Staying Determined-Persevere
If we’re being honest with ourselves, staying determined and persevering is not always an easy thing to do. Our thoughts may get in our way for starters. One thing I’ve learned is that when I remain focused on what it is I’m passionate about, my heart dances, my thoughts become happier and I take one step closer to my vision!
Last year during November, I shared daily gratitude words, hoping to encourage you to write down a word that inspires you. We’ve all read about how a positive mindset helps with our direction and even disposition. I finally jumped in and took action with this! I actually wrote the word, did a little art work and internalized it to inspire my daily activities. I don’t have all the facts, but, I do know that it works, and once you have that ‘Good Vibes’ feeling, you don’t want to turn back to the negative thoughts. So, I’ll encourage you once again to at least try it, attitude is gratitude! This is where our Mindful Monday word comes into play. I’ve written down 52 words which inspire me and they may change, nope, they will change, but, I’ve taken a step in the right direction to improve my mindset and start the week off on a positive note. I’m doing an art page, and, I’m no artist, but, it’s good therapy for me when I have a paintbrush and colors surrounding me, and so, I paint the word of the week on my page and now I’m building a visual reminder to look back at when need be.
For our children, I’d encourage you to allow them to do this as well. Even on computer paper if you’re not equipped with a lot of art supplies, this works, too. As a matter of fact, when I was on the Reading Team in the elementary school, it’s all we used to build a journal. First the students would draw on the paper about the word or the lesson being discussed, an adult would ask them about their picture and write a sentence on the page and date it. The first few weeks were mostly pictures which was new for some children to actually draw. Then, letters came into play, building into words and finally a sentence. It’s a process, everything we do is a process and takes perseverance and determination. Everything! These journals were then stapled together and saved to display at conferences. What you might like to do is similar with yourself and your children!
Characters of Character has designed some new Composition Notebooks which all have a message on the back cover as a visual reminder. These are great to write down your thoughts for the day, practice spelling words, write your friend a note, take to your meetings and so much more. They are available on Amazon and waiting just for you!
What I’ve found with children when introducing them to something new, is to try to find a common ground. While there are so many beautiful journals to purchase, some of them are not appealing to a child. A friend of mine has a son who doesn’t like to write, but, he’s big into sports! So, I found a journal with a sports cover and she then encouraged her son to write in it after a game and soon he began reading about the sport. Win, Win! When I was teaching, I had a student who was dyslexic and just struggled with the thought of words, let alone sentences. So, I found out that he loved Superhero’s and I made him a book, starting with the letter A, put a picture of a superhero on each page and he began to write words on his own to build a dictionary of superheroes! By the end of the year, YES, he was reading with confidence. Sometimes we need to get creative to encourage our children/students with new thoughts and ideas. We all learn differently, so long as we learn, so long as we stay determined and so long as we persevere, we’re one step closer to our accomplishment.
Graphic by Jen Downey
Click here for the pattern to make the headband. Click here for a print out of a black and white certificate of achievement from Do’er Duck. It’s so important to encourage our children, praise them for their accomplishments and allow them to grow into who they are meant to be.
Do’er Duck is one of the nine Characters of Character and teaches perseverance. Our books are on Amazon. There are videos to engage your children/students on Youtube
TELL me and I forget, TEACH me and I remember, INVOLVE me and I learn. Benjamin Franklin