Sunday

Every Moment is Sacred

In this Christmas season, allow yourself to remember that every moment is sacred. In every moment, the sacredness of life is being expressed. Somewhere a flower is in bloom. Somewhere a bee is gathering pollen and somewhere a bird is singing its song. In your life, children have been born and loved ones have passed. In this life, a smile can lift your heart and someone's tears can touch your soul.

Let us all remember the sacred moments of laughter, deep conversation, meaningful connection, and unconditional love. We have all overcome challenge, and it is time to hold hands, heal hearts, and come together.



December is for Gratitude

 

December is for Gratitude by abbymorgan15

Success

"Success is not measured by the heights one attains, but by the obstacles one overcomes in its attainment." – Booker T. Washington

Those of us who have experienced success know we are not better than anyone else. The truly successful do not act with arrogance or dominance. Those who have been successful know that along with their hard work, they are blessed. The truly successful become stewards for the success of others. We help others grow and blossom into their greatness. We share responsibility to enhance the greatness of everyone.

"When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds. Your mind transcends limitation, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great, and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be." – Pantangali



"Heaven on earth is a choice you make, not a place you find." – Wayne Dyer

Every day, every moment is an opportunity. Will we choose love or fear? Will we choose heaven or hell? When we choose love, we choose heaven where we fully commit to life. 

Every time we let those we love know that we love them.

Every time we reflect on our own journey and realize we are better today than we were yesterday. 

In all of these moments, we are creating heaven on earth.

"The kingdom of heaven is within you" – Jesus of Nazareth

Everyday life and love are calling us to embrace life. Embrace love. Embrace each other.

Heaven is in the embrace.



Love...

Love is a way of being in the world. 

It is more than something we give and/or get. 

Love transforms the world. 

We become grateful and we recognize grace. 

Love is more than an emotion. 

Love is more than an attitude and more than what we do.

Love is who we are!



For the wellness of all humanity...

 "I'm convinced of this: Good done anywhere is good done everywhere...As long as you're breathing, it's never too late to do some good." - Maya Angelou

My grandfather used to say "as long as you're breathing, there is work to do." I thought he meant the work we needed to do on the farm. Now I know he was talking about a much greater responsibility.

We need deep empathetic listening and compassionate, courageous action to serve the needs of our human family. We can no longer turn away from unconscious bias and the impact of our choices. We are all responsible for taking the actions that are needed to awaken and serve the greater good.

Love and service are at the heart of our efforts to connect. We are one interconnected whole. When anyone hurts, we all hurt. When anyone is diminished, we are all diminished. This is empathy. This is our birthright and responsibility. We can all thrive. We are all emanations of one unified whole. 

Let us compassionately and courageously act for the wellness of all humanity.





What we put our attention on grows...

Sometimes I need to stop, think, reflect, and remember how blessed my life is. I am living, I am breathing, and I am still able to make choices.

Life has taught me that complaining about our lot in life gets us nowhere. I don't like complaining to myself or others. We all have challenges, both internal and external. We all must do the work, internally and externally, required to meet our personal challenges. We all have difficult periods in our lives and we all have down and melancholy days.

I find we must always spend more of our time remembering and practicing what works. Affirm and acknowledge those around us who speak and stand up for the good and positive in life.

What we put our attention on grows. We must choose to focus on supporting all life, in all its evolutions. This brings us to greater truth and greater trust in the universe.





You belong.

"You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here." 

– Max Ehrmann

You all have a right to be here. You are an essential part of the universe. Life would be less without you. When you feel a sense of separation and isolation, remember you are part of one unconditionally loving life.

You belong in this life because you are here now. You belong to our universal family. We are one love living together. You are part of creation. The moon, the sun, and the stars are our sisters and brothers.

YOU BELONG.



You are sacred.

You are sacred.

The stress, tension, anxiety, and fear that we experience is the baggage of our life.

Every day, make time to quiet your mind, go within and feel the flow of Divinity.

When you speak and act, remember to the best of your ability, to be understanding.

Practice non-attachment. Let go of your need to control and someone else's need to control.

Cultivate your gifts. Share your joy.

Be kind.

Just be kind.



Love...

True friendship is everlasting because true love lives forever. In loving friendship, our hearts speak to each other. 

Love continues beyond our physical death. When we love deeply, that love ripples out into the world and touches many other lives. 

I still remember with great love, a dear friend who passed four months after high school graduation. That was 52 years ago and I still see his smile and hear his voice.

Love is the essence of our intimacy, trust, and compassion for each other. All those I love live on in my heart and mind.

Let us all have the strength to love each other. Giving and receiving love connects us to the Sacred and brings us to eternity.



One Spiritual Family

 "One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all." Ephesians 4:6

Love and faith respects all people. 

Our spiritual family includes every ethnicity, religion, language, and culture. 

I pray for the love and faith to respect and be kind to all people. 

I communicate acceptance and empathy to all who are different than me. 

I am grateful that we are all one in the same spiritual family.



Faith and Diversity

All life and human growth, at some point, asks us to adapt to what is unfamiliar to us. Faith in ourselves and our ability to meet new people and situations is essential for our health, well-being, and growth. Most of us feel safe and secure in our homes. Many of us are comfortable in our own community. When we are in unfamiliar surroundings, we get frightened and feel defensive.

Our faith invites us to adapt and learn when the environment, culture, language, skin color, or food is different.

Our faith is essential in building bridges and closing cultural gaps. 

Our faith gives us an opportunity to grow.

Faith is the key to opening our minds and hearts so that we can love each other.




The higher the walls...

The higher the walls we build, the more we are imprisoned by fear. 

If we invest our energy in feeling safe and secure from those we perceive as different, we will paradoxically feel less secure. 

Physical walls and psychological walls, which are created to keep the "others" out, also keep us imprisoned in our limited perspective. 

The more we invest in security and defensiveness, the greater the cost to our spiritual growth and freedom.



Begin now!

"And so we lift our gazes, not to what stands between us, but what stands before us." 

– Amanda Gorman, Inaugural poem, 2021

The work of coming together and healing our separation begins in the heart and soul of each one of us. If healing is to happen, and I believe it will, it will be made real by each one of us. No one will do it for us. The answer to healing our national divide can be found in the infinite potential and possibility of our Divine heritage.

We have joined together after hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, tsunamis, war, and terror attacks. Let us join together for the children who go to bed hungry. For the sisters and brothers who fear for their lives. For the women who have been abused and degraded. For all those who have experienced hatred, racism, sexism, and trauma.

Each one of us is called to heal our world.

Begin now!



Fear...

"Fundamentalism of all kinds – political, psychological, theological – offer the sweet promise of certainty, of resolution of ambiguity, and of strict instructions on how to live one's life.

...the secret fuel of fundamentalisms of any kind is fear- fear of others, fear of challenging, dialectic values, fear of change." - James Hollis, PhD

All fear is natural. We have all experienced fear. When fear wins and overtakes our lives, it leads to intolerance, hatred, and violence.

When we cannot face ourselves, when we cannot deal with the complex issues in our diverse world, when I fear you, I often try to repress or attack you.

Throughout our lives we have all been afraid. We have all been the attacker and be attacked.

"Fear is the enemy. Life is not your enemy; the other is not your enemy; fear is the enemy...Ask yourself of every dilemma, every choice, every relationship, every commitment… 'Does this choice diminish me, or enlarge me?" – James Hollis, PhD



"My life is my message." - Gandhi

The lives we are living are a clear demonstration of what we believe.  Our lives communicate to the world all that we think, feel, and believe.

Take time to reflect on the things you say and do, on the company you keep, and the messages you send. How are our lives contributing to the greater good?

Let us give ourselves in love and service to our fellow humans. Be generous with your spirit and your actions. A kind word, a caring action, a friendly smile, and hello can bring light into the world.



We need other people

We need to connect to other people to be fully human. We need other people to trust, laugh with, to treat with kindness and love. 

When I am challenged by the people I perceive to be difficult, I find that when I reflect and pray, I find answers. 

In these challenging and difficult moments I can decide who I really am and who I want to be. 

If we want a country that is more understanding, than I need to be more understanding. If we want a country that is more accepting, than I need to be more accepting. If we want a country that is more loving, than I need to be more loving. We change the world with one caring choice at a time. 

“Love thy neighbor as thyself” - Jesus





What can we do?

"A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit." - Elton Trueblood

"Even the strongest hands can lose their grip, the greatest minds can become cloudy, the biggest hearts can break. So be kind. Just always be kind." - Anonymous

We must teach each other and our children to have "good hearts". We must cultivate respect and trust for each other. We must be concerned for the rights, feelings, and general well-being of everyone.

Education is primarily serving others and leaving the world a little bit better than how you found it.

We can all give time, connection, attention, laughter, hope, and love.

"I believe appreciation is a holy thing – that when we look for what's best in a person we happen to be with at the moment, we're doing what God does all the time. So in loving and appreciating our neighbor we are participating in something sacred." – Fred Rogers




We need each other

We marvel at the sun, moon, and stars. We love the mountains, oceans, beaches, and deserts. Do we not see the beauty of the humans that pass by us every day.

Every person we see is a unique and marvelous aspect of creation.

Today we see so much division and separation. We need to see the Divine in our fellow humans. We need to treat each other with empathy, compassion, and love.

When we are born, we all must have human contact or we die. We thrive on human connection. We are all part of the same life force.

"No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main."

- John Donne

We need each other.



Let us remember...

Let us remember this is not the first time our nation has felt divided. On March 4, 1861, five weeks before the Civil War began, newly elected President Abraham Lincoln opened his heart and spoke these words:

"We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union who again touched, as surely will be, by the better angels of our nature."

- Abraham Lincoln



I feel the challenges of our world...

I feel the challenges of our world.  There is great complexity. None of us alone can solve the challenges of our complex world. 

We need to know that the choices we make contribute to the resolution of social and global concerns.

We are responsible for each other and our planet. We cannot leave it for someone else to solve. The time is now.

How do I care for the health and safety of those without a home?

How do I intervene with race and ethnic hatred and violence?

How do I provide enough food for starving children?

How do I stand for peace in a time of war?

The answer lives in me. In my spirit, in my soul. To change the world, I must change myself. To change myself, I must change my heart. I must risk being an example of love and acceptance.  I must forgive. I must work for unity. I must speak for peace and harmony.

Love is the only sane and satisfactory response to the challenges of the world.




Journey of self-discovery

"Every person, all the events of your life are there because you have drawn them there, what you choose to do with them is up to you." - Richard Bach

Everything that happens in our lives presents us with opportunities for significant learning. 

We evolve, and the truth of who we truly are is revealed.

There are no judgments or punishments, only lessons. 

It is our birthright to learn and grow.

There are no accidents. 

Everything is occurring for our growth and development. 

We are wise to ask "what am I learning from this experience?"

We are grateful to be on this journey of self-discovery.




Every contribution made in love counts forever

I believe that in our lives there are moments of awareness and awakening. Something, often miraculous, occurs to remind us that our life is not a fluke. We are here on purpose. In these moments, I believe our soul is calling out to us. 

"Wake up! This is not a dress rehearsal. It is time to straighten up and fly right."

These soulful moments invite us to heal our relationships with ourselves and others. They invite us to find peace in our hearts and in our actions. We are invited to act for the greater good of humankind and our precious earth.

The soul knows we are all part of a cosmic unity.  We are all co-creating emanations of God's unconditional love.

Welcome sisters and brothers.  We are being called together to awaken to the essential work of life.

LOVE.




Hero's Journey

"We have not even to risk the adventure alone for the hero’s of all time have gone before us."
- Joseph Campbell

We are all on a hero's journey through this life. We confront great challenges; heart surgery, pandemic, social justice, trauma. In each of our hero's journeys, we face times of transition and transformation. If we are awake and aware, each step of the journey reveals hidden truths and talents. We find the great treasure of ourselves. We find authenticity, transparency, vulnerability, and courage. 

Life calls us to adventure. Through birth, death, and rebirth we find the great expression of life. Our life! We create our greatest work of art. If we refuse to call to life, we stagnate and die long before our physical death. If we accept the call and show up each day with open hearts and minds we are rewarded with new life and new adventure. Through each adventure, we return newly empowered and with greater wisdom. Like the characters in Oz, we find greater courage, wisdom, and love. Our lives are enriched and we return to life and life is enhanced for all.



One human family...

The essential concern for humanity at this time is a lack of understanding and love. The answer to reconnecting is the ability to see everyone as a member of our human family. We are all more similar than we are different. 

When we encounter someone we perceive is different, it would be wise to ask ourselves...

How would I connect with this person if they were a family member whom I loved?

Another essential question...

Will I choose to be the best version of myself now?

When someone enters our life, welcome them into your life like a long-lost family member. Everyone brings the gift of who they are and we share the gift of who we are.



Can you hear that?

 "All over the sky a sacred voice is calling your name." - Black Elk

You are compassion, empathy, truth, trust, and love.  Deep abiding love.  Unconditional love.  

Can you hear that?

Can you accept that?

Can you own that?

You are an emanation of Divinity.  

No matter how many lies you and the world have told you about yourself, you are not anything other than love.

You are part of the unconditional loving energy that creates the universe.



I love working with our Masters degree students

I am overjoyed to be the creator and adjunct faculty member of Neumann University's Masters degree in Social Emotional Learning. It is the first of its kind and in the nation and may still be one of the few Masters degrees with this essential focus. We have created a cutting-edge program that focuses on Social Emotional Learning, Diversity and Equity, trauma informed practices, and wellness.

For the past 10 years, we have had new teachers, veteran teachers, counselors, special educators, nurses, and new administrators join us. What an incredible gift it is to have all these brilliant minds and compassionate hearts work towards creating healthy foundations for themselves and their students.

I love working with our Masters degree students. They are pioneers and champions of the art and science of Social Emotional Learning. Their enthusiasm and commitment change lives. They have a burning desire to elevate the lives of their students and their colleagues.

They are fully engaged in creating a healthy future.



Forgiveness

I am aware that I am holding myself captive when I fail to forgive. I have known for many years that forgiveness initially benefits the forgiver.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. 
Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." Martin Luther King Jr.

I must continue to work on my willingness to forgive. When I hold onto some past hurt or perceived injustice, my loving heart is blocked. My essential nature, like yours, is Divine love. Forgiveness is part of that Divine nature. 

I do not feel any satisfaction in revisiting the old hurt and pain. Perhaps it is just comfortable and familiar. I know that when I shut down one loving pathway of my heart, I also shut down the greater love in my heart. We cannot selectively shut out parts of our love.

I know now, my job is to hold nothing back. When we forgive, we feel joy and the power of love.


by Cheryl Shibley


Growth...

We are designed to be limitless. The key to our growth and development is commitment. Commitment will always bring us closer to our goal. Please know there will be discomfort. There will be a challenge. You might not reach your goal but you will make progress. 

I love progress.

Practice, practice, practice.

Life is practice.

We renew our commitment every day. We get stronger every day. We take our discomfort, pain, and disappointment, and we grow. We benefit from all our experiences, and as we benefit, so do all those we encounter.

This is the blessing of commitment and growth.

Growth and commitment opens our hearts and minds to the flow of energy and joy.

Growth requires a commitment to life.

Growth takes our life and returns it healthier and happier.



Living with integrity

As a young man, there were times when I was crippled with loneliness. The need to be liked made me overly sensitive to the negativity and perceived rejection by those whom I felt I needed their acceptance.

In my maturity, I have come to love and appreciate my alone time. I no longer seek or need the approval of those who do not really know me. I am living my vocation with integrity.

I have experienced significant generosity in my 48 years of teaching. I reflect on the hospitality of educators in Athens, Illinois. I was there for a professional development program on Student Assistance Programs and I was informed that one of the members of the staff was preparing lunch for me.

Unbeknownst to me, I was transported with a few other staff to her home. A very modest house, you might even say in a bit of despair. From this seemingly poor environment, I was honored with an elaborate Thanksgiving meal.

I was made welcome. I was an honored guest. There were no politics, no defense, no offense. I was invited to be a part of their family.

"My house is your house, my joy is your joy,
my sadness is your sadness, and my life is your life." - Henri Nouwen



Summer on the farm

Honeysuckle smells take me back to my grandfather's farm. The silver queen corn is fresh every day. Some nights it is only corn and tomatos and that is a wonderful dinner. Fruit trees offer apples, pears, peaches, cherries, and the weirdest fruit – sickle pears, a small hard, sharp, tart taste that I love. 

Homemade root beer is getting ready to burst in the summer sun. Soon, Uncle John will arrive with clams and crabs from Long Beach Island.

Summer on the farm.

Heaven!


painting by Martine Tulet


What comes out of you...

When you squeeze an orange, what comes out? Orange juice.

When you squeeze a lemon, what comes out? Lemon juice.

When you squeeze a grape, what comes out? Grape juice.

Life is squeezing us all the time. Whatever or whoever is inside of us will come out. When we are squeezed, the truth of who we are will come out.

We must ask ourselves when I am squeezed, what comes out? 

Is it pain, fear, anger, hatred, attack? 

Or

Do I express myself as understanding, empathy, compassion, and love?



Great teachers...

The great teachers make it look easy. 

They appear to be tapped into an endless well of wisdom. 

What most don't know, is that they have spent hours and years being immersed in resources that are part of the earth's collective wisdom. 

Great teachers search for answers and direction from beyond the intellect. 

They create an intimate connection with the Divine universe.

We are all connected. In your prayer and meditation be still and know.




Deep caring and love holds my world together

Deep caring and love holds my world together. Looking back at old photographs and laughing and crying through the memories. Planting seeds, nurturing, watering, and seeing an oak tree grow in my backyard. The memory of first meeting you 45 years ago and falling in love with you again, and again, and again. My fathers laughter and hearty hello as he enjoyed the hot tub. 

The love that ties my life together is woven with connection and resilience. I always bounce back. These bridges of love can never be broken. They fuel our souls as we stand for life, dare to love in the face of hatred, dare to step up when someone has fallen, and dare to speak up when someone has been silenced.

We must walk together through the storms of life. Sometimes we will carry each other. Sometimes we will create a path for others to follow.





Solitude

I enjoy solitude. Being alone is revitalizing for me. Being alone is not lonely. It is refueling. 

I believe we can all benefit from finding a quiet center. In my solitude, I can unmask my ego and let it rest. In solitude and quiet I listen to the "still, small voice." I listen to the voice that gave me life. I rest in the hands that bring me health and healing. I rejoice in the freedom of not doing. I love in the unconditional love. In solitude, I am reminded I am a human being not a human doing. I am more than the sum of all of my efforts. I know my life is a gift to be shared and in the sharing, we are twice blessed. New life springs forth from solitude. Every breath is a gift.



Spring...

Yellow forsythia is brightening my sight.
Lilacs are starting to bloom.
Pink, white, and lavender are painting the neighborhood.

No matter that I am aging, in my heart is a delighted child. 
I love the experience of joy, new life, and a fresh spring.

The thoughts I focus on are what creates my life experience.

If the world you see does not bring you joy, it may be time to choose a new thought process. 

Life is full of joy, beauty, and complexity. 

It is also full of opportunity and choice. 

We are here for love, beauty, and to express our divinity.



What do we need to become ready to respond?

"We have learned a bit too late in the day that action springs not from thought but from a readiness for responsibility… Silence in the face of evil is evil itself; God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

In World War II Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran minister escaped from the Gestapo to New York City. He chose to return to Germany to oppose Hitler. He was arrested, spent 18 months in prison, and was hanged shortly before American forces liberated the prison. 

Like Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis, Bonhoeffer made "good trouble."

What is calling us to act? Where is our silence causing more pain? Is it social justice? Is it poverty? Is it mental health for all? Is it economic inequity? Is it climate change? 

What do we need to become ready to respond?

In conversation with a trusted friend, discuss a time in your life when you responded with action; when you stood up and spoke up. Discuss the feelings leading up to your actions, doing, and after you taking action.





We all make choices...

We all make choices.  We can be consumed with stress and fear, or rise above it.  The stress and fear that we focus on, holds us hostage.  We live a reactionary, quick fix, short-term existence.

I find the option is to feel the fear, feel the stress, and be aware of the transformation it brings.  Awareness is the key to living in the moment.  Living in the moment brings us into unity and harmony with life.  

Every day brings us new opportunities and choices.  We can live in respect and caring for others and for ourselves.  We can choose to be thoughtful and kind with our words and actions.

We can choose to renew our commitment to our spiritual growth and wellness.  We can reflect on our intentions and motivations, and be aware of the environments we create.



All life is sacred and I am grateful

"The great lesson from the true mystics...is that the sacred is in the ordinary, that it is to be found in one's daily life, in one's neighbors, friends, and family, in one's backyard." 

- Abraham Maslow

What a blessed life I have been living. The sacred is in my wife Sandra; how she genuinely cares for everyone. She listens tirelessly to our sons. She cares for our special needs daughter sun up till bedtime and often beyond.

Our daughter Ashley is an emanation of the Divine. She has no language or conscious movement and yet she beams unconditional love. Our neighbors are kind and friendly. Our extended family is loving. Our friends are family, beautifully supportive, and compassionate.

Our backyard is full of nature; dear, hawks, all kinds of birds, squirrels, and chipmunks, and now, spring is revealing the flowers, blossoms, and bees.

All life is sacred and I am grateful.



Good Enough

Sometimes good enough is good enough. 

I am a champion of Self-Awareness. I think Self-Awareness is the pre-eminent Social Emotional Learning skill. I believe it is the beginning for our health and success as human beings. Self-Awareness asks us to gently and kindly assess our current growth and development. Who am I? And how am I?

I am not a fan of hyper-critical self-analysis. Dwelling on our weaknesses and constantly berating ourselves for not being good enough or perfect is self-defeating and destructive.

We are a year into the pandemic. We are all looking forward to good physical and mental health. We are all looking forward to connecting again, literally connecting. A hug, a handshake, a pat on the back, will feel miraculous.

Be kind and gentle with yourself. That is good enough.



Standardized tests are not for human beings because humans are not standard

Education has its roots in the Latin word 'educere', which means 'to lead out'. True education is not about stuffing in more information and knowledge. True education is drawing out the skills, character, and wisdom that is already in a child and nurturing those qualities.

We must end the oppression of standardized tests. Even in the current pandemic of 2020/2021, educators are being told to prepare for standardized tests this spring. Are you kidding me? Children, parents, and teachers have barely had a chance to get to know each other, let alone focus on curriculum and some great con-artist wants to test our children and hold educators accountable.

The opportunity of the pandemic is to speak the truth. Standardized tests are like the emperor with no clothes. We don't need more knowledge shoved into our children's minds so they can prove to the multi-billion dollar system that they have a good memory.

We need to focus on wisdom. Wisdom is knowledge and information applied so humanity becomes better at being human. We must return to the old "other side of the report card". We must teach critical thinking skills, how to discover what is truth. We need a much greater focus on problem-solving, character development, and social and emotional learning.

If the past year of chaos, with its divided politics, social justice or injustice, and COVID-19 has taught us anything, it has taught us the need for human teaching and human learning. We must help our children develop and practice the skills for learning and being human.

The research of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, CASEL.org, documents the need for self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making.

In our search for wisdom, we must include the voices and perspectives of women, blacks, hispanics, indigenous people, and other underrepresented and underserved groups.

In a nation that is torn apart, we must teach the power of love, compassion, empathy, trust, forgiveness, and gratitude.

If we explored all academic content through the lens of Social Emotional Learning we would reduce and possibly eliminate hunger, lack of resources, hate crimes, lack of clean water, lack of electricity, mental health concerns, and addiction.

This of course would be a major restructuring of education, or maybe not. I have been an educator for 48 years and every fellow teacher I ever met, in the tens of thousands, are in some way trying to teach social emotional skills.

The young people I meet want to change the world and the teachers I meet want to nurture their passion.

Young people want to heal the planet, climate change, war, starvation, racism, and sexism.

When we integrate Social Emotional Learning into every content area, we will be raising the priority of three new essential R's, respect for self and others, responsibility for everything I think, feel, say, and do, and healthy relationships.

We will move education to be the vehicle that will elevate civilization. We will finally experience what it feels like to be civil, to solve conflict without violence, to live without fear of being different, to act for the greater good, and to love unconditionally.



Teachers

Our roles as teachers are multifaceted. We nurture, instruct, inspire, put out fires, intervene, assess, connect, and arouse curiosity. We also have the power to create deep dialogue in an emotionally safe environment. Often we introduce learners to their creativity and with our support, we help them change the world. When our students are supported, they experience unity with us, with each other, and with the content we are presenting.

I think all of this is contained in one word. Love.

Being in communication and communion with our students helps us build community. This building process helps us all expand into areas we never dreamed of. It enhances our perspective and enriches our understanding.

Wonderful teachers are deep, endless wells of vitality, and transformation. The interdependence between teachers and students creates the tapestry of life.



I have learned so much from my failures

 "Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly." - Robert F. Kennedy

I have learned so much from my failures.  I have learned resilience, empathy, and self compassion.  I have learned that I am far from perfect and I am a good and caring soul.  I now look for the good and caring soul in everyone.

I have survived so much; business mistakes and failures, the pain of losing family and loved ones to illness and death, the loss of normal this past year, and most recently, a quadruple bypass.  I have never put much energy into guilt and now I seek to let go of judgement.

My mistakes and failures have taught me so many great lessons.  Trust, trust, and trust again.  Never be embarrassed to be real and authentic.  Let your imagination and creativity flow.  Speak your truth.  Be kind, always be kind.  Be grateful, always be grateful.

Forgive.




Both broken and radiant...

 "We are all in the same boat – radiant and broken…" – Sy Safransky

Every living thing has been broken. If not broken, it has a scratch, a dent, a nick, a gouge, a crack, or a hole in it. Every heart, has at some time, been broken or bruised. To be alive is to be both broken and radiant.

Being authentic and vulnerable is living with our brokenness and our radiance. When I am wounded, when I break, I reflexively close tight. The key is to remember you have been broken before and recovered. You can trust again. You can open your heart again. When you open your heart, the radiance pours out like sunbeams through a cloud. 

Throughout life, every one of us experiences some hurt, grief, or loss that breaks us. At this time, we choose. We choose to say yes and bounce back and return to life or we say no and choose to diminish.

When you are wounded, broken, and you fear you cannot go on, that is your moment to remember. Remember, you have been here before and you have returned.

Returned to life, returned to love.



Walls...

"They say there is a window from one heart to another; 
but how can there be a window where no wall remains?" ~ Rumi

Rumi, a great spiritual poet, reminds us of our potential as human beings. We are designed to connect.

"We are hardwired for connection." РBren̩ Brown

It is our fear and need for power that erects walls. Every wall I have ever studied, from Jericho to Berlin, has come down. It is our fear, our reptilian brain's fear of anyone not like us that has created walls and systems of oppression and exclusion.

My faith tells me to "love thy neighbor as thy self." It is time to evolve. Evolve past our reptilian fears and move to our higher order thinking. Our human thinking that reaches out with human open hearts, open minds, and open hands to our brothers and sisters across all humanity.



LOVE

It is essential to love and care about ourselves so that we can love and care for others.  Your self worth and value as a human being is not dependent on anyone else.  We have to own our value.  We have to claim our worth.  We are here to love and be loved.  We are created by unlimited, unconditional love.  Each and every day we are in the embrace of God.  Your being approved of by another person is not necessary for your love to blossom.

When we love, we can heal our wounds and offer forgiveness to the broken people who have hurt us.

When we love and respect ourselves, we can forgive and let go of the hurt, anger, and resentment that weighs us down.

When we love ourselves and each other, we forgive and love again.



Continue...

I never thought of myself as a very intellectually bright person.  In school I always did well in Language Arts and Social Studies and struggled in Math and Science.  

My mantra through most of my adulthood has been, "There are thousands of people smarter than me, but no one works harder than me."

Success to me has always been measured in, "Have I been helpful? Have I been caring and compassionate? Have I been understanding and empathetic?" 

I think for the most part, I have met my goals.  I can, sadly, think of a few occasions where I have failed to be all that I wanted to be.  I live with and accept responsibility for my shortcomings.

Every failure, every mistake, has taught me valuable lessons.  I have learned humility, forgiveness, gratitude, and courage.  Now it is my great pleasure to share these lessons with anyone that will listen.  I share in graduate classes, professional development for educators, speeches, videos, and podcasts.

My mistakes have taught me that we are not alone.  We all stumble, we all fail, and it is my joy to continue to get up.  Get up, look up, and continue.  

I love to continue- continue life, continue love, and continue learning.



Forgive

"You don't forgive without loving. And I don't mean sentimentally. I don't mean mush. I mean having enough courage to stand up and say, 'I forgive, I'm finished with it.'" – Maya Angelou

This powerful and courageous choice to forgive has been lifetime work for me. I am aware that I forgive fairly easily. I think I mean it. I think I am "finished with it" but I still am visited by memories and sadness. This must be the love that Maya Angelou speaks about.

I am aware that forgiveness is a gift I give myself. I am aware forgiveness is essential to my healing process. I still need to work on giving up my story on how I have been hurt. I need to let go and let God. For me letting go and letting God means moving to empathy and compassion. I can reflect on the person I perceived hurt me. I can spiritually and emotionally focus on empathy and compassion. When it is difficult to move to empathy and compassion, I can always choose to be kind.

Dear God, grant me the serenity to choose to be kind.




Everything we think, everything we feel, and everything we do, makes a difference to someone.

"The moment we cease to hold each other, the sea engulfs us, 
and the light goes out." – James Baldwin

We are designed to connect. We are made to hold each other. When we hold each other, when we connect, the love multiplies. We need each other. Interdependence is our only hope moving forward. We must work together to find creative solutions to the problems of today.

"The breath of one is the breath of all, and the breath of all, 
is the breath of God." – Melanie Bacon

I am reminded of the African principle of "Ubuntu".  It means "I am because you are." We are all bonded together in a shared humanity.

Everything we think, everything we feel, and everything we do, makes a difference to someone.



What are we learning each day and with each experience?

Each experience in my life has given me skills and knowledge for what was yet to appear.

I discovered passion and commitment by choosing to do what I loved and follow that "still, small voice."  I found courage and wisdom in facing pain, fear, and loss.  When I stumbled and fell, I got back up. I kept trying, and learning, and growing.  Every decision I made created the person I am now. 

Life has been constant change. There is always something new to learn and hopefully enjoy. As I rise, again and again, I learn perseverance and grace.  I am filled with gratitude for every day of my life.  Every day and every experience has the potential to be profound.



The purpose of life is to love

The purpose of life is to love. When we love, we ripple out aspects of original creation. When we love, our life is meaningful.

I am grateful to know and experience that love and life are intertwined. Love is not something we do. Love is something we are. Our love is a way of life.  It is an orientation, a motivation, an intention that brings its own reward.