Nelson Mandela and more.....

Nelson Mandela is an amazing man who showed us that it is possible to make a difference, to build a new nation, a new culture. He died at the age of 95 on Thursday in Johannesburg. So many of us are grieving his loss and also celebrating his legacy: as we work together for a world of equality and inclusively.

Photograph from The Guardian 7th December 2013 Flowers and tributes for Nelson Mandela outside South Africa House in central London. Photograph: Laura Lean/PA

For love, peace and reconciliation. His fight was ultimately for spiritual freedom, within us all, no matter what our circumstances. 

Is this you?

Caring for each other, simply because we are alive and we have common feelings and needs and we live on the same planet is often far from our thoughts when we are in conflict. An attitude of reconciliation is rare. 

What I have learnt is that our true nature is to love and to contribute to each others well being:  I invite you to look into the eyes of a baby to see if this is true.   

Why do we deviate from what is our true nature?

It seems it is because of the way we are being educated. In schools, families, because of our history, our culture, religion, language etc and the result of our education is often that we sense we need to fight for survival and our actions follow this. Competition rather than togetherness becomes the norm.  Mandela showed us that it is possible to learn to love and forgive even when this has not been the way we were raised. 

“Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world”

“We are taught to hate and if we can teach a human being to hate we can also teach a human being to love, to embrace, to forgive”

I just listened to Mandela's daughter Makuziwe speaking about how difficult it was for her father to express his emotion and her sadness about this and this caused me to reflect on how difficult it is sometime to notice what is going on emotionally with children, from the impact of all aspects of their lives.  I think we need to get better at this in education, knowing how to engage with children who struggle to show themselves. Recognising that children are part of a family, part of a community. This is when our children will flourish.

I long to see an education system that places relationships and community at the heart of the curriculum.  If our children value life and their interconnectedness to each other and the environment around them a new culture can be born. 

In the past few months I have been introducing teachers and childcare professionals to the power of music, imagination, dance and movement. We have been engaging in activities that bring groups together and foster a sense of belonging. Through some simple activities we can help children learn how to appreciate each other, to learn how to resolve their differences and to make choices that serve life

Nelson Mandela was a courageous man who made a tremendous difference in the world his work for humanity his work can continue through us. 

Here are questions to consider, in your school, home, setting, centre etc:

Do the children feel confident, competent, comfortable with themselves and others?

Can they deal with their conflicts?

Do they feel supported, celebrated?

Do they know their roots and the roots of their ancestors and how this has affected what they believe and who they are now?

Do they know that they have a choice about what they value and how to be?

Are they free to share their stories?

Are they being listened to?

Are they willing and motivated to learn?

Are they connected to the feeling of being alive?

Do they feel that they matter?

How often do you dance and sing and create as a community together?

DO?

ARE YOU SUPPORTING THOSE AROUND YOU TO FLOURISH?

WHO IS SUPPORTING YOU?

A Child Care Pledge to Inspire Creativity

In the midst of all the politics, proposals and changes, I am remembering a few weeks ago in one London Borough as part of a series of EYFS workshops a group of inspired child care professional exploring their work with children focussing on the Prime area of Physical Development and Creative and Expressive Arts.

"Nothing changes until something moves" - Einstein

 

Through movement, dance, art work, music and song we explored our own creativity and natural capacity for fun, connection and freedom of expression and we discussed how limiting beliefs become installed during childhood. 

 “I cant’sing”

“I cant draw”

“I can’t dance”

“I am no good at sport”

 Learning does not only take place at a cognitive level. There is also learning on the affective, emotional, and visceral level." - Rolando Toro

When early childhood professionals explore their own potential and have fun learning together, they return to their work with young children full of enthusiasm which is infectious. 

We played games, engaged in a magical adventure and moved with flexibility, force, agility, fluidity through space and time, balance, coordination, increasing mobility, muscle tone and strength - personal empowerment and freedom in a unique expression of ourselves. 

"We can sing"

 "We can draw"

 "We can dance"

 "We can .......".

And we are the people that provide the early years environments that help to realise these potentials in young children.   Every child is an artist, the problem is staying an artist when you grow up” – Pablo Picasso

 

 

 

Genius is nothing more or less than childhood clearly formulated, newly endowed with virile and powerful means of self-expression.''— Charles Pierre Baudelaire

Both hands together clapping with joy, gazing into your eyes, meeting for a moment in complete connection, such pleasure of human connection –  energy of heart and soul.

 

“Movement is what we are, not something we do” – Emilie Conrad

 

“We sing before we talk, we dance before we walk” –
P. Grendrad

 

 

Lets always remember to have fun with movement and sound, make up stories and take on characters. Laugh and sing nursery rhymes and poetry, children love this and so do adults too.

 

 

Move and shake, jump high and low

Take a friends hand and move very slow

Now in a circle altogether found

Turning around and around and around 

Sitting on the floor now lying down

Crawling on your tummy not making a sound

 

Wriggling along like a snake in the grass

Up on all fours like a dog running fast

Now like a monkey climbing up a tree

And become a bird flying over the sea

Landing on the water

Swimming to the shore

Back to the land where the rain starts to pour

Hiding in the bushes until it stops

Back home for tea now and some lolly pops.
 

“Learning begins from birth, and high quality early education and care has the potential to make an important and positive impact on the learning, development and wellbeing of babies and young children, in their daily lives and the longer term’. Professor Cathy Nutbrown

 

See shaking the foundations of quality a very important read

 

 

New Constellations 2013

This time of year, is rich with familiar activities that trigger star bursts of memories from the past (sometimes these are happy memories, sometimes they are sad). 

Ralph Waldo Emerson said: "You have done what you could—some blunders and absurdities have crept in. Forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense."

 

Personally, I don't think it is possible or even a good thing to want to forget things, but it can be very useful to take the time to celebrate the past, or to grieve it; and also to find the learning even in the most difficult situations that may seem impossible to comprehend. This can be a rich and fulfilling activity that helps us to reflect on the experiences that enriched life and those that havent.
 
There are many difficult situations around us today, what is most important is how we face them. It is what is in our hearts that matters. To know what is the intention of our thinking, our actions, this is what effects us mostly, and it affects those around us too.

When we shine a new light on past experiences, we can sometimes uncover jewels that we didn't know existed, in our selves and in the relationships we have: with family, with friends, with money; health ; work and with national and global events too.  New insight, can provide us all with a new dawn, a new day and a bright vision for 2013. 

Here are a few questions to help you reflect and to take stock of 2012 and to consider your visions and intention for the new year.

• What have you enjoyed during 2012?
• What haven’t you enjoyed?
• What did all of these experiences mean for you?
• What’s important to you now ?
• What is it that you want and what will these experiences mean for you?
• What will you be doing, seeing, feeling, saying to yourself when you are working, relating, experiencing all that you choose to do during 2013?
• Why will you be doing these things?
• What will this mean for you and those around you?

I am already taking stock my year and I am so looking forward to all of the events and experiences I will be involved in next year.
How about you?

Happy New Year

 
Tracy


www.tracyseedassociates.co.uk

www.tracyseedcoaching.com

 

 

 

 

 

Listening – The perfect gift for Christmas!

This wonderful blog is written by my guest blogger  Elizabeth English BA (Hons), MPhil (Oxon), DPhil (Oxon) www.lifeatwork.co.uk       Why is listening the perfect gift? How do we feel if we're fully heard and understood? Relieved, perhaps! But much more too. When somebody really listens to us, we feel it viscerally; we sigh deeply, our whole body relaxes and responds; we feel valued, affirmed, respected, confident, happy, empowered and ready to move on, to take the next step. Being fully seen and heard brings possibilities of change. Like all communication when it works well, it naturally carries us forward. Who's it for? An empathic listening space is suitable for people of ALL ages! I've yet to meet anyone who isn't thankful when another person catches what they say, or grasps their meaning. Even if being heard doesn't seem important to us on a personal level, the moment we engage over something practical, we need to be understood.  And on a human level, we can all benefit. With the warm, non-judgemental acceptance of true listening, we are seen (or have the potential to be seen) in the clear light of reality -  not just as who we are, but, perhaps more importantly, for who we want to be. We're given the freedom to be ourselves. Note: If there's nobody you want to give it to - you can listen to yourself! When did you last have time to enjoy just being? It may be just the treat you need ... How much does it cost? Here's the catch. It costs everything we have! When we listen fully, we listen with the whole of ourselves. We put down our own agendas and concerns, and immerse ourselves completely in the other person's world. True listening, even for the briefest moment, is total. The other person feels our full attention. We give our human presence, just as we are. Can anyone give it? Listening may be a special gift, but we do not need to be a special person to listen. All that's required is our curiosity. We do not need to be wise, or clever, or funny, or sorted, or calm, or good-looking or even have a good memory. We spend time with the other person, just as we are. And because we are present with them just as they are, we validate their world of experience. We do so without trying too hard; without doing anything 'special'. Now, they can stand on their ground more firmly; they inhabit their world more freely. Which size should I go for? Our listening space is as large or small as we want to make it. What matters is the quality of that space. But if you are short of space and time this Christmas, remember: a little empathy goes a long way! We need only pause for a moment to resonate with someone's words. Instead of dashing onto the next thing, we take time out; it's a moment of sheer holiday spent in someone else's landscape. We enter the dimension Being, not Doing. Here, even a small interaction feels large. For the person we listen to, it's as if we have all the time in the world to take them in. It's ecologically sound! If you're catering for vegetarians or eco-warriors, it's the perfect gift: It creates spontaneous warmth It raises energy levels naturally It's never wasted, and fully recyclable (we can listen as often as we like to the same thing!) No wrapping required! Listening is best seen for what it is. The fewer layers the better. Our warm interest in another person doesn't need pretty words to be appreciated. Without frills and glitter, our listening can be direct and authentic. Fully refundable If your listening gift is not what's wanted - you can exchange it any time, for words. Your words may be what your loved ones want, after all ... True Christmas spirit! Listening never leaves anyone out - even ourselves. Although listening seems to be about another person, at best, it'sjust as much about us. When we pause to create a listening space for someone else, we get a break from our busy Doing mode - and a chance to enjoy a stress-free moment of pure Being. We listen for our own sake, as much as another's: True listening enriches the listener as much as the speaker And the benefits go beyond this. When we drop all expectations and wishes for what another person 'should' be, or 'could' be, but see them just as they are, something magical happens. We discover, and rediscover, the timeless truth, that: If you listen to someone fully, you can't help loving them Postscript: what's the aftercare? Warning: You may need to listen again! (Because the person enjoyed it so much the first time! And I hope because you loved it too ....) _______________________________________ CAN YOU HELP? If you enjoyed reading this tip, you can sign up here: Life At Work: Communication Blog (questions, tips, support)

The Final Countdown!

 

 

One of the most common things I hear when I am working with leaders, childcare practitioners and parents too is:

 

 “There are not enough hours in the day”

 

 And at this time of year, I don't know about you, but, it seems that this urgency increases,"time" really does run away with its self, my days pass by so quickly and there are so many things that I want to complete before the final countdown to Christmas.  
 

Why is it that so many of us, feel that we have so much to do?

I have many requests to lead trainings on “time management” and what most people want is to learn are new ways to manage their time/tasks and they think that this is going to give them the answer to feelings of overwhelm.

 

There are of course many very useful tools and strategies that can help us to prioritise more effectively including:

• Categorising tasks into what is important, urgent, not important; Considering how much time we spend on what we value, enjoy, how much time we spend on tasks and relationships;
• Creating “To do” lists;
• Appointment and task scheduling: for the week, month or even for the year;
• Minimising interruptions
• Changing our internal dialogue. 

All of these strategies support us in our desire to become more efficient and more effective and many people that I work with take this action and yet, there are still times when we feel overwhelmed and find ourselves saying that “there is not enough time”.

Last week when I arrived early for a meeting in Westminster, I took some time to look at the magnificent architecture of our city and the clock that marks time for us all here in London.  I was conscious of the fresh crisp air on my skin and took some deep breaths; breathing in for just a few minutes the magnificent scenery and the whole world seemed to slow time down a little! 

Its amazing that to pause for a while, to be fully present with what is before us, particularly when we connect to the elements that bring us sharply back to our senses, this simple action can alter our perception of time.

How does this work?

 

When we give our mind a rest from analysing, comparing, evaluating and thinking about what we have done or must do, we feel more relaxed, more clarity comes and the decisions we make are more effective. 

  

To notice overwhelm and to take action is key

• Breath
• Go for a walk
• Play with the children
• Stroke the cat
• Practise yoga
• Watch the sunset

Whatever works for you!

What matters is that we take time out to restore our emotional and physiological balance.  If we don't do this, our final countdown may come more quickly than we think!

When we connect to what is before us, in every action and interaction. This is the present which is the gift  that transforms our perception of time.
 

Tracy

Ready or Not!

“Ready or not” is a phrase I can remember we used as children when playing a game we called run outs and hide and seek. I remember feeling excitement and sometimes fear too as I hid alone and felt some anticipation and restlessness at the prospect of being found and maybe a tinge of anxiety at the prospect of not being found. Then of course the extreme excitement when I was found!

Emotions are like fuel that spark us into action and let us know what we do like and what we don’t, what fires us up and what calms us down, what causes us anxiety and what makes us happy and yet often for all different reasons, it is sometimes difficult to “see the wood for the trees”. I have worked with thousands of people who find it difficult to know what makes them happy and to take action towards this.

It seems our thinking takes over – for example we have a disagreement at work or at home and spend so much time talking about what happened and often what the other person did wrong or what we did and how guilty we feel and this keeps us stuck!

When we learn to intervene in our own process and connect to what it is we feel and want, we begin to gain some clarity about what action we might take and we know if we are “ready or not!”.

Ready to act, ready to rest, ready to express ourselves etc…Emotions are the key to our wellbeing.

Strong emotions that are not regulated cause stress and this has an immense impact on our actions and in the longer term, on our health and wellbeing and its not only adults that experience stress. Children who are in deep distress when their parents leave them in the nursery, or when another child takes their favourite toy often feel overwhelmed with emotion, this happens when they are hungry, disinterested and tired too.  Young children are completely unable to regulate themselves and completely unable to think. Under the age of two they don’t even have the necessary architecture in the brain to do this!

Being responsive to children's needs, from a place of warm heartedness, and understanding is not always as easy as it sounds…so remember to look after YOU, so that you are “ready”,  instead of “not” able.  It is our responsiveness that helps  children to develop warm heartedness themselves and emotional maturity.

Tracy x

 

 

 

 

Stretched to our Limits

What will it take to lead Early Years Services during these times of rapid change?

According to John Kotter in his points of view: Leading in the 21^st Century (2000). Leaders will need to help people tap into their hopes and dreams in order to unlock their talent and energy.

I think this advice is for everyone not only those who are in professional leadership roles: stepping up to leadership and tapping into our own hopes and dreams at work and in our lives is a potential for us all, using the highest executive funtions of the mind to also exceed logic and to play with ideas, allowing our imaginations to invent new ways of working and living together. 

Here are some of the competencies we can develop that will support us to find creative ways forward, may be you can think of others too.

Creativity and Vitality;  being able to think outside of the box and to have the energy, motivation and a sense of wellbeing to sustain ourselves and to be mindful in our roles.

Flexibility and Adaptability; to see the doors that open when others close; finding positive outcomes, the learning’s, through problems and difficulties - taking advantage of serendipity;

Self control, discipline, determination and persistence; to know when we are putting out fires and when we are working for prevention, evolution and progress; seeing tasks through to completion; being able to manage our emotions and our relationships in whatever context we find ourselves. 

Stretched to our limits means finding news of working - to let go of what doesnt serve us anymore and step on to new ground; sometimes unfamiliar to us and this requires a level of patience and a williness to discover new potentials and to nurture new shoots, that may grow in ways we have never seen before, all colours and forms and as we nurture these andwe support them in their natural way trusting nature itself to weave in a way that will connect to others in joined up ways of working and of of being together in collaboration; pooling resources and sharing ideas, contributing to each other and to the wider communities around us, communicating, negotiating and trusting each other. 

 

I so appreciate all of you working directly in children and family services, I see such resilience and determination to offer the very best to children and their families with whatever you have to give.

 

 

Dancing with Life

Coaches Liz Foster and Tracy Seed

Our intention was to lead a transformational personal development week through a blend of mind, heart and body processes and this is exactly what we did last week at Kalikalos, a holistic centre situated in the Pelion mountains, with 14 participants from UK, Greece, Spain, Italy and Denmark.

Kalikalos is within walking distance of the stunningly, beautiful traditional Greek village of Kissos and 20 mins drive or a somewhat longer walk to the most idyllic beaches featured in the film Mama ~Mia.  It really is the most wonderful environment to “Dance with Life” together, to contemplate, reflect, explore, discover and create.

We danced and laughed, communicated honestly with respect and trust, debated, negotiated and shared our hearts and through our shadows and with NVC (the work of Dr Marshall Rosenburg) we explored and transformed the patterns that prevent us from fully meeting our needs in love and life. We embraced our uniqueness and stepped into the fullness of our personal power during the sessions of Biodanza. 
Leading this programme was a joy and an honour always dynamic and developing ourselves too through the process and through our own working relationship together.

We met the needs of the group in an organic way through inclusion, trust, connection, absolute authenticity and understanding of our own truth.

 At the end of the week...the participants had enjoyed rest, relaxation, wonderful food, sea sunshine and mountain air and learning that came from within themselves and will be taken back to their lives at home.

This is how some of the participants answered these two questions:.

What has been the main learning for you ?
“The realisation that I rejected love because it felt too painful”
 “Presence keeping in a loving and happy state”
“Letting go moving into a new life and things that were /are already in place but that I now have fresh confidence and self possessed energy to stride forward with. I feel healthily detached from negative influences at home”

How has this programme benefitted your overall sense of wellbeing?
“It opened my heart”
“The importance of focussing on the present and being truly present with other people. Feeling alive and connected”
“Spiritually my body and mind worked together. My mind learnt how to let go I was more patient with myself throughout the process”.
“Feeling confident with people more willing to open and identify connections with others. I feel more socially and emotionally intelligent”.
“Improved wellbeing in all areas – socially emotionally physically intellectually, mentally...”

There were many more comments and video interviews too, which we will post when we return to UK. If this is a programme that you think you might like to attend sometime, do please contact us directly mail@tracyseedassociates.co.uk or info@lizfostercoaching.com. It is a great opportunity to meet and connect with like-minded people here in Greece or at another location:combining a holiday with personal development in a stunning setting.

It's one week now since the event ended and as I sit here typing, with a view of the sea and the sound of the grasshoppers,I am appreciating how wonderful it is to be working in this way,  Families have now arrives at the Centre for the "family fortnight" ...children are playing and chatting. Life can be truly wonderful when we simply connect to the wonder and awe of every moment.  Pelion is region in Ancient Greece where they the Centaurs roamed and miraculous events occurred...it seems that this is still the case !!