True Family

"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life." - Richard Bach

I have been working professionally with, for, and employing people for 42 years.  My friend of 44 years, Joe, often says "you don't hire people; you adopt them."  When you are a part of my work team, on a variety of projects, you become a part of my family.

My goal was not to build a business.  My goal was to build a process that helped children, teachers, and schools be the best they could be.  I want to help schools become Whole Child-centered, emotionally safe, nurturing environments.  Our work helps schools integrate social emotional learning with academics.  Our work is a catalyst for transformation.

Our core beliefs are respect for self and others, a sense of responsibility for everything you think, feel, say, and do and developing healthy relationships.  I am blessed to work with people I respect and love.  They are all assets in my life.  I feel tremendous joy as I watch and participate in the growth of my friends, colleagues, students, and schools.

Gratitude Can Lead to Higher Grades

Research points to gratitude as a potential bridge between student’s academic and social well-being.

Studies show grateful youth have higher GPA’s, experience positive emotions and ultimately go on to live more meaningful lives.  

Gratitude can foster an increased sense of hope and trust and a desire to give back to the community.

Practicing gratitude at a young age promotes development of self-control and self-regulation.

Teachers who model gratitude help students think more deeply about why they are grateful.

When we are grateful we are transformed.  We value ourselves and other more and our relationships are strengthened.

The following strategies are from Cultivating Gratitude in the Classroom written by Sarah McKibben.  It was published in the November 2013 (Volume 55, Number 11) edition of ASCD Education Update. 

Think intentions, costs, and benefits - Researcher Giacomo Bono suggests that when students express gratitude, educators should encourage them to notice intentions (the thought behind the gift that they received), appreciate costs (someone went out of her way or made sacrifices to help them), and recognize the benefits (someone provided them with a gift or a kind act that has personal value).

Use a gratitude journal - This may be one of the simplest ways to increase gratitude.  In a 2008 study by Bono and Jeffrey Froh, middle school students who regularly wrote about what they were thankful for reported greater optimism and a more positive outlook on their school experience.

Lead gratitude activities - Have students write a thank you letter to someone in their lives, participate in gratitude circles, or contribute to a gratitude wall or bulletin board.

Pair students to increase cooperation - Gratitude can emerge organically in mixed-ability grouping that allows students to complement one another’s strengths.

Use question prompts - For example, when students come into school on Monday mornings, ask them what their favorite part of the weekend was, says Bono.  Then, follow up with, Did someone help make that happen? Or, if they faced a particular challenge, ask, Did someone help you overcome it?  Bono explains, “It’s easy in the day-to-day conversations that you have with a child to talk about the people who were responsible [for a positive event].”

Encourage service learning - Service learning gives students an opportunity to experience and reflect on the struggles of others.  Each discipline poses opportunities for service learning around a social justice question or authentic community need.

Model it! - The key to cultivating gratitude in your classroom is to make it part of your own routine.  By modeling gratitude, you encourage students to do the same, and, according to the Greater Good Science Center, teachers who practice gratitude “feel more satisfied and accomplished, and less emotionally exhausted, possibly reducing teacher burnout.”

The Work Of Our Masonic LifeSkills Conference

The Work Of Our Masonic LifeSkills Conference

As I reflect on our Masonic LifeSkills Conference, 2014, I appreciate that we ask young adults essential life questions.

We begin with “Who Are You?” and “Why Are You Here?”  These questions ask us all to go deeper to begin to focus on our life’s mission.  Our Masonic LifeSkills Conference focuses on the following lessons:

·      Servant leadership is not an accomplishment; it is a way of life.  It brings it’s own intrinsic rewards; what is essential is our intentions.

·      As servant leadership increases, we become more attracted to love, peace, and beauty rather than in things or short-term gains.  Forgiveness and gratitude become a habit.

·      As we continue to be connected throughout the world, we become aware that as we improve in our private lives, the world improves with us.  What we do to serve others automatically benefits everyone; we are all connected in this life.

·      We can make a gift of our life by being kind, respectful, forgiving, responsible, compassionate, and integrous.  We seek to offer these gifts at all times, in all places, to everyone – including ourselves.

·      Integrity is strong, constructive, practical, and simply “works.”  Our integrity comes from taking responsibility for what we think, feel, say, and do.

·      We decide daily to “be kind to all life” - to respect the sacredness of life.  Dr. David Hawkins stated, “Simple kindness to one’s self and all that lives is the most powerful, transformational force of all.”  The values of compassion, forgiveness, and understanding become prominent.

·      Out of all-inclusive, unconditional, loving compassion comes the growth and health of humanity.

·      We support and focus on the solutions instead of attacking and judging the causes.

·      Acceptance and understanding resolves strife, conflict, and pain.

·      Gratitude is more powerful than retribution.

·      Keeping focus on a goal inspires us to actually accomplish the goal; what is held in our hearts and minds becomes real.

·      All we need to progress towards our goal is patience, faith, and the surrender of resistance.

·      Courage is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to move through it.  We reach out to others, pushing through our fear of rejection, failure, and hurt.

·      Each positive choice moves us closer to additional choices.  Every choice matters.  Choose well.

·      We recognize each other at our highest level.  We see the same Self in everyone.  This unity through community heals us of separation.

·      Make a gift of your life.  Share love, acceptance, and compassionate service.  When we uplift others, everyone is uplifted in the process.  Trust the process.

·      There is no greater calling in life than to be of service to others.

The Powerful Impact of Kindness

Simple human kindness is one of the greatest gifts of this life.  It is a powerful, transformational process that can move the hardest heart.  Kindness has no negativity; it uplifts, creates smiles, offers new perspectives, and always brings comfort.  True and powerful kindness does not seek selfish reward.

It enhances the well-being of all involved.  Scientific research has shown that serotonin levels are increased for both the giver and the receiver of kindness.  Acts of kindness also raise the serotonin levels of those who witness the act of kindness.  Serotonin is a natural chemical in the body that leads to increased happiness and the ability to react well to stress.  The effect of subtle, gentle kindness has far reaching, rippling effects.

The Secret to an Extraordinary Life

Much of our anxiety and inner conflict comes from living in a world that drives us to perform for attention.  The value is on what we do, what we accomplish not on the essence of what matters.

We are encouraged and often applauded for our achievements.  We are focused too much on getting attention when the secret to a peaceful and fulfilling life is on giving attention.

Most recently, our schools, teachers, and students are told they are only of value when they perform well on standardized tests.  In our schools and work, we are conditioned to believe that to be a success, we must be special, score the highest, be the best, be number one.  The reality is the secret to an extraordinary life is revealed when we devote ourselves to giving attention to others, not getting it.

All of life comes alive with intrinsic value when we see and recognize that everything and everyone is special.

The more we focus on getting attention rather than giving it, our unhappiness grows.  It leaves us in a world of dissatisfaction and need.  We are always dreaming of a future greatness.  We always need someone else's approval.  Our unity is in seeing the grace in all life.

The media sells us on fame.  We are all looking for our fifteen minutes of fame.  We all want to be born a celebrity.  When we see and give love, we touch the joy of spirituality.  We are healthy and whole in celebrating all life.

Give attention through service.  Build your identity on finding beauty in all life.  Find peace in celebrating life.

Claim Your Worth

You are unique in all the world.  You are the only you that will ever be in this life.  Your calling is to be you, your authentic self.  Your inner self, your greater self, your spirit is calling you to your authenticity.  The world needs you.  The world needs your greatness.  Your identity, your self is much bigger than your ego.  You are a part of the infinite universe.  As Marianne Williamson said, "Your playing small does not serve the world."  Let go of the small needs of your ego and be aware of your place in the greatness of the universe.

When you authentic self shines forth, you are one with Divinity.  You are one with infinite kindness, love, patience, creativity, empathy, joy, and compassion.  You have great value in this life.  Move forward into your greatness.  Claim your worth.

Perhaps You Are A Leader...

Leadership is rare because it demands so much of us.  Leadership means we will be unpopular and we will be uncomfortable. 

When we speak our truth, someone will object.  Someone will criticize.  Someone will even create lies about you. 

If you dare to lead, stand tall in your truth.  This may be publicly uncomfortable and daunting.  Often, the place of our discomfort and fear is the exact place we need to be standing in order to lead most effectively. 

If you are uncomfortable, perhaps it is because you are a leader.

The Beacon That Lights Our Way...

When our inner core beliefs are in concert with our outer behaviors, we have reached Integrity.  Integrity is our inner strength shining through as resilience.  As we relate to the world around us, integrity is “the still, small voice” inside, that does not change.  It is the beacon that lights our way through life. 

Finding Educational Excellence

It is all too common to blame teachers and education for everything we perceive as wrong or difficult in our world.  Most of the criticism comes from people who have never spent a full day in a classroom.  Education has become our political scapegoat.  We have abused the best teachers and schools with new politically-driven, fear-based tests.  For how long can our profession withstand the effects of assessments that are not developmentally sound?  We have broken the hearts of the finest teachers in the world.  Many have left the profession in tears.  It is these master teachers we need to help us find our way to a healthy and successful life.

Educational excellence will not be found in a new standardized test.  It will not be found in the new teacher evaluation.  It will not be found in the Common Core alone.

Educational excellence will only be found in supporting courageous teachers committed to the cognitive, social, and emotional needs and success of their students. 

We must stop the harassment of education.  We must take the shackles of oppression from our teachers and invite them to participate in academic decision-making.  Our only hope of transforming education is to challenge and care for the human heart.  The transformation of education will be accomplished when we join in dialogue built on Integrity, Authenticity, and Vulnerability.