ECFE Conference

1
ECFE Conference

• Managing Chaos
• lauriedenn_at_edina.k12.mn.us

2
Slowing Down to the Speed of Lifeby Richard
Carlson and Joseph Bailey

• How to Create a more peaceful, simpler life from
  the inside out

3
Slowing Down to the Moment

• Healthy flow of intelligent thought
• Instinct
• Wisdom
• Common Sense
• Inner Voice
• Conscience

4
Why Slow Down?

• Reduction of stress
• Improved physical health
• More present, intimate and loving relationships
• Heightened sensory awareness
• Greater peace of mind, serenity
• Improved ability to be productive, creative and
  to stay focused

5
Thought the Creator of Experience

• Negative feelings happen when a negative thought
  occurs first

6
Thought Consciousness

• Experience

7

• Consciousness is the passive servant of thought,
  automatically turning thoughts into experience

8
Two Modes of Thought

• Processing/Analytical
• Effortful
• Active
• Contrived
• Linear
• Conditional Emotions
• Memory Based
• Habitual
• Predictable
• Details
• Trees
• Tasks
• Scripted

• Free-Flowing
• Easy
• Passive
• Automatic
• Nonlinear
• Deeper Feeling
• Selective Memory Use
• Creative
• Spontaneous
• Big Picture
• Forest
• Vision
• Inspired

9
Thought Recognition - Key to Slowing Down and
Shifting Gears

• Thoughts on Back burner
• Analyze More
• Seek More Information
• Do Nothing

10
Healthy Psychological Functioning (HPF)

• Consistently living in the knowledge of how our
  minds function

11
Feelings are thoughts

• in a more subtle form

12
Getting Back to the Moment

• Listen
• See the wisdom of not knowing
• Have faith in the free-flow mode
• Put problems on the back burner

13
Seven Essential Steps to Reducing Stress

• Know that inner peace is possible, even in the
  midst of stress
• Admit getting what you want is not the ultimate
  answer
• Learn not to deal head on with or to struggle
  with problems

14

• Understand that stress originates in your
  thinking
• Learn to not allow passing thoughts to turn into
  thought attacks
• Avoid temptation to get caught up in the details
• Lower your tolerance for stress

15
Being Present in Relationships Heart to Heart
Communication

• Find your own bearings, free-flow mode
• Let go of expectations for particular outcome
• Get permission from other person
• Speak from the heart
• Listen with nothing on your mind
• Stay on track respectful, warm, compassionate

16

• Heart to Heart
• Find your own bearings, free-flow mode
• Let go of expectations for particular outcome
• Get permission from other person
• Speak from the heart
• Listen with nothing on your mind
• Stay on track respectful, warm, compassionate

• EVALUATE YOUR OWN COMMUNICATION SKILLS. USING
  THESE SUGGESTIONS AS GUIDELINES, WHAT DO YOU FEEL
  ARE YOUR OWN COMMUNICATION STRENGTHS, AND WHAT
  MAY YOU NEED TO WORK ON?

17
Being truly present in relationships, slowing
down to the moment

• is the key to intimacy, satisfaction, and
  effective, loving communication

18
When we create the kind of environment that draws
out natural health and wisdom, we naturally guide
others in healthy ways and away from unproductive
feelings and disruptive behaviors.

• What does such an environment look like? How as
  early childhood educators do we foster such an
  environment?

19
What others feel from us at the moment is the
only thing that really matters.
20
We are all looking out of different colored
lenses. Everyone is living in a separate world.
Negative thoughts are the only thing holding down
positive feelings.
21
We need to ask ourselves, What dont they know
about a situation? Why would they be acting this
way? Then, take a step back and watch with an
open, clear mind. Well usually see what they
need to understand.
22

• we need to learn to disengage, back off, and
  observe from a distance. If we feel ourselves
  having negative feelings, we have to get
  ourselves back on track before we can teach
  others anything.

23
There is always a grain of truth in the other
side. But how would we ever know unless we truly
listened to that other side?
24
Listening beyond the words is important. Listen
for how the person makes sense of the world.
Listen with a clear mind. Listen for
understanding. Listen for what thoughts are
keeping a person stuck.