Start a course of study in something, immersing yourself in its requirements, read about it, see it, discuss it with understanding others, practice it, ‘see’ yourself doing ‘it’ with success, ‘feel’ yourself ‘becoming’ it and the magic will happen but be aware that its direction will have its own course!

Mortimer Adler, a wonderful Aristoltelian philosopher, wrote that he would sit every day in undirected contemplation. This would allow his brain to come up with a direction sometime after. Others have written about the same thing with other descriptive labels meditation, free thinking, day dreaming (Remember when the teacher told you to STOP that wonderful process? What a shame!)

I went through as similar process when I was still in the classroom bored ‘silly’, praying for the day to end, dreaming of being elsewhere but not anywhere. I resolved to not ‘let myself go’, so I focused on the students as if I were new at the job. My old ‘adolescent-psych’ books led me to redesign my coursework, my approach, which had not been productive for me or my students so I changed it mentally, physically and most important for me, spiritually. I ‘saw’ them as being successful, visualized them finishing an assignment and laughing with me. I suddenly began to believe again and I began to learn through them. If you are not learning yourself, you are not teaching effectively, remembering that when you ‘get into another person’s mind and body’ to ‘do’ what you are teaching then you get into yourself.

Learning comes in the strangest places and forms. I learned more about how kids learn by remembering how I learned to ride a bike. I gained more knowledge for coaching the hammer throw and shot put by watching the ballet and musical comedy than I did listening at some workshops (which are still important). Learning about yourself is about others, what and how they ‘do’, ‘see’ and ‘feel’. Too much self observation is like a flashlight pointed into a mirror it lights nothing, blinding all focus but if you turn the light toward the dark room behind it you begin to see. Learn to see the edges and shapes and shadows of ‘things’ and the ‘real’ thing begins to emerge. ‘See’ with soft eyes, ‘hear’ without purpose, ‘feel’ without an objective and ‘it’ will come to you in an ‘Ahah’. Let yourself be surprised! Remember what Sherlock Holmes dictum was, ,"When all the possibilities have been considered then the impossible must be!"

All that led me back to school and that allows me to help others where I found myself.

Joseph J. Donahue M.Ed., CMHC, CH, Master Practitioner NLP

Academic, Career, Sports & Performance Counseling