Today's sacred space is filled with ramblings based on my personal experience, and my hope is that you can find a bit that resonates with you. . .

My life has been a bit topsy turvy over the past few weeks.  I have been in transition, dealing with complex and difficult realities of failure--while still planning for a hope-full future.  Sometimes the dream and the reality collide with a jolt that jars us to the core.  When that happens, what sustains us?  Here is what is sustaining me:  the giving and receiving of grace and compassion.

These two words get thrown around a great deal.  Sometimes they are used with shame and guilt.  It's always a bit messy and human.  The humanity of the practice is the beauty.  Let's approach them today with love and presence.  When we try to be present, we must slow down, put down devices, and just be in the moment.  This is really difficult in the beginning.  It scares me, but it's so worth it.   Part of it is learning to really listen.  And sometimes to just be still and quiet.  Trying to do this require a generous amount of grace and compassion toward ourselves.  We are a great person with whom to begin pouring grace and compassion into the world.

And then when we get a bit of grace and compassion into our own soul, we are ready to turn toward the people who are in our life.  We can begin anywhere.  Being slow to to react, respond and judge is a great space.  Rather than putting down the other, the question to ask is what may I contribute to improve this situation.  Sometimes the answer is nothing.  If there is no obvious answer than continue to move slowly forward.  We don't need all the answers!  

So my blessing for us all today:  May we all have the courage to be present.  May we basque in grace and compassion, and as they overflow from our souls, may we sprinkle the abundance wherever the journey takes us.  May we be slow place demands but quick to listen.  May we find our lives more beautiful because of the interactions with the world around us.

And since I've been missing FREEBIE FRIDAY, here is a little inspiration poster for your week!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B98mbYRaEywlM19XM1dyMzFzZTg
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It's the time of year when weather changes easily and water churns wildly.  There is a reason why March is described as both a lion and a lamb.  In Ohio March as definitely come in like a lion.

It's also a great time of year to be on the look out for signs--sign of spring, and hope, and change.  I saw a robin last week.  I have little bits of new green life peeking out of the corners of my flowerbed.  Those little things often fill me with hope.

Be on the look out for your own signs of spring and hope and change.  And if I may presume for a minute, consider how you can offer up a gift of hope to people you encounter in life--kind gestures, a friendly smile, gifts left for coworkers, a hand written note sent by snail mail.

The really cool part of thinking up gifts for others is that it all lifts our spirits.

Today I am sending you warm sunshine on your face, and hope--even in the face of changing weather or churning waters.  You are amazing.  Please keep that in mind for future reference!

​xo Brave Mim

The recent events and conversations and political talk feel completely overwhelming, and I'm not even in a traditional school setting. I want to honor the bravery of teachers in so many big and small ways all around the world!  I've wanted to honor that difficulty of these days for teachers.  I think we might all be standing on the edge of something really amazing.  Time will tell.

So I thought what can I give to teachers and everyone else who follow this little corner of the universe?  I decided today that I would share an ebook/hands-on workshop that I created six years ago.  Here is the thing, I have a disclaimer:  Some of the resources are a bit out of date, and so is the info about me.  {I wish I had the time this week to update, but I didn't.}

So I'm giving away today How To Heal Your Brave Heart With Affirmations.  It's all about how to write and create affirmations to gently heal your heart and subtly change your thinking.  This is power-full!  I hope you enjoy it, and feel free to share it wildly.  May this gift sail into the world and carry change all around.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B98mbYRaEywlM1RZV05OUUhvM3c

Wishing you a super relaxing weekend, filled with peace and positivity!
​xo Brave Mim

P.S.  Have you checked out the Letter Writing Revival HERE?  It's a great way to be a revolutionary by sending unique handmade cards into the world.  You can order month by month or 6 months at a time (which is like getting one month for free!  I'm taking subscriptions for March!

Today's freebie is a little poster that you can print.  It is a watercolor that I did a couple years ago.  

My hope is that it will inspire you to keep going.  Moving forward.  Doing what you can to make the world a better place.

You can find it here:  drive.google.com/open?id=0B98mbYRaEywlZ3Z0eHVMVEs0bFU

May you find today that the universe is conspiring in your favor!
xo Brave Mim

Does the stress ever just way you down?  
On weeks like this it's obvious that teaching is a very stressful profession.
When you're in the middle of a stressful situation, do you struggle with reducing the anxiety and overwhelm?

For me the best way to handle it is to have a plan before I even get into the situation.

Today I made a little 8 page, single sheet of paper workbook to guide you in advanced planning for stress.  Once you print it, assemble it, and fill it in, then keep it in a spot to remind you that you have a plan to defeat the stress in challenging situations.

Here is the link to the mini workbook:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B6mMJt6ORBBOS0NzMGdwRUIxOUk

Here is the link to direction sheet for cutting and folding into a booklet:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B6mMJt6ORBBOME9LYmJ1NFQ0NDA


Wishing you a weekend that is filled with peace and joy.  Do something in outdoors.  Smile when you can.
xo Brave Mim

Welcome to another Sacred Space Sunday!

It's that time of year here in Ohio when many days everything is gray.  Many people are sick, and spirits can be low.  It's tempting to honor every single moment of sunshine and dishonor all the gray. 

What is the value of gray?  For starters it is the majority of our lives.  There are those few very high bright days, and there are those hopeful rare very dark nights.  Most of our lives fall somewhere in between.  I don't know about you, but I don't want the majority of my life to only count as a place marker for a few rare elusive experiences.

What does this have to do with the teacher life?
Are you practicing or teaching a growth mindset?
If your answer is yes, then embracing and honoring the gray is an essential part of a growth mindset.

1.Honoring the gray allows us to continue moving forward on the majority of ordinary days without the need for extreme circumstances to motivate us.
2.  Honoring the gray days empowers us recognize that life is a long marathon rather than a quick sprint.  
3.  Honoring the gray in our own lives inspires us to develop empathy for others when they are struggling with the gray in their lives.

Gray days allow us to develop resiliency, endurance, and empathy.

How will you honor the gray in your life this week?

How will you model for your students resiliency, endurance, and empathy?

I'm wishing for you loads of sunshine mixed in with the gray!
xo Brave Mim

PS  If you haven't already liked us on Facebook, would you please do that today?!  And then would you invite some of your teacher friends?  Please and thank you!

Having a few moments to breathe can make a big difference.
Sometimes it's hard to remember this.

Today I'm giving you a link to an audio file of a little breathing exercising I created.
So when you can slip away for a few minutes, click and open up this little zipped file filled with calming guidance and a drink of gentle peace.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B98mbYRaEywlTzFjbG5xY2NFRVk

Please share the love and deep relaxation today.  I'd love for you to comment about how you use breathing to relax, decompress, visualize, or however you use breathing techniques to improve your life.

Share this website with other brave folks with whom you share the journey, and enjoy your weekend!

Sending you calm--
Sending you gentle joy
and peace brimming with hope.

Sending you a band of wise friends
who tell you what you most need to hear.

Sending you days filled with expanding light
and nights filled with peaceful rest.

You are amazing!

​xo Brave Mim

Sending you lots of warm wishes as we all move forward today!

This piece (an many more bits of inspiration)  is available as a matted print all ready for framing at my etsy shop--Brave Inspiration.  Check it out for even more inspiration today!

It's that point in the weekend when lots of teachers go into full blown anxiety.  There is an enormous bag of papers or plans or projects that you thought you needed to finish, and they didn't get done.  Now you're feeling overwhelmed by the stuff and the negative self talk.

If that's you (or has ever been you)  this is for you. . .

Let's hold a sacred space for just a few minutes.

This involves a piece of paper and a writing tool (the back of an envelope and a crayon work just fine)
If you like music, crank up some favorite tunes.  If you crave quiet close a door to a space where you can be alone.

On the paper write down your 3 most important tasks for the week.  Be strategic!  Urgent is not always important.
Now choose the one that must be completed first.
For that one task, break it into 3 smaller steps.
Ask:  Can I complete one or more of those steps before I go to be bed.
If they answer is yes, then do it!
If the answer is no, then eat some healthy food, move your body, take a bath, or whatever activities will encourage you to go to bed early and enter the new week ready for the work ahead.

Either way, take a few breaths, and say some words of affirmation--knowing that it doesn't pay to sprint toward finish line for a race you aren't even running.  Teaching is a marathon.  Pace yourself.  The end doesn't have to be in sight for you to know that you're strategy will get you there.

Wishing you an amazing week that is filled with strategy for long term success.

​xo Brave Mim