Seasons of a Self-directed Learning Journey

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To everything (turn, turn, turn)

There is a season (turn, turn, turn)

And a time to every purpose, under heaven….

This photo from 4 years ago turned up in my Facebook timeline this morning.

Learning to play ukulele, playing and singing with other people, has been a challenging and rewarding self-directed learning project for me. And there have been seasons – when I first started I was excitedly practicing every day and meeting with my mostly homeschool mom friends weekly with our matching blue dolphin ukes. We went to Uke Festivals and workshops. I was so excited I wrote a song and created a photo series I call Dr. Uke says…to show what songs I was working on and how I was feeling.

The group evolved.

I started working on other projects and my mom’s illness progressed.

The season and my learning journey shifted.   

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Self-directed Learner Mid-year Mobility Check

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Mobility is a beautiful thing. Physical, social, or intellectual Being able to move, to be fluid, to progress. To change. To choose. To feel the power and joy of moving, reaching, stretching, walking, growing. Last week I lost my physical mobility for a few days after overdoing it with house and yardwork, party prep, high … Read more

What’s the Secret to Supporting Self-Directed Learners?

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If you’re a parent who wasn’t homeschooled, you probably find yourself wondering, “How can I help my child be a self-directed learner when that’s not how I learned?”    Maybe you’re a parent who doesn’t want to homeschool, but you want to support your child’s learning and encourage them to enjoy lifelong learning. Here’s what … Read more

My Love Affair with Libraries

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My love affair with libraries started when I was very young.   I grew up in a town with a library housed in a section of a big fancy estate that had been donated to the town. It had giant leaded glass windows, window seats, balconies, nooks and crannies and a beautiful children’s room  which … Read more

One Strategy for Practicing Unconditional Love

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One Strategy for Practicing Unconditional Love

I’ve had a few hard conversations this week and witnessed some other folk’s difficult situations.

Parenting, eldercare, working with people, relationships of all kinds give us opportunities to learn.

Opportunities to be present.

To see and be seen.

To accept.

To love.

Sometimes in my exuberance and enthusiasm for the possibilities about what can be learned and changed, I don’t realize that what someone might be hearing or feeling is:  

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Celebrating Friendship and Connection on Valentine’s Day

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It’s almost Valentine’s Day.  What does that bring to mind for you? Heart-shaped decorations? Roses? Chocolates? For me it’s broader than decorations and date night. It’s about hearts full of love and friendship. Celebration and connection.  Loving your life and the people you have connected with. Taking a moment to celebrate love in all its … Read more

From Fear to Celebration: 5 Strategies to Transform Your Approach to Rejection

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Fear of rejection and putting yourself into the world limits your ability to learn and grow. Celebrating rejection, instead of fearing it, transforms the person experiencing rejection from a victim of others choices, to the courageous chooser of opportunity. You can learn to change your mindset about fearing rejection to celebrating rejection.

As with most celebrations, celebrating rejection will make you happier. And if it still sounds impossible, there are at least five practical steps that you can take to get better at being rejected. You can choose to transform your relationship with rejection to allow yourself to bravely pursue your goals as you ask hard questions, try new things, and do what matters. 

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6 Strategies to Help Embrace Discomfort and Challenges

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We all know that life is full of challenges we can’t control, and dealing with challenges and new learning can be uncomfortable. But why embrace discomfort and challenges? How is that different than just “sucking it up” and powering through? Embracing discomfort and challenge makes it easier to find the joy in what ever journey … Read more