*Think and Grow Positive*

Goal Setting
Bright and early one morning, toward the beginning of the year, my Master Mind group met to discuss goal setting.  Almost everyone I know thinks bigger, better and brighter at the beginning of a brand spank-in new year. My Master Mind friends are no different. It was 'Master Minder' Tom who stole the show that morning when he mentioned something simple.  Positive thinking. (I'm sure he really said much more, but that's all I really remember! Sorry, Tom.  Next time I'll bring the clay!)

"What a great way to think about life," I thought aloud at a stoplight at Broadway and Fairview Road after I left our group that morning. (Not a whole lot of options for entertainment at a stoplight but still, I remembered!)

For months, the thought of positive thinking clung to me. I diligently took moments like during stoplight-waiting and grocery-line-enduring to offer a prayer for a friend, to be thankful for something, to thank God for the blessings in my life or to notice something beautiful nearby.

A Little Discipline with those goals
 But here's an exert from the book  Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline by Becky A. Bailey, Ph,D that will help make my point:

A mother walked several days on a pilgrimage to see Gandhi.  She arrived and told Gandhi she was concerned about her son: 

"He eats only sugar---no other food.  I have tried everything to get him to eat healthfully, yet he refuses.  Please help me."  

Gandhi told her to go home, return in one week, and to bring her son back. 

One week later, again she walked three days to return to Gandhi.  

When the mother again found Gandhi, he took one look at the boy and said him, 

"Stop eating sugar."  

The mother was shocked. 

"I walked nine days and that is all you have to say? Could you not have said this last week?" 

Gandhi responded, 

"I could not tell the boy to stop doing something that I was still doing.  It took me one week to stop eating sugar." 

Every week I receive phone calls, emails, Tweets, Facebook messages and have one-on-one conversations with parents, teachers and grandparents who are asking how I can help their child or how they themselves can overcome something. They are struggling to read/write/focus/speak...and I say *stop eating sugar*.

Okay, I don't say that. I'm making a joke of the academic, language, and behavioral disorders that can make positive thinking excruciatingly hard, but remember Gandhi's words: we must start with ourselves.

Are there any New Year's resolutions that you've long since forgotten?  I raised my hand to that one!  You see, I'm at fault for not always remembering to use my tools of release, focusing and dial setting, the one-in-the-same tools I expect my client's to master.

Thinking positive everyday
One last thing I must tell you. It's about my friend Tom. You see a while back Tom was diagnosed with cancer.  Cancer is not a word that brings along much of a positive thought. And we would understand if Tom wasn't feeling too positive.

But that's not happening here! Tom, the one who set the think positive idea in my head back in January has remained true to his spirit: Thinking positive everyday.  In fact, we all think--we all know!-- hands-down he will beat this cancer thing!

Positive thinking, has a lot to do with it.  But, please, if could honor just one request for me, when you come upon those little moments like stoplight-waiting, and grocery-line-enduring, to lift up a prayer or send a positive thought for my friend Tom. It would be greatly appreciated.

And then *stop eating sugar*! Now don't you feel a little better?

Did you ever feel like this?

The other day one of the grandsons and I were in the car. Whizzing along we sang, "HI HO, HI HO, it's off to work we go", you know, the song from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.



It's the same song his mom and I sang years ago as we marched out to the clothesline, to hang up fleshly laundered clothes on sunny, summer, Monday mornings. (We had lots of clothes to hang up!)

When my kids were little (and since they've grown-up and when they were in-between!) they commonly said, "Mom, can you please not sing!" So when the grandsons are willing to tolerate my singing, I take it for all it's worth.

This day though, we weren't off to the back-forty to hang up clothes in the summer breeze, we were in town heading for my office, preparing to work on the tools of a Young Learner's Reading Program.

As we drove along, passed through an intersection, and then began to move down-hill, (going to pick up a little speed here, I thought to myself!) a truck pulls in front of our line of cars.  A large... slow ...truck.

So we sang a little more!

The car windows are rolled down because instead of a roasting 110ish-degree day, as we've had for the past 40 some days, it was a wonderful 90 degree morning. (Hum, just right for clothesline hanging-out.)

Instead of whizzing now we're creeping, but no matter, because everything was pretty perfect in that moment. Beautiful sky, lovely temperatures, cool breeze and great company.  What more could I ask for!

A nice Columbia, Missouri police officer monitoring my speed? Rather, non-speed!

As we hit the bottom of the hill and cruised past the black-and-white car casually pulled to the side of the road, I looked right at him, and laughed. My eyes could barely stay open I laughed so hard. I was close to crying.  "I'm, a grown woman singing "HI HO, HI HO it's off to work we go" at the top of my lungs, with the windows open, whizzing down the hill...um, wanting to whiz down the hill, creeping along like a turtle because of a huge, boxy very convenient truck.

The quote from the English poet and playwright William Shakespeare's work "all's well that ends well" sums it up. All was well.  I wasn't trying to mock the police officer, no way, I was so relieved that I wasn't speeding that I was overcome with joy and well-ness!

The feeling that I had in that moment was perfect. Just right.  I was relieved, happy and joyful all rolled into one knowing that if not for the truck I could have rolled along into a speeding ticket!

That, my friends, is how it feels to be "focused", to be"on-point"; that's how I would explain the feeling the tool of focusing gives to me when correctly using the Davis Dyslexia tool technically called 'Orientation Counseling'.

Children and adults who work with the Davis Dyslexia Correction Program and Davis Autism Approach experience this feeling, as soon as possible, at the beginning of a program. After all, it's a very important tool.

Don't all teachers expect their students to have the ability to listen and participate in the classroom; to be able to take in information they can later apply in other settings, in other ways?

Don't all employers expect their employees to know how to pay attention so they can be productive; to be on top of what they're making, creating, explaining, selling, moving, promoting....?

Don't all parents appreciate a child who hears what they're saying, not a child who seems to selectively misinterpret everything they say?

And, when I truly learned how to get "focused" that's exactly how it felt for me...like everything had just fallen exactly into place and it was "just right!" 

"HI HO, HI HO, it's off to school/work/ home we go!"





For more information on the program offered at OnPoint Learning Center, LLC contact Cathy Cook at
http://www.onpointlearning.org/, or call her directly at 573-819-6010 or email her at cathy@onpointlearning.org.











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WHAT WAS I THINKING?

Ron Davis has a list called the 37 Common Characteristics of Dyslexia. These 37 common traits are like a strong bridge that begin a safe journey across a mighty, rushing river. Sounds a bit dramatic, I know, but in truth, that's what they really are.  

Many people don't even know this 'bridge' exists; they only know about the dangerous waters that fill their life. They feel lost, and maybe even feel like they're drowning.  Still sound too dramatic? 

Okay, think back to a time when you had to do something, but had no idea how to even get started. Think about learning a new skill, stopping an old habit, or making a change in your life and you have no idea where to even begin.  You may not even know a problem exists but you have a feeling something has to change.

Ron's 37 Common Characteristic begins with: 

Appears bright, highly intelligent, and articulate but unable to read, write, or spell at grade level.

"I get it", you might be thinking, "it's about someone who's struggling to read...something along those lines."

You might think that, of course, "it's rather easy to spot a reading problem because, well, they can't read!"  Yes, it is about someone who may appear to be struggling but let me tell you a little story. 

Over 30 years ago, long before I was an educator, I was a young mother.  It was in the fall and our church was recruiting for new teachers. The Sunday School Superintendent, Cindy McKee, asked me to consider being a teacher for a 1st Grade Sunday School class.  

"I'm a horticulture major," I replied, "I can't teach Sunday School!"  
Was she crazy? Asking me to teach a class! 

What Cindy knew was she needed a teacher, for one hour on Sunday, for first graders.  But it felt like she was asking me "Can you swim across the mighty Mississippi without a boat, or a life-jacket, in the middle of a driving storm, in a matter of minutes?"
Utterly impossible, I thought! 

What I eventually agreed to do was to be the 'helper' each and every Sunday while a team of women took turns teaching the class. I would be there to give support each Sunday. Easy, all I had to do was show up! I can do that. 

And show up I did.  In fact I was there every single Sunday, sitting at the little table helping the students and the teachers.  At first I sat back and watched.  Soon I realized that with a series of people coming in to lead the class each week, I was the only one who really knew the kids, at least as well as one could get to know them over one hour a week. What I began to noticed was that one little girl was different from the rest.  

Did she dress differently? No. 

Did she speak a different language? No. 

She was different because she never wanted to read. Every time the teachers asked the class to take turns reading the lesson she would not read.  At first I tried to help her and she seemed to be trying.  Quickly, though, I realized that she simply couldn't read and the more the teachers asked her to read, the harder it became.  

One morning as I sat with the students, and I knew the little girl's turn would soon come up to read, I had a fleeting thought:  there really shouldn't be a problem here. She's too cute to have a problem, I told myself.   

Hard to believe that thought floated through my brain, but I did.  I remember my thoughts, about that little, cute, adorable child, because now I realize I'm not alone.  In my ignorance, I had equated not being able to read to not being cute, to not being smart.

I began to feel that it was best to let her choose whether or not she wanted to read.  She always declined.  I decided to advocate for her, asking the teachers to give her the choice to read or not to read.  I could only ask them because, after all, I had thought this teaching thing was entirely in uncharted waters, too difficult to dive into, therefore I really couldn't ask too much of them! 

Well, 30 years later I've crossed many bridges in my life and teaching has been one of them. 

Now I know that appears bright, highly intelligent, and articulate but unable to read, write, or spell at grade level, happens all the time in public schools, private schools, in the home-church-work place-campus-office-store-community....and now I do know what to do for those who appear smart but struggle in reading...

Thank you, Cindy McKee, for asking me to be a teacher.  Even though I did a whale of a job protesting that I was not a "teacher" it gave me the start of a lifetime to swim where I could never have expected to go! 

Read more: http://www.dyslexia.com/library/symptoms.htm#ixzz23cs9r0Bb

HEARD THIS BEFORE?

Don't sweat the small stuff.

In 100 years will this matter?

Wait until next year!
Oh, wait, I'm a Chicago Cub baseball fan so that's a saying we hear a lot!

Even if you're not a Chicago Cub fan here's a saying you may have heard and may even believe to be true:

"Dyslexia is only about flipping letters around.  Reading backwards. That's it!"

The other day my husband heard a women announcing to her co-workers that dyslexia is only about "flipping letters around".  The subject came up because another woman in the group was concerned about her grandson's struggles in academics and other areas of life. The first woman went on to say that the grandson could not be dyslexic because dyslexia is "only about reversing letters".

Before my husband even had a chance to chime in one of the moms I've worked with came into the room. Her son is a graduate of the Davis Dyslexia Correction Program.  Upon hearing the conversation that was taking place my client's mom quickly took charge of the conversation.

My husband? He just sat back and listened because not only does this mom know what she's talking about, she can tell you first hand about the many successes, in many areas of life, that her son has had since he completed the Davis program that I offer at OnPoint Learning Center.


To start off your next conversation about the true facts on dyslexia check out these basic 37 common traits of dyslexia:
http://www.dyslexia.com/library/symptoms.htm

Read over these traits of dyslexia and see if there's not something you can't wait to start telling others about!

And don't wait 100 years!

Going for the Gold

As I'm writing this the XXX Olympic Games is taking place in London.

"Golden moment tonight for Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic," says the NBC broadcaster as I'm watching the 400 meters hurdles. "Sanchez wins the Olympic 400 meters hurdles!" 

Felix Sanchez is a two-time Olympic gold medalist; he's the oldest man to win the Olympic 400m hurdles title, and the second consecutive 400m hurdles champion to win his second title eight years after the first.  He's been nicknamed "Super Felix", the Invincible", Superman" and "the Dictator". 

He'd vowed to win the gold medal in honor of his grandmother who died four years ago, but he failed.  Now, eight years after winning Olympic gold in Athens and becoming the first gold medalist for the Dominican Republic, he's back. This time, not only is he a winner, but he's managed to run the race in the same time as he did eight years ago — 47.63 seconds. 

46.43 seconds. Remarkable!

But, let's look past the tough exterior of the man known as "the Dictator", and past someone who's talented enough to run incredibly fast, but at someone who has accomplished this feat twice in almost a decade.  Just what kind of person is this Felix Sanchez? 

What I know about Felix Sanchez is that after the race ended, he strutted around the track [now I know where he gets those nicknames from!]---and celebrated,  he reached inside his racing bib, and pulled out a picture.  Tucked inside his uniform, placed close to his heart was his abuela's picture. As the scene played out and the rain began to fall, I watched the strong, self-confident "Super Felix" transform.  

The broadcaster continued: "as raindrops begin to kiss his face he's sure his grandmother is sending them, " he said.  

"The Invincible" felt his grandmother looking down on him.  "Superman"  transformed as he moved along the outer edge of the track and took the picture from out of the inside of his racing bib. He gently placed the photo on the track and knelt beside it.  Almost like watching a butterfly emerging from its long held cocoon a change took place.  Sanchez could no longer hold the tears back.  The jubilant fearless runner released the tears that uncontrollably fell down his face.  Superman transformed into Clark Kent and "the Dictator" to a faithful grandson. 

Felix Sanchez had worked so had to win that gold metal to honor his grandmother he needed no reminders to tell him that his mission was accomplished.  

The gift of dyslexia is like this.  The gift of dyslexia is the gift of mastery.  It is the gift of learning through experience, of learning to the point where recall becomes effortless.  The gift of dyslexia is so completely grasping something that no memorization, explanation or trick is needed for the feeling, emotion, memory.... to come flooding out right here and now.  It becomes a part of you.  

Happy Olympic memories!

What's your day starter?

At the start of a recent meeting we took turns going around the table to introduce ourselves.   Of course we shared our name, but for fun, we also shared what device we each use first thing in the morning. 


There were a variety of answers like cell phone, iPad, computer...but a single answer stood out for me. One woman's answer was different from the rest: it was radio.


She listens to morning radio. 


Funny how that works, I'd been thinking along those lines myself; thinking about what morning talk radio has to offer. The mention of radio that morning however, tossed the floodgate of ideas, feels and memories open for me.   


Every weekday morning, for years--okay, for decades!---my mom listened to the radio.  One of the earliest memories I have is of Don McNeil and The Breakfast Club.  The Breakfast Club was a variety show that originated in Chicago.  One of the show's highlights was the morning march.  My brother, sister and I would be calmly sitting at the breakfast table when a hint of marching music would sound out.  We'd shoot out of our chairs to get into our best marching stance.  First, we'd march around the table, around the table again, then we'd start circling around the kitchen itself.  


I hadn't thought of the Breakfast March in ages but I'm sure you're wondering what morning radio and the Breakfast March have to do with dyslexia and autism correction? 


Sequence.


A common example I often use to describe sequence is brushing teeth. I think it's a good example because everyone's familiar with it:  pick up toothbrush, get out toothpaste, squeeze some toothpaste out.... Simple but you might be surprised at how many people struggle with some part of that 'simple' sequence of brushing their teeth. 


As Davis Facilitators our work is often about filling in missing concepts. Supplying the links for the ideas and daily functions of life that may not have been installed in our brain as we were growing up.  Making these concepts in clay, in a three-dimensional form, creates a model that sticks in the brain, filling in the missing pieces. 


Below is one version of the concept of sequence that we master. This is Chase's model of sequence: as in the way things follow each other in size. It looks like a simple model but as I watched Chase construct it I knew it was powerful in its own way. 

Chase worked hard to cut, form, shape, design and create this sequence. If you look into his eyes you might notice the deep thought they seem to hold. 


Simple, yes, but the following week when I was visiting with Chase he told how things are falling into place with his life.  He feels that the 'sequence' of how he acts transfers down the line. What I mean is he's noticing that when he acts calmly his brothers respond calmly back to him. It's a sequence of behaviors that's affecting the whole family in a positive way. You see there's a sequence of size in his family.  He's taller than his brother, who is taller than the next brother. Sequence. 


Maybe I can teach him the Breakfast March so his family can share the sequence of marching around the table as they prepare to start the morning just as my family did!


If you'd like to know more about how sequence can be affecting your life contact me at cathy@onpointlearning.org or call me at 573-819-6010.