Social-Emotional Learning: Self-Awareness

I think it really is a life-long journey to truly understand our own values, as well as our thoughts and emotions. Our daily decisions, both big and small, are based on all these three aspects - whether we are aware of it or not - I guess that we could also call it intuition or gut instinct. I have learned to notice when  my thoughts are in a complex mess. At that moment I try to go for a walk on the beach because it is such a calming place (even when the ocean is roaring). It always clears my head.  So does a walk in the forest. The Western Cedar trees are so magnificent!

Our values become visible in our daily choices: how we talk, what we do, and the activities we want to participate. I am excited about October approaching, because here it is the Resilience Month  - lots of events focused on increasing awareness of trauma and resilience, fostering collaboration and also educating people and organizations about trauma-sensitive practices. I think most of this learning begins with awareness: self-awareness to know who we really are, the awareness of others and their possible struggles, so that together we can build better societies.