A dare into the unknown
Discover your truths
In continuation to my earlier post on Holistic education. I came across this poignant post and I heartfully share this wonderful initiative and reflections.
ATTENTION ALL TEACHERS AND PARENTS
Every Friday afternoon Chase’s teacher asks her students to take out a piece of paper and write down the names of four children with whom they’d like to sit the following week. The children know that these requests may or may not be honored. She also asks the students to nominate one student whom they believe has been an exceptional classroom citizen that week. All ballots are privately submitted to her.
And every single Friday afternoon, after the students go home, Chase’s teacher takes out those slips of paper, places them in front of her and studies them. She looks for patterns.
Who is not getting requested by anyone else?
Who doesn’t even know who to request?
Who never gets noticed enough to be nominated?
Who had a million friends last week and none this week?
You see, Chase’s teacher is not looking for a new seating chart or “exceptional citizens.” Chase’s teacher is looking for lonely children. She’s looking for children who are struggling to connect with other children. She’s identifying the little ones who are falling through the cracks of the class’s social life. She is discovering whose gifts are going unnoticed by their peers. And she’s pinning down- right away- who’s being bullied and who is doing the bullying.
As a teacher, parent, and lover of all children – I think that this is the most brilliant Love Ninja strategy I have ever encountered. It’s like taking an X-ray of a classroom to see beneath the surface of things and into the hearts of students. It is like mining for gold – the gold being those little ones who need a little help – who need adults to step in and TEACH them how to make friends, how to ask others to play, how to join a group, or how to share their gifts with others. And it’s a bully deterrent because every teacher knows that bullying usually happens outside of her eyeshot – and that often kids being bullied are too intimidated to share. But as she said – the truth comes out on those safe, private, little sheets of paper.
As Chase’s teacher explained this simple, ingenious idea – I stared at her with my mouth hanging open. “How long have you been using this system?” I said.
Ever since Columbine, she said. Every single Friday afternoon since Columbine.
Good Lord.
This brilliant woman watched Columbine knowing that ALL VIOLENCE BEGINS WITH DISCONNECTION. All outward violence begins as inner loneliness. She watched that tragedy KNOWING that children who aren’t being noticed will eventually resort to being noticed by any means necessary.
And so she decided to start fighting violence early and often, and with the world within her reach. What Chase’s teacher is doing when she sits in her empty classroom studying those lists written with shaky 11 year old hands – is SAVING LIVES. I am convinced of it. She is saving lives.
And what this mathematician has learned while using this system is something she really already knew: that everything – even love, even belonging – has a pattern to it. And she finds those patterns through those lists – she breaks the codes of disconnection. And then she gets lonely kids the help they need. It’s math to her. It’s MATH.
All is love- even math. Amazing.
Chase’s teacher retires this year – after decades of saving lives. What a way to spend a life: looking for patterns of love and loneliness. Stepping in, every single day- and altering the trajectory of our world.
TEACH ON, WARRIORS. You are the first responders, the front line, the disconnection detectives, and the best and ONLY hope we’ve got for a better world. What you do in those classrooms when no one is watching- it’s our best hope. http://momastery.com/blog/2014/01/30/share-schools/
Is the form you see
Exactly the form I see
Perhaps they differ
In the way we choose to interpret.
Is form the mark of reality
Does being formless makes it unreal
Is form the contention
To know the real and unreal.
Forms are shaped by intentions
In dedication & deliberation.
For forms become fleeting memories
Perishing in the sands of time.
While the formless evolve in the heart
Holding up to unfathomable faith
They may live on in the silent knowing
Of unspoken trust in the being.
Discernment of the forms
In the inner recesses of the heart and the mind
Waltzes the consciousness of the being
In States of knowing ,of the truth of light
A light of wisdom
That takes many forms
Million times over
To show the path of truth.
The path is lit
As the steps are taken
The forms manifest in the interactions
Of vibrations in resonance.
Between these Illuminating illusions
Of the form and formless
What is real and unreal
All are just reflections in the dimensions.
In the beam of even one moment of truth
Is the convergence of envisioning
Forms and formless become one
Conveying the message safely home.
Savvy
Grateful for this moment
With this day I complete 300 days of writing continously and publishing my works on WordPress.
Gratitude for the creativity from within and thankful for the experiences that allowed me to go into witness mode.
As a writer there is a space for thoughts to collect and flow as and when you feel like it.
This gathering of thoughts is moments of reflections in ruminations
Of life experiences
Of circumstances
Of happenings
Of situations
Of silences
All resounding reverberations in the responses to the resonances.
Writers need to be grateful…
Writers without pressure
Are at ease to allow thoughts
To seed as they germinate
And settle as they arise in time.
A far cry from spoken words
That simply must happen
When the speaking happens
For it its often relentless in the flow
Unchangeable and undoable
My gratitude extends
To writers and my readers alike
For in the flow of these words
Forged are many friendships
Linked in through these inked expressions.
For the buds of creativity blooms and thrives
In support and appreciation
So grateful to be able to write.
Savvy
Are you where your feet are?
Can your heart and mind meet as one?
Can your thoughts & deeds mean the same ?
Are your words from the heart?
Are you comfortable in your own skin?
Do you feel one with yourself?
Are you grounded enough?
Are you where your feet are?
Are you truly in this now?
Savvy
Belief is an act of invoking wisdom.
Trust in waiting is true acceptance.
Allowing is an act giving in faith
Receiving in humility balances the ego.
Trust and believe in the infinite abundance
Allow yourself to give and receive
Let your intentions be guided in goodwill and grace.
Abundance manifests!
Savvy
Isnt life like a game of chess
Where every move matters
Where every step creates opportunities
Where without a plan we may be flummoxed
Where a sense of direction creates progress
Where there is anticipation of possibilities.
Where there is a passion for purpose
Where dedication and perseverance.
Where attentive alertness makes all the difference.
Where awareness and keen observation matters much.
Where every decisive move can impact profoundly
And yet with all the planning one could be checkmated.
Life is meant to be played on for there is no looking back.
Where having a goal is important to fulfillment of living.
Yes life is like a game
Where joys of the journey is greater than success and failures.
Savvy
When water is still
There is mystery
In its stillness
Of its depth.
In its state of flow
Water acquires power
As it allows itself to be shaped.
In it is the strength to adapt
To be gentle stream in the flow
Or rise up like the waves
And in its very depth of being
Is a plethora of life’s potential
Thriving in the contentment of balance.
Savvy
When silence speaks
Eloquently waxing words
There is a stillness
In the soul of the being
In sensing abundance
Of this moment in time
And in the stillness of the now
Is a divine orchestration
Of the rapturous flow
Of the beauty of nature
And its wonder in awe!
All is peace All is well!
In both the home and the hearth.
In both the heart and the mind
For the spirit is truly at bliss.
Savvy
So much for spaces
Gained and lost
Conquered and abdicated
Sensed and enjoyed
Or relinquished in the letting go!
In mindless efforts & attempts at attention one loses track of what truly matters!
Sanity of being and most importantly sensing of life’s moments!
Savvy
In the lives of many women
Being strong is not an option
It is a necessity!
In a world riddled with inequalities
In a world full of double standards
Standing up for yourself
Becomes a tool for survival.
In those tricky moments
In a blink of an eye
Push comes to shove
Pleasure turns to pain
Hurt and betrayal
Seems to fill the air
There she is, left standing alone
To fend for herself on her own.
It is then that she meets fear in the eye
Faces the dark side of humanity
Sensing power in her vulnerability.
Who says a woman is weak?
Watch her rise like a phoenix!
Tremendous is her tenacity!
Resourceful is her resiliency!
The strength of a woman
Braves through the rising storm
Daring beyond the hurt and pain
Fighting through the wrong doings
She moves on to heal and build
In hope and faith in a new morrow
For she knows in her heart
Tommorow is another day!
Savvy
My dedication to Women all around the world!
Every Day is Women’s Day !
Happy Women’s Day!
My reflections on this beautiful picture….
Sun kissed leaves shine like gold
Majestic tall trees lined with wisdom untold
A winding woody path so green
emerges in between …
It beckons you onto a journey to the unknown
Yet with the radiant light of the sun leading you on
You know for sure you will never lose your way
Basking in the beautiful morning suns ray ….
Walk the path … befriend nature and dare
To accept the experiences, it’s ready to share
Live this moment, do not leave it for another day
awaiting when the sun shall shine this glorious way …
Cos Life is so much like this unknown path my friend
Make the journey as the sunshine around the bend
Trust yourself to be all you can be
And perhaps, its awaiting you … that which you wish to see!
Savvy
#motivational #poetry #awareness #life
Why Practice Matters?
Learning any skill requires disciplined and repeated practice. Skill Development is an art itself .
Without the effort of practice , skills cannot improve or sustain.
While practice may not make every person perfect it will certainly better them gradually.
Practice makes you learn until you start to work instinctively.
To reach the level of an expert, practical training is a progressive module which creates challenges as you go along. Every stage a bit tougher than the earlier one.
What is important to remember is that practice is not only necessary but it is necessary to practice efficiently and effectively.
Does practise makes it perfect?
Practice is to engage and rehearse repeatedly in order to perfect a skill to mastery , but not all who practice acheive the level of an expert even with structured and deliberate practice standards in place . So we can safely say practice makes one better gradually.
A consistent practice of any talent or skill will begin to show results for sure. It could be tangible jump or it could be a little step according to the amount to time, focus and energy given to practice. In time the results could be exponential in its rewards as well.
Practice can be truly rewarding and a great source of confidence.But practice needs not only consistency but also determination in perseverance.
A few tips to improve and implement a practice routine..
Be ready to self reflect so as understand why you are motivated to continue practicing.
Be willing to develop the learners mindset and maintain it.
Be mindful of your behavioral changes as you improve and work on it positively to sustain you.
Be engaged proactively to adjust your practice levels as per requirement.
Be focused to set short and long term goals and work on achieving them.
Most of all…
Continuity of practice is important after achieving a set goal…
Keep your practice going!
Savvy
Your life is a gift.
Explore the best in you
Take charge of yourself!
Choose to know your strengths.
Than search for influencers outside
Choose authenticity, to be real
There is much within awaiting you
So much to simply be…
It is actually simpler to be yourself. There is something that each of us can do better than any other. So important then to listen to the inner voice and bravely obey that.
Savvy
A Matter of Honouring the Self and Respecting Others.
“Nothing in Nature can be fully free without restricions or interdependence. Such is the way of Nature, like so is its creations. There can be free will for all, but care should be taken in its extension so it never suffocates others. All natural elements like Sun, Ocean confine to their own boundaries, in spite of being so potent and powerful. If they cross calamities can happen.”
I received these above reflections from my mother on reading my recent post On Freedom
This is an important aspect of freedom which is about respect for edges and spaces. Knowing your edges… is knowing your freedom ends at the tip of your fingers and toes. So honour your personal space… Beyond that there are boundaries to be respected.
On respecting another’s personal space
The term “personal space” generally refers to the physical distance between two people in a social, family, or work environment. Think of your personal space as the air between your body and an invisible shield, or bubble, you have formed around yourself for any relationship.
Respect for personal space is an important life skill .
Although there are different norms in different cultures across the world . Any invasion of personal space is considered a threat to the freedom of the individual all over the world.
Dancing and Personal Space.
Speaking of partner dancing… in certain dances there are rules for a professional distance to be maintained between dancers so that they wont get in each others way, which technically makes perfect sense.
But rules are often broken and unfortunately that is also the reason where you feel uncomfortable dancing with some people over others.
The best connection amongst dancers are in those that respect the partnership and maintain the personal space in between as it helps them manuvere moves with ease.
Yet in life we often see people blatantly trampling on each others personal spaces.
Not only is it too close for comfort it is also an invasion of privacy and threatening in nature.
A few tips on respecting personal spaces.
Every person has different standards of physical and social contact . Some people run the risk of offending others as they have a pesky habit of touching or tapping people as they converse … it truly can be very irritating and in many cultures around the world it is considered rude and ill mannered. It is wise to avoid touching anyone you don’t know.
Always enter a room or office by knocking first. Respect anothers privacy as much as you would like another to respect your own.
Acknowledge others personal space on the road or in public spaces.While travelling make sure to keep your edges with you. Avoid flaying and flinging arms too much as you walk for it can get in anothers way.
It is rude to fling your arm around someone’s shoulder or slap anyone on the back unless you know the person very well. Overt display of affection can be irritating as not everyone is comfortable with the physical touch.
It is good to understand every parent looks at parenting differently. Some think their infants can contract germs if touched by strangers. So avoid cuddling or fondling others children.
It is also important to speak to and show children how to protect their boundaries and respect the personal space of others.
Be close enough to hear and speak without whispering or shouting.While standing stay at least 4 feet away from a person unless you know him or her well. Avoiding treading on someone’s pathway.
At times invariably people get too close for comfort . Take note of cues.When someone leans away from you, you are probably in that person’s space that makes him or her uncomfortable. Take a step back.
If you walk into a cinema or theater that isn’t crowded, leave an extra seat between you and the next person. However, it is alright to sit next to someone if the room is crowded.
Often in situations of extreme eagerness to communicate with another boundaries are crossed. Avoid leaning over someone else’s shoulder to read something unless invited. It is probably done in a harmless way Yet it almost amounts to taking another for granted.
It is truly bad manners to go through anyone else’s personal belongings. Never do so! And never encourage such kind of behaviour in children or adults.
Many years ago I remember an incident where one of our family friend’s young daughter had picked up a habit of checking out handbags of their guests in front of them even as they were all together sitting, engaged in a conversation. Often it is necesssary for parents to stop their children right then and there instead of encouraging it by saying my child is simply curious and loves to play with new bags . It was a difficult situation to handle as no one would like it if someone went through their handbags even if it was a child.
Check if you can take your pets along while visiting friends houses. While you may see no reason to… it is prudent to do so as…your pets are pets only for you! It is necessary to remember not everyone is a pet owner and all do not feel likewise or can tolerate every thinģ in the name of pets.
Your pet and its care is truly your own buisness.
It is wrong to cut in front of people in line.Patience is a great virtue. Respect queues. Respect system. Respect space.
Savvy
Savvy Raj 
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