Memory Tip

Having difficulty remembering???

A good way to remember an item is to repeat it three times... in quick succession.

My fifth grade math teacher taught me to say "To divide a fraction by a fraction, invert the divisor and multiply!" I've used that little ditty more than I ever imagined I would.

Thank you, my teacher! I can't remember your name now, but I do remember your passion for making sure we learned the lesson! ( In my mind's eye, I can still see how your face used to light up when you said the word "invert!")

Sent from my iPhone

You're Driving!

The power of intention is phenomenal. Just taking hold of the wheel of your intentions is not enough, though. You have to put them into action--aka putting your vehicle in gear.

What type of vehicle are you driving? If it's an automatic, you may find yourself lulled into action by the ease of the herd's movement. Is this what you want? After all, herds have been known to run headlong over cliffs and never be heard from again!

If you're driving a straight-shift, you have more control over the velocity and directional shifts of your vehicle. For example, if you want to move ahead slowly and engage with other vehicles gradually, you may want to stay in first or second gear until you see the way is clear to accelerate. Once you reach the desired speed, you can "gear it down" as needed, or you can stop and even throw your vehicle into reverse. It all depends on your choices, but again, choices are determined by options.

What options do you have when it comes to learning? Do you like to socialize in a sitting class, or do you prefer to interact from afar--"at a distance" or via electronic media? Do you want more freedom and flexibility as to when your class meets, or do you prefer a preset schedule? Again, what are your intentions?

Learning is not always easy. Sometimes, we don't like to learn new things because it means we may need to unlearn the things we've accepted as "truths" to live by. Learning of this kind is often painful and full of mental leg-traps. It causes us considerable conflict, in other words, because it usually means we have to give up something we've come to regard as special and empowering. Only the bravest among us venture here.

What about learning styles? Did you realize that learning came in styles...like formal, informal, kinesthetic, auditory, and visual? What kind of learner are you? Whatever your style, remember that you're the driver! It's not your teacher, and it's not your parents. You.

Get into the habit of remembering who's doing the driving, and if you don't like the direction your learning is taking you, simply change it.