Holistic education is a philosophy of education based on the premise that each person finds identity, meaning, and purpose in life through connections to the community, to the natural world, and to spiritual values such as compassion and peace. Holistic education aims to call forth from people an intrinsic reverence for life and a passionate love of learning.  Wikipedia.

What if we take holistic education even further into allowing open curriculums in schools that allow each child to use and nurture their innate strengths?  Sir Kenneth Robinson, an expert on  creativity and innovation asks the questions, says schools kill creativity.  See www.Ted.com.  Rather than allowing children to find and use their gifts, we make them conform to an educational system that requires everyone to be the same, conforming, and excelling in standardized tests.

Recently a friend, who recently entered a Masters Degree program in holistic education, discussed her views with me.  her voice vibrated with passion as she discussed what she thought were opposing ideas:  the professor’s idea that change will be made through changing our internal intentions versus my friend’s premise that change will be made when the language is create a new paradigm.

After listening intently, it became clear that both ideas would work.  Embracing one without embracing the other would be like throwing the baby out with the bath water.  Change could perhaps be effected more efficiently by creating a new language that reflects a new intention.  Spiritually a core change must be reflected in the material world.  Language is part of the material world.  The conflict arose between my friend and the professor were but growing pains.

The growing pains of conflict are but the labor pains attendant to every birth.  The new thought leaders in education and even the educators of the old paradigm are but midwives birthing a new system of education.

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Language is the means of getting an idea from my brain into yours without surgery.  ~Mark Amidon

One of my former clients is now engaged and planning her wedding for October.  Recently she told me that some of the best advice I gave her about wedding planning was "keep it simple."  She took that advice and apparently it's working.  Her energy is peaceful, relaxed and happy.

There have been a number of weddings and receptions at our private retreat in Ohio.  Some have been for family and others have been for friends.  There have been small weddings and large weddings, not to mention other weddings that we have been involved with in the past.  In all my experience with weddings, one important thing stands out:

The more time there is to plan, the larger and more stressful the wedding becomes.

Long engagements with no wedding date are not the same thing as long engagements that allow for 12 months to plan for the wedding.  For wedding planning purposes, the less time there is to plan the smoother things will go.  And less time usually means less money.

In 12 months' time, a wedding expands exponentially from a location, simple reception, flowers, music, dress, tux (or not) and a few guests into a monster that includes a four piece quartet, hand-made origami cranes for each of the 200 guests, flowers both in the chapel, for the bride, for the bride's mother, the groom's mother, grandmothers, and Aunt Harriet's second cousin, Sally!  In 6 months' time the guest list is shortened, invitations are simpler, favors are skipped, flowers are cut back and the whole planning process becomes much simpler.

The simplest plan of all is to use an all inclusive wedding service that does all the work for you or elope to Las Vegas.  Only invite the people who are important to you; the people who will share your life, not just your wedding day.

"Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion." Cyril Northcote Parkinson

Have you ever tried to push an idea or action on someone and had them push back?  So you pushed harder.  She pushes back.  And the pushing continues until a full-blown conflict ensues?  The harder you push, the harder the push-back.

Have you ever felt pain or heartache because you saw someone drowning in the quicksand of one of life's problems, threw her a rope  and she threw it back in your face?  Confused and hurt, you became consumed with worry and anxiety by trying to help someone who doesn't want help.  Not only does she not want help, she doesn't see any danger.  At times like these, it's time stop pushing and start leading.

You cannot save someone who is drowning in quicksand by jumping in yourself.  That action just causes two people to drown.  You could stand on safe ground and throw a rope for the drowning person to grab and pull herself to safety.  But what if she doesn't know she's in danger?  The rope will be thrown back into your face, leaving you with feelings of pain and resentment.

In my experience, the best action to take is to stay on firm ground, standing in the light and wait for the other person to ask for help.  Trying to push solutions only makes YOU a part of the problem.  It may give you a temporary feeling of self-righteousness but it rarely helps the other person.

Stop pushing solutions and start leading by the clarity of your example.  Remaining strong and staying in the shining light of spiritual well-being, peace and authentic happiness is the most powerful action you can take.

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Even in your rightness about a subject, when you try to push your rightness toward another who disagrees, no matter how right you are, it causes more pushing against. In other words, it isn't until you stop pushing that any real allowing of what you want can take place.

--- Abraham

This morning it was time to pay some bills - not a lot of bills, just a few.  The money is in the account but I still found myself dreading writing those checks.  I managed to procrastinate for awhile by checking my email, writing a letter and generally dancing around the whole bill paying thing.

Finally, I made myself do it.  The first check I wrote was to the dry cleaners.  After the envelope was sealed and addressed, I turned it over and wrote a big 'THANK YOU!' on the back of it.  It made me smile so I did it for every bill I paid.

For today, that simple act changed my whole attitude about paying bills!

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"The real measure of your wealth is how much you'd be worth if you lost all your money."  ~Author Unknown