, needing things fills you with negative energy. When you say what you're grateful for, you realize that you have so much!
I broke my tibia and fibula one year ago. I ended up having surgery and was introduced to new forms of transportation...a walker, a wheelchair, and crutches. I am SO GRATEFUL for the many lessons I learned from my experience. It made me a better person. I am planning on contributing one of my future posts to explaining my experience, but not right now. I just wanted to tell you a little about it because I was and am so grateful for it. There are many "I'm grateful for's" that were created because of it.
What are you grateful for? Try saying a few things every morning...it will feel so good!
P.S. In my last post, I said I'd talk more about affirmations...obviously, I didn't follow through :) I promise to talk about affirmations again, but I'm not going to say when. It will end up being whenever I "feel" inspired to :) This gratification post was calling my name.
As a teacher, I enjoy trying to incorporate my new lifes' lessons into my educational lessons whenever possible. I've taught my students about affirmations (they say, "I am smart. I can do anything"). I've taught my students about speaking things into existence...if you always say you're not good at reading, you'll never be good at reading; instead, say "I am good at reading."I wanted to teach my students about gratitude.
When I first thought about using the word gratitude in my classroom, I realized that the only time I ask my students to tell me what they're grateful for is during Thanksgiving. I wanted them to be grateful for someone and something EVERY day...not just once a year. Therefore, I decided that I wanted to start "Gratitude Journals" where the students would respond to the same sentence frame "I am grateful for _____ because ______," every day. Can you imagine how many things they'll be grateful for by the end of the school year? When I first asked my 4th and 5th graders to tell me what they were grateful for and that it had to be non-living (they always say "family" so I wanted to change it up a bit), they asked, "How can I write about something I'm grateful for if it's not alive?" I ended up giving my students examples (the funnier the better). I told them I was grateful for my blow dryer because it dried my hair in the morning. I told them I was grateful for having glasses because it allowed me to see their beautiful faces. I told them that I was grateful for having a classroom because it allowed me to teach their brilliant minds. After some examples, they started writing. I was pretty surprised at how hard it was for them, especially the "because" part. I know they'll get the hang of it.
Why is gratitude so important? Well, from my ENFJ perspective, it's because the Universe gives us everything we need and when we say we are grateful for something, that makes us feel like we are abundant, as opposed to, not having enough. Gratitude fills you with positive energy; craving, yearning, needing things fills you with negative energy. When you say what you're grateful for, you realize that you have so much!
I broke my tibia and fibula one year ago. I ended up having surgery and was introduced to new forms of transportation...a walker, a wheelchair, and crutches. I am SO GRATEFUL for the many lessons I learned from my experience. It made me a better person. I am planning on contributing one of my future posts to explaining my experience, but not right now. I just wanted to tell you a little about it because I was and am so grateful for it. There are many "I'm grateful for's" that were created because of it.
What are you grateful for? Try saying a few things every morning...it will feel so good!
P.S. In my last post, I said I'd talk more about affirmations...obviously, I didn't follow through :) I promise to talk about affirmations again, but I'm not going to say when. It will end up being whenever I "feel" inspired to :) This gratification post was calling my name.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
You Are What You Think (oh yes, it's true!)
We've all heard that you are what you eat, but what about you are what you think? I am a firm believer that, "beliefs are ideas and thoughts that we accept as truth," (Louise Hays, You Can Heal Your Life). What we hold in mind creates our present and future experiences. If you have negative thoughts/voices in your head about yourself, you will continually perceive those thoughts to be true in your life. If you believe that you are not pretty enough, smart enough, funny enough, ___ enough, those "nots" will become the truth. You see yourself the way you think about yourself. If you want to feel pretty, smart, funny, _____, think that you are those things.
Sound strange and just down-right weird? That's what I thought at first too. Negative self talk was constantly in my head and I had accepted the thoughts as the truth, thinking they were just part of my every day life. It wasn't until I found out that I could change my thoughts and speak things into existence, that my life changed (for the better I can ensure you). "ALL THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH IS A THOUGHT, AND A THOUGHT CAN BE CHANGED," (Louise Hays)...powerful sentence, don't you think?
Before I tell you the key to changing your thoughts, I thought I'd point out that I still struggle with negative self-talk, but I now have the tools to change those thoughts...I don't roll-over for those thoughts any more...they do not control me.
Ready for the "key" to changing your negative energy thoughts?!?!?!?
POSTIVE AFFIRMATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What is a positive affirmation? A positive affirmation is a conscious positive thought that you think to/tell yourself. For example, if you are struggling with the negative thought that you are not good enough, you can say, "I claim for myself high self-worth and self-esteem. I love and appreciate myself on every level," (Louise Hays). Louise Hay’s You Can Heal Yourself is loaded with affirmations for anything you can think of. It’s an AWESOME book! Below are a couple of her affirmations:
If you believe: "I feel like a failure." Your affirmation could be: "My life is a success."
If you believe: "Nothing works for me." Your affirmation could be: "My decisions are always perfect for me."
If you believe: "I'm scared of being alone." Your affirmation could be: "I express love, and I always attract love wherever I go."
Did you notice that the affirmations were in PRESENT TENSE? It is important to say your affirmations in present tense...you are speaking them into existsence, so you need to say the words as if they are happening now. You don't have to use Louise Hay's affirmations...come up with your own :)
To sum up my many words, positive affirmations are present tense sayings that you can tell yourself when you initially think a negative thought. Replace your old, no good feeling thoughts, with new, wonderful feeling thoughts! Oh yeah...if you want another challenge, say the affirmation in the mirror...VERY POWERFUL :)
I only talked about positive affirmations to heal your negative thinking about yourself in this posting, but there are many other ways to use affirmations (i.e. getting rid of sickness, money problems, bad feelings about work, etc.). I'll talk about those in my next post. Thanks for reading!
Sound strange and just down-right weird? That's what I thought at first too. Negative self talk was constantly in my head and I had accepted the thoughts as the truth, thinking they were just part of my every day life. It wasn't until I found out that I could change my thoughts and speak things into existence, that my life changed (for the better I can ensure you). "ALL THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH IS A THOUGHT, AND A THOUGHT CAN BE CHANGED," (Louise Hays)...powerful sentence, don't you think?
Before I tell you the key to changing your thoughts, I thought I'd point out that I still struggle with negative self-talk, but I now have the tools to change those thoughts...I don't roll-over for those thoughts any more...they do not control me.
Ready for the "key" to changing your negative energy thoughts?!?!?!?
POSTIVE AFFIRMATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What is a positive affirmation? A positive affirmation is a conscious positive thought that you think to/tell yourself. For example, if you are struggling with the negative thought that you are not good enough, you can say, "I claim for myself high self-worth and self-esteem. I love and appreciate myself on every level," (Louise Hays). Louise Hay’s You Can Heal Yourself is loaded with affirmations for anything you can think of. It’s an AWESOME book! Below are a couple of her affirmations:
If you believe: "I feel like a failure." Your affirmation could be: "My life is a success."
If you believe: "Nothing works for me." Your affirmation could be: "My decisions are always perfect for me."
If you believe: "I'm scared of being alone." Your affirmation could be: "I express love, and I always attract love wherever I go."
Did you notice that the affirmations were in PRESENT TENSE? It is important to say your affirmations in present tense...you are speaking them into existsence, so you need to say the words as if they are happening now. You don't have to use Louise Hay's affirmations...come up with your own :)
To sum up my many words, positive affirmations are present tense sayings that you can tell yourself when you initially think a negative thought. Replace your old, no good feeling thoughts, with new, wonderful feeling thoughts! Oh yeah...if you want another challenge, say the affirmation in the mirror...VERY POWERFUL :)
I only talked about positive affirmations to heal your negative thinking about yourself in this posting, but there are many other ways to use affirmations (i.e. getting rid of sickness, money problems, bad feelings about work, etc.). I'll talk about those in my next post. Thanks for reading!
Nobody's Perfect...Or Are They?????
I grew up hearing, "nobody's perfect," whenever someone made a mistake. When I became a teacher, it was only natural that I use that saying in my classroom with my students. I said it because I didn't want them to feel bad about themselves when they made a mistake, but in actuality, that wasn't helping them. It was taking away their accountability...they did make an error. What I do now (I was going to say, what I should have done, but I don't believe in the word "should"...to me, it's just as bad as the other "s" word :)), is tell the students that it's okay, they are doing the best they know how to, and then we fix the mistake together.
For example, one of my students used the word "watched" incorrectly in a sentence. Instead of correcting him and then saying, "nobody's perfect," in attempt to console him, I simply waited until he ended his sentence and then said, "you did the best you knew how to, now let's talk about the word watched. You used it as "washed", but that is a different word with a different meaning. "Watched" is talking about seeing something." I gave him a sentence and then had him use watched in his own sentence (second attempt)...he used it correctly.
We are always doing the best we can based on what we know, even when we are watching TV...in that moment, we are doing the best we can do. We are all perfect (what a change of thinking for me). I feel like the saying, "nobody's perfect," has been hardwired in my brain (well, it has). I actively work on changing that hard wiring. One way I do that, is by singing Pink's F*ckin' Perfect song (I like the clean version :)) every morning. I actually have it taped to my bathroom mirror and I sing it while I blow dry my hair.
CHORUS
"Pretty, pretty please, don't you ever, ever feel like you're less than, less than perfect.
Pretty, pretty, please, if you ever, ever feel like you're nothing, you are perfect to me."
Try singing it...it may change your perception of yourself and the others around you. And remember…YOU ARE PERFECT!!!!!
For example, one of my students used the word "watched" incorrectly in a sentence. Instead of correcting him and then saying, "nobody's perfect," in attempt to console him, I simply waited until he ended his sentence and then said, "you did the best you knew how to, now let's talk about the word watched. You used it as "washed", but that is a different word with a different meaning. "Watched" is talking about seeing something." I gave him a sentence and then had him use watched in his own sentence (second attempt)...he used it correctly.
We are always doing the best we can based on what we know, even when we are watching TV...in that moment, we are doing the best we can do. We are all perfect (what a change of thinking for me). I feel like the saying, "nobody's perfect," has been hardwired in my brain (well, it has). I actively work on changing that hard wiring. One way I do that, is by singing Pink's F*ckin' Perfect song (I like the clean version :)) every morning. I actually have it taped to my bathroom mirror and I sing it while I blow dry my hair.
CHORUS
"Pretty, pretty please, don't you ever, ever feel like you're less than, less than perfect.
Pretty, pretty, please, if you ever, ever feel like you're nothing, you are perfect to me."
Try singing it...it may change your perception of yourself and the others around you. And remember…YOU ARE PERFECT!!!!!
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