Blog Archives - Brave Teachers

Special Offer: Visioning The Best Year Ever

12/30/2011

This is a great time of year to refocus your school year!

Are you feel tired? Uninspired? Overwhelmed?

Try some of the great tools included in Visioning The Best Year Ever to get your focus, energy, and perspective back.

Just this week, grab Visioning The Best Year Ever for $5!

It's the whole beautiful and colorful 63 page pdf.
It's like a little retreat for your courageous heart.
It's filled with tools for self care and refocusing and calming and redirecting.
I'll throw in a lovely gift for a friend, too! You buy a copy and then email me here with your friend's email address, and I will send them a copy as a gift from you for free! Happy New Year! How fun is that?!
While it's focused around the 2011-2012 school year, it's perfect for the beginning of the new calendar year, too! (Disclaimer: The calendar runs from August 2011 - July 2012)
Hurry now! Here's where to get your copy!

Even better, join me for Brave Teacher Play Day, January 16, 2012, and we will refocus and do some self care!

Passing Through The Gate To 2012

12/30/2011

Something to write or think about today:

The gate to the new year is about to be flung open. It's just in front of us. Take a few minutes to look at the old year, and then let it go. Put down the burdens of the old, so that you have the strength to continue on to the new year with the courage to embrace what is what on the other side of that gate.

What were the highlights of 2011? What were the disappointments? What were the triumphs? What were the lessons to care with you? What are the burdens that can be released?

What are hopes and dreams for 2012? How will self care fit into the new year? What do you hope to accomplish or encounter? How do you hope to impact the lives of others in the new year? When you review 2012 a year from now, what do you hope to see when you look back?

Keep Calm

12/29/2011

An affirmation for all brave hearts:

I am calm and resolute.
I am able to release the thoughts and situations of today.

I just returned home from a very calming retreat at True Nature Holistic Retreats. It was the Christmas gift to my husband and myself. It was a beautiful experience that I would highly recommend.

I'm starting to collect some fun papers, ribbons, stickers and art supplies for the Brave Teacher Play Day. I'm looking forward to investing a day in some truly Brave Teachers. It's not too late to sign up! I'd love to spend the day with you!

I'm still working on my word for 2012. Here you can print a mini-workbook to help you choose a word that sets your intentions for the new year. It's free!

How Are You Caring For Yourself?

12/26/2011

A questions to write or think about:

How are you caring for yourself?

Hopefully you have a few days to slow down after the busy-ness that surrounds Christmas and before the New Year celebrations and back to school.

Today I mostly took it easy at home and played with a 3 year old and loads of new toys. I'm going on an overnight retreat with my love. It's the first time we're leaving Sam overnight, so I'm nervous. I know it will be good self care. I'll let you know all about it when we return. What are you doing for yourself today?

There is still time and space to join us for the Brave Teachers Play Day.
It's going to be some good, fun self care! I hope you can carve out the time to be part of this extraordinary day.

Blessing In The Darkness

12/18/2011

May you wait with anticipation
May you move gently forward
May you see that the light is brightest
Just when the darkness has passed.

Just Let Go

12/17/2011

Holiday self care tip:

Just let go.

That's it--so simple and so difficult. That's it. Just let go of expectations, and mile long to do lists, and all the other things that distract you from enjoying the experience.

Yesterday I talked to someone who said she just couldn't wait for Christmas to be over. She looked so tired. My heart hurt for her. She is trying to do so much, but it was obviously not working for her. We still have a week to go, and then there's New Year.

For me, the hardest part is letting go of some of the stuff that I really enjoy doing. I LOVE making gifts, but I honestly don't know of anyone who wouldn't love a gift card and a note I wrote to them. I love when people make a donation in my honor that will help someone else. Honestly, is there anything I really need that someone else is going to buy me? I also love cooking special holiday recipes, but I don't know anyone who won't survive without them.

So what is the benefit of letting go? I think it's simple--PEACE and PLEASURE. There is a beautiful internal calm that resolves when I let go (and then let go of the guilt!). And the pleasure? I've had some great moments of reading holiday books with my little son, watching him decorate and undecorate the bottom half of our tree, walking around the neighborhood looking at lights, and listening to him talk about Santa. Those are things I will really treasure this season.

How 'bout you? What can you let go? What do you want to treasure about this holiday season?

I know it's difficult, so I'm sending you some extra courage today.

An easy gift for yourself and other teacher friends is The Brave Teacher Play Day! I can't wait to spend the day playing with you!

Take A Little Break

12/14/2011

Here's a tidbit of self care and writing:

Brave Teacher,
It's such a busy time of year. Carve out a little time to take care of yourself. This might be calling a friend, grabbing a warm drink, or making a gratitude list. You know what would feel good for you. (Holiday preparations and paper grading do NOT count!) Be gentle with yourself. It will give you the strength to be gentle with others over the next few weeks.

I'm sending you so much gentleness and courage and strength. You are doing a great job at this thing called life--even if you don't fee like it today.

I hope your planning to join me for a fun play day in January. I'm so looking forward to our time together!

Blessed

12/11/2011

An affirmation for us all today:

I am so blessed!

It's so easy to lose sight of how blessed life is, especially if we feel stress or undervalued. Or if you're bearing more than your share of burdens. We are so blessed. If you would like to make a list of gratitudes and blessings you have, you might like this printable. At this time of year I'm often tempted to look at what I don't have and focus on how I don't feel like I'm enough. When I start to count my blessing, my whole perspective improves.

I'm blessed by this whole growing Brave Teachers Tribe! How are you blessed?

Have you printed your free mini-workbook, Word of the Year 2012?

Have you signed up to attend the first Brave Teacher Play Day? Find more info or grab your spot today!

Word Of The Year

12/7/2011

I'm absolutely blown away by what choosing a word for 2011 did in my life. Read all about it here.

I believe in this so much that I created a mini-workbook you can use to help you choose a word for the year. It's a little gift from me to you, because you are so precious and dear. I hope you enjoy it! I can't wait to see what words come to you, brave teachers. Please share!

Don't forget to join us for Brave Teachers Play Day, January 16, 2012.
Get more info or sign up HERE.

Expectation

12/5/2011

Here's a little affirmation for all of us today:

I release myself from the expectations of others and myself.

I feel like I NEVER live up to the expectations others have of me. The logical part of me realizes this is quite ridiculous, but it doesn't change the way I feel. I also recognize that at times some expectations cannot be met by anyone. I feel so much pressure and stress because of the whole expectation thing. I'm going to try to just show up for the next 24 hours and see if I can let that be enough.

How 'bout you? I just want to say, you are soooo enough! How are you feeling about the expectations on you right now?

Don't forget to share some healing and courage with yourself or other teacher friends. Give the gift of the Brave Teacher Play Day.