Week 1 Reading~“Toes to nose”~PERCEPTION IS REALITY!

(This is a picture of my two teenage kids who inspire me daily

 to "Make All Things Possible")

     I must admit that it took me several readings to fully wrap my head around the many messages relayed in this book.  I really enjoyed reading the first three chapters because it made me realize some things that I had not taken into account.  I appreciate the way the book challenges you to see things from a different perspective.   I like the fact that the book tells you that YOU yourself can become the master of your own destiny~ through changing your own way of seeing and thinking things from a different perspective~ one of possibility.  It also reminds me of when I was a counselor and I taught the A-B-C Theory of behavior.  A- action, B-behavior and C-choice/consequence.   This theory was used to train chemically dependent adults that relapse does not begin when they have actually used the substance, but rather when the initial thought about the substance enters their mind and they relapse in thought, then they follow through with the action of using the substance (their drug of choice).  It also reminds me that behavior relates to other surrounding environmental factors that the mind is used to before a “relapse” takes place such as going to places where they went to before substance use or even related habits such as smoking. Anyway it makes me remember that our thoughts play a key role in how we ultimately choose to behave.  I love how the author goes from writing about music to writing about science.  One would think that there is no correlation between the two, but the author does such a fine job of relating the two.

     This book also helped me to realize that I need to “reconfigure my lines”.  In my daily struggle at living life~ I strive to remember to do just that, live it.  I myself do get caught up in the race for time often thinking: I cant wait till this or that is over, so what helps me through it is taking time to enjoy the whole reason I do it for in the first place; for my children.  They keep me motivated and I relish on the short moments I have with them whether it be a brief conversation or a mom & son/daughter day with each of them.  I appreciate how the book highlights that I am in control and that it is all up to me, how inspiring this is!

     I was in tears when reading the story about the boy who yearned to hear his father say he loved him.  I can identify with the man as I grew up estranged from my father and did not really feel that closeness with him until I was in my twenties.  I cried because I was able to understand that my father also loved me and showed it the best way he knew how.   I will close with stating that I am so going to implement the practice of giving everyone including myself an ‘”A” on a daily basis and see how this experiment works with students, family, friends, and other loved ones.