Kris is consistently solid every week. Danny has a great voice, but he always seems to try too hard. He should just sing. I don't understand why everyone is gaga over Adam. I'm not a fan.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
This Week's Idol Winner is...
Kris is consistently solid every week. Danny has a great voice, but he always seems to try too hard. He should just sing. I don't understand why everyone is gaga over Adam. I'm not a fan.
From Today's L.A. Times
Survey finds California school funding dilemma
Those polled say they want education spared from state budget cuts, but an increasing number of people are less willing to pay more taxes to make up for the shortfall.
By Mitchell Landsberg
April 30, 2009
Californians want public schools spared from state budget cuts, but are less willing than before to foot the bill with more taxes, according to a statewide poll released Wednesday.
In its annual survey on education issues, the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found deep dissatisfaction with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature over education policy and growing skepticism that money is the answer to the problems facing public schools.
Proposition 1B would provide $9.3 billion for California schools
"I think that the public's really concerned about what they're hearing about budget cuts, especially as they relate to schools," said Mark Baldassare, the institute's president and chief executive. At the same time, he said, there is "a real ambivalence about taxes and . . . a very strong sense that the state leadership is really lacking today."
Just 20% of those surveyed approved of Schwarzenegger's handling of education, and even fewer -- 18% -- approved of the Legislature's record on the issue. Both are the lowest ratings in the five years that the institute has been conducting the education poll. "I didn't even know it could go that low," said Baldassare, who has been polling in California for more than 20 years.
Six in 10 of those surveyed said more money probably would result in higher quality schools, but an even larger majority said schools could make better use of the money they have.
A majority was worried about the impact of state budget cuts on schools, but respondents were almost evenly split on paying more taxes to make up the shortfall: 48% said they would be willing to; 49% said they would not. Five years ago, 67% were willing to pay more taxes for schools.
The survey found Californians restive about education, with roughly six in 10 saying public schools need "major changes," and a majority saying the quality of education is a big problem for the state. People were especially concerned about the high school dropout rate.
Los Angeles residents were among the least satisfied with their local public schools, and had by far the least confidence in their local school leaders.
"Clearly, there is greater unhappiness in Los Angeles than elsewhere in the state," Baldassare said, adding that there were also "greater challenges in Los Angeles than anywhere else, in terms of the size of the [Los Angeles Unified School] district and the makeup of the student body."
The survey revealed strong statewide support for the high school exit exam, which some have criticized for keeping students in low-performing schools from graduating. Interestingly, the strongest support for the exam came from Latinos, who have one of the highest failure rates. Eighty percent supported the exam as a graduation requirement, compared with 69% of Asians, 65% of whites and 53% of African Americans.
The poll was conducted among 2,502 California adults, including 252 interviewed randomly on cellphones, between April 7 and April 21. The margin of error was plus or minus 2 percentage points, higher for subgroups.
mitchell.landsberg @latimes.com
Those polled say they want education spared from state budget cuts, but an increasing number of people are less willing to pay more taxes to make up for the shortfall.
By Mitchell Landsberg
April 30, 2009
Californians want public schools spared from state budget cuts, but are less willing than before to foot the bill with more taxes, according to a statewide poll released Wednesday.
In its annual survey on education issues, the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found deep dissatisfaction with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature over education policy and growing skepticism that money is the answer to the problems facing public schools.
Proposition 1B would provide $9.3 billion for California schools
"I think that the public's really concerned about what they're hearing about budget cuts, especially as they relate to schools," said Mark Baldassare, the institute's president and chief executive. At the same time, he said, there is "a real ambivalence about taxes and . . . a very strong sense that the state leadership is really lacking today."
Just 20% of those surveyed approved of Schwarzenegger's handling of education, and even fewer -- 18% -- approved of the Legislature's record on the issue. Both are the lowest ratings in the five years that the institute has been conducting the education poll. "I didn't even know it could go that low," said Baldassare, who has been polling in California for more than 20 years.
Six in 10 of those surveyed said more money probably would result in higher quality schools, but an even larger majority said schools could make better use of the money they have.
A majority was worried about the impact of state budget cuts on schools, but respondents were almost evenly split on paying more taxes to make up the shortfall: 48% said they would be willing to; 49% said they would not. Five years ago, 67% were willing to pay more taxes for schools.
The survey found Californians restive about education, with roughly six in 10 saying public schools need "major changes," and a majority saying the quality of education is a big problem for the state. People were especially concerned about the high school dropout rate.
Los Angeles residents were among the least satisfied with their local public schools, and had by far the least confidence in their local school leaders.
"Clearly, there is greater unhappiness in Los Angeles than elsewhere in the state," Baldassare said, adding that there were also "greater challenges in Los Angeles than anywhere else, in terms of the size of the [Los Angeles Unified School] district and the makeup of the student body."
The survey revealed strong statewide support for the high school exit exam, which some have criticized for keeping students in low-performing schools from graduating. Interestingly, the strongest support for the exam came from Latinos, who have one of the highest failure rates. Eighty percent supported the exam as a graduation requirement, compared with 69% of Asians, 65% of whites and 53% of African Americans.
The poll was conducted among 2,502 California adults, including 252 interviewed randomly on cellphones, between April 7 and April 21. The margin of error was plus or minus 2 percentage points, higher for subgroups.
mitchell.landsberg @latimes.com
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Reading to Kids
Last Sunday I checked out the Festival of Books at UCLA. I love the UCLA campus. It's so beautiful. I had a great time, even though there were way too many people. Way too many people! One of the booths that caught my eye was the "Reading to Kids" booth. One Saturday a month, several elementary schools near downtown L.A. host volunteers who read a book to kids and lead the kids in an art activity related to the story. While the kids hear the story and create art, the parents receive training on how to support literacy at home. What a great thing! I would love to do this at our school. What do you think?
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Jaheem Herrera
This story is absolutely heartbreaking. This is the second story in the last few weeks about kids committing suicide because they were being bullied. Earlier in the month, Joseph Walker-Hoover also committed suicide due to ruthless bullying. I know we do the very best we can to teach kids to get along and to be respectful, but in too many cases all of that good work is not reinforced at home. Again I ask, where is the accountability for parents? Our kids are really good about letting us know if they are being bothered. They know we'll do something to help them. Thankfully, the kids don't have the "no snitching" mentality. I think we've done a pretty good job instilling in our kids a sense of what's right and what's wrong. It's not about snitching, it's about taking care of each other and taking care of ourselves. It's important that we, the adult role models and protectors, never tolerate bullying, hate speech, name calling, or put downs. I feel very good knowing that we are doing all we can to protect kids. No more kids should feel the need to take their lives because they feel no one will help them. Rest in peace Jaheem and Joseph.
From today's Daily Breeze
LAUSD wants to make firing teachers easier
By George B. Sanchez Staff Writer
Posted: 04/22/2009 10:52:59 PM PDT
Embarking on a monumental task that some say is doomed to fail, Los Angeles Unified school officials are taking aim at state laws that make it virtually impossible to fire teachers.
Facing unprecedented layoffs, including 3,500 teachers with less than two years of experience, district officials and their allies say they need the power to cull bad teachers from the ranks or students will suffer in the classroom.
"It's about weeding out people who shouldn't be working with our kids," said board member Tamar Galatzan.
On Tuesday, the school board is scheduled to vote on a pair of resolutions to change state teacher protections as well as internal teacher promotion policy.
Among them, they will seek to rewrite codes that favor teacher and administrator seniority during layoffs that allow senior staff to "bump" less senior staff out of their jobs, creating a domino effect that ultimately leads to the loss of new, nontenured teachers.
Also, the board has proposed a new evaluation method that would automatically fire teachers if they receive two consecutive poor performance reviews. A better evaluation method, say district officials, will improve teaching morale and student achievement.
If approved, the measures will kick off a drawn-out fight with California's powerful teachers unions, which hotly oppose any changes to existing laws. The rules protecting teacher jobs are so effective that just 31 teachers have lost their jobs in the state in the past five years. Teachers union officials say employees deserve job protection so that they can't be arbitrarily fired by a principal with a grudge.
"Does the public want vocal teachers to be fired because an administrator doesn't want to have a voice of opposition?" said A.J. Duffy, president of United Teachers Los Angeles.
LAUSD board members and Superintendent Ramon Cortines - along with the support of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa - say it is time to overhaul the decades-old legal codes that protect teachers by seniority, but pay scant attention to competency and performance.
While recognizing their proposal will start a long struggle with the teachers unions and likely unsettle political alliances in Sacramento, board members say with so much attention on public education right now, there's no better time to begin.
California school districts do not have the authority to fire teachers, according to state law. If a teacher is targeted for dismissal, teachers have the right to take their case to an administrative hearing, where an administrative judge and two school officials will hear the case and decide.
About 149 LAUSD teachers are awaiting a dismissal hearing and have been removed from the classroom. All but 17 continue to receive a paycheck, according to district records.
"There is an incentive for a bad employee to fight because they continue to get paid," Galatzan said.
The two motions were first introduced by board members Marlene Canter, whose district includes Westchester, and Galatzan on April 14, the same day the board voted 4-3 to lay off nearly 7,000 teachers.
The layoffs were prompted by the district's budget deficit, which some fear could reach $1.3 billion over the next three years.
The second resolution, authored only by Canter, calls for changes to the district's internal process that promotes teachers from probation to tenure. Today, teachers become permanent after two years on the job with little internal scrutiny.
"It's a passive process," Canter said. "If nothing is done, teachers still become permanent."
Santiago Jackson, director of LAUSD's governmental affairs unit, said such legislation would face a "difficult challenge" in Sacramento.
"Similar attempts have been made in the past but they failed due to opposition from the California Teachers Association and UTLA," he said.
Mike O'Sullivan, president of the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles, had an even more blunt view.
"It has no chance of passing," O'Sullivan said
The head of the Los Angeles teachers union said the problem is not with state laws that protect teachers, but principals who fail to help teachers become better educators.
"If administrators would do their jobs and identify teachers who are struggling, give them guidance and assistance, and if those people do not improve, then they should be written up," Duffy said. "If administrators did their job, then we could deal with the issue now."
By George B. Sanchez Staff Writer
Posted: 04/22/2009 10:52:59 PM PDT
Embarking on a monumental task that some say is doomed to fail, Los Angeles Unified school officials are taking aim at state laws that make it virtually impossible to fire teachers.
Facing unprecedented layoffs, including 3,500 teachers with less than two years of experience, district officials and their allies say they need the power to cull bad teachers from the ranks or students will suffer in the classroom.
"It's about weeding out people who shouldn't be working with our kids," said board member Tamar Galatzan.
On Tuesday, the school board is scheduled to vote on a pair of resolutions to change state teacher protections as well as internal teacher promotion policy.
Among them, they will seek to rewrite codes that favor teacher and administrator seniority during layoffs that allow senior staff to "bump" less senior staff out of their jobs, creating a domino effect that ultimately leads to the loss of new, nontenured teachers.
Also, the board has proposed a new evaluation method that would automatically fire teachers if they receive two consecutive poor performance reviews. A better evaluation method, say district officials, will improve teaching morale and student achievement.
If approved, the measures will kick off a drawn-out fight with California's powerful teachers unions, which hotly oppose any changes to existing laws. The rules protecting teacher jobs are so effective that just 31 teachers have lost their jobs in the state in the past five years. Teachers union officials say employees deserve job protection so that they can't be arbitrarily fired by a principal with a grudge.
"Does the public want vocal teachers to be fired because an administrator doesn't want to have a voice of opposition?" said A.J. Duffy, president of United Teachers Los Angeles.
LAUSD board members and Superintendent Ramon Cortines - along with the support of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa - say it is time to overhaul the decades-old legal codes that protect teachers by seniority, but pay scant attention to competency and performance.
While recognizing their proposal will start a long struggle with the teachers unions and likely unsettle political alliances in Sacramento, board members say with so much attention on public education right now, there's no better time to begin.
California school districts do not have the authority to fire teachers, according to state law. If a teacher is targeted for dismissal, teachers have the right to take their case to an administrative hearing, where an administrative judge and two school officials will hear the case and decide.
About 149 LAUSD teachers are awaiting a dismissal hearing and have been removed from the classroom. All but 17 continue to receive a paycheck, according to district records.
"There is an incentive for a bad employee to fight because they continue to get paid," Galatzan said.
The two motions were first introduced by board members Marlene Canter, whose district includes Westchester, and Galatzan on April 14, the same day the board voted 4-3 to lay off nearly 7,000 teachers.
The layoffs were prompted by the district's budget deficit, which some fear could reach $1.3 billion over the next three years.
The second resolution, authored only by Canter, calls for changes to the district's internal process that promotes teachers from probation to tenure. Today, teachers become permanent after two years on the job with little internal scrutiny.
"It's a passive process," Canter said. "If nothing is done, teachers still become permanent."
Santiago Jackson, director of LAUSD's governmental affairs unit, said such legislation would face a "difficult challenge" in Sacramento.
"Similar attempts have been made in the past but they failed due to opposition from the California Teachers Association and UTLA," he said.
Mike O'Sullivan, president of the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles, had an even more blunt view.
"It has no chance of passing," O'Sullivan said
The head of the Los Angeles teachers union said the problem is not with state laws that protect teachers, but principals who fail to help teachers become better educators.
"If administrators would do their jobs and identify teachers who are struggling, give them guidance and assistance, and if those people do not improve, then they should be written up," Duffy said. "If administrators did their job, then we could deal with the issue now."
Monday, April 20, 2009
Squawking Squatters
For a few weeks now, I've had a family of birds residing on my patio. It has been fun watching the mom and dad birds (I'm assuming they're a heterosexual couple) feed their three chicks. The pictures are pretty bad. I have a crappy camera AND I don't want to get too close and freak out the happy family.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
One Song Can Change Your Life
Perez Hilton has been posting videos from the show Britain's Got Talent. First, Susan Boyle and recently this clip. Wow!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Stimulus Money on the Way
This morning at Cabrillo High School, Superintendent Steinhauser announced that he had filled out the online application so LBUSD can receive federal stimulus funds. This money needs to get here quick. I'm thinking Monday. I hope our site will receive an increase in Title I funds. We need the money to save our specialists and perhaps be able to provide more interventions. Check out the story on LBPost.com.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
R.I.P. 93.9
So sad. Movin' 93.9's format of all 70s and 80s music is no more. How am I going to get my fix of Culture Club, Depeche, and Haircut 100? I'm going to really miss the all 80s weekends. **begins sobbing uncontrollably**
Monday, April 13, 2009
Opening Day 2009
Largest crowd ever. Vin Scully begins his 60th year as the voice of the Dodgers. Orlando Hudson hits for the cycle (last time a Dodger hit for the cycle was when Wes Parker did it in 1970). Ethier has two homeruns. Dodgers whip the Giants 11 - 1. Good times!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
From dailybreeze.com
Governor seeking $5 billion for schools
By Nguyen Huy Vu, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/09/2009 10:43:26 PM PDT
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has asked the federal government for $5 billion to keep California schools from laying off teachers, preserve programs and help students enter college.
The state is one of the first to request federal stimulus money from the U.S. Department of Education and could receive $3.1 billion of that money for public schools and colleges by fall.
"We've taken steps to protect our schools from the full brunt of our economic situation, and this funding will restore many of the difficult cuts that had to be made to education," Schwarzenegger said in a statement Thursday.
"I'm committed to passing it directly onto schools as quickly as possible."
The news comes as state education officials announced that K-12 campuses will receive another $1.2 billion in federal stimulus funds next month to help pay for low-income and special-education students.
But South Bay educators are taking a conservative approach to the additional money because it's still unclear how much will actually come their way.
More important to many school districts is what happens if next month's special election ballot measures to pay for school funding fail to get enough voter support.
Torrance Unified Superintendent George Mannon said if that happens, the federal stimulus money won't serve much more than a financial life preserver.
"The new dollars may be all eaten up simply by the amount of the cuts the state would turn around and put on local districts," he said.
The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office reports California will be in an $8 billion hole by the summer and that one option is to use the federal stimulus money to balance the budget.
State schools chief Jack O'Connell adamantly opposes that proposal but said most state lawmakers plan to leave the stimulus money alone.
"We have to be concerned but I am not overly concerned," he said. "I just believe that this money will 100 percent remain in education."
Schwarzenegger has also said publicly that money earmarked for education won't be used to balance the budget.
"The governor's position is to get this money moving out the door as quickly as possible for the school districts," said H.D. Palmer, the governor's finance spokesperson.
"I wouldn't anticipate there would be any objections from the Legislature because ... I think they share the view that they want to put this money to work as soon as possible."
Despite the assurances from O'Connell and Schwarzenegger, state lawmakers will have the last say on whether the stimulus money will reach school districts.
Los Angeles County Office of Education officials have recommended that educators not count on the federal aid as they make spending plans for the upcoming school year.
Assistant Superintendent Kenneth Shelton said the uncertainty of the special election, state funding and aid amounts have made it impossible for anyone to to try to plan ahead.
"It's been a real dilemma for school superintendents and chief business officials in providing information and clarity to their boards when the clarity doesn't exist," Shelton said.
"The advice we've said is, `Don't count it until you have the check in hand."'
vu.nguyen@dailybreeze.com
By Nguyen Huy Vu, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/09/2009 10:43:26 PM PDT
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has asked the federal government for $5 billion to keep California schools from laying off teachers, preserve programs and help students enter college.
The state is one of the first to request federal stimulus money from the U.S. Department of Education and could receive $3.1 billion of that money for public schools and colleges by fall.
"We've taken steps to protect our schools from the full brunt of our economic situation, and this funding will restore many of the difficult cuts that had to be made to education," Schwarzenegger said in a statement Thursday.
"I'm committed to passing it directly onto schools as quickly as possible."
The news comes as state education officials announced that K-12 campuses will receive another $1.2 billion in federal stimulus funds next month to help pay for low-income and special-education students.
But South Bay educators are taking a conservative approach to the additional money because it's still unclear how much will actually come their way.
More important to many school districts is what happens if next month's special election ballot measures to pay for school funding fail to get enough voter support.
Torrance Unified Superintendent George Mannon said if that happens, the federal stimulus money won't serve much more than a financial life preserver.
"The new dollars may be all eaten up simply by the amount of the cuts the state would turn around and put on local districts," he said.
The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office reports California will be in an $8 billion hole by the summer and that one option is to use the federal stimulus money to balance the budget.
State schools chief Jack O'Connell adamantly opposes that proposal but said most state lawmakers plan to leave the stimulus money alone.
"We have to be concerned but I am not overly concerned," he said. "I just believe that this money will 100 percent remain in education."
Schwarzenegger has also said publicly that money earmarked for education won't be used to balance the budget.
"The governor's position is to get this money moving out the door as quickly as possible for the school districts," said H.D. Palmer, the governor's finance spokesperson.
"I wouldn't anticipate there would be any objections from the Legislature because ... I think they share the view that they want to put this money to work as soon as possible."
Despite the assurances from O'Connell and Schwarzenegger, state lawmakers will have the last say on whether the stimulus money will reach school districts.
Los Angeles County Office of Education officials have recommended that educators not count on the federal aid as they make spending plans for the upcoming school year.
Assistant Superintendent Kenneth Shelton said the uncertainty of the special election, state funding and aid amounts have made it impossible for anyone to to try to plan ahead.
"It's been a real dilemma for school superintendents and chief business officials in providing information and clarity to their boards when the clarity doesn't exist," Shelton said.
"The advice we've said is, `Don't count it until you have the check in hand."'
vu.nguyen@dailybreeze.com
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
This Week's American Idol Winner...
is...
Unbelievable. With the hundreds of fantastic 80s songs out there, they seemed to pick the most boring songs to sing. Why didn't Kris sing Somebody by Depeche Mode? or Get the Balance Right? or ANY Culture Club song...a very disappointing week!
Unbelievable. With the hundreds of fantastic 80s songs out there, they seemed to pick the most boring songs to sing. Why didn't Kris sing Somebody by Depeche Mode? or Get the Balance Right? or ANY Culture Club song...a very disappointing week!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
From Today's L.A. Times
UC Berkeley professor takes on school spending
In his book, "The Money Myth: School Resources, Outcomes, and Equity," W. Norton Grubb argues that how much is spent is less important than how it is spent.
8:20 PM PDT, April 6, 2009
Do we spend enough on public education? What does it mean that California has fallen from near the top of per-pupil spending in the United States to very near the bottom?
Money has long been at the center of debates over education. Now a book from a UC Berkeley professor argues that the entire debate is wrongheaded.
In "The Money Myth: School Resources, Outcomes, and Equity" (Russell Sage Foundation, 2009), W. Norton Grubb argues that how much we spend is less important than how we spend it. For decades, Grubb says, school spending has inexorably risen, while student achievement has stayed relatively stagnant. Maybe it's time to look at which expenditures actually improve education, he argues, and which are a waste. The Times' Mitchell Landsberg spoke to Grubb about his book.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Play Ball!
Tomorrow, the Dodgers Open their season in San Diego against the Padres. Sports Illustrated is predicting the Dodgers will win the National League West. Dodgers do have strong bats, but their pitching is iffy. The Dodgers' pitching is always iffy. Sports Illustrated is also predicting the Mets will win the World Series. Hmmmmmm....
Saturday, April 4, 2009
From Today's HuffingtonPost.com
Anne Naylor
Posted April 4, 2009
10 Ways To Get More Energy By Being Thankful
"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."
Dr Wayne W Dyer
Over the past few weeks, I have been looking at the magnificence of the human spirit that lives within each one of us. I do not think we fully appreciate this precious resource that we each carry. If we did, we would all be a lot happier. No one can take it away from you. However, you can either enhance or diminish your awareness of it.
I love the American celebration of Thanksgiving. I realize that it is a few months away yet, but I would like to invite you to a pre-Easter Thanksgiving this weekend. Actually, I invite you to be thank-full at any time.
Being grateful is a way to be expansive, especially when we are feeling lacking, negative, cast down. Great-fullness. What are some of the simple things you may be taking for granted? What joys do you find in the world around you, that do not cost money? How have challenges from your past proved valuable in the longer term?
"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more.
If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough."
Oprah Winfrey
Gratitude is at the heart of a renewed flow of giving and receiving. It goes like this. Count the small things you are grateful for. Experience the great fullness within you as you do so. Find ways to give from this fullness -- maybe your time, talent or a gift that can benefit someone else. Then be open and allow yourself to receive. Be grateful for what comes your way.
"The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest."
William Blake
Your human spirit is capable of this expansion -- and much more. What you appreciate grows in value for you. So love you. Love the sweet spirit that you are.
Here are 10 tips for becoming grateful:
1. Gratitude Journal
Keep a Gratitude Journal. At the end of each day, write 5 things you feel grateful for from the day. A smile from a stranger, the hug from your child, an unexpected compliment, a good meal, a moment of laughter with a friend.
2. Before sleeping
Go to bed with a smile, thinking about all you appreciate in your life. Breathe deeply and relax as you do so.
3. Gratitude Dance
Take a few minutes and begin your day with the Gratitude Dance. Start as you mean to go on. If your energy is flagging during the day -- do it again. It will probably make you laugh -- and that will energize and refresh you.
4. Appreciate Family, Friends and Co-Workers
Bring to mind those close to you that you love and how you are thankful that they are part of your life. Make a note in your journal of your special people and why you appreciate them.
5. Express Appreciation
At home, work or in your community, take a little time to communicate your appreciation to those you value - in person, over the phone, by email.
"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit."
Albert Schweitzer
6. Mid Day Break
Take a short walk and count your blessings, feeling grateful as you do so. You will come back inspired and enthusiastic for the afternoon.
7. Blessings in Disguise
When you are going through a tough time, it is harder to feel grateful. However, when you do, the results can be amazing.
When things are not going your way, or the way you had intended, declare them a "blessing in disguise" and be grateful for them. This simple shift in attitude will make you a winner, no matter what happens.
8. Gratitude Gathering
Bring a group of friends together for a Gratitude Gathering and recount the things you are grateful for. Conclude with a Celebratory Pot Luck meal.
9. Nature Walk
Take a walk in nature and notice the beauty around you. Beauty might be in something very simple like a leaf, a bird in flight, sunlight on dew, an elegant branch of a tree, the colour of the sky, the crunch of gravel or softness of grass beneath your feet. Allow yourself to feel the beauty and your gratitude for it.
10. Be Grateful For You
Last but absolutely not least. Take a moment to notice the goodness of your intent; the caring you express to others; the endeavours you take to be true to your ideals, even at difficult times. Be grateful for and bless your qualities and strengths. There is no one else quite like you. Honour and appreciate yourself.
"Celebrate what you want to see more of."
Thomas J. Peters
Gratitude is a way of closing a door on the past and allowing a new door to open to the future you wish to be enjoying. It is simple, yet very powerful. Gratitude is in your heart and hands.
What are some of the "small" things you sometimes take for granted? Have you been through any tough times that have turned into "blessings in disguise"? What do you most appreciate about yourself?
Posted April 4, 2009
10 Ways To Get More Energy By Being Thankful
"When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."
Dr Wayne W Dyer
Over the past few weeks, I have been looking at the magnificence of the human spirit that lives within each one of us. I do not think we fully appreciate this precious resource that we each carry. If we did, we would all be a lot happier. No one can take it away from you. However, you can either enhance or diminish your awareness of it.
I love the American celebration of Thanksgiving. I realize that it is a few months away yet, but I would like to invite you to a pre-Easter Thanksgiving this weekend. Actually, I invite you to be thank-full at any time.
Being grateful is a way to be expansive, especially when we are feeling lacking, negative, cast down. Great-fullness. What are some of the simple things you may be taking for granted? What joys do you find in the world around you, that do not cost money? How have challenges from your past proved valuable in the longer term?
"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more.
If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough."
Oprah Winfrey
Gratitude is at the heart of a renewed flow of giving and receiving. It goes like this. Count the small things you are grateful for. Experience the great fullness within you as you do so. Find ways to give from this fullness -- maybe your time, talent or a gift that can benefit someone else. Then be open and allow yourself to receive. Be grateful for what comes your way.
"The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest."
William Blake
Your human spirit is capable of this expansion -- and much more. What you appreciate grows in value for you. So love you. Love the sweet spirit that you are.
Here are 10 tips for becoming grateful:
1. Gratitude Journal
Keep a Gratitude Journal. At the end of each day, write 5 things you feel grateful for from the day. A smile from a stranger, the hug from your child, an unexpected compliment, a good meal, a moment of laughter with a friend.
2. Before sleeping
Go to bed with a smile, thinking about all you appreciate in your life. Breathe deeply and relax as you do so.
3. Gratitude Dance
Take a few minutes and begin your day with the Gratitude Dance. Start as you mean to go on. If your energy is flagging during the day -- do it again. It will probably make you laugh -- and that will energize and refresh you.
4. Appreciate Family, Friends and Co-Workers
Bring to mind those close to you that you love and how you are thankful that they are part of your life. Make a note in your journal of your special people and why you appreciate them.
5. Express Appreciation
At home, work or in your community, take a little time to communicate your appreciation to those you value - in person, over the phone, by email.
"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit."
Albert Schweitzer
6. Mid Day Break
Take a short walk and count your blessings, feeling grateful as you do so. You will come back inspired and enthusiastic for the afternoon.
7. Blessings in Disguise
When you are going through a tough time, it is harder to feel grateful. However, when you do, the results can be amazing.
When things are not going your way, or the way you had intended, declare them a "blessing in disguise" and be grateful for them. This simple shift in attitude will make you a winner, no matter what happens.
8. Gratitude Gathering
Bring a group of friends together for a Gratitude Gathering and recount the things you are grateful for. Conclude with a Celebratory Pot Luck meal.
9. Nature Walk
Take a walk in nature and notice the beauty around you. Beauty might be in something very simple like a leaf, a bird in flight, sunlight on dew, an elegant branch of a tree, the colour of the sky, the crunch of gravel or softness of grass beneath your feet. Allow yourself to feel the beauty and your gratitude for it.
10. Be Grateful For You
Last but absolutely not least. Take a moment to notice the goodness of your intent; the caring you express to others; the endeavours you take to be true to your ideals, even at difficult times. Be grateful for and bless your qualities and strengths. There is no one else quite like you. Honour and appreciate yourself.
"Celebrate what you want to see more of."
Thomas J. Peters
Gratitude is a way of closing a door on the past and allowing a new door to open to the future you wish to be enjoying. It is simple, yet very powerful. Gratitude is in your heart and hands.
What are some of the "small" things you sometimes take for granted? Have you been through any tough times that have turned into "blessings in disguise"? What do you most appreciate about yourself?
This Week's American Idol Winner
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