Blog #45: 5 Reflections of Really, Really Happy People with guest Dr. Stephen "Bird" Birchak
Education Leadership and Beyond:
Surviving & Thriving with Andrew Marotta...
Podcast #45: 5 Reflections of Really, Really Happy People with guest Dr. Stephen "Bird" Birchak...
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The Coaching & Leadership Journal edited by Dan Spainhour: order your 12 month subscription today with a 20% discount for Ed Leadership & Beyond listeners: use code ELB20. This is fantastic resource for all leaders with over 20 stories, articles, quotes,and reflections. Leadership Publishing Team Website.
Dr. Bird's website can be found here: DOCBIRD.COM.
5 Active Reflections of Really, Really Happy People.
Every time I see a new speaker, I am very excited and hope that the speaker will be a good one...Kinda like when a movie starts, you are hoping it will be a great one. Well, I knew that Dr. Bird was going to be good as in the first few minutes he had people laughing by making some jokes and he had the whole auditorium move to the front, without having to raise his voice or do that awkward long pause waiting for people to stop talking. He just did it very simply and gracefully.
Dr. Bird brought a moving message of love and compassion. I quickly started taking notes and was thrilled to learn about being happy. Here are his thoughts about creating happiness in your own life:
#1: I am free to choose my own attitude.
Free from could have, should have, judgements.
“No one can take away your ability to choose your own attitude"
Viktor Frankl.
After each speaking point Dr. Bird offered a "small change" that you could easily implement in your life to adapt this reflection of happiness into your life.
Small changes: TAB: take a breath, is it a crisis or inconvenience? & quarantine your poisons.
#2: I like my best self: What is your aptitude for self compassion? Give yourself a break. It is ok to fail, it is ok to make mistakes.
**Suicide rates have doubled in the past ten years!
Small changes: give yourself permission to be fragile, human.
#3: I see the good in others: Have a grateful perspective...invest in the beauty of life, in the good of others.
“Gratitude is not only the greatest of all virtues, it is the parent of all others. Marcus Tullius Cicero.
Small changes: Start a gratitude journal.
#4: I am a calming influence on others.
Do you display escalating behaviors or de-escalating
I Small changes: "ITS": It is true, is it kind, is it necessary?
#5 I love and I am loved
“Everything good that has happened to me in my life is because of love." Dr. Bird
Small changes: Follow the golden rule: love others as you wish to be loved!
Quote: "It's not a crisis, it's an inconvenience" Dr. Stephen Birchak.
Book Recommendation: The Jerk Whisperer by Dr. Stephen Birchak.
Next week's guest is NYS 2017 Superintendent of the Year, Dr. Luvelle Brown of Ithaca Schools.
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Go out and change the world for the better!
Andrew Marotta
andrewmarotta.com
andrewmarottallc@gmail.com
twitter: @andrewmarotta21
