The Dynamic Life Show

Shedding Baggage and Holding Space

November 25, 2019 Georgette Taylor Episode 11
The Dynamic Life Show
Shedding Baggage and Holding Space
Show Notes Transcript

Finding my way back after some sinus issues which affected my throat but I really wanted to do this show because I get to share an inspiring story of a teacher who is helping her students to shed their baggage off their young shoulders and finding ways to hold space for each other, by doing an exercise that helps them to find a way to have empathy, kindness and so many other qualities that will last them a lifetime and of course I share the word of the week and sneak peek. I also mention in the show how to get my free infographic that shares other ways to use and implement the word of week.

Enjoy the show!

Speaker 1:

Hello, welcome to the dynamic life show, inspiring change and transformation, word stories and conversations so that you may live your most dynamic life. Why? Because you are dynamic. I am your host, Georgette Taylor. Welcome to the show. Hello everybody, and welcome to another episode of the dynamic life show. I'm your host Georgette Taylor and as always, I am honored and humbled to be here with you and I want to say thank you again for sharing your moments and your minutes listening to the show. I also want to apologize for not doing show last week. I know you spend your time downloading the app, listening to these shows, and I wanted to be able to, uh, to get one out to you this week, even though as you can possibly hear, my voice is really not up to par. I have been fighting a sinus infection for quite a week now. a week and and a half now and I'm actually getting better, believe it or not, but with all the coughing and things that that produces, my throat is really not been, in the best, uh, the best way. So, um, but I did want to be able to come and share something with you this week. A little inspiring story that I, that I found while I was playing up a bed, doing all my reading as well as to be able to share with you the word of the week. Um, so yeah, but even though, um, I have had some people say my voice sound kind of sultry. I think you can be the judge of that. I'm not sure about that, but, uh, I am going to March on, uh, and I hope I can get through this. I really honestly started recording at least three times before and I just started coughing uncontrollably. So I'm hoping I can go ahead and, um, and, and conquer this and uh, and record this, uh, before things get out of control here. So again, so I love doing inspirational stories and so I'm just going to go ahead and start with that today. Um, and this inspirational story is about a teacher or her name is Karen Wunderlich Lowe and she wanted to, um, uh, she wanted to implement a new classroom activity designed to help her teacher, I mean designed to teach her students compassion. And she's been a middle school teacher in Oklahoma for 22 years and this year she tried out a classroom icebreaker called the baggage activity and she says she was taken aback when it ended up being one of the most impactful days she's ever had as a teacher. So she shares some details on her Facebook page and she said that when she asked the kids what it to have baggage, we know what it means to have baggage, don't we? Um, and most of them said it was hurtful stuff that you carry around on your shoulders. She then asked them to write down on a piece of paper what was bothering them, what was heavy on their heart and what was hurting them, et cetera. She told them not to include any names and to throw their baggage across the room, once they finished writing, wouldn't we we all l ove to do that, I just want to throw my baggage across the room and leave it there. That's pretty much what I'm would like to do. So, u m, I know there's ways we can do that and maybe we'll talk about them on another show. But uh, for the kids, you ask them to throw their baggage across the room. Once they finish writing a, she then asked each student to pick up a slip of paper at random and read it aloud. And if the person who wrote the note was comfortable coming forward, they could otherwise they could remain silent. So the kids responded, she said in a powerful way. She said she has never been so moved to tears as what these kids opened up about and share with the class. She explained things like suicide, parents in prison, drugs in their family, being left by their parents, death, cancer and losing pets and on and on. Wow. Just, wow. I'm just thinking about all the things that these, these are young kids in middle school and all the things that they're going through and if they're walking around with baggage from such an early age, I mean why? It's just, it just touches my heart is so sad. Okay. Um, so she say nearly everyone present was touched, feeling empathy, compassion, sadness, fear and joy for there fellow students and the kids who read the papers would cry because what they were reading was tough. The person who shared, if they choose to tell it, would cry sometimes as well. She said it was an emotionally draining day, but she believed that her kids w ill judge a little less, love a little more and forgive a little faster. Wow. And at the end of the activity, she got all the crumpled notes and place them in a plastic bag, the garbage, plastic, garbage bag that hangs on their door of the classroom. She said because she wanted it to be there so that way it can remind them and she wanted them to be able to see that. Then everybody has a story and that nobody, that they're not alone, but they're all loved and that each one of them has each other's back. That really is powerful. How many times, how many times do we know that somebody has our back? How many times did we wish we knew somebody had our back? If we shared something, if we shared something that was heartbreaking or painful for each one of us, wouldn't you want to know that there was somebody out there who had some kindness and some empathy and some compassion for your story or for you just like, wouldn't you want to be there for somebody else to give them compassion, empathy, love because of their story or kindness. So I think that's an amazing way to let the students know that they're not alone, that they all share something. They all carry different baggage, different weights of different sizes, but now they all have each other to be able to bond with each other, to be able to know that when somebody is having a bad day and they may be yelling at you or they may not act right that they have some stuff going on and that you can be there for them and help them find a safe space for each other. I think that's so important for them to know that there's somebody there because not, I'm sure for a lot of those children, even for a lot of us, we know that we may not feel safe as far as sharing what it is that we're going through and they may not have that person that they are allowed to open up in front of. So I think what she's doing is powerful and so it's so needed. It's always needed for someone to provide a space for you to hold space for you to let you know that you don't have to carry that baggage alone. Although times it feels like it is alone. And that's not saying you don't have to do the work alone. It has to do with any work you do. But to also know that there's somebody out there that when you need to hold a hand, when you need to just grab onto somebody else, there's somebody out there. So I, I really admire what she's done and I'm excited for the children in her class because now they're looking at things differently. And now they'll know, they'll learn to be, like she said, empathetic or learn to have kindness. She's changed how they saw their lives and she's changed how they seen their, their, you know, their friends lives. So that makes me so excited. You know, it's so funny. It's reminds me when I do my, um, when I do my I AM-YOU ARE card sessions with women and they sit there and they have these amazing positive words to say to each other and I find it always fascinating that no matter what station that t hey're on, no matter what a level of income they're at, that we all have fears and we all have baggage and we all have things that we don't feel good about ourselves. But to be able to look into somebody else's eyes and say those words to them and for them as well as for yourself i s so powerful because it allows you and the other p erson's to hold space for each other,to let each other know that even though you may not see that you're worthy right now and even though you're speaking that word and you may not feel that, you are that and I'm here to look at you and let you know that you are t hat, and I'm here to speak those words back to you so that you can hear that you are, that's what just, it just fills my heart, you know that because I, I think that's so important and so needed. And I think that's why when people do podcasting, I think it's so powerful because no matter what space you're in, no matter what niche you're in, no matter what, what thing that you love, there's somebody out there that's pouring out their passion about that. That's pouring out there their knowledge about that. It's giving you opportunity to listen in, to know that you're part of something and to know that you belong. And I think that's a great story cause that's what she did for those kids. And that's what she's, that's what she did for me. Just listening to that because now I can share that with you. Maybe we need to find our own baggage activity, even if it's in your own house. The holidays are coming. You know, there's ways we can sit down with each other and just talk. That's one of the things that I miss so much about not being, having my children with us because we live in Georgia now and my oldest son lives in Dallas. I and my other son is in Japan and he'll be coming home yay, I am so excited. He'll be coming home after Christmas. And, um, I missed those moments because we always would have dinner together and we'd always talk and share things. You know, one thing I had always said about when I was growing, when I was a single mom with my oldest son was I always sat down with him and we always talked and we have these great conversations and you went today, uh, so much so that, um, I have a show that I did with him coming up. I think I'm going to be sharing that show next week, uh, for the holiday. Um, cause it's about family and, uh, and because I'm proud of him, but, but, but because we also had the opportunity to be able to talk to each other. And that's one of the things I want it to be as a mom. Somebody that could, you know, be there for you when you needed to talk. And I know as children, even as adults, we don't share everything, but when we need to share, he knows that I'm here. He knows he can come and talk to me about anything. And, um, you know, what she did for those kids was allowed them to share and to get those things off their back. And that's so important. So anyway, that's my inspiring story for the day and for the week and I just wanted to be able to, like I said, bring that to you even though my voice has been a little bit challenging. So, um, uh, yeah, I just wanted to be able to speak with you guys and connect with you again. So thank you again for listening, but to the dynamic life show and before we go, you know, I have your word of the week, so let me see what that word is. Okay. The word of the week is, let's see. Okay. So how you get my drum roll going on? It is encouraging. Woo. oh Boy, that's a great word, right? That's a great word for our, uh, for this episode, encouraging. I am encouraging you. You beautiful people out there listening. Yes. You, I'm talking to you. You can nod, Yes, it's you. You can smile. Yes, it's you, you are encouraging. I know you are. I know you encourage somebody every single, but I want you to always remember to encourage yourself as well, that is so important. Sometimes we forget that. I mean, it's beautiful to do things for so many other people, but it's so important to do things for you because if you don't do those things for you, then you don't, then you're not able to really authentically do things for other people without expecting something in return. You know? Just just to be able to give to other people. You have to encourage yourself and be loving to yourself, but I know you're encouraging. I know you encourage people every day, your children, somebody that you run into, a family member or friend who needs to have some encouragement along their journey as well. So, I w ant t o thank you for that. J ust want to say thank you for being the encouraging person that you are and for some people out ther who may may not feel that they are encouraging. I want you to know that that's okay, but I want you to take the word in and I want you to say that about yourself. I just want you to hear yourself say that you are encouraging. Hey, as a matter of fact, I want everybody who's listening right now to stop whatever you're doing. I want you to repeat after me. I am encouraging. I am encouraging. Yes, you are. You guys encourage me every single week to do this show because definitely at times when I have to encourage myself, especially with my voice like this, but uh, but you encouraged me to want to be able to share inspiring stories with you and words of the week and just, you know, things that are going on in my life. That's what makes me so passionate about doing this. It's because I'm encouraged by you. So thank you everybody for listening to me. I hope everybody has a beautiful, beautiful Thanksgiving coming up and a beautiful holiday with your families. And if you don't have families here, maybe go visit a family. Go take a family some dinner. Or just treat yourself to a beautiful meal. I want you to do that. So also at the end of the, well in the show notes, I'm going to include a link for you to download a affirmation infographic that I created. So you know, if you're not quite sure how to use some of these words or, or um, you know, you want to do something else besides l ook in the mirror and use them? I got a couple, about five ways you can use affirmations and so hopefully t hat'll help you as well to encourage you to use these affirming words more frequently. U m, also if y ou're looking for a beautiful stocking stuffer, you know, empowerment and enhancing self worth and self esteem and being inspiring to other people never goes out of style and never goes out of s eason. So now if you need a little stocking stuffer with some affirming words to help maybe somebody you're thinking about, please visit me www.dynamiclifeenterprise.com and pick up your deck for the holiday. So, um, yeah, just encourage somebody to, to speak more positively about who they are. And until next week. Again, I want you to make sure you guys check me out next week because I will be having that conversation in conversation segment with my son Adam, and I think you would really enjoy listening to that. So thank you again everybody and happy holidays. Talk to you soon. Until next time, want you to have a beautiful, encouraging, blessed, blissful and dynamic week. INamaste! Hey everyone, this is Georgette. Thank you again for joining me on the dynamic life show. If you'd like to continue to check us out every Sunday, don't forget to download us on iTunes or visit us@ buzzsprout.com Hey, you can also listen to this show www.dynamiclifeenterprise.com where you can also check out my blog about my journey into this crazy and amazing podcast life as well as checkout and purchase the I AM-YOU ARE,card deck where all of your empowering IAM words of the week come from. So until next week, I wish you all out there and inspired, empowered, and of course dynamic life. And don't forget to aspire to inspire someone out there in the word who is w world who waiting to hear from you. Why? Because your voice matters. Now mistake.