Gratitude

I listened this morning to the BYU Devotional speech given by Ray Huntington on an "attitude of gratitude" given on October 2, 2012.  As we face numerous Esperanza challenges, it was counsel I definitely needed to hear. I also feel that it would be beneficial to do things that encourage our future Esperanza staff and scholars to have this "attitude of gratitude." 




The life-lifting benefits of an “attitude of gratitude” framed Tuesday’s campus devotional remarks offered by BYU religion professor Ray Huntington .
He spoke of a scientific study where three groups of people were analyzed, and the group that expressed gratitude daily was 25 percent happier than the two groups who did not.
“Indeed, over the past decade, there has been a growing body of scientific literature linking the practice of consistent or ‘chronic’ gratitude with a host of positive outcomes for our lives,” Huntington said.

He suggested that we do the following:   First, try keeping a gratitude journal. Second, add more “thank you” to everyday vocabulary. Third, take time to write thank-you notes and letters of appreciation to people. 

Getting the Most from a Training

Kevin Eikenberry shared this.  It is great counsel for us to use for each of our Esperanza trainings.

Before You Attend . . .

 1. Review the workshop materials. If the trainer has sent you materials, read them. Perhaps it is an outline of the learning objectives or agenda. Looking that over will give you a sense of what is to come and get your mind thinking about how these ideas might benefit you. If pre-reading is offered, reading it will prepare you further. The more prepared your mind is for the subject matter, the more connections you will make during the session, the more you will gain, and honestly, the easier it will be.

 2. Think about what you would like to learn. This is the most important thing you can do before the workshop begins. Think about (and write down) what you would like to learn from the session. Then take your answers to the training with you, reviewing them before the workshop begins (the trainer may ask for some info like this, and if they do, you are already prepared – no last minute pressure!) Ask yourself questions like:

 ■What would make this worth my time?

 ■What is my fondest wish for this training?

 ■What do I expect from this training?

 ■What is the best possible outcome that could arise from this training?

 ■What is the biggest question I’d like answered?

 3. Check your attitude. Decide to bring an attitude that will help you learn. Be open-minded. Be positive (or at least not negative). Bring a smile. Think about it: how often have you learned successfully when you were stressed, cynical or negative? Remember that you chose your attitude. Decide now to bring one that will be beneficial, not a barrier to your learning.

While You are There . . .

 1. Take responsibility for your learning. Yes, there will be a trainer. Yes, they will be “in charge” of the workshop. But you are responsible for your learning, so do what you need to be successful. This could be anything from bringing a sweater if you might get cold, to bringing coffee if you need it, to asking the questions you want answers for. The session is for your learning. Make sure you get what you want and came for, and remove as many barriers from getting that as you can. Ultimately, you are responsible for your learning – so take that responsibility.

 2. Look for application. The most important question you can ask yourself during any training is . . . “How can I use this?” Throughout the session, keep your mind open and your radar out for how you can apply what you are learning. Realize, too, that because you are away from your normal routine, you may get ideas that aren’t even directly related to the training – just consider those a bonus. Look for application, and write those ideas down so you don’t lose them!

3. Engage in the process. Learning is an active process, so be an active participant. That doesn’t mean you have to answer every question or be the most talkative person in the group – it just means to actively engage in what is going on.

After You Leave . . .

 1. Decide what you will do next. You may have time to do this before you leave the session. If so, great. If you don’t know that, this is one of the most important of these nine suggestions. Identify the top 1-3 things that you learned and what to apply in your work. Write them down, along with any quick thoughts on your plan of action. Writing these down provides clarity and focus. It also helps your commitment to success.

 2. Teach something to someone else. Take something that was useful or interesting to you and teach it to someone else. When you do that you begin to own the learning for yourself and you understand it better. Plus, you are benefiting someone else – and in teaching them, they might be able to hold you accountable for applying that lesson in your work too!

 3. Take action. You prepared for the session. You activity participated. You even decided what you would like to do. None of that matters unless you actually do something. If you want to get more from the time you have invested in going to training, make sure you try something you learned – until you do that, there is no real return on your investment.

Nine steps – each are easy to do. Collectively they will make the next training you attend more enjoyable and valuable.

Will you do them?

Signed,

A person who believes in you and your success

Set the Example

Once again Kevin Eikenberry has provided some valuable insights for our Esperanza leaders and educators.

To lead someone or something means, literally, to be in front, so that others can see and follow in that direction. Stated another way, if you think you are leading, but no one is following, you are just taking a walk. The following are 7 ways to set an example for others to follow.

Attitude
As a leader, they are looking to you, watching for clues and modeling your attitude. . If you don’t do it, who else will?

Learning
Every leader wants those they lead to be learning, developing and growing. It is hard to convince them to do so if they don’t see you doing it

Expectations
The expectations you have for others will impact their performance, positively or negatively. Which way will it be? Are you going first by raising your expectation of others so they can build confidence, urgency and discipline to reach those expectations? It won’t happen automatically. Set your expectations of others, let people know you believe in them, then watch them grow!

Change
If you want to affect and implement change you must be a champion of it. Are you open to trying new things?

Trust
Offer them trust. Be more trustworthy. Waiting for others to take the lead, could be a long wait. Extend and offer trust first. Occasionally you will get hurt, more often greater trust will build.

Questions
Stop talking and start asking. Ask questions first. Ask questions often. Listening
Certainly, once you ask a question you will be best served by listening to the response. Setting an example means taking the risk, doing what is necessary, doing what no one else is doing. It means going first.