Sonja Higgo, one of my star students - and her Self an experienced teacher of many years - just emailed me this note…
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What I have noticed recently is that I benefit and enjoy doing the task I intended to do rather than procrastinating once again. As I experienced relief and joy about such a simple decision I found it really easy to change.
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It was timely for me, as procrastination recently haunts my days.
I get up, make a list, and do very little of it. DAMN!
When within 2 days you find your Self being angry - 5 times! - with different people, it's better to stop blaming the world for not making you happy, and instead ask the question:
WHAT IS GOING ON!!!!????
So I did that. Because it's me who got angry.
And the surprise is, it has a lot to do with how you lead a group.
If you're in a "mood", if you are unhappy with others, if you are in some "blame game" at the moment - read on. If not, forget to-day's Dispatch and go clean the kitchen please.
Carol Dweck, in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success* tells the story of hugely successful athletes, who all started out, with no particular signs of greatness about them.
Michael Jordan wasn't recruited by the college he wanted to play for. He wasn't drafted by the first two NBA teams that could have chosen him. He was cut from his varsity team.
Do you start planning your teaching day by thinking:
"How could I best undermine my students today? How could I make sure they lose confidence, motivation and the desire to study Alexander's discovery with me?"
No, of course not.
Would it shock to know that you could be doing exactly that?
Not intentionally, but does it matter?
Teaching groups involves giving affirmation to students - but often teachers, in their desire to celebrate an achievement, affirm the wrong thing.
I won't give you all the details via this blog, I do it separately, so sign up here. I've already gathered an audience of listeners, maybe you are one of them…
The content of this course is unique and unseen in the AT world before.
I am 10, riding on a bicycle in a loose T-shirt, hands free. Happy.
Suddenly there’s a hole in the road, and my bike falls over, sending me sliding along a pile of pebbles. My exposed belly is sandpapered by the little stones. I skid to a halt face down in the dirt.
I am in agonizing pain, my belly ripped open by the rocks.
It happened when I was 10, and it is still a vivid memory.
I am tackling again in this dispatch the role of Consciousness in human life.
Years ago, at a workshop in Sydney, I suddenly heard my teacher Marjorie Barstow saying:
"If I Only had 4 Tongues, I Could Explain It Better"
As usual, Marj managed to encapsulate complexity into an amusing metaphor; a metaphor that graphically captured the essence of our challenge in consciously managing co-ordination. If that's what we're even doing…
You see - I write long sentences like that one, and Marj just makes you laugh.
To live a public, vulnerable life takes a lot of self-love.
When you are looking to others to validate your actions: HOPELESS.
You have the life you imagine others want you to live…
I must do this for my children
My partner won't like that
Can I really say that to him?
And so on and so on until you don't know who is listening, and you don't know what to say and you end up in bed, in the morning, with no energy to get up, with no energy to live.