In life, many things are out of our control.
Things go wrong. We make mistakes. When we encounter challenges, there will be things we can change and things we cannot.
Lesson 1
In life, many things are out of our control.
Things go wrong. We make mistakes. When we encounter challenges, there will be things we can change and things we cannot.
Lesson 1
In life, many things are out of our control.
Things go wrong. We make mistakes. When we encounter challenges, there will be things we can change and things we cannot.
Lesson 1
2. We are Uniquely Positioned
I'M AN ORIGINAL CATCHPHRASE
I'M AN ORIGINAL CATCHPHRASE
Today the complexity of problems is being amplified by a global pandemic and socio-political and rapid technology changes. HHH believes that working together to drive Positive Change, hope will rise. So, for such a time as this, Head Heart & Hands has chosen to make its resources accessible on this website. If you or your organization would like to use any of the tools, we want to know. PLEASE honor our efforts and let us know you are using the resources by contacting HHH4good@outlook.com.
2. We are Uniquely Positioned
Before Starting
Click here and print Exercise 2a and 2b "What Makes Me Special."
Is it our talents?
Is it our resources?
Or what others think of us?
In this lesson, we are going to explore how a Big Picture Perspective enables us to see:
We are all uniquely positioned to make a positive impact.
Our Circumstances…
Explain what is around us
Affect what other people think of us
Create new opportunities
Equip us to make a positive impact
But... They do not DEFINE us!
Think about it. No matter where we are and what we are experiencing, our successes, talents, resources, and relationships are constantly creating new opportunities for us to make a positive difference.
-
When we make a mistake … It doesn’t make us a mistake.
-
When we fail at achieving a goal … It doesn’t make us a failure.
-
When we are rejected … It doesn’t make us less worthy.
-
When we succeed at achieving a goal … It doesn’t make us better than others.
-
Our talents and resources … Don’t give us more or less human dignity.
-
So, while our circumstances DO NOT define us, they do position us to be positive contributors.
In life, many things are out of our control.
Things go wrong. We make mistakes. When we encounter challenges, there will be things we can change and things we cannot. How we respond OUTWARDLY reflects our INWARD beliefs and attitudes. So, when things get tough, our perspective matters.
We have a Choice
Choice#1
We can choose to THINK, “My life has value and dignity under any circumstance. My circumstances position me, but they do not define me. Therefore, I am uniquely positioned to help drive positive change.”
So, we remain confident that our life has value and we can make a positive difference under any circumstance.
Choice #2
We can choose to THINK, "My self-worth is a sum of what others think of me, what I have, and what I do."
So, our view of ourselves waivers up and down with our circumstances.
What Makes Us Special?
The Research
Whether we are aware of it or not, we are linking the events of our day and the impact of our choices together into a story. The story we tell ourselves matters.
Scientists at Washington University in St. Louis discovered the same regions of our brain we use to recall our past are the same regions we use to look forward into the future.
Research conducted by Dr Brene Brown shows: “People who DON’T BELIEVE they are worthy of love and belonging, always wonder, “Am I enough?” so they try to numb their emotions or hide from their imperfections. However, people who BELIEVE they are worthy of love and belonging have the courage to be imperfect and build authentic relationships and the compassion to be kind to themselves and others.”
That Means, our personal narrative doesn’t just say what happened.
How we perceive the PAST events of our story, affect how we see ourselves in the PRESENT, as well as our dreams about what we can and want to become in the future.In 5 years, 10 years, whatever we are going through right now will be a part of our past. The decisions we make in the next minutes and hours will determine the stories we tell in the future.
A Big Picture Perspective
A Big Picture Perspective helps us recognize how our successes and hardships can work together for good to uniquely position us to drive Positive Change. Getting involved, using our unique circumstances to help others, cultivates love and respect and deepens our understanding of why our life has value and dignity. As love and respect for ourselves and others grows, it motivates us to be a positive contributor under any circumstance.
The Eckhardt's Story
TALK ABOUT IT
-
What ideas in the Crime Watch video stood out to you?
-
Why do you think Devin and Veronica’s circumstances:
Explain what is around them
Affect what other people think of them
Create new opportunities for them
Equip them to make a positive impact
But... They DO NOT define them!.
Let's Get Involved
To better understand how we are uniquely positioned to help drive Positive Change, let us consider what makes us special. Watch the video of the directions for the What Makes Me Special Exercise above and then do the exercise. If you have not done so yet click here and print Exercise 2a and 2b "What Makes Me Special."
In Small Groups
-
Give each person a chance to share what they wrote for Exercise 2b.
-
Discuss how getting involved, using our unique circumstances to create solutions to the problems around us, can help us see lives have value, and help us gain motivation to be a positive contributor?
-
Consider how “Our circumstances position us, but do not define us. ” Then give each person the option of sharing what they are willing to do to this week to improve how they
THINK- Learn-Evaluate CARE- Hope- Aim ACT- Improve-Engage.
What is our Next Best Step?
Something that makes being human extraordinary is our ability to THINK CARE and ACT. Right now, wherever we are, we can choose to …
LEARN - EVALUATE
Remember our life has value and dignity. Believe our circumstances do not define us, but they do uniquely position us to make a positive impact. Know that even the worst of things can be redeemed for good.
HOPE - AIM
Want to help drive Positive Change in our home, community, and world by using our unique circumstances to make a positive difference.
IMPROVE - ENGAGE
Get involved. Through our successes and hardships we can choose to be positive contributor, using our talents, resources, and experiences to create solutions to the problems around us.
As we get involved, creating solutions
to the problems around us, we see our lives have value, and we gain motivation to be a positive contributor. While we cannot erase our past or the consequences that come from it, we can make choices that improve our future.