Sixth Class - SPHE 25

“Someday I'll wish upon a star,

and wake up where the clouds are far behind me,

where troubles melt like lemon drops.”

The lyrics above are taken directly from this week’s song. Read the three lines with quiet care for a moment. Re-read the three lines and gently allow yourself to create a personal image in your mind, any visual scene whereby the words nudge you towards. Is it not a beautiful and currently precious notion and desire to have our “troubles melt like lemon drops”? The reality is our troubles always pass. Yes, they may take time and patience but through hard times stronger people emerge.

This week, the song ‘Over the Rainbow’ by Eva Cassidy has been selected for your enjoyment. Regularly this week you are urged to listen to the lyrics of the song intently, allow the underlying message of the song (hope) to nestle into your mind. Truly believe in the lyrics of the song as you witness each of the lines. Hope is an ever lighting fire within each of us. It is often quiet and unspoken but it is always present and unbreakable.

Emily Dickinson says of hope;

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all.

Let this week be one where you all believe and speak of hope, your hope. Enjoy;

Eva Cassidy - Over the Rainbow

Journal Work

Before we delve into this week’s journal work, we have a new quote. Read this quote with care. Re-read it for better clarity and then allow yourself to form a reaction or impression from the quote;

Every day, the people I meet inspire me. Every day they make me proud – Michelle Obama.

Michelle Obama is someone who has inspired millions of people worldwide through her passion, integrity and eagerness to create greater equality. She seeks, daily, to make a difference, to make an impact and to create more harmony in the world.

This week we are going to look at the notion of inspiration, push ourselves positively to interpret who and what may inspire us. Inspiration is a key ingredient for motivation and success, so tackle these questions honestly and you may just learn something about yourself that previously escaped you.

Here they are, take your time;

1. Can you name someone in your family who inspires you to be a better person? How does this person go about having this effect on you?

2. Can you name someone who has global fame or recognition that inspires you? What is it about this person that inspires you – their courage, bravery, intelligence, creativity?

3. Is there a quote, poem, story etc. that inspires you? What specifically inspires you – the message, characters...?

4. If you could inspire the future generation, what would you like to inspire them about? Standing up for one’s opinion? Believing in your own worth? Chasing your dreams?

Expressing our Gratitude

This week, the challenge with regards to our gratitude task varies slightly. You are going to travel from the person chasing notions, people and ideas within your mind that you are deeply grateful for to someone behind the microphone, question table and interpreters cement line. You are tasked with choosing a person or people within your house to carry out an interview with. You are encouraged to be confident, approachable, empathetic, efficient and reasonable when both putting the questions forward and also listening and acknowledging the responses offered.

This interview can be as casual or as formal as you desire. You may wish to hold the conversation in casual, unpressured circumstances as you carry out everyday chores. Alternatively, you might desire to set up an interview style setting with you being on one side of the table and the interviewee taking place opposite you.

So, here are some questions you may wish to pose to the interviewee/s;

1. What are you most grateful for in your everyday life?

2. Who are you grateful to for consistently believing in you, your character and personality? This person could be from your childhood or presently.

3. What does being grateful mean to you?

4. Does gratitude make you feel a certain way? For example – more grounded, appreciative, aware etc.

5. Can you name an item of your belonging that you are grateful for? What is it about that item that makes you feel grateful...?

6. To put you on the spot, what are you grateful for at this very moment?

Remember – Gratitude turns what we have into enough.

This week, a new quote relating to respect. This quote is one we should implement and recall in our everyday lives.

Respect is a two-way street. If you want to get it, you've got to give it.