More Lessons of the Fall

What did I learn from that experience? This is one of the "mantras" I use to help turn a negative into a positive. It puts an end to the looping, go nowhere, stress-inducing thinking in which I would often engage. Wouldn't you agree that this is much more productive and beneficial? The result is that emotional, mental and physical health improves when the flight or fight response is calmed.

Watch your language. "I need a break." I got one, or rather 3 of them. A broken arm and 2 broken ribs isn't the kind of break I had in mind! This was a painful reminder to be more specific in my requests. So, here I go again. I'd like a break in the sun, sand, surf, with swimming, snorkeling and snoozing! Please and thank you!

Television stifles creativity. During the first few weeks of my recovery, I wasn't up to doing much. Days and nights were spent in front of the TV. Now that I am getting back on track, I'm finding it a challenge to stir the pot of creativity.

Joanne Stein conveniently tweeted a gentle reminder which could otherwise be translated as: Use it so you don't lose it!

Time-outs have their place. A change in trajectory. A renewed sense of appreciation for what is. A chance for strengths to shine when they may have been overshadowed by other events.

When you are ready to learn the lesson, reinforcement is provided. This has powerfully been driven home to me this week. I feel like a divining rod, twitching and bending towards a variety of sources (the books I read, the television shows I catch, the tweets I notice and the people with whom I speak) - all leading me to the source, not of water, but of knowledge.

Accepting help plants the seeds of friendship. After my somewhat cheeky call for weeding and scrubbing in my last post, I was given the opportunity to reinforce this lesson of acceptance. It was interesting to observe my discomfort while I worked through it by quietening the brain chatter (looping thoughts) and letting the wisdom of the heart speak.

The marvelous thing was that my heart wasn't the only one speaking. As they worked and chatted, revealing more of themselves, I delighted in the deepening of our friendship. Thank you, Kathrin, Nancy, Laurel and Charles.

Use the spiral approach in lesson plans. The acquisition of knowledge can be likened to a tornado which touches down and picks up things as it travels along. Each subsequent cycle adds to and increases the learning, as certainly as re-reading a book provides you with new insights.

A well-prepared unit of learning spirals through previously-taught material, giving students the opportunity to learn, revisit, remember, refresh and deepen the lessons. This is stuff I know and I can happily say, it's stuff I know.

How about you? What do you now know?


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4 Replies to “More Lessons of the Fall”

  1. Hello, Marianna.

    Know that I have visited this particular page often; have read this several times.

    Your writing soothes me and I find strength. And I always find new insights.

    Tonight, I see again your strength. And the love and the good in your friends.

    I truly love that. Seeing the good in people.

    Finding their gold.

    Thank you, Marianna.

  2. Thanks, Casper. I appreciate your kind words and encouragement!

    “Gold digging” now has a new meaning thanks to you! 🙂

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