Complicated Compliments CONUNDRUM~
You Could Have Heard A Pin Drop
As a Guidance Counsellor who loved being with the students not so much the administrative tasks, as you may deduce from the sign above I posted on my office door, my awesome team mate ‘supervisor’ Jean, smiled at me trustingly and obligingly said: ‘Great, you work with the students and develop the Grade 9 program for the school.’
That left me speechless since both she and I knew I was great at process work in the moment; not great at writing down the ‘how’ of anything I did. Jean however was and is a very loving and wise woman: she asked another counsellor, my friend to sit at the back of the room and write down what she observed as I interacted with the students. Then together as a staff we co-created a wonderful program for the grade 9’s in that school.
This particular day, we were discussing self esteem, ‘full steam ahead’ ability.
Listening to my intuition, I said to the class: “Let’s try something new. I need 3 volunteers and I am going to say something positive, negative or neutral to you. The only thing is that you will not know which one it will be. I need you to respond to me in role play.”
A young girl put up her hand. In a loud condescending tone I scolded: “You haven’t cleaned up your room or done your home work! No you are not going out!”Immediately the student began to berate me, call me names and fall predictably into the angry teenager role. I then stopped, thanked her and asked the class if they had ever seen this happen. All heads nodded in unison.
I asked for the next volunteer. Another young girl put up her hand and I spoke: “Its great weather we have today.” She agreed.
As I asked for the third volunteer, of course the whole class already knew what scenario was left. A young boy bravely stood up. I looked at him and in a warm caring voice said, “Do you ever have a nice smile”.
Silence. Profound nothingness. You could have heard a pin drop. Thirty two students ~ not a sound.
I looked around the room and said to the class, “What’s happening?”
After what seemed like a long time, someone said: “He doesn’t know what to say. We don’t hear nice things like that.”
Three more times, 3 more classes, grade 9 through grade eleven; same results consistently. It was then, with a lump in my throat, that my soul knew the depth of this teaching and the dire need to offer this tool to others. I am saddened once again, just remembering the heart felt depth of this moment and the deep trust those students had in me to be able to ‘stay with me in this process….
From my journalling I wrote back then:
this is the work of my soul and I know it so is so simple but so vital to wellness…help me god to bring this to the world in your way…show me, guide me…..thank you for bringing into my life the support for me in this work, my dear friends, my soul friend co-workers and family members who support me in this manner……As always, I am hearing Truth is so simple. Linda, go back to the simple.
In that moment I saw laid bare, the pain of the unacknowledged soul. The tender hearts of our pain filled children: the same pain that had drowned my soul as a very young child and most likely the souls of my own children at times, before I became aware. It is one of those moments when the precious gift of being a ‘teacher’ touched me to the core.
On the surface, how simple a compliment seems. Just an ordinary phrase. No big deal.
Not so~ A compliment is an open hearted act of kindness. Seemingly small, a compliment has the love force of touching another and reverberating to the essence of who we are. Validating, healing, energizing…
So what was my lesson, the nugget of gold from this profound awareness? I began to see clearly how easily many are conditioned to respond quickly in defensive anger, negativity, meanness and also how many are unable to receive the positive or the ‘good’.
How long will we choose to resist the simple truth of caring and kindness?
How can we begin to change this together?
What simple compliment, act of kindness may you offer or accept today, toward becoming the change in this world we all share?
The Teacher Of Galilee
The Teacher
He never taught a lesson in a classroom…
He had no tools to work with,
such as blackboards, maps or charts…
He used no subject outlines, kept no records,
gave no grades, and His only text was
ancient and well-worn…
His students were
the poor, the lame, the deaf,
the blind, the outcast—
His method was the same
with all who came to hear and learn…
He opened eyes with faith…
He opened ears with simple truth…
opened hearts with love,
a love born of forgiveness…
A gentle man, a humble man,
He asked and won no honours,
no gold awards of tribute to His expertise or wisdom…
in yet this quiet teacher from the hills of Galilee
has fed the needs, fulfilled the hopes,
and changed the lives of many millions…
For what He taught
Brought Heaven to earth
and revealed God’s heart to mankind.
Verse found years ago on a plaque….
I have long held the essence of this wisdom close to my heart. The simple beauty of a life, this way lived, would be of ineffable worth in our world today.
Believing Ones Way Beyond The Fear
I Pulled my Courage up from the Depths of Somewhere…
There are times in life, when suddenly the path ahead is obscured beyond any human understanding. The challenge looming menacingly ahead, may feel like a roaring avalanche about to engulf, when one hadn’t even been aware that they had stepped onto the mountain. Choosing to trust this mysterious force is not a journey for the faint of heart. It is however, the pathway to miracles and breathing space.
The En Visioning Call of My Soul…
Having completed my Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology, I then was offered a place in the Faculty of Education to complete my teaching degree. Being in fear through most of my teens, feeling little personal power and lack of support, even censure when I had attempted to embrace life in new ways, I had not ventured into the world to follow my heart’s desire after high school. I truly began to embrace the inner challenge of the ongoing ‘lesson’ of reclaiming my authenticity throughout my marriage. At the earth age of ‘30′ mother of 4 children, sitting in the golden ( really!) chair I will always remember, I clearly heard my Higher Self say to me:
“Linda, you CAN become a teacher!”
Stunned, I began to breathe in the possiblity of reclaiming the dream I had secretly carried, since I was a tiny child. The rest of this is a story for another day……
Now Life was calling me again and and just as imperatively. This time the reverberations awakened my saddened soul and I knew that the only choice for me was to accept the honour of being offered a place at the Faculty, although having no idea ‘how’ any of this could be possible. I had just become the single parent of four children with an already large student loan, part time work as a grocery clerk left me with no idea “How” I was to pay the bills each month. Then I suddenly learned that the children and I were now living in a home that going up for sale, imminently In Yet……
Beckoned from within, in both great fear and mumbling prayer, I blindly began to trust the vision I had seen years earlier. Although I truly felt I was in a check mate position I pulled my courage up from the depth of somewhere I knew not, since this route seemed the only way I would be able to secure a teaching position to be able to care for my family.
I had forgotten that my soul knew the golden path before me.
Arising in the dark each morning, four hours before class was to begin in the city, I would travel, study and return home in the evening. When people asked me how I did this, my reply was always: “Please don’t ask me right now.” It seemed that if I spoke, my suppressed pain and exhaustion would engulf me; I needed every bit of my energy focused on the task ahead. I carried the poem Footprints folded in my wallet and simply kept keeping on.
The inevitable day came when I looked in the refrigerator and there was almost nothing eat. My insides began to cave. Shaking and silently praying, I heard my oldest daughter say: “Its okay mom, it’s been worse”.
I blessed her for her faith. There comes a level of fear that is completely numbing and perhaps this is the gift that allows one to continue moving forward into the unknown when trust is still a fledging. Arising at 5:00 a. m. the next morning, I once again headed to the university, fear pulsing the beat of my heart.
Later that day, researching in the library, the librarian noticed I was strained. I mentioned my situation and that this time I simply didn’t know how I could continue and I had no answers in my awareness, anymore. She smiled and me took down the hall, indicating the Awards Office. Go in there now, she lovingly told me and gently nudged me forward.
On automatic pilot, I entered and began to speak, tears falling as my words dripped out. I will never forget the woman who questioned and listened that day. She gently told me to take the form, to fill it in immediately and return it right away.
Then, because I had ‘believed’ my way beyond my fear and had shared with another ~ since a Miracle is simply a Change in Perception, the key to opening to a miracle began to unfold.
Having reached beyond my old belief system of “ You Have to Do it all Yourself” , three days later I had enough money for food as she handed me the cheque and my eyes once again filled with tears. She soothed my aching soul by acknowledging: “You really need this, don’t you.”
To my surprise, she also passed me another application form, repeating the instructions to complete it immediately. This went on for three months, allowing me to feed my children, to complete my year and graduate with my Bachelor of Education.
I never knew the woman’s name, but to me she was my Angel. This possibly humiliating situation brought healing and hope to me and my family, through her heart felt compassion. Allowing me to keep my dignity, she saw with eyes of love. I truly know that she was one of ways in which Divine Love carried me through that year.
Graduating with honours was merely a bonus. How the rest of the technicalities worked out, I really don’t remember. I do know for sure, however that there truly are angels on earth.
I know she was one of the many Human Angels who believed in me and carried me through that year.
Dear God/dess, thank you for every day miracles. May we remember that when we forget and tremble in fear, You have infinite resources beyond all measures. Thank you for the still small voice within that guides and supports us, through what may seem the most dire of circumstances. For this most precious gift we offer our heartfelt and humble thanks.
Might you be ready to shift one perception; to invite a miracle into your life?
And if so, which one do you choose to shift ?
Many blessings Linda
Heart Talk or Babble ?
Is the Language of Human Kind Universal?
The Burning Question…..
Recently I attended several Expressive Arts Therapy courses with wonderful people from many different backgrounds and nationalities. During our time together, many of us connected with each other in deep understanding and communion.
A Korean classmate spoke English that greatly improved over only a few weeks and I commented on her incredible language facility. She just smiled and said to me: “Linda, is easy talk with you. You talk heart talk, same same, like me.” So simply, did she state this beautiful truth.
This experience reminded me of a time years ago, when I was blessed to be one of the team members who facilitated the safe arrival of a family from Taiwan to our town. My task was to assist them in finding housing, supplies and to generally introduce them to the every day functioning of Canadian life. Amidst the many challenges and hurdles, we laughed, learned and shared much.
Early in our relationship, I invited the family to join us at the arena to watch my son’s hockey game. This I felt, would offer the 3 young boys an outing and some good old Canadian sports experience. My youngest daughter, about 5 at the time, loved any new adventure and she joined me on this day. The family, although quiet was fascinated with the arena, the ice and the new sport. After awhile however, Holli began pleading with me to allow her to take Khan, the youngest boy with her to show him around.
Off they ran together to explore and play. This was the first time that they had been alone together, in a new environment. About half way through the game, breathless and bursting with boundless energy, my Holli ran up to me, interrupting our adult conversation by pulling on my coat. I immediately asked her what was happening. She looked at me in complete surprise.
“Mommy, mommy” she said, “MOMMY, HE DOESN’T SPEAK ENGLISH !”
Suddenly she was noticing that in all the time she had shared with the boys, the words they used were not the same as hers. In all the getting to know each other, the exploration, fun, and joy they shared together, language had never mattered. As my new friend simply stated, and Holli intuitively knew, the language of the heart and soul always leads the way.
Too often in this world, we have chosen the TOWER OF BABEL mode of communication, with dire results. The language of human kind is indeed universal if we choose to remember.
What we truly need to understand one another is an open heart, the desire to connect and the remembering that we truly are all ONE.
Learning to Love Yourself
005
Learning to love yourself, is the beginning of a life long romance.
Oscar Wilde
