Uplifting Thoughts and Phrases for the School Year – that began today in the strangest of circumstances Be+Live: August 24, 2020

We all have the ability to advance one step, but for most of us ascending a mountain seems beyond our capabilities every mountain crested began with one step and ended with one step. 

Appreciate those who appreciate you. Take another’s esteem for granted and the esteem will cease. Without appreciation the value of what we do is diminished. 

Decisions can be made with the heart or the mind but should never be made with the ego. 

When things aren’t going right, it’s natural to look for something to fix. Ask yourself first: is it broken or is it just wrong?

By focusing on excellence within a goal, you will sometimes achieve excellence and almost always hit the goal. By focusing only on the goal, you will often miss the whole target.

The shapers of the young are the shapers of the future! When a child learns to accept change without fear he or she then effects change within himself or herself by learning. A teacher should be the comfort of continuity from which new and exciting things spring. 

The greatest enemy in any battle is loneliness. Few things lead to defeat more quickly than the feeling that you are fighting alone. Seek counsel with those who fight the same battle. They will often be seeking you. 

“It’s not safe to rock the boat, but if you want good things to happen, you’ve got to speak up” 

Danna Kinney Moffat

The basis for a relationship is communication. The basis for a successful relationship is understanding. Successful teaching like successful partnership, can only happen in an environment where everyone understands and is understood. 

The first time you attempt to feed a wild animal it will run away. When a child that has not known much love is offered love, he or she often responds negatively and with suspicion to this unfamiliar concept. Make the offer open-ended and be prepared to spend the time to prove the sincerity of the offer. Few lessons will have greater relevance to a successful life. 

Slay the  dragon, and its remains are only those of a slain dragon. Each problem, no matter how big, is only  a part of your life and never seems as large after it has been dispatched.

The pure beauty of a child’s imagination is that it is unfenced by adult pragmatism. There are fewer boundaries when one is unaware of them.

Plan your day, live your plan. One of the key  ingredients in developing self-discipline is structure. This is a clear truth for adults and an absolute  truth for children.

As everything around you changes, so must you. Reevaluation and self-examination should take place when you can spend time in your own company. Decide where you are going and, based on experience, determine the best way to get there. 

The child who is the least creative is the child who is most fearful of failure.   Trying ultimately leads to success, but success can never happen without trying. Teach children that trying is far more important than succeeding… Then stand back and watch the miracle that is the human mind. 

Anticipate, plan, control, relax. Panic exists in an uncontrollable environment. Uncontrollable environments are those that were not anticipated. Hope for the best, expect the worst, plan your responses in advance and take comfort in your control.

In a changing world, only the adaptable stay ahead. Everything is in a constant state of flux. Make adaptability one of your constants and welcome the new.