Last week I was in Las Vegas, Nevada doing a motivational teacher in-service program for club advisors in the Clark County School District. It was a great gathering of educators who go beyond classroom teaching to lead kids in every extra-curricular activity you can think of including student council, chess club, Key Club and a myriad of others.
Many teachers don’t realize that students join clubs not only to indulge their interests, but to connect with like-minded students. It’s easy to get lonely at school, and clubs are a great place to build meaningful friendships. I meet so many teens with a horrible home life and neglectful or abusive parents. Extra-curricular activities get these kids out of the house and into a more supportive setting. Often the club advisor is the only healthy adult role model they have.
During our training we talked about teambuilding within clubs and how these activities provide young people with developmental assets (check out The Search Institute). We also discussed techniques for building rapport with students and helping them overcome self-imposed obstacles. I also did a session on business skills for teachers so they can negotiate more effectively to get products and services for their clubs.
Overall it was a great day and a real inspiration to meet so many educators who go above and beyond for students.
According to annual surveys, losing weight is typically the first or second most common New Year’s resolution. Businessweek reports that Americans spend $40 billion a year on weight-loss programs and products. We are obsessed with reducing our size, as if it’s our physical weight holding us down.
I think we’ve got it all wrong. Our problem isn’t our physical weight. It’s our mental weight.
Most of us carry thoughts in our heads that debilitate us. We believe we’re not good enough. We think we’re inadequate, that our idea would never work, that others don’t like us. We engage in crippling self-talk and paralyze ourselves with fear.
We’ve got a lot of untrue junk in our head that stops us from taking action. No matter how good you look physically, if you’re mentally overweight, you’re in trouble.
So this year, resolve to go on a mental diet. Identify the thoughts and beliefs holding you back. Then get rid of them. Challenge these ideas. If you can’t back them up with facts, they may not be true. I assure you, you’re better than you think.
When you free your mind of this fat, you’re mental fitness will enable you to live a lot more effectively. You’ll trust yourself more and do things that will add quality to your life. And with your mind in good shape, you’ll more readily engage in behaviors that will help you get fit physically.
Motivational speaker Scott Greenberg gives live presentations on resilience, leadership and peak performance. For more information call 1-800-450-0432 or visit www.scottgreenberg.com .
