Showing posts with label attitude. Show all posts
Sunday, October 23, 2016
Life's GPS
Today I'm still thinking about that student who called me his map. On a follow-up conversation Friday morning, he said that I was his GPS. His Gruener Positioning System. Isn't that so sweet? When he realized his name also starts with a G, he said it should really be called a G2PS.
What he doesn't know is that on Friday, shortly after that fun conversation, I was having a little full-blown meltdown over something that today seems really insignificant and small. And you know why?
Because I was letting some trivial small stuff overwhelm me and
overshadow the awesomeness
that should have been looming larger than life,
like the fact that The Giving Tree at our Book Fair
was picked clean so that our friends who might not
have gotten a new book this time around did,
the fact that to keep up with our bigger class sizes this year,
three ukuleles that were donated to our Lab on Friday
just in time for Social Stations to start on Monday,
and the fact that our upcoming SOCKtober collection will allow us to celebrate our riches by helping warm up the homeless.
These things matter so much more than that pesky tough stuff.
How quickly we can descend from the mountaintop into the valley
and how difficult it can be to get back up.
But get back up we must.
And I have an idea how my student's G2PS idea can help.
What if G2PS stood for a Gratitude & Goodness Positioning System, if in the tough times we were grateful for the good things.
Intentionally.
On purpose.
With resolve.
What if we took a page out of the Scott Hamilton book of life
and embraced challenges as opportunities to get up and grow?
Just recently diagnosed with his third brain tumor,
he's choosing to focus on celebrating life,
and he's grateful to have been
"blessed beyond my wildest imagination."
Or a page from the book of our favorite ventriloquist Dennis Lee.
He had a horrible car collision this past spring that left his left side broken from head to toe. He still uses crutches to get from pillar to post.
But it didn't break his spirit.
As he gets up and continues his trek around the globe,
his motivational message doesn't focus on asking why?,
but instead, why not?
Why not try?
Why not use tragedy to triumph?
Why not find the blessings in the burden?
So vulnerable.
So inspiring.
So real.
On the mountaintop.
And in the valley.
Gratitude and goodness.
In all things.
How much better could life be if we would all get back up
and forge forward into our new normal fueled by
hearts full of overwhelming gratitude and goodness.
Talk about your road map to success ...
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Happiness Is ...
Get your happy on, because not only is it the official first day of spring, but it's also International Day of Happiness.
Our friends at the Joy Team are at it again, celebrating with 252 positively uplifting billboards across America. Have you seen one in your area yet?
Remember last year when we partnered to create this one?
Remember last year when we partnered to create this one?
That made me so happy.
So today, I'm thinking about happiness,
and what that looks like, sounds like, and feels like in my Corner.
Happiness is being a mom, a wife, a school counselor.
Happiness is spending time together with family.
Happiness is a check-in text or email from a friend.
Happiness is a smile given, received and returned.
Happiness is doing, receiving, or watching a kind act.
Happiness is having good friends to share my story.
Happiness is solving (and surviving!) a conflict.
Happiness is getting lost in a good movie or book.
Happiness is a finishing a big task, like calculating taxes.
Happiness is baking up some goodness to share.
Happiness is being thankful and showing gratitude.
Happiness is soaking up some Vitamin D outdoors.
Happiness is helping or mentoring someone.
Happiness is gardening, knitting, writing.
Happiness is being understood.
Happiness is passion.
Happiness is peace.
Happiness is grace.
Happiness is forgiving and being forgiven.
Happiness is feeling positively joyful.
And praying for that for our loved ones.
Clearly my cup runneth over.
ps. Today would have also been Mr. Rogers' 88th birthday.
We are all connected!
Here's to making it a cheerfully happy day.
ps. Today would have also been Mr. Rogers' 88th birthday.
We are all connected!
Here's to making it a cheerfully happy day.
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Intentional Optimism & Love
Happy Valentine's Day.
Today, I'm thinking about the choice {and power!} of
positive {and non-negative} thinking and attitude.
That insight came from this little treasure:
If you check out this short, simple inspirational read,
I predict that you will be positively supercharged!
I'm on a team of Public School Ambassadors in our district who is reading this book, and we decided to see what our stakeholders feel about our school. We sent home a blank heart with the question: What do you love about our school?
The individual hearts are hanging in our school's front hallway way in the shape of a huge heart that's growing bigger day by day.
If you're in the Houston area, come on by and read their
heartfelt, heartwarming reflections and sentiments.
It has been said that we get more of what we focus on. Why not test out that theory with a daily dose of intentional optimism and love?
Monday, July 20, 2015
Because Of Carlos
It has been forty years since he stepped into my story on my family's farm, that young man from Mexico who traveled to the frozen tundra to learn alongside of us how to farm the Wisconsin way, forty years since I signed up for Spanish as a high school freshman so that I could speak his language and help him better understand and be understood, forty years since he helped me become a global citizen who would wholeheartedly connect to and fall in love with another culture and its beautiful people. Four decades; that's a very long time.
I joke that he stole my heart; truth is I did have a little crush on him.
And though it has been forty years, I firmly believe that it's because of Carlos that I just spent four glorious days with some of the kindest, gracious, and most passionate people around.
Here's how it worked:
Carlos moved to our place right before I registered for high school; I decided to learn Spanish, because of Carlos. And even though the winter was too harsh and he returned to his home down south before I could say much more than Hola and Me llamo Barbara, it's because of Carlos that I was determined to master the language. Because of Carlos, I crossed the border as a sophomore, traveling to Mexico City, Guadalajara and Guanajuato and racing up the pyramids of Teotihuacan with a small group from my high school. Because of Carlos, I continued my studies in college and, after ten years of studying the language, I earned a minor in Spanish. And because of Carlos, I taught Spanish for ten years.
Flash forward twenty years; if Carlos hadn't taken that step into my story, I'm not sure I'd have even learned Spanish, much less moved to Texas to teach it. From there, who knows if I'd have studied counseling and become so interested in character education. And if not, then I likely wouldn't have given the keynote address in D.C. at last year's Forum, where members of the Secundaria Tec de Monterrey school family first met me and extended the invitation to join them as a presenter this past weekend at their Character Congress in Juarez.
Because of Carlos, I said yes to Juarez ...
where I left a huge piece of my heart yesterday.
When I was in Mexico, this ad came across my Twitter feed.
It basically says, "After they washed me, nothing was the same."
It gave me the idea to turn the dial slightly and change it from a negative experience to a positive one, from a fixed to a growth mindset.
I closed my presentation with this photo from Friday night's dance:
After the 5th Character Education Congress, nothing was the same.
I am not the same ...
I am better ... because of Juarez ...
and because of Carlos.
And whose Carlos will I be?
And whose Carlos will I be?
So today I'm wondering this:
Who in the world is your Carlos? Who has taken a significant step into your story and made it better? Do they know just how far their influence has positively rippled? Have you thanked them? And how will you repay the favor?
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Raise A Hand For Teachers
It's mid-July, and you know what that means.
We'll be headed back to school {gasp} before we know it.
That's why today I'm excited to announce that
is celebrating by honoring our favorite teachers.
Why? From our friends at ThredUP:
According to AdoptAClassroom.org, teachers spend an average of $500 of their own money each year to equip their classrooms. 70% of teachers have even purchased apparel items like jackets, socks and shoes for their students. Teachers are extremely generous with their time as well as their money.
How? From today until August 23rd, nominate a teacher who has positively impacted your world. Then go back every day to vote!
Who am I nominating? you ask.
Well, that's a tough one!
We have been blessed with great teachers too numerous to count,
both with our own children and in my Westwood family.
But for this #raiseahand campaign,
I've selected first-grade teacher Jennifer Quigley.
Mrs. Quigley truly has a heart of gold.
I know this because I have been blessed with an office right across the hall and, for fourteen years, I've watched in awe as she nurtures hearts while stretching minds and sparking curiosity and creativity.
I've stopped in to sing along as she and her firsties proudly proclaim what they firmly believe, that they've got the power to change the world.
And I've experienced the warm and welcoming climate in which her can-doers plant, blossom, bloom, grow and thrive.
Moment by moment,
year after year.
Like magic.
Only better.
Because it's real.
Because it's real.
Thank you, Jennifer, for using your superpowers
to change the world ... for good!
Now, it's your turn.
Go ahead; pick someone.
That favorite teacher.
The one who changed your world ... forever.
Click the graphic above to nominate him or her.
Then join me in sharing the good news about this #raiseahand campaign with all of your social media connections so that we can honor and celebrate the world's
amazing superheroes, our teachers.
Go ahead; pick someone.
That favorite teacher.
The one who changed your world ... forever.
Click the graphic above to nominate him or her.
Then join me in sharing the good news about this #raiseahand campaign with all of your social media connections so that we can honor and celebrate the world's
amazing superheroes, our teachers.
Friday, July 3, 2015
It's About Heartset
Today I am super grateful for summertime.
My day started at Starbucks with my friend Deanna. Then we did some yard work before lunch at the German Restaurant. After a really good nap, I read and relaxed some more and we just got back from an icy treat, shaved ice at SnoBeach. Summertime sure tastes good.
While I was with Deanna, she let me tell her all about my presentation at NAESP yesterday. Every detail. Like how I woke up at 4 am and shuttled from LA to Long Beach at 6 am and got to the Convention Center at 6:30 for my 9 am center. How I got it all set up and put a book on each of the tables as a door prize for the one brave soul who would volunteer . . .
for the uplifting balloon activity we'd be starting with.
I also told her how I was greeting guests in the hallway when a man stopped by to tell me that I'd have a better chance of filling the room if I had a better title for my session. In his defense, it was 20 minutes to start time and there was only one participant in the room so far. His advice caught me by surprise, because I thought my title was pretty good, albeit a little long in comparison to the others.
Empathy, Compassion & Kindness:
Success Skills That Will Change School Climate For Good.
It wasn't the length that he was referring to; his suggestion was that I choose my words more carefully, to draw more people in. He said words like grit, motivation, or mindset would be better. I'll be honest; it hurt my feelings a little bit.
As I was sharing that with Deanna, she wondered out loud,
But what you do is more about heartset than mindset, right?
That's it! YES. It's about the 4-Hs.
My session was about how
head (empathy),
heart (compassion),
hands (kindness) and
health (culture and climate).
Just like in the Pledge I learned when I was 9.
To a counselor, the heart piece is pretty important, for sure.
But mindset, grit, motivation and lots of inspiration
were definitely woven in. I promise!
It occurred to me while he was mentoring me that I could flip through my slides and show him that I love mindset and grit, that it's totally in there. At least three times, including the info on this slide from Sylvia Duckworth,
on this slide that I created,
and on this one from Andrea Stephan (click it for source).
But I didn't. I just listened, and thanked him. He asked me for a business card, and we ended up trading books. Do you know his book? It's definitely got mindset written all over it. Click the picture for a You Tube read-aloud.
I've thought a lot about what he said and I feel blessed that he would take the time to stop by and connect with me before the room started filling up.
And out of my processing and reflecting, I learned the word
heartset.
From Deanna. Because I have the summer off.
And the luxury of meeting my friends for coffee and conversation.
What did you do today that grew your heartset?
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Magical Mindsets
Today I'm excited about the book I read on my way to and during my first day of Character Camp: The 7 Mindsets To Live Your Ultimate Life
by empowerment experts Scott Shickler & Jeff Waller.
And WoW - it's a game changer!
The way it came to me says almost as much about the book as the content that has drawn me in. You see, I signed up to get the 7 Mindsets weekly challenges by email and was immediately intrigued by the insight and inspiration, so much so that I shared out one of the stories on Twitter. Well, one of the authors sent a private message thanking me for helping spread the word. My pleasure, I thought, we certainly can't get too much of a good thing, right? Then I got another message asking me if I'd like a copy of the book, no strings attached. Wait, what? Of course. Absolutely. No question. I love books and I love studying mindset. So I thank them profusely and send them my address. And then, get this: I get the package with a copy for me and a pay-it-forward copy. Two copies. And I noticed that this book is a 1for1 book, which means that for every book purchased, one is donated to a student through the Magic Wand Foundation. How cool is that?
These guys truly are walking the talk.
So I made this graphic using a picture I took from my airplane window en route to Character Camp earlier this week.
It is by no means meant to be a substitute for delving into their amazing content and challenging yourself to live the ultimate life, but rather to pique your curiosity about what exactly these magical mindsets are and how they can work to our benefit. First, let's listen in:
Now I need to make something really clear: I'm calling these 7 Mindsets magical but, in truth, it has nothing to do with tricks or mirrors or illusions. They're only magical in that they will transform your life, if you take them to heart and work through them with intention. On purpose. Leaving nothing to chance.
I love that the book is glittered with inspirational quotes.
Here's one that I hadn't heard before that really resonates with me:
I love that the book is glittered with inspirational quotes.
Here's one that I hadn't heard before that really resonates with me:
It's how the We Are Connected chapter begins.
Each chapter provides a Step-by-Step Approach for that Mindset In Action along with a Mindset in a Minute review. This "blueprint for an extraordinary life" is research-based and grounded in real-life examples of ordinary people doing extraordinary things once they unlocked the memes that could have kept them from being the best they could be.
So that's it. I am not giving any more of this treasure trove away. You simply must check out this book and read for yourself how changing just one thought can forever change your view of the world and how you experience it.
Then check back and let us know what you think.
Thank you, Scott and Jeff, for giving me much to digest, process, and reflect upon as I move forward with intention into every new day and opportunity.
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Ten Steps To Bloom Where You're Planted
Today I'm delighted and grateful to welcome school counselor Heather Thomas, who has some super suggestions for bouncing forward amidst challenge and change. Thank you, Heather, for this gift to our readers.
Hello! I’m Heather – author of the blog The Helpful Counselor. I love connecting with other counselors and educators through my blog and social media.
My blogging journey began 3 years ago out of my desire to connect with others school counselors. You see, I was the only elementary counselor for 3 buildings and 1,500 students. While my district has 5 fantastic (and supportive) school counselors at the secondary level … I felt isolated professionally. I often joked that I WAS the elementary counseling program.
Last year, I met with our superintendent, and with the support of my 3 principals, we attempted to write a grant for more elementary counselors. I was thrilled about the possibilities!!!
I must admit that it felt great knowing that my superintendent and principals were in full agreement that we needed more coverage at the elementary level. They valued what I did and wanted more school counseling support. After 8 years of advocating for more elementary counselors, I was finally getting some serious traction! Long story short, our attempt came up short and I remained the only counselor at the elementary level.
Fast forward to the 2014-2015 school year. Our budget fell waaaay short and my position was cut … leaving no elementary counselors to help my kiddos. My heart broke as I thought about all of my “frequent flyers” and the support they would no longer receive. Luckily, I went back to school about 7 years ago and received my special education and secondary English certification. It took me 3 ½ years of taking 2 classes a semester…fall, winter, spring, and summer. I drove twice a week for 1 ½ hours (each way) and I took a year off to complete my two semesters of student teaching.
Let me tell you, it wasn’t easy! Not only did I have 3 young kids (2, 3, and 5) but I also worked full time. There were times that I felt like it would never end, but I was chugging along – one semester at a time. Looking back, while the struggle was real, my decision to improve my skill-set is one of the best choices I have ever made. As fate would have it, a special education position opened around the same time my counseling position was cut. But, it wasn’t easy.
Besides teaching Young 5’s- 5th grade counseling lessons, I had no experience teaching academic topics at the elementary level. I was unfamiliar with the content and teaching children with disabilities how to read, write, and solve math problems was intimidating to say the least. However, I love a challenge. I’ve always pushed myself to grow professionally. I viewed my new position as an opportunity to get an insiders’ perspective of the inner workings of a classroom and the challenges that special needs students face in the academic setting.
My goal in writing this post is not to share how difficulties of my new placement, but to remind everyone who reads this to make the most of tough situations and bloom where you are planted. Your situation might not be as radical as mine, but blooming where you are planted is solid advice no matter where you are in your career (or even personal life). I love this Zig Ziglar expression:
 |
| Click graphic to download a pdf ~ Thanks, Heather! |
It’s simple but true! Below you will find key steps in keeping your spirits up and improving your situation. I hope you find them as helpful as I have.
1. View the challenge as an opportunity to grow. There is something to be said for the adage, “that which does not kill you, will make you stronger.” Working outside your comfort zone will allow you to sharpen skills. Adding new skills to your bag of tricks will only help you along your professional and personal journey.
2. Magnify the good and shrink the bad ... at least in your thoughts. Our thoughts shade how we view the world around us. When we spend a lot of time thinking about what is wrong, we sabotage the rest of our thoughts. Like attracts like and that definitely goes for our thoughts! (You can read more about keeping a positive frame of mind here.)
3. Remind yourself about the root of your career choice -> to help children ... right? Isn’t that what we are in this for to begin with? If you are able to work in a position where you help kids, you are still able to meet your ultimate goal.
4. Look for the next opportunity.When we become comfortable, we tend to overlook chances to find our true calling. There was a time I believed that I was meant to work for Michigan Department of Human Services. I interned with Protective Services and loved the rush I got knowing that I was truly protecting children and families. To put it mildly, I was overly confident in the interview and didn’t get the job. I was devastated. However, it pushed me to find a different job which turned out to be Whaley Children’s Center, a residential and foster care agency. My experience at Whaley pushed me to get my Masters degree, which led me to obtain my school counseling endorsement. I was later told that my experience at Whaley is what made the difference when I applied for the counseling position at my current district. (You can read more about seizing the moment here.)
5. Be open to new experiences … aka get out of your comfort zone. While at Whaley, I worked with preteens and teens who were diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder, and RAD. Most of the children I worked with came from extreme family situations that would break your heart. Others were one step away from the juvenile justice system. Working in the inner-city of Flint and Detroit made me feel needed and valued to the point that I vowed to always work in the inner-city with the neediest of the needy. Imagine the culture shock when I was placed in a rural Young 5’s-K and elementary building for my school counseling internship. I fell in love on Day 1!!!
6. Share some of your experience with the kids you serve. My students struggle to overcome diversity every day. Learning about some of my challenges in life helps create a safe sense of community where they are more likely to take risks and open up to me.
7. Use your struggle as an opportunity to let your professionalism shine. Administrators are inundated with complaints about what the staff in their building doesn’t like and they are often forced to make tough decisions. It’s important to be honest and advocate for your preferences, but just think about your admin’s reaction when you inform them that you plan on making the best of your current situation and then continue to put forth your personal best in your role.
8. Create a mental image of you being successful. Envision yourself achieving great things. What does it look like? What would it take to achieve that level of success? Now start making SMART goals and taking steps (no matter how small) toward your new definition of success.
9. Say kind things. Counselors are great at being supportive of others, but we don’t always do such a hot job with ourselves. We need to stop and we need to stop now! Belittling our accomplishments and not practicing self-care put us on the fast track to self-doubt…which is never a good thing! (Read more about practicing self-care hereand here.)
10. Watch out for self-sabotage. It’s not always easy to spot, but it usually takes the form of justifying our actions when we don’t make the best decisions. Self-sabotage is when we feel we deserve an extra scope of ice cream because we worked out today. Self-sabotage is when we refuse to sign up for committee’s because we’re upset about our new placement. I know I’ve been guilty of both in my past … neither got me any further toward my goals.
Ultimately, the only constant in life is change! Like it or not, it’s true. In order to find peace within ourselves, we must come to the understanding that there are factors outside of our control and that nothing in life is guaranteed. All we can do is enjoy the ride! I would love to hear about how you overcome challenges in the comments below.
All my best on your journey! Be sure to catch me on the web for more ideas on how to bloom where you are planted!!! Need help teaching kiddos to bloom where they’re planted? Be sure to check out my counseling games and activities on Teachers Pay Teachers!
Heather Thomas
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