Week 14B

Persistence is the quality that allows someone to continue doing something even though it is difficult or opposed by other people.

In The Good Lie the children of the Sudanese war are persistent throughout the movie. First and foremost their persistence to survive is beyond surreal. Young children who have been traumatized by the killing of their parents and the decimation of their entire village are forced to flee on foot by  walking hundreds of miles through the deserts of Africa without food or water, shoes or shelter. They are forced to drink each others urine to stay alive. I would say they had a shared DMP….to live no matter what and to maintain their dignity in concordance with their belief system.

Their Mastermind Alliance is each other. They are faced with this shockingly different culture with little guidance and even less understanding and yet they remain true to each other and kind to their strange new friends.

As they work to secure an honest life for themselves in this cold new land they stay on task with continuous action toward the goal of reuniting with their sister and Theo becoming a doctor. Persistence plus purpose combined with a positive mental attitude and ACTION equals PROGRESS.

 

Week 14- MKA Great Minds

We cannot think about two things at once. If a negative thought enters your mind replace it with a ray of sunshine. Change the subject.

With children who are misbehaving we “redirect” them to another activity. Redirect yourself! You are a child of the light!

Week 13-MKA Hope

I can’t help but wonder what would happen if these concepts of our inner self were nourished from a young age. If we grew up practicing and believing in our own creative power. Having worked with children for many years ages 3-12, I am overwhelmed with thoughts that what I am reading and practicing are what I see naturally occurring in children in my Montessori classroom. Anyone who is familiar with Dr. Maria Montessori’s writings and practices will recognize many commonalities.

Interesting to me also is that Haanel (1866-1949) and Montessori (1870-1952) lived at exactly the same time period albeit an ocean apart; Haanel was a first generation American, of Swedish decsent, and Montessori an Italian who took up residence in many countries.

“Imagination does not become great until human beings, given the courage and the strength, use it to create.”
― Maria Montessori

 

Week 12-MKA Carry on like a Bull

I will persist until I succeed.

My bravery is measured by my willingness to be pricked by the lance and continue to charge forward….

I was not delivered into this world in defeat.

I am not a sheep waiting to be prodded.

I am a bull.

I take another step.

I persist.

I succeed.

 

 

 

Week 11-MKA This is My Fight Song

Week 10- MKA Endurance

What is endurance?

My Webster’s app says it is the ability to do something difficult for a long time.

Tending to my inner life is extremely difficult. I must endure the obstacles as I have seen so many positive changes already.

Thoughts to self : Endure until you make it. Set yourself up for success. Discipline determines destiny. Do the exercises. Believe. Trust the process. Start over. Smile. Laugh. Share….find a mastermind partner…..I always do better with others…..

That is what I need to do find an alliance……

Week 9-Daily Affirmation

Replace all negative thoughts with positive ones.

“I am whole, perfect, strong, powerful, loving, harmonious and happy.”

We are the sum total of our thoughts according to Haanel. He recommends using this affirmation as a shield against the darkness. I envision a blindingly bright saber light sword like the ones from Star Wars. We cannot stop evil from coming but we certainly can slash the dark thoughts and feelings with our sword of goodness and light. No use entertaining negativity……

We must be vigilant in the housekeeping of our thoughts. Amazingly difficult to sweep away the negative self-talk, to keep it from festering. The mental diet continues to be a challenge. It is a mental sword worth sharpening in the fight to liberate myself from my own worst enemy, myself.

As an exercise in visualization I purchased Paper Whites, Amaryllis and Hyacinth bulbs and surprisingly a colleague quickly planted them in glass containers in the windows of our shared classrooms. We will, with our students, observe them force themselves upward, persist into what they  will be. Living cells dividing and sub-dividing, roots bursting downward and stem reaching for the sun. I am most excited to smell the hyacinth and to be viscerally reminded of beauty in the  greyness of the Northeast as winter approaches.

Mahalo.

Week 8-Imagination

What exactly is imagination?

My Merriam-Webster’s app says that imagination is

: the ability to imagine things that are not real: to form a picture in your mind of something you have not seen or experienced

:the ability to think of new things

:something that only exists or happens in your mind

Haanel says imagination is a form of constructive thought. The light by which we penetrate new worlds of thought and experience. The mighty instrument by which every inventor or discoverer opened the way from precedent to experience.

What a challenge to imagine the future me. I do not picture my future self as my mother or my father. I find it hard to construct the me of the future, yet as each moment passes I am inventing her.

As I force myself to consider her…to invent her…I picture a new improved model of my current self, slightly older physically, laughing and free. I do not want to wish for her too hard as that means my children will be grown….it is already going too fast. Childhood seems a blip on the screen of life yet so precious….so fragile…so important. I am reminded of the biter sweetness of motherhood, the intense joy and at times the piercing pain!

 

 

Week 7-MKA Self-Observation

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”       Marianne Williamson

That is some mighty fine architecture! There is so much to sink our teeth into each week. I seem to latch onto a couple of key aspects and then move on. It is an amazing journey albeit quick! I feel like I am in a train zipping past and picking up pieces of what is important. I stop and get off at the stations along the way and fill up on readings, insights and inspirations. I am left wondering if I saw everything and if not what did I miss?

One thing I missed was waiting to cross out the “will” in Scroll II of GS. I actually thought I was being smart when Mark J said to at some point during the week to (Halloween week) go ahead and switch over to reading Scroll II this week.  I automatically crossed out any and all “wills”. Were we supposed to transition that week? I am not sure now. The following week he said to wait to cross them out. I guess he meant just read it in addition to Scroll I. I am not sure how big of a deal this is but I leapt ahead and read and crossed out “will” from Scroll II and my blueprint as well. I have been going hog wild making all the verbs I am reading present tense. I LOVE crossing words out and writing in my books and on my papers!!!!!!! I even use pen!!!! I feel a part of the building that is being built when I change the words (I get to improve on the architect’s design).

I do not believe these little things are going to stop me from obtaining the benefits of the readings or the exercises. This is just my observation of myself…… certain pieces of the journey are sticking with me…..while others areas need this kind of laser focus so I can reap the full benefits!

 

 

Week 6-MKA Finding My Way Back

“That a man can change himself, improve himself, re-create himself, control his environment, and master his own destiny is the conclusion of every mind who is wide-awake to the power of right thought in constructive action.”
Larsen

I believe this wholeheartedly but man it has been a rough couple of weeks. I find myself in flux. Obstacles abound (after the computer glitch my printer broke!!!!). My spirit and  commitment are wavering. Part of me is determined to profoundly change and part of me is tired and wants to give up. Thankfully the part that is committed has dug her heels into the readings….so I read….

Week 6 readings really hit home for me. Especially No. 20 of Haanel where attention and concentration are being compared to a magnifying glass. I find working full time (more than) as a teacher and raising 2 young children that what I miss the most is the freedom to CONCENTRATE for more than 10 minutes. I feel that I have become increasingly anxious and scattered as my responsibilities have increased. I really miss that place where I could razor focus on something and I want to get it back. It is no surprise that the hardest part of the past 6 weeks has been the “SIT”. Inevitably I fall asleep…..and I am not sure if that counts as a “SIT”.

During our TRIBE meeting I was encouraged to hear the struggles and triumphs of others. I was reminded of OATES. I will make more specific lists with multiple levels of importance. I need to schedule more TIME with my family doing fun activities. I need to think about how I can change my life so I have more time for ME.

I am digging through the layers.