Strength of (self) Kindness

This website/blog was always going to be a test for me. I'm fine with tech but more recently feel like things progress so quickly it can be hard to keep up. Looking at my last post way back in September I realized that I had to be kind to myself. I want to have a whole host of lessons for educators to share to help them integrate character strengths into their daily routines if they haven't done so already - I know there are many teachers who could share such wonderful ideas with me too. The empty blogpost box has been tapping my shoulder since September and I've been ignoring it in favour of a million other things which seem to be launching at me from all angles and still, I launched annoyance at myself. Even as I write about it I feel the feeling of having too much on my plate. So, to try and change that feeling, I invited it in (suggestion of The Guesthouse, Rumi) sat with it a while and now I'm ready to gently usher it out. Then, Mindful Miss Green (who has definitely been MIA for a while) had a word with Ashley; be kind to yourself. You've been busy. You have been trying to do everything all at once.

A lovely, wise person once said to me, take care of yourself as you would your friend or a child. You wouldn't be cross at them if they couldn't keep up with everything would you? We can all recall a time or the feeling of inferiority when a colleague, friend or family member says something that makes you feel like a child inside, whether they mean to or not. So why should you join that party? Be kind to yourself as you would others in your life.

I encourage the children in my class to learn about character strengths, I use the language with them daily and we chat about some of the questions on the cards. What a lovely place to begin.

So, character strength ideas and suggestions to follow, when the time is right :) Hopefully, they will be of use to people who are beginning their positive education journey.

Ashley