INTROSPECTION – every.single.step on the Camino taught me about going inside of myself and getting out of my Ego and my head.  The answer I was seeking was always in my heart.  “To thine own self be true”.  “Let go and let flow.”  The power of “I AM”…that’s it!

 

The origin of the word INTROSPECTION:   (Etymonline)

“Introspection” is “the action of examining one’s own feelings and thoughts”.  From Latin “intro” meaning “inward” and “specere” meaning “to look at”.  Again, don’t turn away, but instead look inward and become aware of your feelings and sensations in the body.  Get out of your Ego.  Be curious, explore and discover the treasures buried within. 

Iyanla Vanzant has a show on Oprah’s OWN network called “Iyanla, Fix My Life”.  She is known to be very straightforward and honest, but also loving and caring in her quest to get people to turn inward for answers and get out of their “DNTPs” or Dominant Negative Thought Patterns that she says are the core beliefs for many people because it is what they have heard over and over again until they have memorized them and now claim them to be factual knowledge.  In her book, Get Over It:  Thought Therapy for Healing the Hard Stuff, she has identified 42 DNTPs that she has come to recognize through her therapy work to “fix” many, MANY people’s lives.  She calls her approach “thought therapy” and describes it as a “process that harnesses proven spiritual tools with the science of neuroplasticity”. You can listen to her words and learn more here.  I found the book to be brilliant, and I certainly recognized and related to many of the 42 DNTPs. I’m pretty sure we all can!  What also really resonated for me was how much DNTPs is linked to the learning process.  The only difference is that with DNTPs, the learning path was a negative-lined one whereas there is always a choice to create a positive, nurturing, more loving one that will “stick” just as well through affirmations.  It’s all in the words we choose.  I love seeing charts in classrooms now that are turning self-talk around for students.  At the top, it says, “What Can I Say to Myself?” and there is a t-chart below.  On the left, it might say “I failed”.  And on the right, next to it, it says “I am getting multiple opportunities to get it right”.  Or, on the left, “this is too hard” becomes “this may take some time and effort” on the right.  Or, “I’m not good at this” becomes a question “What am I missing?”  We can always WWWWWH (WhoWhatWhenWhereWhyHow) our way to solutions!

The dictionary defines neuroplasticity as “the ability of the brain to form and reorganize synaptic connections, especially in response to learning or experience or following injury.”  So, how do we promote neuroplasticity?  Travel and have new experiences. Learn another language!  Be curious and try something new.  There are many ways to make connections and improve neuroplasticity, according to the endless research I have read on the topic.   We need to reduce stress, get enough sleep, move, continue learning and growing and find a purpose for what you are learning and doing.  Again, this research helps validate what I have experienced, observed and learned from the current teaching situation in schools.  Too much stress, kids staying up too late because of too much academic pressure/too many distractions/too much anxiety, etc.  Learning is not taught as an every evolving process, but as a finite checklist that is one-size-fits-all…no personalization or meaning given to motivate students to find a purpose for learning or a real world application.  

I discovered that the research at Emory University found that “reading fiction creates heightened connectivity in the brain. Apart from this, reading stories provides a chance for you to relax.”   Stories allow for imagination, creativity, exploration, discovery, etc.!  And what story could be more important and more compelling than our own?!  We create our story through our awareness and our conscious choices, one step at a time.  Seek the truth and find the power of I AM.   As Polonius says in Hamlet, “This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.”   

Essential questions for INTROSPECTION:

(applicable to self, students, parents, colleagues and all humans on journey of lifelong learning)

Who am I, and why am I here?

What can I do to serve the Greater Good of humanity?

What is my light to shine on the world?

How do my choices and actions reflect my core values?

What is my greatest gift, and how do I feel when I share it with others?

How do I feel when I am not sharing my gifts, and I am not “flowing and glowing”?

How do I feel when I am being required to do something that doesn’t align with my

core beliefs and desired results?

How do I feel when I am alone?

How do I feel when I am with others?

When, where and with whom do I most feel at “home”, and why?

How do I feel when I am in the flow of teaching and learning?

How do I feel in my relationship with _______?

How do I feel in this situation and at this moment in time?

What past experience or conditioning is triggering this feeling?

What choices do I feel I have in this situation?

What story am I making up right now, and what is real?

What seems real, what seems surreal, and what seems familiar in this situation?

Who is talking in my head, my ego or my True Self, and what is it saying?

Is this situation making me armor up, shut down or run away?  Why?

Am I playing the role of victim, perpetrator or rescuer in this situation?

Who are the other “players” in this situation, what are they doing and what role are

they playing in this story I’m making up in my head?

What is my gut telling me about this situation and the players in the story?

What kind of trip/journey do I want to take in this moment, and how do I want to get there?

What are my core beliefs, and how are they showing up in this situation?

What are my fears, and how are they showing up in this situation?

If fear (or replace with another emotion) is driving the vehicle of my reaction, then who

or what other emotions are riding shotgun?

What opposite, positive emotion that best reflects my core beliefs and desired results could drive the vehicle instead?

When, where and why do I let ___________(place emotion here) drive the car?

What happens when I drive the car, and where does it take me?

What will happen if I don’t get in the car or it crashes or goes off the road?

What choices can I make that will empower me to grow and move forward on my path?

What is the true answer I seek in this situation?

What and who really matter and why?

 

Affirmations, cheers, “Can Do” Statements

for the “Common Core” Belief of INTROSPECTION:

I AM.

I am light.

I am the pure innocence of a child.

I am loving and lovable.

I am safe and trusting.

I am fulfilled and whole.

I am enough.

I am worthy.

I am grace.

I am compassion.

I am empowered with my core beliefs.

My core beliefs manifest as my reality.

I always have a choice in any situation.

My choices align with my core beliefs.

I am driving the car and trust my inner GPS.

I can choose the vehicle, destination, route and who is going with me.

I am always on my path and never lost or vulnerable because my True Self is always at the wheel and knows the course.

I am a spiritual being having a human experience.

I feel the spirit of others and align myself with like-spirited people in order to serve the

Greater Good of humanity.

I share love and blessings of the human spirit with everyone I encounter.

When we go inside and discover who we really are and get clear on what we truly believe and for what purpose we are here on the Earth, our intentions become clear and our path will truly be paved with good intentions!  We finally have the “perfect” lesson plan, for ourselves and for our students!  Children learn through our example.