Streams of Life: Creating Order in an out of Balance world. - The WORKPLACE

We are an extension of our home, to the world when we enter our workplaces on a daily basis.  In just a short amount of time, we create a family in the workplace by our ability to build cohesive teams, navigate crisis,and create systems that meet the needs of the programs we serve in.  As we look to the workplace, it is also an extension of our call to serve others, be a light in the world and to build programs of integrity that meet the needs of the clients we serve.

In my work in the field of early childhood education, I have been blessed to work in programs, and to create programs that keep the client at the center of the work. Our clients in my work, are the most vulnerable , our children.  I am priveleged to be joined in the work by intelligent, creative, innovative, and risk-taking colleagues, teachers, early childhood leaders, and parents.  Each of us bring a new aspect to the work, based on our families of orgin, our cultural beliefs, our approaches to life.  The more time I spend figuring out the workplace, I learn more about myself   through watching others.

This is the reflective piece of the work, that causes me to examine, critique, question, and redefine what's working and what needs to reconfigured.  This week I was blessed to be a part of the Educare Learning Network Policy Institute in Denver, CO.  This is a gatherinng of leaders throughout the United States that have developed programs that are creating a new picture of what the true cost of early childhood education is.  The workplaces where the leaders reside, continued to move forward, serve families, and reach the community with their open doors, and willingness to extend their heart and hands.

Our workplaces can be transformative in their work when we:

• Value the work, by valuing the workers who give everyday
• Come together in true spirit of collaboration, where everyone's voice is represented at the table ( teacher, principal, parent, child, community leader)
• Make meaning of everyday experiences by documenting our journey 
• Tell the story in compelling ways too continue to build programs that transform the lives of those they serve

Questions to Ponder?

How will you return to your workplace tomorrow?

What change will you make in your daily work?

How will you show value for your colleague? Student? Leadership?

What have you documented about your experiences in your work?

Have you shared your story? 

Next post:

November 22 - 28, 2014
Streams of Life:  Creating Order in an out of Balance world.  - The COMMUNITY

November 29 - December 3, 2014
Streams of Life:  Creating Order in an out of Balance world.  = The CHURCH

A Moment of P.A.U.S. E.

Today I chose to stop and PAUSE, and begin to write. The past few months I have placed on my weekly planning form Take time to pause and reflect and write 2 pages a day, in the hope that as I commit to 2 pages of writing my manuscripts would develop and a book would emerge. Realizing that without a vision ahead of me, the books would just continue to be an idea floating around in my head. This book is a culmination of the last 15 years of my life, and the actual documentation of how Developing People, Inc. was conceived and lived out through the everyday experiences of my life over a fifteen year period, or a decade and a half since we began to describe ourselves after a 10 year period, as a decade to document the span of time in periods rather than years. So I have been working in the field of Early Childhood Education for three decades, WOW! That's 30 years of time that has passed. I will be 4 decades and 8 years old this year(that's 48 in November, just two years away from my 5 decade mark). My how time flies. So today's PAUSE made me think of this: P- Positioned A -Aware U - Uncluttered S - Serene E - Expecting My definition of pausing is to take a moment to consider what's ahead, a breather from the hectic schedule and life happenings ahead or just completed. It takes on new meaning, when you begin to cultivate your dreams and aspirations as a writer ( yes a writer, you have just declared it in print, that you are a writer. Whoo hoo! Let the writing begin!) If you are new to my blog, my writing usually ocurrs as I'm thinking, so it brings up after thoughts, that are caaptured in the parenthesis. (If you just want the meat of the word as they say, just skip the parenthesis to get to the story.) So today, I just ended a board meeting with Early Childhood Association of Oklahoma - ECAOK and decided to take a PAUSE to write this blog. My setting is a cozy little coffee house, called Foolish Things in Tulsa, OK, located just blocks away from my meeting location. My norm is to get right back into the grind of my day, and hop back on the freeway and drive the 2 hours to home, work, workout, and the next task for the evening. Instead, today I PAUSED. My PAUSE made me think of being Positioned, Aware, Uncluttered, Serene, and Expecting. I am positioned and ready to begin my journey as a writer. My collection of books about writing, spaces for writers, how to write, how to begin, has been growing over the past 2 decades ( Smile). Have I read them all, no! Only perused them to create the perfect setting, the perfect writing basket, the perfect pens and writing utensils, the perfect collection of journals to write in, and so on. Each of those perfect means, has not yielded a writing or a book, only a collection of things for writers. I am POSITIONED! let the writing begin. AWARE The more I experience as a woman, wife, and mother, the greater I am aware of the people and things around me. Being aware is what centers my focus on my purpose an existence. Being aware keeps my sanity on most days, and makes me a better person. To PAUSE and be AWARE causes even greater perspective. This past week, I was in Rockland, Maine for a conference and took a morning meditation class. Just the simple act of presenting myself for the class, and honing in on my breathing, and body was life changing. My head was clear, my mind was focused, for that short period of the morning. Of course, when I had an opportunity to take my boys to the library what did I search for, books on Christian meditation of course. (It's on my nightstand for reading the next time I PAUSE). UNCLUTTERED This is my lifelong goal, to be uncluttered! In my thoughts, in my living spaces, my workspaces, everywhere. We will just leave it at this simple thought, instead of cluttering the page, with thoughts about uncluttering and how much work is ahead. SERENE I have discovered that when I PAUSE, it creates the most wonderful presence around me. SERENE spaces make me smile, breathe and take in what's around me. I can create it with a picture, a flower, a plant, music playing in the background. The key to being in a SERENE place is to hold on to it, even when you have to leave. Knowing that you can create it wherever you are, and whatever is going on. It's like fresh linen on your bed, with the windows open and the sea roaring in the air. It's the whiff of a home-baked muffin, or a fragrant flower like fresia's that you catch walking by. EXPECTING The greatest work of PAUSE is that it creates an expectation that something great is about to occur. We are no longer stuck in the mundane day to day interactions, but we have created a new world of opportunity. I expect great writing to occur, because I began to write today. So join my in a daily PAUSE, and reclaim your day, your hour, your moment. Selah