Unleashing Passion

So today I'm excited because yesterday I woke up to this breathtaking view

 from the bedroom window in my new favorite Air BnB.

I'd kind of forgotten how incredibly beautiful Seattle is;

I lived there back in 1990 for six months.

It felt a little bit by going home,

once I got over the hot-mess meltdown I experienced

when the car rental place tried to make me drive a Prius.

Seriously, the shifter was a joystick, like in a video game.

I got it into drive, 

but then couldn't get it back into park.

And it was beeping at me. 

And it wouldn't stop.

Maybe it's a fixed mindset to not want a car I need a tutorial for, 

but through tears I had to ask for help or, better yet, a different car.

And yes, I know we are a hybrid of fixed and growth mindsets, but that doesn't mean I have to drive a hybrid, right? I was never so grateful to see a Nissan. Oye.

When I arrived in Lake Stevens, at Cavelero Mid High, 

I felt instantly at home at seeing this painted on the wall;

wouldn't you love for your child to be a part of this school family?

They also posted this beautiful student work, 

a pieces-of-the-whole collage proudly sharing their school mantra:

Choose love, fear less.

They strongly connect with the Character Strong message there,

and I loved being a part of that magic that Houston and Sally

were creating with these passionate Washington educators.

In this activity, table mates with all 4 personality types

worked together to make the tallest tower.

In Art Critic, participants create a work of art by throwing a webbing loop into the air and talking through what it looks like to them once it lands on the floor. 

Use it as a point of view/perspective exercise to elevate empathy.

Or just to get participants moving and interacting. 

Next week, I go back to WA to lead a few 

Character Strong workouts and I can't wait.

On my four-hour flight home,

I was blessed by this work of heart.

Published by George Couros, Unleash Talent by Kara Knollmeyer is a treasure trove that encourages its readers page-by-page not only to explore and mine our passions, skills, and personality traits, but to also polish and maximize these gifts to be our best while we work to bring out the best in others. 

Using a creative mix of voices from other leadership giants coupled with insights from her own experience in the classroom and in administration, this young edu-hero helps us dig deep to discover who we are and why we do what we do. 

It's so authentic because Kara uses real-life scenarios to showcase game-changing people and practices in her school culture and climate. And since she knows that our learning happens in the reflection, each section concludes with journal-entry prompts and lined pages to get us thinking and planning.

Page 105 is probably my favorite because Kara shares a self-care staff BINGO challenge, something her school Social Worker led with their school family. If I were in a school this year, I would totally be trying this with my staff this year. 

The part that has me thinking really hard is this wisdom

from Marianne Williamson's Return To Love.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do."

What if we stopped holding back from 

unleashing passion?

What might be different in our world if we stopped playing small?

What might be better if we shined our biggest and brightest?

Check out Kara's transformative jewel; 

it will undoubtedly add great joy to your journey.

Then click {here} to hear my friend,

teacher and author Tammy McMorrow

talk about using class mantras, 

wearing respectacles, and 

finding three beautiful things every day.

Some of our favorite classroom mantras 

to strategically repeat include:

Now. Here. This.

I'm on your side.

Listen to your heart.

Judge less, love more.

Peace begins with me.

You're full of greatness.

Be where your feet are.

Cape up and crusade on.

Love to teach, teach to love.

It's not easy, but it's important.

Simply intentional, outrageously kind.

I loved you before you even showed up.

   What's your mindfulness mantra?