Practice Laughter and Love

I came across these pictures while looking for some to include with the "Winners Learn to Like Themselves Through Practice" post I was doing on my students' web page.

All three of these girls are among the best in the nation, and perhaps the world, in at least one area. After seeing the pictures of this "Dream Team", Three Musketeers, Tres Amigos, etc.......three words began to sound off in my head as to how they got this way:

"Practice", "Laughter" and "Love."

While pouring a cup of coffee with this chanting still in my head, I realized this was the reason for their remarkable success. As I drank to this epiphany, the words began changing order. They went from:





PRACTICE











LAUGHTER







LOVE








to






LOVE PRACTICE











PRACTICE LOVE






LOVE LAUGHTER




and when things don't work out




PRACTICE LAUGHTER






LAUGH LOVINGLY








LOVINGLY PRACTICE


*and just rinse and repeat as necessary, UNTIL the desired results are reached. This simple formula works whether you're a child or adult, between children and adults, children, and adults.


And most importantly, it works with ourselves. We are humans "being". This takes practice. Nature has evolved through 4.6 billion years of practice. It must have laughed at some of the things it's created. And it certainly must have loved so many of the beautiful things it's loved and laughed into existence through practice.

We, "(wo)man", are universal babies, barely 3.6 million years old. We owe it to ourselves to never give up on who we are, and who we are capable of becoming.

We are all so much more than we give ourselves credit for. What race, sex, religion, nationality we are and income we have has nothing to do with our capabilities. I've personally seen this (or maybe personally seen to it) happen in every type of classroom among every type of student.

So let's practice laughter and love with each other, and most importantly, with ourselves. Our evolution requires it. We don't evolve through hate or victimization. We grow through practice, or struggle. And there's no better way to do this than with the water of laughter and the sunshine of love.

Impossible growth IS possible, miraculous results ARE achievable, and the human species making the world a better place IS attainable.

WE CAN DO IT!
WE ARE DOING IT!

"...You are here....Life exists...Let the powerful play go on that you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?"
- from Dead Poets Society (you can see Robin Williams' photo in the LAUGHTER and PRACTICE pictures, which he signed, "To Mr. Stuart's class, DREAM BIG!", using a photo from the movie. I'd say he is contributing a GREAT verse to our play. Thank you, Robin!

Winners Learn to Like Themselves Through Practice

It was good meeting you new students and it was great seeing some of the "old" (LOL). Thank you for stopping by Amanda, Jessica, and Bridget.

Here's a note I found written in one of my notebooks from last year. It applies to all of us and is perfect for the start of a new year.

"Winners learn to like themselves through practice."

The Amazing Amanda Creates The Mighty Oskam

You are unwritten, in process. And what the pages of history will write about you is up to you. You are right now in the process of creating you.

You are a perfect example of a human....being. I have seen you do this every day, bringing your amazing qualities into our classroom, and learning how best to share this amazement with others.

It helps to "read" the others around you, and let them read you.


Sometimes you have to stop and think, "How is this going? Is what I'm "writing" with my actions having the affect I wanted, or intended, to have?"

Take control by pausing to align what you are doing with what you were hoping to be doing.....




...making that connection within yourself, and getting back into the flow.




From this your best self is realized, and who you are, your best self, becomes mighty. Others will see it......




....Others will feel it.....And you connect with each other.

No matter how amazing we are as individuals, and we all are, it's only when you share yourself unafraid to the world, and in a way that flows with it versus forcing yourself upon it, that mighty connections are made, and lives become powerfully better and brighter.

Bridget - A Real World Changer?

I'm trying to hide behind Bridget to check up on some classmates to make sure they really are working. As you can see Bridget wasn't big enough to hide me, and the students saw me coming. Fortunately they were working, just like I hoped they were.

Why I'm writing is because I'm hearing a voice in me saying that as great as I know Bridget is, and as much as I've already been impressed with her this year.....I have this feeling that I still have no idea how wonderfully talented this person is, and I tend to be able to see the gifts students have, waiting to be developed.

Forget the top 10% of her field, it could really be as high as the top 01%; she might just be a real world-changer.

**I have these intuitions about every student in the class, some stronger than others, some clearer than others, but they're all there. Please have patience with me while they connect themselves with the neurons they're looking for. A few I feel are close are:

The Amazing Amanda, Mighty Malcolm, The Light of Ryan (your eyes hold the key - I think I have to adjust my personality to flow better with yours, and I'm working on that), the Strength of Skyler, Sandeep's Hammer (like Thor's), and Quiet Genius (Zack).

As Bruce Lee said "Be water my friend". The meaning this has for me is to let the flow between you and I flow naturally.