Gratitude Is My Attitude!

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday I want you to know how grateful I am for each of YOU! Thanks for swimming in this first year O-CEAN with me and 9 times out of 10 finding SOMETHING to laugh about! That is a great example of having an attitude of gratitude! We can always find something that is wrong...and complain about. (see the reality of that in the picture above) But have you ever thought about how many things are going RIGHT? There are so many. I know they may not always jump out at you...but they are there! The time and effort many of you are putting into forming those relationships with our kids...this act will cause them to work "THAT" much harder for you in the future, because they don't want to disappoint you. (yes, even the stubborn ones...that don't always show it) and for that...I am grateful! The extra time you are putting into planning out stations and small groups...for that...I am grateful! The willingness to tweak your current plans to add technology and more hands-on activities ...for that...I am grateful! Giving up your conference time to meet, plan, and learn new ways we can engage our kids...for that...I am grateful! Reading your emails....for that...well it's a work in progress...but I will definitely be grateful! :) ha-ha! This Thanksgiving break I want you to practice having an attitude of gratitude! Did you know that grateful people are happier and more likely to maintain good friendships! A state of gratitude, according to research by the Institute of HeartMath, also improves the heart's rhythmic functioning, which helps reduce stress and helps you heal physically. Gratitude is simply great medicine for our heart, mind and body. And like anything in life, the more you practice gratitude the more natural it becomes. Gratitude is like muscle. The more you do with it, the stronger it gets. So flex your gratitude muscles by practicing the following 5 ways to give thanks during this Thanksgiving Break! These tips came from my "other" man...Jon Gordon...some really good stuff! These are all things that we can practice right here at RMS...give it a try! BTW...they say it is physically impossible to be BLESSED and STRESSED at the same time...so I'm definitely willing to give it a shot! :) Have a marvelous Monday team!

5 Ways to Show Thanks by Jon Gordon

1. Thank You Walk - Simply take a 10-minute walk each day and say out loud what you are thankful for. It doesn't have to be complicated. Simply start with the things that you are blessed with each day... the ability to take a walk, to talk, to breathe. As you walk, shift your thankful thoughts to those you love, your job (even if it drives you nuts), your kids, your garden, etc. This one walk will shift your energy for the entire day by not only placing your mind in a state of gratitude but by also adding a boost of physical exercise to energize your body.

2. Meal Time Thank You's - On Thanksgiving, or just at dinner with your friends and family, go around the table and have each person, including the kids at the little table, say what they are thankful for. Try this for Thanksgiving!

3. Gratitude Visit - Martin Seligman, Ph.D., the father of positive psychology, suggests that we write a letter expressing our gratitude to someone. Then we visit this person and read them the letter. His research shows that people who do this are measurably happier and less depressed a month later.

4. Thank You Prayers - I was recently talking to my Grandfather who is 89. He sounded so upbeat and happy. I asked him what his secret was. He said 95% of the time he prays two simple words, "Thank You." And only 5% of the time does he say "Give me a break, God."

5. Every Day Thanks - Sometimes we forget to thank the people closest to us. It's easy to take people for granted. Just start thanking the people closest to you on a daily basis. Thank your children. Thank your spouse for the little things they do. Thank your co-workers and employees. Thank the security officer in your building. Thank the employees you interact with at the grocery store, the post office, the bank, etc

Be Different...Be BOLD...Go For It...Live With NO Fear!

"EVERYTHING we do is personal! How we talk to each other...how we work together...how we prepare for the day (for lessons/meetings)..It’s all personal! As you surely realized I was MIA the last three days of last week. I had an amazing opportunity to rekindle that "fire" I have deep in me by the one and only Ron Clark in his "house" at the Ron Clark Academy. I was asked during the summer if I wanted to tag along with another principal and one of her amazingly talented teachers to visit the RCA once again. Of course I jumped at the opportunity and asked Cindy to jump right in with me, along with the other 3 LCISD 6th grade principals. Since the Essential 55 and Ron Clark himself are such a huge part of our culture and vision at RMS, the training itself was paid for, but that was it. Everything else (food/hotel/transportation to and from Atlanta was all out of pocket for each of us). So not a cheap trip by any means....but one that will change EVERYTHING about you and truly rekindle that love for education that we all once had! How you look at education, how your teach kids, how you build the relationships with them (yes especially the tough ones), how to engage at the highest levels, how to effectively use the time you have each day for bell to bell teaching, and especially how to push kids to levels you never knew they could reach because YOU pushed YOUSELF to those levels and you truly BELIEVED in them! That's what my man Ron is all about...high expectations...for the kids, staff, and most importantly...HIMSELF! If you don't have those...you have nothing and you will never find success! He reminded me that we must continue to push ourselves to discover new things and always...BELIEVE even more than is wise! Everyday...make that every period in your rooms.... our longhorns are learning something more valuable that they can get in some book! We are teaching them...and most importantly...they are teaching US! (Are you open letting them? We can't let pride get in our way of doing what's right for kids). If we are..then together we will learn to "LOVE TO LEARN"! If we are pulling out all the stops and giving 110% every day...then they are going to walk out of our school realizing that they can do ANYTHING they choose with their lives...because of the positive "imprint" we have made on their life! Here is a little reminder of what I was just talking about! :)  I am full of energy and fired up about what I saw! Have a marvelous Monday team and don’t forget to BE BOLD!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHMmvD47rX8&sns=em