Let's Learn So Many Things Together Here

Become What You Want to Be (by: Brian Cavanaugh, T.O.R., The Sower's Seeds)

Let me tell you about a little girl who was born into a very poor family in a shack in the Backwoods of Tennessee. She was the 20th of 22 children, prematurely born and frail. Her survival was doubtful. When she was four years old she had double pneumonia and scarlet fever - a deadly combination that left her with a paralyzed and useless left leg. She had to wear an iron leg brace. Yet she was fortunate in having a mother who encouraged her.
Well, this mother told her little girl, who was very bright, that despite the brace and leg, she could do whatever she wanted to do with her life. She told her that all she needed to do was to have faith, persistence, courage and and indomitable spirit.
So at nine years of age, the little girl removed the leg brace, and she took the step the doctors told her she would never take normally. In four years, she developed a rhytmic stride, which was a medical wonder. Then this girl got the notion, the incredible notion, that she would like to be the world's greatest woman runner. Now, what could she mean - be a runner with a leg like that?
At age 13, she entered a race. She came in last - way, way last. She entered every race in high school, and in every race she came in last. Everyone begged her quit! However, one day, she came in next to last. And then there came a day when she won a rece. From then on, Wilma Rudolph won every race that she entered.
Wilma went to Tennessee State University, where she met a coach named Ed Temple. Coach Temple saw the indomitable spirit of the girl, that she was a believer and that she had great natural talent. He trained her so well that she went to the Olympic Games.
There she was pitted against the greatest woman runner of the day, a German girl named Jutta Heine. Nobody had ever beaten Jutta. But in the 100-meter dash, Wilma Rudolph won. She beat Jutta again in the 200-meters. Now Wilma had two Olimpic gold medals.
Finally came the 400-meter relay. It would be Wilma against Jutta once again. The first two runners on Wilma's team made perfect handoffs with the baton. But when the third runner handed the baton to Wilma, she was so excited she dropped it, and Wilma saw Jutta taking off down the track. It was impossible that anybody could catch this fleet and nimble girl. But Wilma did just that! Wilma Rudolph had earned three Olympic gold medals.

Bagaimanakah Sebaiknya Seorang Guru Bersikap?

Sejak kita masih kecil, kita tidak pernah lepas dari yang namanya guru. Baik itu guru dalam artian formal (dalam lembaga pendidikan) maupun guru-guru yang dalam artian informal (di luar lembaga pendidikan). Sekarang marilah kita merenungkan, guru manakah yang seringkali menimbulkan inspirasi bagi kita? Yang dapat membangkitkan gairah kita untuk belajar dan menggali lebih jauh mengenai ilmu yang diajarkan? Berdasarkan pengalaman saya pribadi yang lebih berpengaruh dalam hidup saya adalah guru-guru yang dalam artian informal. Yang menjadi pertanyaan adalah mengapa bisa demikian ya?

Bulan lalu, saya menonton sebuah film yang menurut saya sangat bagus. Film yang berjudul "3 Idiots". Dari sana saya dapat melihat bahwa apa yang seringkali diberikan oleh guru-guru dalam pendidikan formal, bukanlah ilmu yang kita perlukan untuk hidup, namun mental pressure. Murid akan dibebani dengan tekanan demi tekanan yang akan membuat mereka stres. Dan ironisnya adalah terkadang para orang tua justru menyenangi model guru yang demikian.

Saya ambil contoh dari pengalaman saya selama tahun mengajar. Selama 6 tahun, saya mengajar musik (gitar). Dalam jangka waktu tersebut, banyak pengalaman yang bisa membuat saya belajar banya mengenai kesalahan dalam pola berpikir masyarakat kita kebanyakan. Saya mengajar dalam satu pertemuan adalah 45 menit. Murid yang saya miliki memiliki latar belakang untuk belajar yang berbeda-beda. Ada yang karena minat yang besar, namun tidak sedikit pula yang hanya terpaksa menuruti obsesi orang tua. Tentu saja cara mengajar terhadap kedua tipe murid tersebut harus berbeda. Terhadap murid yang belum memiliki minat untuk mempelajari musik, goal utama saya adalah bagaimana cara membangkitkan minat anak ini terhadap musik? Apabila minat sudah tumbuh maka the next step will be easier. Maka selama mengajar saya harus membuat murid ini se-enjoy mungkin. Saya berusaha "mengambil" hatinya terlebih dahulu baik melalui jokes, cerita, dll. Namun mayoritas orang tua murid tersebut tidak lama akan memberhentikan anaknya untuk belajar pada saya dengan alasan "kalau les gurunya lebih banyak omong, bercanda dll" dan memindahkan anaknya kepada guru yang lebih "menurut saya" kejam (yang kalau anak tidak menurut akan dipukul, dicubit dll). Saya berani menjamin bahwa seumur hidup anak tersebut akan menjadi teacher's pet karena biasa dididik untuk terpaksa menuruti kehendak orang lain.

Lalu bagaimana saya sebagai seorang guru seharusnya bersikap? Apakah saya harus menjadi sesuai dengan keinginan customer ataukah menjadi seorang idealis? Ada percabangan antara prioritas bisnis dengan pendidikan.
Saya memilih untuk menjadi menempuh cara-cara yang saya yakini benar. Karena saat saya menjalani profesi sebagai guru, main goal nya bukanlah uang namun bagaimana cara membuat anak didik saya mendapatkan inspirasi sebanyak-banyaknya dan senantiasa belajar dan mengembangkan diri baik di bawah bimbingan saya maupun orang lain. Prioritas bisnis (keuntungan dan uang) akan saya kejar melalui profesi yang saya jalani di bidang lain.
Kalau anda menjadi guru (pembimbing) dan anda benar-benar perlu uang dan anda bingung bagaimana seharusnya seorang guru bersikap? (Haruskah saya bersikap sesuai kehendak customer atau tetap idealis)?
Saatnya nurani anda menjawab.

Regards

Use Empowering Words When You Talk to Yourself - by: Marlene Blaszczyk

Use Empowering Words When You Talk to Yourself
(whether you are speaking out loud or silently) How do you talk to yourself?
Do you use the words "can't", "won't", "don't need to", "why try"?
Many people do.
Do you find that what you say to yourself turns out to be true?
Why is this?
You see your brain is like a computer that you feed each day. It doesn't know always know what's real or not unless you tell it.
Example: If someone you love has hurt you, you may tell yourself that all people who love you will probably hurt you too.
Your brain just files this information for reference, it's data, little zeroes and ones and no column that asks "true or not true?" Now your brain thinks, based on what you told it, that everyone you'll ever love will hurt you.
How do you think you will respond the next time you get hurt?
Right!!
Now, what if we instead told our brain:
"Okay this person ripped my heart out - but that's only one person. I'm lovable and have many loving people in my life who are not out to hurt me. I know that the right people are coming into my life all the time. If someone hurts me, I will forgive them and bless them on their way."
Words can be empowering.
I can
I love to
I want to
I will
I must
I am
We can reach a new level of living, if we feed ourselves empowering words and practice saying them until they become a habit.
I know first hand that it takes time.
And I also know that it's worth it.
Try it for a week.
Catch yourself saying, "I can't", when you don't really mean it and instead try, "I can", and see how you think and feel about yourself.
Remember, the words you use to empower yourself will have a lasting effect, only if you practice them and they become a habit (an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary).
They say it takes at least 28 days to develop a habit. After a week, you will see that it becomes easier. It's a mindset and you can control your thoughts. Be proactive and not reactive - give yourself some good words.
Dream big and empower yourself! Believe you can and you will.