Skip to main content

Mindfulness Training Step One

A dear friend and colleague, Connie B., recently told me about her five steps to positive mindfulness. Connie is a school counselor and a private psychologist. I have known her three years, but have just started visiting with her to understand the wide range of insight and wisdom she has to offer others. I have been practicing, or attempting to practice, the steps as a way to change my mindset from negative to positive. Here is my analysis based on Connie's five steps. Step One: What is my feather? Emily Dickinson - “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul - and sings the tune without the words - and never stops at all.”
What elements are required for you to put your hope above all? I need to find what I put my hope into that is bigger than myself. I have been neglectful of my own faith. I must repent and transform myself to be more like God’s intention/image. Integrate this language into my actions, words, and thoughts to own it. This creates the initial root system that rises vertically, instead of back and forth like depression and anxiety promote.
What conclusions can you draw from your current mindset? I have had a fixed mindset as a nail and hammer that just serves one purpose, instead of like the tall, fruitful tree that is balanced, feels no pain, and is open to new adventures (growth). Be mindful of your best self and what may be keeping you from it.
Can you make a distinction between the types of fixed mindset leading to depression and the positive one leading to fruitfulness? Be fruitful in the spirit to encourage that root system to grow. Depression is in the past, whereas anxiety is the future; neither one promote vertical growth rooted in a fruitful spirit.
Explain what life needs in order to be positive and how to achieve it. There are three events of depression that can be fixed:
  1. Dysthymic, or a rusty belief system- neither time nor chemistry fixes, only fixed by transformation (Like EMDR)
  2. Events- time fixes
  3. Brain chemistry- chemistry fixes

Life is trauma= having a strong anchor does not change the trauma, it replaces it with positive neurons

Can you make a distinction between the types of fixed mindset leading to depression and the positive one leading to fruitfulness? 
For me, the distinction between fixed to growth mindset is that I often do not realize when I am reacting negatively to a situation until someone points it out or I look back on whatever had just happened. For example, one time I found myself yelling at a class of students for not listening to me, when in fact it was not that class I had in my mind who was not listening to me; it was in fact the next class of students who I have had daily struggles with getting them to even just listen to instructions, let alone be on task and turn in completed work. I saw myself in front of the first set of students all looking at me with respectful eyes and quiet hands. What was I doing? I stopped myself in the middle of my lecture, took a deep breath, and then, apologized profusely to them. I kindly told them what to do then let them have their work time. What had just happened? I believe since I had been having daily behavior problems with the latter class that I just pictured myself in front of that particular set of students when I had heard a little bit of chatter in the first class. The little bit of chatter stopped as soon as I raised my voice to them. I think they were just as surprised as I was at that moment. It was like a monster had suddenly taken over my mind and unleashed a string of fire out of my fire. After this strange experience, I became more aware of my own triggers that set off my negative thinking. I am the teacher; I need to have the control; students should listen respectfully without me having to remind them how to act in my room. What I should have done in that moment is just gone to the few students who had been chatting and ask them to be silent so I could give instructions. In hindsight, I have a lot of these moments that I need to just stop before overreacting in order to react more positively and professionally.
Step One Conclusion: My hope is in God.... I have let myself stray away in my faith. I need my faith to be rooted into a positive neuron format. I must be aware of my own faults, my own depressive thoughts, and sometimes controlling moments in which my personality changes. I must be rooted in the positive to be positive in my actions.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Student Motivation as a Parent and as a Teacher

Student Motivation as a Parent and as a Teacher By Janelle Stear, June 11, 2018 As a parent, which is best for my child: public school or charter school?  I have two children who just finished grades second and fifth in a local public school. I also have just finished teaching in a high school public school, the same district.  With my own children, I had started reading with them at an early age. They saw me go through my Master's Program and how dedicated I was at being successful myself.  My children are at the top of their classes. My fifth grade daughter recently scored above average on her Reading, Writing, and Science ISATs. She reads at a high school level. She often helps her peers for assignments because she seems to understand the directions quicker. Her teacher told her on her report card to "go and conquer the world." She not only does well on her academics, but my daughter also has many ideas for writing stories, and for ma...
Post a Comment
Read more

Teachers Making a Difference Despite Ongoing Difficulties

Working with some amazingly talented and dedicated teaching professionals in the last fifteen years has been a privilege for me.  Regardless of what is happening in the Statehouse with local education needs and initiatives, teachers in the State of Idaho are making due with what they have and what they do not have in order to provide the best education possible for students. I have specific colleagues who can attest to that fact. I also have evidence from other teachers across the country who are similarly just trying to make the best of what they have in order to teach the students. Of course, some state educators this past spring walked out of their classrooms to show legislatures they are fed up with the lack of respect and pay for them. I do not see Idaho educators walking out because we know we cannot take the time away from students when we already have limited time with them, especially when students are so far behind already. One of my good friends and ment...
Post a Comment
Read more

Delta Kappa Gamma Collaboration Reflection

Delta Kappa Gamma- International Society for Key Women Educators I am a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma (DKG). My mother and mother in law have been members for a long time. They were both excited when I became a teacher and could join them. They enjoy the organization because it provides them an outlet for gathering with teacher friends to discuss issues with education. They also like that they can make connections with other members from around the state, such as at the annual Alpha Nu State Convention every June, and at the different events where we have guest speakers to inform us about community happenings. During this most recent convention, held in Boise, I stayed with my moms at the Holiday Inn Express. I thoroughly enjoyed being away from home for a few days as though I were at a women's retreat far up in the mountains. I enjoyed the comfort of the modern decor, comfortable couches, and clean rooms with the addition of familiar faces. At the convention, I was met wit...
Post a Comment
Read more