Today is the Assumption of the Blessed Mother.     This is the Day that the Blessed Mother is assumed into heaven body and soul!!  She is the Mother of God, but also our Mother to guide us and be our advocate.  So what does this have to do with religion in school?  Everything.  School is meant to prepare, educate, stimulate, and above all nurture the mind, body, and spirit.  How can we as parents, educators, and community members expect to instill values and beliefs if we allow our children to think that it is wrong to rely on someone else for support, resource, strength, and compassion?   The Blessed Mother wants us to be united with her Son so that we might LIVE!  How can we live without knowing that we are so profoundly loved, adored, and looked after?  Why is it wrong for children to think that someone of a Divine nature loves and looks out for them?  In all that is going on in our world today with teen pressures from society, social media, bullying, academics, pressure to join and be involved in extra-curricular activities so that a college might see it and accept them,  doesn't it make sense that we provide them with as  much love, support, Truth, and freedom in the knowledge of unconditional love if one fails, isn't in the "in-crowd", doesn't have as many likes as someone else on Instagram, or struggles with just the everyday process of being a teen?  Doesn't it make sense to equip them to live life to the fullest and enjoy it now knowing that the Blessed Mother, their Mother, awaits for them, is there looking on with love as an advocate,  and praying for them so that they never question that they are alone (especially for teens- it is so vital to remind them that they are so profoundly loved and connected to everyone through God)?  I know there are so  many that agree and disagree with this idea.  That is fine... you are where you are right now on your journey.    I know all will work itself out as it should because we have the Blessed Mother doing right by Her Son while she lives in Heaven with Him forever.    And so....we move forward...God Bless~

Train Your Brain, To Live Your Ideal WeekIn order to train your brain how to live out your ideal week, a good place to begin is to tell yourself the truth.
John (not his real name) hired me as his coach during the time he had lost his job and was looking for a new one.
I noticed that John would come to each session saying some form of this statement: “I’m never going to find a job.”
Even when I’d use normal coaching techniques like powerful questions or direct communication in response, John couldn’t seem to move away from this mindset.
So, by the third or fourth session, I knew it was time to try something different.
Excerpt from coaching session:
Coach: May I make an observation?
John: Sure
Coach: You’ve come to every coaching session saying you’re never going to find a job.
John: Well, it’s true.
Coach: May I take off my coaching hat, for a moment, and share what I know?
John: Please do. I need help.
Coach: You’re probably right. You’re probably never going to find a job.
John: What? You mean you also think I’m never going to find a job? I hired you to help me.
Coach: No, it’s not what I believe. I do believe you can find a job. But if you keep telling yourself “I’m not going to find a job” I’m concerned you may not. As long as you keep telling yourself that, it’s true. You’re right because our brains begin to believe what we tell them. Every time you say that to yourself, you’re basically reinforcing “the truth.”
John: Okay, well then what should I do? Tell myself the lie that I will find a job even though it’s clear I’m not getting offers?
Coach: No, that’s not what I’m suggesting. I’m going to put my coaching hat back on now. John, what is true in your situation?
John: With so many jobs out there, it is possible I’ll find a job.
Coach: What might happen if you got up every morning and told yourself exactly that?
John: I don’t know but I’d like to try it.
Coach: Sounds like you have a solid action step.
End of coaching excerpt
 As John completed his action step each day, he became encouraged to revisit the materials he had found and completed around creating your ideal week.
John’s ideal week contained specific goals related to finding a job, but he realized he had not been taking many steps toward his goals because he’d become so convinced he would never find a job.
But then things changed.
Within three months, as he worked toward living out his ideal week, telling himself that with so many jobs out there it was possible he’d find a job…
John did find a job.
How can you train your brain to live your ideal week?What’s one goal that seems unattainable?
How can you tell yourself truth and work toward creating and living out your ideal week?

• Shelly. S. Cantrell|July 7th,

It’s All in Your Head: Moving from a Fixed Mindset to a Growth MindsetDo your clients struggle with a fixed mindset? As I have been pressing forward as a life coach, learning about a fixed vs. growth mindset, especially through the research of Carol Dwek, has made a big difference in my own personal approach. I believe her insights will help you professionally and personally.
What is a fixed mindset? It’s the belief that if we don’t have the smarts, gifts, or talents to do something, we give up trying. What is the opposite of a fixed mindset?  It is a growth mindset that says persist in the face of setbacks or challenges, because effort and perseverance pay off. The brain grows when we persist, persevere, and use failures as growth opportunities.
How does the brain work for you to grow?The brain actually acts like a muscle. The more activity you do, the more neuron connections you make, and the brain becomes more and more complex. What you do in life physically changes the way your brain looks. It is very plastic. According to scientist, John Medina in Brain Rules, you can wire and rewire your brain, based on the simple activity and focus you choose to do – musician, professional sport, college professor.
How do you move into this growth mindset?Pursing your passions, like coaching, will help you move in this direction. How is coaching part of your God-given purpose? The growth mindset helps you believe the effort you put forth today will move you forward tomorrow. The growth mindset is compatible to the coaching framework as well. The growth mindset says you have all you need to move forward. That growth minds builds your emotional resiliency as well.
Conversely, a fixed mindset will hold you back. It says, “I don’t have what it takes to get to where I want to go. “It is much easier to give up with a fixed mindset.
Growth takes time, effort, and a lot of hard work. For example, Mozart was not an overnight sensation. He labored for more than ten years before he produced the work that we admire today. What are the ways that you and your clients grow best?
For example, I am a kinesthetic learner. For me to focus on what I am learning, I need to type notes, underline phrases in a book, or physically interact with the materials I am learning. I also need time to practice and give myself grace to learn from my mistakes.
To grow, what messages are you sending to yourself?To move forward in a growth mindset, you must pay attention to what you are telling yourself daily.  Listen to these messages. Are they growth-oriented or fixed?  For example, instead of focusing on the mistake you made, reframe it. What can you learn from the incident?  What challenge is in front of you?  Now what happens when you think of the incident?  How do you feel when you reframe it in a growth mindset?
Think of reframing each time you notice those fixed messages coming into your head. What happens to your body, your mind, your spirit?  Look for ways to move yourself and your clients forward, regardless of the circumstances.
Growth is where and how we look for it.

• ​By Nancy Booth|July 21st,