Love and Emotion
I See You My Educator Colleagues and Friends
As we enter the year 2025, I just wanted to take a moment to let all of my educator friends know that I see you.
I see the Superintendents who have tirelessly worked to maintain their integrity in one of the grittiest times in educating the almost 6 million public education students in California, and the untold millions across our nation and world. I see the dedication you have displayed, the determination you have used and the sheer desire you have focused on to keep education moving forward. I see the challenges you have accepted the criticism you have endured, and the politics you have fought through, all for the benefit of the children who fall under your daily care. I see the strategic planning, the work you have accomplished with colleagues to keep your District on the positive side of the ledger, while working to provide the best quality of services you can provide to ensure a well-educated citizenry will continue.
I see the Principals, who start each day by welcoming the staff and students of your schools onto campus with joy and hope for their daily success. I see you working with your staffs and support personnel to ensure that each moment spent with children under your watch is a positive one of growth and respect which can lead to future successes. I see the work that you do to keep everyone on your campuses moving forward together in peace and harmony so that the students are able to grow in peace and excitement for each day of learning.
I see the teachers, who spend their days working to advance their children’s skills, achievements, and overall positive mental health. I see the hard work, the dedication to your craft, the countless hours you spend worrying and planning your daily activities to make that positive difference for your students. I see the worry that is in your faces when you wonder if the children you work with every day are going to have a safe, warm place to perform a little bit of follow-up in the evening with a carrying individual. I see the professionalism that you perform throughout the day to keep it all together, though it is exhausting on some days.
I see the Support Staff, who have hearts as big as stars, who work to connect, engage, and support the entire system of education. Whether they are the first ones to see children in the morning as they climb aboard the bus, of meeting them as they arrive to school, or spend time with them during the day in or around campus. Whether they are the ones who are preparing the meals, cleaning up after the children, or planning the extended day activities for those that must stay at school a bit longer. I see each of you as you interact with children, provide guidance, care, and thoughtfulness in your actions.
Yes, I see it all, and yet, as most busy educators, sometimes I forget to tell those that are doing the amazing work that they are truly appreciated, that what they are doing on the daily matters, and that we all are important in the lives of the collective children who we are attempting to guide into the future. It takes each part of the system following their best selves when at work, in our communities, and engaging with each other as we continue this work.
If you read this, know that I see you!
Dr. Robert A. Martinez, is currently the Acting Superintendent of the Antioch Unified School District and has been in this role for eight months. He is also the Chief Human Resources Officer for the District. His latest book, “Recipes for Resilience, Nurturing Perseverance in Students and Educators” is available on Amazon, and was published by the Dave Burgess Consulting Inc.
The Power of 12: Nurturing Positivity and Resilience in Students and Educators
From his recently published book, “Recipes for Resilience, Nurturing Perseverance in Students and Educators”, Dr. Rob Martinez shares the concept of “The Power of 12”.
How do we make sure that we capture the essence of each positive thought, action, and feeling so that they trigger more positive results, creating a snowball of success? Well, we take action to initiate positivity; we watch for it, we share it, we promote it, we use it to build ideas in the community we live in, and we spread it on everything!
Each and every positive experience we encounter is part of our story, but far too often we allow those who languish in negativity to influence us. Negativity can be found on the local news, in our offices, and even in our personal thoughts, so we must consciously work to listen and be prepared to contradict inaccuracies when we meet them. We must seek and share the positive comments, acknowledgments, successes, and steps taken toward healthy growth, and use this information in our own stories. We must share this information with our neighbors and colleagues, and even, for that matter, on the local news!
If we want the world to know about the great things that are happening in our environments, we must shout it from the mountain, whisper it to each other, share it on every screen, and print it on every piece of paper that exists! Here are a few ways:
• Build a class story. Each day, or at least once a week, give your class some time to acknowledge and show their successes, growth, and development. Write it down, capture it in pictures, or heck, even go live on social media. Create a library of experiences that tell the story of this group of amazing people.
• Use a class, school, or district website to tell the incredible stories of advancement, success, and good things that are happening in your environment. You don’t have to do it alone. Let your students take charge! Include them and put their ingenuity to work.
• Get out there and talk yourself up. Whether you speak up in staff meetings, parent-teacher organizations, local community groups, or even at board meetings for your organization, tell the story of success that you see.
The Power of 12!
I’ve said it a few times in this book, and it bears repeating: we must consider the hearts, minds, souls, and actions of all individuals as we strive to build and enhance our own resilience and that of our community. We can do this through a purposeful approach that seeks to acknowledge positivity when it presents itself to us. The Power of 12 is one such way. You must take on this challenge yourself, and to truly create an upswell of positivity, you should also enlist every adult in your organization to take part in these simple steps:
Step 1. Each week, tell at least one student and one colleague that you saw their heart. What does it mean to say that you saw someone’s heart? You will know it when you see it. You will see it in the way people care for each other, the way they take a second to think of someone else, the way they make life just a little easier for others or lighten the load for another person.
Step 2. Each week, tell at least two students and two colleagues that you appreciate their mind and the way they share their perspective with you or others. In our world, we are often connected by being disconnected. Many people would rather get a text message than a phone call, would rather read a Facebook post than have a conversation. Self-expression is becoming a lost art. Even at our dinner tables, we far too often look up and see those in the room watching their phones rather than really engaging. We communicate verbally and in person less than ever before. We must remember that we shine our brightest when we are actually locked in true discourse and connected by being with each other.
When someone actually takes time to share their thoughts and perspective, we should stop, focus, and listen. We should strive to really understand their intent and then seek clarification so that we understand them. In many circumstances, when we misunderstand someone’s words and ideas, it isn’t because they didn’t communicate clearly; it’s because we didn’t listen appropriately. Telling someone you appreciate their mind lets them know that they are meaningful to you, that they hold innate value as a person, and that you’re interested in what they have to share. So many of us feel devalued in our society, and I often wonder if some of those feelings come from not being listened to and appreciated for our thoughts and words.
Step 3. Each week, tell at least three students and three colleagues that you saw them help someone’s spirit soar. Did they offer a kind word, give encouragement to a friend, offer compassion and caring to another? Did they give a blessing to someone in need or support someone having a tough day? Did they give an unsolicited cup of coffee, snacks, or written words of love to someone? The examples can fill a book. Our acts help others’ spirits soar just a little higher all the time, but we are often not looking for these moments.
Okay, did you add them up? Step 1 calls for you to tell two people that you saw their heart. Step 2 calls for you to tell four people that you appreciate their minds. And Step 3 calls for you to tell six people that you saw them help someone’s spirit soar. So, each week, you would personally be connecting with twelve people, hence, the Power of 12.
If you want to start out in your classroom and keep it simple, start by saying to your students: “We are going to have a challenge over the next week. We’re going to focus on being kind, smart, and helping others, and we’re going to try and catch everyone doing it. So, during this next week I challenge each of you to tell at least four different classmates that you saw them do something kind, do something smart, or help someone. Then, at the end of the week, during our reflection time, we’ll hear about the amazing things our class has accomplished to make life better for everyone here.”
If you happen to have a teaching staff of twenty people and you enlisted each of these teachers into this simple activity, you all can connect with 252 students each week with a personal communication that is meaningful and provides feedback about their heart, mind, or ability to help someone’s spirit soar. Think about it: in just two and a half weeks, each child at this school would have been personally acknowledged by a member of the teaching staff!
What if you added your classified staff—everyone at the school site who doesn’t have a teaching credential yet cares about these children? Let’s add another twenty, even though some of them work part-time. That’s right, include your yard supervisors, custodians, parent volunteers, and anyone who is on your campus. With 41 adults participating in your school environment, collectively you can connect with 492 students each week!
Okay, now, just for kicks, imagine what happens if all 650 students were supported and empowered to exercise the Power of 12 each week of the school year. So, now there is you, the teaching staff, your classified staff, all adults on campus, and all the children participating. What you have is an explosion of positivity! If all 691 people participated in the simple practice of the Power of 12, each week there would be at least 8,292 positive affirmations occurring.
Over the course of a thirty-six-week school year, this would bring 298,512 positive interactions into existence that would lift up the entire school population. Talk about the Power of 12! This would garner some positive attention across your school community for sure!
This idea can be implemented in any environment, with any number of people. It’s another way to take back control of the narrative and the environment for everyone in the community. Will it stop all negativity from occurring? Perhaps not. But when each of us is engaged in planting the seeds of a positive environment, we’re taking fertile ground away from negativity, and we’re choosing what will be cultivated in our island paradise.
Our children are kind and good natured, and when we give opportunities for them to show these traits, they’ll be eager to please. In several schools where I presented this idea, the idea grew into an explosion of kindness. We had teachers creating social media posts with positive actions from their students. We received reports of kindness and care being extended to siblings and parents at home.
In parent-teacher-organization meetings, adults took it on and were really seeing each other differently—to the benefit of the children. I have even seen several of my more experienced teachers who have discounted many positive-behavior intervention strategies use this approach, and when they do, they get a renewed perspective on the power of children to make the world a better place.
If you would like to read more about my thoughts about nurturing perseverance in students and educators please go get a copy of my new book, “Recipes for Resilience, Nurturing Perseverance in Students and Educators.” http://amazon.com/dp/1956306439 And, better yet, get your entire staff a copy as well.
Dr. Rob Martinez, “Resiliency Guy” is a lifelong educator and now serves as the Chief Human Resource Officer in the Antioch Unified School District. You can find him on all the social medias as @ResiliencyGuy
Simple Connections
Sometimes the simple connections we have can be some of the most affirming moments in our lives. It is important to recognize them, let them fill your heart, mind and soul when they happen, and then let them lead you to your future actions.
Each day this past week I have had several of these moments and while each one of the connections with other people might have lasted for only a few minutes of the 10,080 minutes of time we each receive in a week, they have affirmed me like no others.
These moments were not found in sacred places, were not based in deep leaning environments or work environments, and otherwise could have been simply overlooked and chronicled as just another brief episode of my life, but there was something a little more that connected these moments for me in such a powerful way.
Each of these moments were with people that I had previously worked with, supported in their careers, and built authentic relationships with, that I can now surely confirm have endured over time.
This week, I ran into two individuals who I had not seen or communicated with in close to five years, yet, when they saw me, I saw their eyes light up, their spirits rise, and hope fill their hearts. We spoke for several minutes and shared a few catch up stories and then they said the following in back-to-back respective statements, “You really made an impact on our lives”, and “I’d work for you in a heartbeat.” As I walked away from these two individuals, I felt tremendously affirmed. I thought to myself, “The work that we did with each other together was authentic, meaningful, lasting, and made a positive impact on others.” I thought about this all day!
A second moment occurred not in person, but through text messaging. One of my most loyal and dedicated colleagues who I have known in some capacity for over twenty years, but had not spoken to for over a year, simply texted me to connect. During that brief text exchange we talked about his retirement, my work, and what might lie ahead for me. His positive words of encouragement, belief in my skills and attributes, and hopes for my future success were also some of the most affirming statements that I have received about my nuanced skills working with people. Again, I thought to myself, “The work we did with each other together was authentic, meaningful, and made a positive impact on others.”
Each of you might have similar simple moments that pass us by like cars passing our houses at night, but sometimes, when you pay attention, you can hear and feel the life affirming messages that are embedded in these simple moments. Maybe the moment will come in a brief conversation with others, maybe through a text, or maybe you will be the one to provide the affirming message to others, which would be amazing! My point is, pay attention to these simple moments as they could be some of the most life affirming moments for you or others.
Dr. Rob Martinez is “Resiliency Guy”. His new book, “Recipes for Resilience, Nurturing Perseverance in Students and Educators” is published by the Dave Burgess Consulting Inc. and is available on @Amazon. Dr. Martinez is currently the Chief Human Resources Officer for the Antioch Unified School District in Northern California. He is available for professional development, keynoting, and is always happy to connect to discuss resilience development in education settings. You can find him on social media @ResiliencyGuy #RecipesForResilience
Sometimes, Revisited for 2021!
Sometimes, it’s about being present in your world, and offering support to those that need it without hesitation!
Sometimes, it’s taking a moment to see the love that is in your world and making a decision to give love back to the world!
Sometimes, it’s facing a small issue that has held you back, and making a determination to persevere, that leads to massive growth!
Sometimes it’s about appreciating the life before you, recognizing that each challenge of the past led you here, and moving ahead!
Sometimes, it is about hope, belief, mindset, that help build your goals and passions. Don’t underestimate your human potential!
Sometimes, it’s not just about checking off boxes in your plan, it’s about taking a step, re-evaluating, and then stepping again!
Sometimes, it’s about taking off the limits of the world, and recognizing that every successful person is a human being like you!
Sometimes, it’s about giving trust to those in your world, so that you free yourself to grow and expand your perspective!
Sometimes, it’s about persistence, seeing the future you, and knowing that you have the power to become who you want to be!
Sometimes, it’s about igniting a passion deep within yourself, or others, so that their light within becomes a palpable guide!
Sometimes, it’s about providing others with the skills, tools, insight, to empower them to face their challenges with gusto!
Sometimes, it’s taking on a huge challenge, one step at a time, with dedication and focus, to conquer the world.
Sometimes, it’s about letting your passion soar, unleashing the burst of ideas within your head, and about hoping to connect with another person.
Sometimes, it’s about listening to your heart, mind, and soul, and you simply have to know that you made the right choice.
Sometimes, you simply need to breathe, be #mindful, and be you.
Sometimes, you might need to give yourself a good swift kick in the behind!
Sometimes, you need to #TakeAction right now, and do not wait for the perfect time, because the perfect time may never come.
Sometimes, thinking that reviewing your work might be a good strategy is a great strategy.
I originally wrote this piece in 2017, reviewed it recently, and thought, this is even more relevant today.
So, give yourself what you need to be able to breathe.
Give yourself what you need to comfort your heart, mind, soul, so that you can take the action you need to take for you and others that are in your world.
You and they are that important!
Dr. Rob Martinez, AKA “Resiliency Guy” is a well-respected long-time California educator, author, leader, speaker, and builder of leaders. He seeks to empower others to lead lives with resilience so that they may in turn serve communities of learners. Follow Dr. Rob on all the social medias, and he is excited that his latest manuscript is in the hand of his publishers.
#Transformation My #OneWord for 2019
#Transformation – My #OneWord for 2019
My one word for 2019 is #Transformation, and here’s my thinking on why you should also consider this word on a deeper level as well.
Many times, people make resolutions as they start a New Year. They resolve to do something they don’t do at the present moment, or they resolve to become something they want to be, or they even decide to stop doing something they don’t like doing that they perceive as negative or unimpactful.
In many cases, people start out with great success on their resolutions. Then, they tend to lose interest, and or the old habits they have honed for years, that they had become so accustomed to, ease their way back into their daily lives, and they return to their pre-resolution behavior.
I chose #Transformation because I believe this word adds some ownership to the importance of the desired change that I hope to be part of in the coming year. I believe that to focus on #Transformation means that not only do I want to continue to grow, develop, build my skills as a human being, I want to become more. Yes, I want to become more than my purposeful change.
I want to become more involved in my world, more connected to others in my environment, more engaged with my surroundings, more of a positive impact on my world, and I want to have these changes be meaningful to me, and others in my world. I want my heart to be filled with love each day. I want my mind to be contemplative of a life and future of success. I want my soul to be calm with my choices. I want my actions to be recalled as being positive, correct, important, and successful.
Possibly, by doing so, not only can I positively enhance my personal thinking on issues, but I can truly impact others to think differently, gain perspective, see a better world that they want to create, and in some way transform their thinking, their feelings, their connectedness to the world, and ultimately their actions.
If I am successful whatsoever then my #Transformation is not, simply limited to myself but could positively impact our world. Now, my end goal is not to takeover other’s thoughts, as some fear that Artificial Intelligence (AI) might seek to do in the future, it is to help others use their talents, thoughts, intelligence, to consider their importance in the world, and act in a way that creates the positive impact they also want to make in their worlds.
I often think that people forget their importance, they tend to think in groups, whether they are on social media such as Facebook, or in group settings, and they forget that their individual thoughts matter, that they are truly the only ones in their mind, and that their ideas, just might be the ideas that can change the world!
Some might ask these questions:
Is it lofty to think that if I were able to create a positive impact on the world that it would be a good thing?
Is it self-indulgent to believe that if I focus, strive, and work towards helping others see the world as a place where positivity can create more positivity that my actions are a waste of time?
Is it self-involved to consider the possible positive impact that could occur on society if I were to be successful in getting just one other person to stop, think a little deeper, think twice as my father would say, and consider an alternative to meanness, violence, anger, hostility, self-doubt, frustration, depression, negativity, or ill thoughts directed at anyone?
Is it really that important that we teach children that it is their responsibility to be nice, be kind, be compassionate, be caring, be thoughtful, be intentional, be purposeful, be considerate, be conscious, be a part, be in the moment, be a positive actor in the world, and be themselves?
Well, I can deal with those who might ask these types of questions and even doubters who often think we should just believe what everyone is selling, especially, if one, at least one other person, says, “I’ll try. I’ll try to be more thoughtful, more contemplative, more connected, more of the person I want to be.”
The Point!
You see my friends, I believe that #Transformation happens on a deeper level.
I often write on issues of #Resilience, and I speak on the importance of the heart, mind, soul, and actions, and I believe that if you really want to transform that your focus must occur in each of these areas.
Your Heart: You must choose to focus on love, empathy and understanding that will connect you to others in your world. This could be family, friends, and or others who need you, or you actually might need them. We must connect with our hearts as humans.
Your Mind: You must use your thoughts, intelligence, and contemplative nature to see a positive future, the impacts of your decisions, the consequences of your ideas. Connect to others, your work, use your talents, and use the synergy from these connections to build a place where you and others can grow in peace.
Your Soul: On a deeper level you must have faith in something or someone. Faith in yourself, others, something that connects us to each other. Some believe in God, religion, or a structure of thoughts that helps them keeps moving us forward. I believe that it doesn’t have to be one way, or another, but to help yourself be a larger part of this world, I believe that it helps to believe in something.
Your Actions: This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where you are seen by the world. This is where what you do is acknowledged by others as who you are, so I say to you, make your actions count, make them meaningful, make them memorable, make them positive, own them, and enjoy them! Your actions become your book cover, your chapters, your paragraphs, your story, so make sure that they are written well!
Is this post deeper than you anticipated? Is it top level stuff, and your brain is seeking to go deeper? Are you thinking that I have completely lost it? Well, let me ease your thinking. Yes, it’s a little deep, yes, I want your brain to search for more answers, and no I have not completely lost it.
Basically, let your heart, mind, soul, and actions be your guide. And, work on building the information in each of these areas so that your guide is well-built, well-educated, has resources, and can help you be a better you!
#Transformation for 2019, my one word. What’s yours?
Dr. Rob Martinez, AKA “Resiliency Guy”
Dr. Rob Martinez, is a 32-year educator, and is becoming well known as “Resiliency Guy.” He focuses on building educational environments where children can grow and develop in peace, and often says, “Let the life we help others live be the measure of our success.”
He is available for #keynote addresses, educational consultation, life coaching, and recently authored and published, “The Story of Sparkle and Shine” as an Amazon Kindle E-Book.
He is currently authoring, “Lead with Resilience, in Your Heart, Mind, Soul and Actions.” And “Robbie the Resilient Caterpillar.”
#SEEKBEAUTY – My 2018 Theme
#SeekBeauty
As 2018 begins, and I mindfully reconcile the reality that this year I will turn 55 years old, I have tried to be more cognizant of the world around me, and the world that I assist in creating for others. Some might say, well, that’s maturity setting in, or others might simply say, finally. I like to think of it as continuing to grow, and my focus on seeking to recognize the importance that each of us has in the world and our impact on others.
Many of my friends and family members take time at the New Year to set resolutions, start some new habits, and or contemplate their place in the world, and their impacts on others, and I too have been thinking about what to focus on in this New Year., 2018
I landed on these two words that I hope will guide my this year: #SeekBeauty
#SeekBeauty in life, love, family, relationships, myself, friends, co-workers, colleagues, students, children, animals, land, air, water, food, fitness, learning, teaching, playing, being, all, #SeekBeauty
I know that #beauty is relative, and I do have many beautiful relatives, but that’s another story. What I mean by beauty in this case is to seek to understand the true, innate, beauty that is apparent in our world, that we frequently overlook, disregard, give little time to, and let slip away, when we should be appreciating it, caring and cultivating it, and bringing it into our hearts, minds and souls.
Life, love, family, relationships are the nourishment that we need to sustain our hearts, minds, souls, and yet, so many times we take for granted those that are in our lives, love us, are our family, and those whose relationships truly mean more to us than anything. There is beauty in each opportunity to grow these relationships that we must seek to appreciate. There is beauty in each conversation, touch, embrace, glance, and yet, we sometimes treat those we care the most about in the worst ways. I am seeking to see the beauty that is provided to me each day, and I hope you do the same. Notice, and appreciate each moment, and let others know you care, and see the beauty that is in them.
I am seeking to find the beauty that is in me. Yes, I might seem silly, and yet, the old question is accurate: “How can you love somebody, if you don’ love yourself?” In this case, I don’t mean in a narcissistic way, I mean to love yourself is to care for yourself. Care about what you eat, drink, do with your body. Are you moving, exercising, giving your body fresh air, water, nutrition that can help you? Are you providing your entire system with what it needs to sustain, to battle the vile parts of the world that seek to damage your body? Not one of us has the same system, so you have got to find what works for you, and then as the saying goes, #DoIt. Feed your mind, feed your heart, feed your soul.
Each of us spends time with co-workers, colleagues, clients, community, etc., and if we are wise and looking for it, there is beauty there as well. Again, this is not just a physical thing, it is in the way so many positive, good, caring people live and go about their lives. If you spend a few minutes watching the news you can quickly become filled with frustration, and disgust at many acts of a few, and yet, we frequently have hundreds of positive acts going on around us that we fail to notice by our community members. A door being opened, a friendly hello, a phone being answered, work being accomplished with service, a caring hand, a hug goodbye, are but a few of the moments that add to the beauty of the day. I challenge you, as I have challenged myself to see it, appreciate it, let it fill your heart with knowledge that people are beautiful!
Yes, the world that we live in is a beautiful place, and I also believe that it is up to us to create more beauty for our children, our students, our pets, those we care for, those who have lost the ability to see the beauty, though they still have sight. We must work to create beauty, be the best within us, and help each other #seekbeauty. I’m not sure if we will ever all get to this wonderful place that I am seeking to find, though I do believe that the journey would be a lot more pleasant if we all tried to create more beauty, and to find more beauty in each other.
Here’s hoping that you all #seekbeauty in yourself, others, and our world.
Dr. Robert A. Martinez is also known as @ResiliencyGuy He tweets, blogs, and seeks to share thoughts about the world, and our ability to empower each other with our actions, thoughts, and goals.
Sometimes, You Just Need to Breathe
Spring, 2017, Sometimes, You Just Need to Breathe
Sometimes, it’s about being present in your world, and offering support to those that need it without hesitation!
Sometimes, it’s taking a moment to see the love that is in your world and making a decision to give love back to the world!
Sometimes, it’s facing a small issue that has held you back, and making a determination to persevere, that leads to massive growth!
Sometimes it’s about appreciating the life before you, recognizing that each challenge of the past led you here, and moving ahead!
Sometimes, it is about hope, belief, mindset, that help build your goals and passions. Don’t underestimate your human potential!
Sometimes, it’s not just about checking off boxes in your plan, it’s about taking a step, re-evaluating, and then stepping again!
Sometimes, it’s about taking off the limits of the world, and recognizing that every successful person is a human being like you!
Sometimes, it’s about giving trust to those in your world, so that you free yourself to grow and expand your perspective!
Sometimes, it’s about persistence, seeing the future you, and knowing that you have the power to become who you want to be!
Sometimes, it’s about igniting a passion deep within yourself, or others, so that their light within becomes a palpable guide!
Sometimes, it’s about providing others with the skills, tools, insight, to empower them to face their challenges with gusto!
Sometimes, it’s taking on a huge challenge, one step at a time, with dedication and focus, to conquer the world.
Sometimes, it’s about letting your passion soar, unleashing the burst of ideas within your head, and about hoping to connect with another person.
Sometimes, it’s about listening to your heart, mind, and soul, and you simply have to know that you made the right choice.
Sometimes, you simply need to breathe, be #mindful, and be you.
Sometimes, you might need to give yourself a good swift in the behind!
Sometimes, you need to #TakeAction right now, and don’t wait for the perfect time, because the perfect time may never come.
Dr. Robert A. Martinez, is becoming wel-known as @ResiliencyGuy across California. He focuses on building environments where children can learn and grow in peace. He speaks on Transformational Resilience, a concept that focuses providing thoughtful systems that seek to engage and support each child in their learning. You can follow him on twitter @ResiliencyGuy and @DrRobM_FSUSD and on Facebook as “Resiliency Guy.”
#POWERFUL words, #POWERFUL choices, #POWERFUL actions! Find your words to become a #Learner, #Leader, #Lifer!
Each of us is on a journey; a journey towards self-discovery, self-improvement, self-awareness, and hopefully self-actualization. While we are on our individual journies I believe that each of us has the capability to choose the words that guide us as we head towards our personal destinations. I believe that we have a responsibility to be thoughtful about those choices, and that we can effectuate positive changes in our worlds and the worlds that those we care about. I believe that if we do this we can all become expert #learners, #leaders and #lifers. Meaning, those that choose to learn, lead others, and appreciate each moment that lif has to offer.
I bring this challenge to you to focus on the words that can support you on your journey. This challenge would be to take a look at the picture below that contains a number of words that I have dubbed #POWERFUL words, and to make some choices for yourself. Choose the words that reflect who you are as a #POWERFUL person. Maybe you are a #learner, a #leader, or a #lifer, like me, or maybe you are simply seeking to be a little better than the day before, or quite possibly you are seeking to change the world with your magical powers. I think that no matter which level your journey is on that you can choose to make it a #POWERFUL one by forcusing on the words that give you your internal power.
For me, my current set of words includes: #Positive, #Outstanding, #Wise, #Empowered, #Resilient, #Forthright, #Unbelievable, and #Loving. Let me explain:
#Positive: Each moment of each day I choose my attitude. I choose to be positive, to look on the bright side, to relish the good that occurs in front of my eyes, and then I seek out the good that might go overlooked. Sometimes its the simplest of actions that people, I don’t even know do, such as holding a door for someone, or picking up a piece of trash that lays before them, to witnessing the engagement of an exceptional educator who is guiding the development of a group of students and educators all day long.
#Outstanding: As I maneuver through my day I seek to be a shining light to those that might catch a glimpse of me in action. Not that I need to be the star of the show, but it’ that I feel a sense of responsibility to seek to be my best for the people I serve. I strive to give others an authentic look at how I go through life with what I hope are exceptional behaviors, actions, and positivity. I want to get that smile from an onlooker. I want to include people in my life. I seek to engage, and be present in what I hope is a memorable way towards the good.
#Wise: I have had the opportunity to learn many life lessons, to become a learned man, to build a set of skills that guide my decisions and actions. I learned these things from life, from my parents, from those in my lives, from my teachers, from my colleagues, my children, and if I don’t act with regard of these lessons that I have learned, then I think that I wouldn’t give justice to these life experiences. I want to be thoughtful, be cognizant of the intelligence I have, use it for good, and allow my thoughts and actions to demonstrate who I truly am.
#Empowered: It is my life. It is my choice. It is my heart, mind, and soul, that creates me, so it becomes a real action to be empowered through myself. If I were allow myself to be only directed by others, would that be enough? If I allowed myself to be swayed one way or another because of popular belief or persuasion or group mentality, would that be enough? I think not! To be empowered is to be aware, to know you have choices, then to choose consciously, and to let yourself recognize that you have independent thought and have acted on your own accord.
#Resilient: If you know me at all, you know that at my inner core, the issues of resilience ignite my life. Having the capability to come up against adversity, then to battle, fight, overcome, be the relentless individual that I can be, to persevere through any hardship that presents itself, is truly a learned skill set that I use each and every day. I also seek to help others recognize that they too have experienced resilience, and that each of our minds are afforded opportunities continuously to overcome the roadblocks paced before us. This power word is essential to my and my development, and for me represents a deep commitment to living.
#Forthright: While there is always the need for tact and courtesy in providing information to people, especially information that might not be seen as positive to all ears, none of us have time to beat around the bush or to engage in miscommunication about important issues, topics, concepts, or with feedback that is designed to improve the lot of children, their parents, or those that work to build communities. So, to me, I feel a need to know my stuff, to know my positions, to know what I want to have occur, and then to work to communicate effectively with those that have interest or motivation to make things better. I find that by being thoughtful in my approach I am better able to hold crucial conversations with those in my life.
#Unbelievable: Our world is filled with common and general experiences. Going to get gas in our cars, stopping by the grocery store to pick up a few things, or maybe even making a quick pit stop on a long journey to take care of business, are several of those common experiences. I want to give people an unbelievable experience when I am with them. Maybe it’s with my greeting, maybe its my customer service, maybe its just offering a warm hand to shake, or possibly its by exceeding someone’s expectations in a meeting, offering just a bit more that they were thinking our conversation would provide to them, or by busting out in a little song to lighten the mood. It isn’t always about showmanship, but the style in the show that you decide to provide.
#Loving: I care about people. I truly want each person to succeed in their lives, and and I strive to be a loving person in my interactions with others. I love having an opportunity to work with people, to communicate with others, and to work in the education arena, where what we all do on a daily basis matters, and supports our shared future world. I love my family, my friends, my career, and my life. I love it! I am a #LIFER! What I mean by this is that I work to focus on the precious moments that I am given, and value the good and difficult moments that occur in my day, and I hope that you will join me in loving your life.
The beauty of engaging in a process such as this and reflecting on the #POWERFUL words presented in this challenge, is that you do not need to choose my words! You can choose your own. You also do not need to choose words that I have provided as you can add your own. Your choice, your power, your actions, your opportunities to grow yourself, and then your opportunity to work to build the #POWERFUL attributes in each person that are in your world. Think about it, if each person you know actually focused on choosing their words, and enhancing their powers, then worked to build themselves up, and then focusd their energies to build the powers of others in their worlds, then we could actually instigate a dynamic change to our collective world by simply building on the super powers we all have to improve the world!
Rob Martinez, Ed.D. is known as @ResiliencyGuy and AKA @DrRobM_FSUSD on twitter, and can bfound as “Resiliency Guy” on Facebook. He is becoming well known for his presentations on Transformational Resilience across California, and serves the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District as the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources.
Seeking Balance, and Allowing Resilience to Lead You Forward
When stress and anxiety are provided a window of opportunity into your heart, mind, soul and body, they quickly focusing on creating imbalance in your world in order to be able to invite their close friends depression, anger and frustration to the party. Seeking to find and keep your balance, and allowing your resilience to support you in moving forward, are ways to limit these windows of opportunity that tend to pull us even farther off the balance we seek.
Is there a sure-fire way to avoid stress, anxiety and their friends from attempting to tilt you over? Of course not, and yet, if you take action on several or all of these steps to build your resilience skills you will be better able to walk tall, keep your alignment more steady, and ward off these mental beasts that seek to tear you down.
A few simple excercises to stay in balance:
-Be thankful: Yes, be aware of what has been provided to you, what you have access to, and that you can use to take care of yourself. Be it food, shelter, clothes, or even crumbs, consider that you have something. If you have family, loved ones, a job, a place to call home, a place to visit, you have something to be thankful for, and
-Be kind: Taking a moment or two to provide an act of kindness, to care for someone else, or to provide something to someone that needs a pick-me-up.
-Be active: By getting your body going (walk, jog, run, ride, bend, stretch…) you inform each and every cell of your body that you are alive. You let your whole system know that this life must be lived, that you want to be part, and that you are readying yourself for your next great adventure.
–Be present: If you work, be at work, and take care of the things that work calls for without allowing yourself to be engaged in, for lack of a better word, “DRAMA” that pulls you away from your work. If you are at home, be at home, be there for those that need and depend on you, yes, that is your life, these are the people you love, and they deserve the very best of you each opportunity you have to be with them. By being present, you remain an active part of your life, their lives, and show them the way to engage, stay in control, remain calm, fight your way through, and to be ready for a new day!
–Build your skills: Personal, professional, creative, or even athletic skills must be targeted and focused on. If you recognize you should, and want to improve in a given area, you must put in the work to advance your skills. If it’s by becoming a better person, well, maybe you start by reading a little blog such as this, or it’s by taking a class, or it’s just by having a conversation with someone you know. If it’s professional, again, focus on the area of need, target that specific skill set you have identified, and get yourself going. If you want to develop a new part of yourself, there are literally millions of ways to “Google” it, and then take action. It is your life, you are the lead of your own show, and you can modify the script as you see fit.
BOLD CRAZY SENTENCE: You, are only the you, you believe yourself to be, and if you want to be a new you, well then identify a path, take a step towards your journey, and seek to become the new you you long for!
Here’s hoping that you each find your balance, that you seek to engage in being: thankful, kind, active, present, and that you build your skills accordingly. While I can’t guarantee that the stress and anxiety won’t be able to find you if you engage in these behaviors I can tell you with assurance that you will have more skills at hand in your resilience tool kit if you do, and that you will be more able to right yourself should you feel yourself tilting one way or another.
So, with that, Happy Thanksgiving to each and everyone, and I do hope that you reflect and plan on bringing the best you to each and every day. Remember, some of the best days of your life may have not happened yet.
Dr. Martinez is the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources for the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District and is also known as @ResiliencyGuy on @twitter. He can be found on Facebook at “Resiliency Guy” and is Co-Moderator of #Resiliencechat that occurs each Monday, at 7:00 PST on @Twitter
Focus on Transformational Resilience
My focus is on #Resilience development, and my concept is simple to comprehend. I believe that each person has the capability to support others with developing #resilience skills. I also firmly believe that it is an obligation for adults, especially educators, to build environments for children, and especially their students, that foster the development of the latent ability to be #resilient that resides in each child.
I believe that there are steps that each person can take to support the advancement of #resilience skills, and this simple graphic is representative of those actions that can be taken to build these skills in our children.
Ask yourself these questions and reflect if you are taking steps to build or hinder #resilience development:
1. Am I acting to #engage my students? Meaning, Am I offering relevant interactions that are intended to build their skills, knowledge, creativity and innovation skills?
2. Am I offering #positivity to my students? Meaning, Am I focused on the growth, the development, the advancement of my students, while providing authentic meaningful feedback that encourages my students and inspires them?
3. Am I being #thoughtful in my approach with my student? Meaning, Am I considerate of the unique needs and interests of my students, and I am reflective in my process, and then, in turn, able to be flexible in my approach to connecting with them as individuals?
4. Am I #supportive towards each of my students no matter what? Meaning, no matter the needs, no matter their behaviors, no matter the trauma that they may have been exposed to, do you accept them, without reservation, and do you recognize that they deserve the best you can be?
I believe that working to support our children is the most important work that can be accomplished by educators, parents, and adults. If we don’t, who will? If we don’t act, how will our children learn and grow? If we don’t accept this responsibility, act as mature, well-functioning adults, how in the world can we expect our children to become more advanced well-functioning adults? It is that important! It is the most essential work that we can do! It is up to each of us to build environments for children where they can grow, flourish, and activate the latent ability to be resilien! Please join me in this effort to help our children grow in peace!
Dr. Rob Martinez is the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources for the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District, and is a proponent of supporting #resilience development in all of our learning environments. He would be happy to assist you and your schools in building and fostering environments where #TransformationalResilience can grow!
You can follow Dr. Rob at @ResiliencyGuy on #twitter as well.
Recipes For Resilience 