| I promised some sneak peeks,
so here are a few pieces from our third chapter, "Training."
Please hit REPLY with your thoughts and answers. :)
We all sat in the oversized living room with the big screen tv, eager to see Aang begin his training to master the Avatar state. It was something he would have to do if he was going to defeat the fire lord and save the world.
“...Be warned, opening the chakras is an intense experience, and once you begin the process, you cannot stop until all seven are open. Are you ready?”
When he got to the last chakra, Aang had a vision his dearest friend was in trouble. Immediately, he lost his connection to his Avatar self.
“No, Aang! If you leave now, you won’t be able to go into the Avatar state at all!” the guru shouted after him as he hurried to his flying bison to go save his friend.
I leapt for the remote control, paused the show, and asked, “Aaron, what’s going to happen to Aang if doesn’t finish his training?”
Aaron was already twisted around on the couch, looking at me with a mix of frustration and curiosity. “What… Mom?”
“What happened to Luke when he left his training early to save his friends?” I offered a clue from the Star Wars epic we had just finished watching the night before.
“Oh yeah… it was bad. Maybe he won’t save them…? Maybe he’ll get hurt…?” he wondered aloud, searching for the answer that would let him off the hook and turn his show back on.
“Well, let’s see.”
We all sat riveted as Aang arrived at the scene of the battle and fought alongside his friends. Unfortunately, they were outnumbered and outpowered. And Aang, forcing himself into the Avatar state, was near-mortally wounded. As he fell to the ground, we all gasped.
“Mom! Just like Luke!” Aaron had turned around on the couch to show me his wide eyes and stunned expression.
All I could do was nod and say, “Yes, I guess it’s important to finish training.”
Training
What did you learn about training and mentors from your favorite childhood movies, tv series, and books? Well, let’s see. A good witch shows up with some advice and magical shoes and then disappears for most of the journey; and then the carefully-sought-out mentor at the end of the story turns out to be a bit of a fraud (Wizard of Oz). I don’t remember Elliott (ET) or any other characters in my early years having a mentor, except those who needed physical training like Daniel (Karate Kid) and those crime-fighting amphibians (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). Ren (Footloose) did have his mom supporting him, and the only other guy who gave him any advice suggested he simply do what he wanted to do so cleverly that he couldn’t actually get into trouble. Hmmmm. Oh, and then there was Curly (City Slickers), who was an absolute expert with seemingly very little ability and/or desire to do anything other than take care of his duties and frustrate those who reached out for some human connection and advice. It wasn’t until I was a teenager, watching Dead Poets Society, that I actually witnessed a powerful and relatable mentoring experience (‘cause this girl did not physically train for anything!).
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| | If you look at the beliefs and/or default assumptions
around learning in our culture, which of these has
impacted you and/or your child(ren) the most?
· Answers are More Important than Questions
· Learning is A (Solely) Mental Activity
· Children are Empty Vessels that Need Filling
· Teachers/Mentors and Learners are Not Equals
· Everything We Need to Know is External
· Outcomes are More Important than The Process
· Learning Happens (Solely) in Classrooms
The current paradigm for learning treats us
more like machines than people.
Data in; data out.
Of course, this makes our current situation
make a lot of sense, doesn’t it?
Machines work until they don’t.
Hello, workaholism.
Machines don’t feel or relate.
Hello, higher rates of depression and
anxiety, substance abuse, and suicide.
Machines don’t vet the information input.
Hello, loss of agency and freedom.
It’s Time for A New Paradigm for Training
Yes, we actually want you to hit REPLY and answer! :) |
| | This book launches April 6, 2022, but all of the
win-win workshops and retreats are filling up now.
See how helping us get our message out can help YOU
complete your Training with more powerful mentors and approaches, and help your child(ren) do the same.
Click HERE to make a commitment to purchase and discover amazing events, programs, and discounts you will get in exchange for your support.
One of the workshops you can win is coming up on April 1 and 2.
If you have something to share with the world, but aren't sure how to articulate it, buy 20 copies, get $600 off, and bring a friend for free to our Your Sacred Contribution 2-Day workshop. |
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| | Committed to Writing Truer Stories with You,
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| | Founder, True to Intention
Smart-Mouthed Seeker | Unapologetic Story Junkie | Message Oracle | Messenger Guide
Mom | Wife | Friend | Witness to Divine Intention through Story
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