PURE INSPIRATION LP2
- Details
- Created on Tuesday, 10 November 2015 21:32
- Written by Marian Moore
Marian @ Krysan
THE WELLBEING CONSULTANCY
Planting Golden Seeds in Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, and Durham
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OPEN LEARN @ Krysan.org™
Building on the sweetness of yesterday.
Being truly present in the here and now.
Brokering with dignity for a peaceful planet.
From one gift comes many ... on this webpage, you will find the first airing of some original open learning material, this to give you a feel for an old idea birthed into a new reality.
Please note ... the target audience for my second Learning Package (LP2) is anyone interested in storytelling or reminiscence learning. The concept is based on a grandmother's tales and inspired by my local NHS mental health trust's work with working age adults..
- LEARNING PACKAGE 2 (LP2)
- MODULES 6 - 10
- ePage 1 (of 8)
P U R E I N S P I R A T I O N
Human to Human
Dear Friends
WELCOME TO MY WORLD
The audience I had in mind when compiling this Learning Package was a group of people living in a hospital ward or out in the community or attending a Recovery College. The aim is to get people talking about the issues that affect their lives.
The five-minute storytelling technique is used to orientate each module, this followed by a conversation around a related question re a self-improvement or self-healing strategy.
The Guru in the Room idea is also introduced. Here, I recommend using a CD, The Happiness Training Plan by Miriam Akhtar and Dr Chris Johnstone*. This is available from Amazon. But, the choice is yours with many excellent TED talks and Youtube videos freely available on the web.
It is as well to note that the package is designed with simplicity of use in mind. It is not meant to be prescriptive in any way, but instead leaves the door wide open for facilitators and the audience to bring their own creativity and natural flair to this learning experience. Even, bringing their own stories!
The course design is based on my experience as a teacher/consultant during the 1980s, a time of radical change in educational philosophy. The course content is from my own writings on the World Wide Web over a seven year period (2008 to now). This, my friend, is Reminiscence Learning in action.
Each of the five modules is designed to stand alone, if need be. It is also possible to mix and match between each of the five planned Learning Packages. LP1 - LP5. Should you decide to give this (free) resource a go, perhaps you would be so kind as to get in touch to tell me how you get on. You will find my contact details at the end.
So, in short, OPEN LEARN @ Krysan.org™ is:
A modular happiness course (like no other). It brings a creative, whole-person approach to learning (and life). It was written and designed by an educator/entrepreneur who just happens to be an Expert Through Experience in Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Enjoy: learning should be fun
John Lennon put it in a nutshell:
“When I was five years-old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down 'happy'. They told me I didn't understand the assignment, and I told them they didn't understand life.” – John Lennon.
TARGET AUDIENCE:
You, me and us
TOTAL CONTACT TIME:
5 x 1 hr = 5 hrs (tea & cake included)
COURSE FACILITATOR:
Anyone who has a heart.
RESOURCES:
www.krysan.org links plus anything else that comes to hand, eg a Memory Box.
PHILOSOPHY:
Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.
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ePage 2 (of 8)
P U R E I N S P I R A T I O N
Human to Human
A creative approach to learning (and life) by
An Expert Through Experience in Mental Health and Wellbeing
CONTENTS PAGE FOR
MODULES 6 - 10
MODULE 6
Wonderful Lives
http://krysan.org/index.php/everybodys-business
A North East storyteller tells how, in 2005 she discovered 'the study of wellbeing', how she took all that it entails to her heart and how she used the strategies she learned to her advantage. Using self healing, she not only survived the serious mental illness that threatened to destroy her very life, she flourished. It is now 10 years on ...
MODULE 7
Golden Moments
http://krysan.org/index.php/positive-psychology-164
Now, I hand over the reigns to author, broadcaster and friend, Miriam Akhtar. She tells the compelling story of her convictions around the helpfulness of Positive Psychology to people who suffer from depression. This is a must read for both lay people and professionals.
MODULE 8
Happiness Revisited
http://www.krysan.org/index.php/five-a-day
Our lifestyles can boost or drain our brain power. But what activities have the greatest affect on our intellectual capacity? Here are five factors with points for the relative improvements they bestow. The factors discussed are mental health, being sociable, learning a new skill, gardening and dancing. Lack of space meant I missed out pregnancy and alcohol.
MODULE 9
Footprints ...
http://krysan.org/index.php/positive-psychology
It's time to listen to a story of recovery. We know that recovery is a tetchy subject, meaning different things to different people, but this woman not only recovered from the terror and perplexity of hearing voices 24/7, but describes herself today as 'weller than well'. She has gone far beyond her wildest dreams in the recovery stakes.
MODULE 10
Half the Sky
http://krysan.org/index.php/how-to-change-the-world
You will have heard the phrase 'educate a girl and you educate a family', but here it is slightly changed to become 'educate a girl and you educate a community'. Learn more about how women and girls cloistered in huts, uneducated, unemployed, and unable to contribute significantly to the world represent a vast seam of human gold that is never mined.
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ePage 3 (of 8)
MODULE 6
Theme | Wonderful Lives
WELCOME TO MY WORLD
TIME TO LISTEN | 5-minute reading
A North East storyteller tells how, in 2005 she discovered 'the study of wellbeing', how she took all that it entails to her heart and how she used the strategies she learned to her advantage.
Dear Friends
I was first introduced to the study of wellbeing by Dr. Nick Baylis of Cambridge University who wrote a column on the Science of Happiness for The Times newspaper's Saturday Magazine some years back.
Intrigued and excited by the new feel-good concept, I followed my nose and quickly acquired a copy of Dr. Baylis's book Wonderful Lives, (2005)
Ten years on and the direction of flow of the wellbeing movement is still towards the transformation of humankind by helping minds and bodies to thrive and flourish as never before. For instance, the importance of sufficient sleep, broad daylight, physical activity, and smart nutrition is gradually seeping into the awareness of those seeking to nourish and nurture beautiful health.
Moreover, we are all learning that changing even our smallest routines can open up the routes to profound progress by breaking unhelpful habits and building rewarding new ones.
Think, self-healing.
Think, flourishing.
Over time, I have become completely at one with a set of ideas that involves a recognition of the benefits of self-healing. This has meant identifying, unpacking and then discarding out-worn beliefs and values that had done me more harm than good in my personal life and had once destroyed a
promising career. This was a spring-clean of 'constraints of the mind' that I had to do by myself, for myself.
I then set about quietly internalising lessons learnt from the study of wellbeing and started out on a journey of will that has taken me into a new life. This shift was no mean feat for a woman who was once completely overwhelmed by the pain of living, frozen-fast and unreachable in an alternative reality for twelve years. And all this, whilst her bewildered North Eastern family held its breath, held the space ... and prayed.
THIS IS EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS
A new millennium. A eureka moment. A life saved. With a book under my arm, and Qwerty at my fingertips, I set about reshaping my life by bringing order where there had been chaos, and attempting to make sense out of heartbreak and tragedy. A career as a storyteller was first just an idea, next imagined and then gradually turned into a reality.
By 2008, my creation of the mind had morphed seamlessly into an emotional wellbeing business, and sharing thoughts, feelings, theories and facts has now become a way of life. No Power Point - no flip chart - no whiteboard - just a traditional storyteller using traditional skills. And so, lessons learnt over a life-time are handed on to others.
Default to joy.
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TIME TO TALK
What makes you happy?
GURU IN THE ROOM
The Happiness Training Plan (Akhtar & Johnstone) or similar depending on audience.
ePage 4 (of 8)
MODULE 7
Theme | Golden moments
WELCOME TO MY WORLD
TIME TO LISTEN | 5-minute reading
Author, broadcaster and friend, Miriam Akhtar tells the compelling story of her convictions around the helpfulness of Positive Psychology to people who suffer from depression. This is a must read for both lay people and professionals.
Dear Friends
Miriam Akhtar is a woman after my own heart. Her latest book is a must read for those (like me) who believe that our right brains - wherein lies creativity and imagination - are indeed awakening in our time. These are the details of Miriam's book plus a list of contents::
AKHTAR, MIRIAM (2012), Positive Psychology for Overcoming Depression: Self-help strategies for happiness, inner strength and well-being, London, pub. Watkins Publishing
The Positive Approach to Depression
The Positive Psychology Story of Happiness
Positive Emotions: The Upward Spiral to Wellbeing
Savouring the Moment
The Attitude of Gratitude
Meditation: the Mindful Approach
Learning Optimism: Psychological Self-defence
Resilience: The Road to Recovery
Positive Connections: Other People Matter
Vitality: Mind, Body and Spirit
From Strength to Strength: You at Your Best
Positive Directions: Moving Forward
As a teacher of firm-convictions born of long-experience, the initial attraction of Miriam Akhtar's brand of positive psychology for me was through her work with young people and her conviction (matching mine) that by focusing on the positive, you can also alleviate the negative. Here's what Miriam has to say about one of her most memorable experiences of working with the young,
"... I ran a pilot of positive psychology for vulnerable adolescents with alcohol problems. They drank to escape from their problems, as a short cut to get happy and as a quick release from the stress they felt. These young people lacked stability in their lives - most were in temporary accommodation, estranged from their families, living in hostels or 'sofa' surfing." AKHTAR, 2011
You'll have got the picture. These people of tender years were dealing with abuse, violence, drugs, crime, family breakdown, ill-health, bereavement, literacy and financial difficulties. Virtually all had dropped out of education, some were young offenders with tags on their ankles and there was one pregnant teenager.
'Instead of taking the approach of focusing on their alcohol problems as per the normal 'disease model' treatment, those issues were put to one side with only one of the 16 hours of the programme directly addressing their binge-drinking. Instead, the course concentrated on wellbeing, resilience, meditation, strengths, positive relationships, goal-setting and the body-mind connection.' AKHTAR, 2011
Miriam further reports that, as the weeks went by, the members of the group started feeling better and began to flourish. Indeed, there was a transformation, 'the most exciting side-effect of the focus on wellbeing was that drinking dropped dramatically - by two-thirds - with some giving up alcohol altogether.' AKHTAR, 2011
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TIME TO TALK
Can we grow through trauma?
GURU IN THE ROOM
The Happiness Training Plan (Akhtar & Johnstone) or similar depending on audience.
ePage 5 (of 8)
MODULE 8
Theme | Happiness Revisited
WELCOME TO MY WORLD
TIME TO LISTEN | 5-minute reading
Our lifestyles can boost or drain our brain power. But what activities have the greatest affect on our intellectual capacity? Here are five factors with points for the relative improvements they bestow.
Dear Friends
Our lifestyles can boost or drain our brain power. But what activities have the greatest affect on our intellectual capacity? Below are five factors with points for the relative improvements they bestow.
Mental health problems
1 point: Aristotle said that there is no great genius without some touch of madness. And lists of geniuses who suffered conditions such as manic depression (bipolar disorder) or schizophrenia abound, from Charles Dickens to mathematical prodigy John Nash. But how might madness promote genius? The manic phase of bipolar disorder is associated with quick thinking, greater verbal fluency and self-confidence; while schizophrenic people can experience sudden jumps in their thought processes (known as Knight's Move thinking), which can free them from following preconceived patterns. And around one in 10 people with autism are said to have "savant" abilities – remarkable gifts in the fields of music, mathematics and art.
Being sociable
3 points: Intelligence is much more than being good at maths or languages. According to the psychologist Howard Gardner, there are nine types of intelligence, ranging from sensitivity to the natural world, to the capacity to think in three dimensions. One of the most significant types is social intelligence – the ability to understand and interact with others. In 1999, US researchers studied nearly 3,000 older people, correlating their mental status with the number of social contacts they had. Those with no social contacts were approximately twice as likely to develop cognitive problems compared with those with five or six contacts.
Learning a new skill
2 points: One of the most profound observations made by scientists recently is that adult brains are more adaptable and capable of change than was once thought. Give the brain something new to grapple with and it will make new connections. In 2008, UK researchers suggested that when people learn new skills such as playing the piano or riding a bicycle, new brain cells bring into play pre-formed circuits that were wired but not yet fully functional.
Gardening
2 points: If you want a sharp brain, cultivate green fingers. Australian researchers followed nearly 3,000 people over the age of 60 for 16 years and found that daily gardening reduced their risk of developing dementia by 36%. The benefits of gardening are easy to imagine. It provides exercise, stress relief and a creative outlet, all of which have a positive mental impact. Gardens can also provide the fresh fruits and vegetables needed for a healthy diet.
Dancing
2 points: Exercise in general is good for the brain, but dancing is particularly effective. Not only does it keep you fit, it also provides a workout for your grey matter. When US researchers studied the link between leisure activities and the risk of dementia in senior citizens, dancing was the best prevention. In the 21-year study, people who regularly danced were, on average, 76% less likely to develop dementia. Another study showed older people who took tango classes saw greater improvements in balance, posture and motor co-ordination than those who walked for exercise. They also performed better at a complicated cognitive task while walking.
Extracted from the Intelligence Equation by Stephen Pincock, published by New Holland on 7 October priced £5.99.
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TIME TO TALK
An attitude of gratitude?
GURU IN THE ROOM
The Happiness Training Plan (Akhtar & Johnstone) or similar depending on audience.
ePage 6 (of 8)
MODULE 9
Theme: Footprints ...
WELCOME TO MY WORLD
TIME TO LISTEN | 5-minute reading
It's time now to listen to a story of recovery. We know that recovery is a tetchy subject, meaning different things to different people, but this woman not only recovered from the terror and perplexity of hearing voices 24/7, but describes herself today as 'weller than well'.
Dear Friends
I first applied the principles of Positive Psychology in the classroom as a chalk-face teacher in Mrs. Thatcher's Britain. I used kindness. And, this to good effect as many working women in and around the North East of England will surely testify. It was by observing you, who are now grown into your own power, that I knew what I had to do when faced with the enormous challenge of reinventing my life in 2001.
In April of that year after a determined nudge from my young granddaughter, I took stock and not a moment too soon: I had died inside: a total eclipse of the sun.
Bereft.
Afraid.
Jobless.
Friendless.
Early in 1989, the daffodils changed to blue bells in our garden and remained that way for year after dismal year. I'm painting now the picture of a life put on hold for more than a decade. But worse, it was a life broken into a million tiny fragments, shards of indescribable anguish and fear.
The Star Ship Enterprise, with me at the helm, had once flown high above the gathering clouds of North East England, a beacon of light in the dark days of the 1980s. And, it had now well and truly crashed - with me on board. Gone, seemingly forever, were golden moments and golden people
Please, God.
Beam me up.
And, you did.
Ten years on, and I am able to report that I am well again, even Weller than Well - if that's possible. All this amounts to a life in recovery beyond my wildest dreams and all credit due to good people, good times, and good psychology. Read this poem carefully. It helped me and maybe it will help you:
FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND
I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord
and across the sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints,
one belonged to me and the other to the Lord.
When the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that many times along the path of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest
and saddest times of my life. This really bothered me and I questioned the Lord about it.
"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you would walk with me all the way, but I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why, in times when I needed you most, you should leave me."
The Lord replied,
"My precious, precious child,
I love you and I would never, never leave you
during your times of trial and suffering.
When you saw only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you."
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TIME TO TALK
Acts of Kindness?
GURU IN THE ROOM
The Happiness Training Plan (Akhtar & Johnstone) or similar depending on audience.
ePage 7 (of 8)
MODULE 10
Theme | Half the Sky
WELCOME TO MY WORLD
TIME TO LISTEN | 5-minute reading
You will have heard the phrase 'educate a girl and you educate a family', but here it is slightly changed to become 'educate a girl and you educate a community'.
Dear Friends
Imagine this:
Women and girls cloistered in huts, uneducated, unemployed, and unable to contribute significantly to the world represent a vast seam of human gold that is never mined.
Consider also:
Psychologists have long noted that intelligence as measured by IQ tests has risen sharply over the years, a phenomenon known as the Flynn Effect.
In brief, the cause of the Flynn Effect isn't fully understood, but affects primarily those with lower IQ scores, those who may not have received adequate nutrition, education, or stimulation. What is clear is that as people become better nourished and better educated, they perform better on intelligence tests.
It comes as no surprise to learn that a particularly large Flynn Effect has been detected in developing countries such as Brazil and Kenya. The IQ of rural Kenyan children rose eleven points in just fourteen years, a pace greater than any Flynn Effect reported in the West.
Girls in poor countries are particularly undernourished, physically and intellectually. It seems common sense to suppose that if we educate and feed those girls and give them employment opportunities, then the world as a whole will gain a new infusion of human intelligence - and poor countries will garner citizens and leaders who are better equipped to address those countries' challenges.
Now, consider this,
The strongest argument we can make to leaders of poor countries is not a moral one but a pragmatic one: If they wish to enliven their economies, they had better not leave those seams of human gold buried and unexploited.
In finishing this open letter, I would draw your attention to just one of the many groups that has increasingly focused on women for the pragmatic reasons mentioned above. This is Heifer International, an aid organisation based in Arkansas that gives cows, goats, chickens, or other animals to farmers in poor countries.
Nicolas Kristof's book Half the Sky, is about people like a woman called Tererai Trent, a woman from a poor Zimbabwe village who, to cut a long story short, is now working on her PhD at Western Michigan University. Soon, she will become a productive economic asset for Africa, all because of a little push and helping hand from Heifer International. As Kristof points out, The time is ripe for a new emancipation movement to empower women and girls around the world.
KRISTOF, N. D. & WUDUNN, S., (2010), Half the Sky: How to Change the World, pub. London, Virago Press.
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TIME TO TALK
No man is an island?
GURU IN THE ROOM
The Happiness Training Plan (Akhtar & Johnstone) or similar depending on audience.
LEARNING PACKAGE 2 ENDS
ePage 8 (of 8)
THE READING ROOM @ krysan.org
Download - Reality Winter 2011
Mind, Body, Spirit Magazine for readers of Krysan.org only.
Enjoy some great pictures, articles and quotes!
Editor: Marian Moore
R E S O U R C E S
THE HAPPINESS TRAINING PLAN
Akhtar & Johnstone
*The Happiness Training Plan is a self-help programme with simple, practical steps to help you to greater happiness. The strategies are based on scientific research and draw on the latest findings of positive psychology, the science of happiness.
The CD describes 12 strategies, each taking about five minutes to listen to. The strategies are:
| 1 Express Gratitude 2 Use Your Strengths 3 Live With Purpose 4 Find Your Power 5 Get Physical 6 The Happiness Diet |
7 Learning Optimism 8 Bounceback- ability 9 Improving Relationships 10 Spiritual Happiness 11 Rest & Renewal 12 The Fun Factor |
This self-help audio CD is available either through amazon or amazon or through our website (either as a CD or as a download) at www.happinesstrainingplan.com
SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL
"Everywhere people ask, "What can I actually do?" The answer is as simple as it is disconcerting: we can, each of us, work to put our inner house in order. The guidance we need for this work cannot be found in science and technology, the value of which utterly depends on the ends they serve; but it can still be found in the traditional wisdom of mankind." Fritz Schumacher - Small is Beautiful
Keep smiling - no matter what.
Happiness is a choice.
Follow your heart.
An Ode to Smiling.
Smiling is contagious,
You can catch it like the 'flu.
When someone smiled at me today,
I started smiling, too!
I passed around the corner,
And someone saw my grin.
When he smiled, I realised,
I'd passed it on to him.
I thought about that smile,
Then realised its worth.
A single smile — just like mine,
Could travel round the Earth.
So, if you feel a smile begin,
Don't leave it undetected.
Let's start an epidemic quick —
And get the world infected! ANONYMOUS
PLEASE NOTE:
Each of the five stories referred to above is taken from a page on my website. As this package is intended as an e-learning resource, hyperlinks are indicated on Contents page. These links will allow you to see each 5-minute reading in situ, that is as part of its parent blog. It is recommended (but not essential) that the preparation for a session should include some background reading via the blog concerned.
Marian Moore BA/BSc (Open) CertEd
November 2015
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t. @krysan1
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