Welcome All to the Nurturing Greatness Forum!
Before I begin today I want to publicly thank Maria Mangicaro for her willingness to create this space for us to communicate. Maria is a volunteer website coordinator for the nonprofit organization ICSPP. I also want to extend a very appreciative nod to her for walking me through the technological advances I have had to learn to do this (LOL). Maria, I am so grateful for your contagious laugh, your selfless spirit and your generosity.
Well we launched the first support group for the Nurtured Heart Approach (NHA) in Jordan Elbridge this past Wednesday. What a time of friendship, sharing and fun!! Cathy Garrett has graciously agreed to lead this pack of greatness filled individuals. She will be contacting everyone from time to time with updates. I think her plan is to meet again in April once we complete the March parenting group!!
I am working diligently to find space for a group in the East Area. I think the Eastwood Baptist Church is going to allow us to camp out there for a four week group, Rev. Paul is very kind!! I should be able to confirm this next Tuesday.
Today I want to encourage everyone to take time out of their busy lives to create space for reflection and peace. I have decided that every Sunday now needs to be a time of fun, fellowship with family and friends and gratitude for what God has given me. I fully believe taking time to do things you enjoy and to contemplate all the wonderful blessings you have in your life at this very present moment will help you to cultivate greatness in your own lives and the people around you. Just pick one day and share with us how much you feel better emotionally, physically and spiritually.
I shared something with the group the other night that I believe is worth repeating for everyone. My mentor and clinical supervisor, Jim McSweeney, talked about reading a book called the Spirituality of Imperfection. Jim is a brilliant man filled with wisdom and knowledge so I love to bask in his presence and learn from him. Jim talked about our brains only using about 10 percent of what they are capable of using. The other ninety percent is not tapped into. He talked about how scientists are now finding that the brain portion we are not using was created to specifically ponder about our creation and life purpose (to gain wisdom). Something spiritual people have known for a long time.
The discussion led to us talking about the need for us to “let go” and spend life searching for wisdom. This of course would be in direct opposition to what our limited human brains tend to want to do. Before the age of fifty we are more likely to be on an ascending path for the next thing, promotion, title or whatever. I would challenge you today to let go and trust that the non cognitive 90 percent of your brain knows better –so spend time getting away from wanting worldly things and pursue things that give you wisdom.
I believe a simpler, more flexible and more satisfying life can be had if we let go and get in touch with what really matters: our spirituality, our families, our friends and the world around us.
To help yourself get connected to wisdom pray, meditate, exercise, sit in silence, create some space in your schedule, get organized in all areas of your life and de-clutter!
Finally, I would like to encourage everyone to make comments on the forum. Please feel free to use this forum to share your successes and your challenges. The Nurturing Greatness Forum is filled with positivity discerning and delightful people who want to talk to one another and to help anyone in need!!
May you be filled with peace and joy in abundance today!
Thank you Wendy!
ReplyDeleteIt is a pleasure to help someone with such a positive outlook on life as yourself and who is helping to promote the Nurtured Heart Approach.
I had the opportunity to meet Howard Glasser at the 2009 Annual Conference for the International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology in Syracuse and am very impressed with NHA.
I will be joining the forum regularly and look forward to your posts.
Wendy,
ReplyDeleteYou cross my mind regularly each and every day since I've met you! You've changed my life, my children's & students' lives, my family and our future! Your ability to share and inspire people with NHA has endless positive impacts. You have inspired and motivated me to spread our positive, nurturing outlooks with the ones around me!
This past weekend I've spend time with my husband's side of the family in Rochester and we've discussed this and I've watched nurturing going on...with each other, my children and one member who is struggling with an addiction. What a peace-filled weekend we've had and I see hope in the eyes of ones who have been seeing it slip away.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
I'll be back to visit soon!
:-) Michelle
Wendy,
ReplyDeleteI'm at a loss at where to start. Ever since taking the Nurtured Heart Approach workshop in January I have been so excited and on a roller coaster of emotion. Challenging myself to break through old mind sets and habits. Although I believed that I'm a very optimistic, positive, energentic and at times passionate thinking person I have discovered that I actually struggle with who I was prior my current day(whom I morn the loss of at times Living in Candy Land and all is good) and the current person (A child of God, wife, mom, daughter, friend). I'm discovering I need more support and nurturing myself. I allow the intense behavior of my children to drain my optimism and positive attitude. As a result I have found that I have created a negative pattern in dumping all my negative experiences onto my incredible husband when he comes home from work and that does not sit well with me anymore. It has constricted the quality of communication we have. I'm constantly having to remind myself that I have to make the CHOICE to over ride my urge to give into the negative energy from them and honestly I don't always feel that I have the mental energy to Nurture Heart My way out of it. Thank you for encouraging our January J-E group to continue to meet and encourage one another. Every day I am reminded how much I need the Nurtured Heart Approach.
A special thanks to Wendy and the Nurtured Heart Approach! I have so appreciated the life changing wisdom in this "easy to implement" technique. We have been applying the NHA principles for about 6 weeks in our home. I am seeing children who used to fight CONSTANTLY being thoughtful and kind to one another. I am seeing the children rejoicing in their victories as they choose to do what is right, without yelling, anger or reminding from mom! I also am seeing my children nurturing each other and at times even nurturing me! Our relationships have deepened and we have grown so much closer! We are enjoying each other.
ReplyDeleteI think by removing my negative responses to the negative actions or words or others, it forces the person to bear the full weight of what they are choosing. I am no longer distracting them by my yelling, anger or frustration with them!
This approach is branching out to all my relationships and has really changed my outlook on life to be in search of "greatness" in everything and everyone around me. I am so much more joyful and relaxed and at peace. It gets better all the time! We have renewed hope!
Thank you Wendy and NHA!
Hi and thank you. I recently finished reading Transforming the Difficult Child and have been doing my best to implement the method with my sons (especially my oldest who, while not diagnosed, pretty much fits all the criteria for ADHD). The first two weeks (and early chapters) made immediate and remarkable differences in the climate of our home and his classroom. However, as old habits die hard and I did not read the book cover-to-cover in a short period of time, I kind of stumbled through and we all had a bit of a relapse. I'm praying to find others to connect with who are going through the same so we can support each other through the difficult and celebrate the success. While there are several families I'm close with that have intense kids, none of them seem willing to try anything but medication or persevere with traditional methods. They all seem to think I'm a bit of a lunatic for eschewing the medical route but I believe there's a way through this. I was excited yesterday to find your site and am looking forward to any tools to help me minister to my family while we restructure how we do things. Thanks again and God bless you!
ReplyDelete