SERENITY – the power of stillness, going within and finding my strength and power, creating peace inside to enjoy every moment and take in every lesson the Universe was sending me

 

 

 

Origin of word SERENITY:   (Etymonline)

“mid-15c., “clear, calm,” from Latin serenus “peaceful, calm, clear, unclouded” (of weather), figuratively “cheerful, glad, tranquil.”    

Teachers, students, parents, administrators…EVERY ONE needs more calm and peace.  There is too much expected in too little time and too few resources or too little support or just TOO…TOO much, TOO little TO DO or TO BE.  The perspective has changed from a place of abundance to a place of lack and Taking On Obstacles (TOO).  Everything is a challenge to be overcome.  There is struggle in everything we do.  No natural flow of curiosity and gradual growth/change.  The forecast in education is always stormy weather, stormy seas, dark clouds high winds, lightening strikes and doom.  Teachers feel like they are either in the middle of a tornado and have to escape to the shelter underground and hide or that they are being swept away and drowned by tsunami-sized flooding of paperwork, meetings, to-do lists, etc. or that they are waiting, helplessly and with anxiety rising, for a hurricane to come and destroy all that they know and love.  NEVER ENOUGH!!!  We want more, more, more.  Our children are behind, behind, behind.  All of this creates negative emotions and negative energy and subsequently taps into the shadow side of us.  Nothing is done calmly or en-joy anymore.  Everyone is rushing, racing, remediating, regimenting, reciting, regurgitating, remissing, regretting…rrrrrrrrr, like the cranking sound of an engine that won’t start because it is not getting enough fuel to its engine.  There is no calm… just frustration, exhaustion, depletion and aggravation.  The stress level of teachers and students is off the charts anymore due to the emotional (and physical) challenges they face every day in the classroom.  Doctors and counselors are reporting more and more teachers and students as patients as a result of all the dis-ease that they are experiencing with the educational system.  Mindfulness, personalization and real, meaningful connections should be the key pedagogy.  Curiosity, discovery and play should be the best practices.   

Essential questions for SERENITY:

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

Where are things out of balance in my life…both personally and professionally?

How and when am I taking care of my needs and the “needs” of others?

When do I feel most stress and pressure?  Why?

What makes me feel calm and cheerful?  Why?

How can I create more calmness and peace?

How can I better accept the things I cannot change?

How can I change the things that are within my power to do so?

How can I better understand and accept the things that I cannot change?

How can I weather the stormy seas of education better?

What do I need to learn, and how do I need to grow into a better “sailor”?

Who are the people that truly accept me and support me?

What is important to hold on to, and what can I let go of?

Where is a safe place to go when I need help?  Why?

Where do I feel discomfort in my body, and what is it trying to tell me?

Which best practices of self-care do I need the most?  Why?

When, where and how can I implement these best practices more into my life?

Why am I here, and what is my purpose? What can I do to stay focused on this?

 

Affirmations, cheers, “Can Do” Statements

for the “Common Core” Belief of SERENITY:

I am calm and centered on what is real, important and meaningful.

I create my inner and outer realities.

I practice self-care daily and nurture my soul through my choices.

I stay balanced and focused through my healthy, soul-filling choices.

I heal my body and soul with heart-aligned, higher-intentioned choices.

I embrace change and the learning that it will bring.

I learn and grow from all experiences, positive and negative.

I let go and let flow from a place of truth and trust.

I focus my attention on the purpose of my being and allow my energy to flow from there.

I am never alone on my journey.

I ask for what I need and accept it with grace.

I let go of what does not serve me and my higher purpose.

I am safe and embrace each step I take in the spirit of “not yet”.

I surrender to the present moment and what it is here to show and teach me.

I surround myself with people, places and things that align with the essence of my

being and allow the light within me to shine brightly and unconditionally.

I am a piece of the bigger peace in the world through the choices I make in every moment.

I am whole and exactly who I should be in every moment.

I am enough.