Category: Personal Fulfillment

Posted on

Education and Purpose

              If you were given the power to design a new system of education, where would you start? What would you consider? How would you go about implementing it? You would probably begin by coming up with a purpose.

              In 1934, John Dewey said that “…the purpose of education was to give the young the things they needed in order to develop in an orderly, sequential way into members of society.” He he also said that it would depend which society that was. The aboriginals in the Australian bush or the youth in The Golden Ages of Athens would probably be educated differently. My thought on this is, what if the society is not meeting the needs of the citizens? What if the citizens are not productive? What if the society is not serving the individuals? Shouldn’t we change the educational process?

              In 1957, the ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) Committee said that “the main purpose of American Schools is to provide for the fullest possible development of each learner for living morally, creatively, and productively in a democratic society.” Moral education was the prime concern when the first common schools were founded in the New World. We do not necessarily need to choose a religion to know that values such as respect, peace, and honesty are essential, and yet, this is not always seen in our society. How could a lawyer or a doctor only think of himself, step over others by lying or stealing if he/she went through our educational system that promoted truth and honesty? Was it really promoted?  Creativity has also been obscured by the need to produce individuals that think the same and solve problems in the way that is expected. Somewhere along the way, our priorities changed. Are we serving our purpose?

              Arthur W. Foshay, Director of the Bureau of Educational Research at Ohio State University, reminded us in The Curriculum Matrix: Transcendence in Mathematics (1991) that “the purpose of education since ancient times, has been to bring people to as full realization as possible of what it is to be a human being.” That encompasses so much. It can not possibly be done without knowing what each child brings to the table. The first thing in people’s minds would be the academics. How much math? What is the reading level? What did the child learn in science last year? But what good is all that, if the child does not know how to apply this knowledge, how to use it at the right moment, or if to use it at all? That is called wisdom, and it is part of the human being, so are the individual’s moral values, the ability to concentrate, the ability to process emotions, the ability to keep himself or herself healthy, the ability to relate to self and to others, and so much more. This brings me to my definition of It Takes a Village, because the whole community needs to be involved so that all children in our society grow up to be healthy, fulfilled, cooperative adults. As educators, it is our responsibility to support the whole child. (That makes me wonder, how many children should we be responsible for?) If we as educators are not walking towards meeting the needs of the whole child, then, we should make changes.

              According to a leader in yoga philosophy, Swami Guru Devanand Saraswati Ji Maharaj, in his book Nacimos Para Triunfar, 2009 (Born to Win), “learning is measured by the positive changes that the training produces in the personality. Intellectual concepts that cannot be used, and that do not produce positive results in the person, the family, and the society, have not really been learned, they have only been stored in the intellect and have no value.”

“If we have learned anything good … obligatorily … that knowledge should make us better people.” SGDSJM

              The present system requires that we load our students’ minds with facts and concepts, many of those which are forgotten after the test or never used. Wouldn’t you say that is a waste of time? Why not use the subjects: Reading, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Physical Education, Art, and Music as the vehicles to more purposeful goals, not as the goals themselves?

              In my journey as an educator (and as a student of life), I have come to realize that I do have the power to reach a child and her family in ways that matter. In my view, school should be more experiential than intellectual. It should also appeal to their interests. When individuals apply knowledge, it is more likely that they will keep it. It is also more likely that they make mistakes or have questions during the application. What better time to learn than during practice? (I do not mean practicing 15 math problems. I mean actually solving problems in real life. That is more meaningful.)

I do stop my lessons for a puppy that passed away, a question of how a windmill works, a little white lie, a question about how fast a cheetah runs, the first snowfall out the window, a story about his friend that got sick, and a lack of attention due to excitement or tiredness. All those are great lessons and may become projects. I do lessons on self-discipline, positive thinking, compassion, honesty, healthy habits, and more. I assign projects that build family bonds, that help the child see things from another point of view, or help her develop skills that she will use often. I use the subjects to meet essential goals that help the individual live a fuller richer life. It is not a perfect system because it is not a system as we know it. I use curricula as a resource. A system, the way it is used in many educational institutions is for mass production and machines. I educate children.

              When the time comes that I see our society promoting unity, harmony, honesty, inner wisdom, health, and love, that day, I will say that the education we are giving our children is working. I will see adults fulfilled, doing what makes them happy, and helping others do the same. They will love to learn new things, and they will do them well. And so, I will say, let us continue using the guidelines as stated because they enhance people’s lives and give them a sense of individual and group purpose. When the time comes…and it will when we all revisit our purpose for being in this society and in this world.

Ana M. Robledo

Special Education Therapist and Coach

Posted on

The New Normal is Here!

So, now that we know what we didn’t know before, how will we tackle the new normal?

What we know may be slightly different for each one of us, but let’s go over some. We know that what we think affects our words and actions, and that all that, affects others here and across the world. And it affects the Earth and our future.

We know that keeping healthy physically, emotionally, and mentally is essential for our wellbeing and the wellbeing of those around us.

Many of us now know that connections with ourselves and with others is what makes everything worth it.

Those who take advantage of the silence, have learned that listening to our gut, to our subtle voice within, is an art we must pursue to make productive, meaningful choices for ourselves and our loved ones.

We have also come to realize that others are going through battles right now that we know nothing about, and it’s nothing new. We shouldn’t have judged others for their actions before, and we should not be judging them now because we do not know what makes them act the way they do.

I am sure you can add to this list. Life is continuously teaching us.

Now , what will we do with our new perspective?

Will we change careers? Will we perform our job in a different way? Will we figure out more ways to connect with loved ones? Will we reach out to others who we feel need support? Will we reinvent our systems of education, economy, and government? Will we help create a new more conscious community?

Today I invite you to reflect on your lessons, whatever they may have been, in order to act upon your believe system which I hope has been shaken. For if we don’t take initiative to cocreate with All There Is, we’ll be stuck in cycles taking us no where. What a great opportunity has been given us to transcend.

Posted on

Through the Rapids

How fitting that Easter would fall during this challenging world event. It means dying to the old self. It means rebirth.

It may seem difficult to see ahead but it is possible. Yesterday in a women’s conference someone mentioned that her husband compared what we are going through to white water rafting. There are really calm rivers- That’s a level 1. The level 3 has more turbulent rapids and narrow passages. By the level 5, there are so many drops, difficult passage ways, and difficult maneuvering that many people get hurt or die. According to him, we are going through a level 5. We are all on the same boat and aware that what we do affects the person on the other side of the boat. The only way to get through is to focus on the path – Not the obstacles. You have to be prepared as much as you can to deal with obstacles, and you have to deal with them, but your attention is on the through line.

So, the questions to ask ourselves are:

Who will I be when this is over?
What have I learned that I can apply?
Who am I in relation to humanity?
Who am I in relation to nature?
What is my place?
What is essential?
What will I pass to my children that will help them in the future?
What systems and structures will I support?
How can I make a difference to contribute to a better world?

I invite you to grieve the old (because it’s important) and let it go. Then, embrace the new, transform yourself, and transform the world.

Be new and be well,


PS. Working on it myself😏

Posted on

Is It My Fire?

Is it a fire? Is it yours? Does it need to be taken care of right now?

I remember when I worked as a teacher in a school in West Palm. We taught the children to become more independent while working in small groups or on their own. The teacher would be working with 1 student or a couple of students and did not want to be interrupted. The rule was that if it was a fire (major disaster) or someone was bleeding, you could interrupt. Otherwise, you could ask another student or decide to do something else that was productive. The child could responsibly, use the bathroom, sharpen his pencil, or get up to get a needed material. (All these options would be modeled and practiced before they did it on their own.)

In our life people interrupt us at work and at home. It is possible not to meet our goals if we continuously stop for others.

At my last conference, we were discussing the importance of stopping, analyzing and deciding. Something I forget to do sometimes.

I believe we can prevent some of the interruptions by foreseeing what others that depend on us may need, and seeing how we can give them the strategies and tools to solve some things themselves.

Interruptions will come anyway, so here is an idea. Ask yourself,

1. Is it a fire?
What is the urgency and intensity of the problem?

2. Is it my fire?
Am I the only one that knows how to put it out? Can I use this moment to train someone? Can I delegate? Can we partner on the task?

3. Does it need to be put out this instant?
Can I finish what I am doing, and then deal with it?

We can’t have a rule to resolve everything right away or to delay every time there is an interruption because all interruptions are different.

So, STOP! ANALYZE! DECIDE! It takes a few minutes, but the consequences may make a major difference in reaching your goals and supporting others in ways they can become more independent.

Posted on

All is Well!

No matter what today brings, all will be well in me. Let’s make that decision now.

It may bring ideas we don’t like, conversations we may not want to take part in, uncomfortable situations, or events where our body or mind may feel out of control. But all is well in me because I choose to be well.

Let’s remember that everything comes for a reason. It may be a lesson. It may be part of a healing process. It may be an event I or a community needs to wake-up and focus on what matters.

So if toxic actions of others are in your space, maybe it’s your opportunity to learn to step away or to speak up. Only you know what you need to learn. It’s all part of the school of life.

If your day brings, overwhelming circumstances at work or at home, it’s an opportunity to step physically and mentally out of the situation. It may be time to listen to your inner voice, to take a break, to get help, to prioritize, or make a change. There are always choices. The solutions are on the other side of fear. This is not just a popular saying. Get to know your fear. It helps me know that that’s where my growth is.

If your day brings an unexpected natural event, take a deep breath as well. An overwhelmed fearful mind is not helpful to make decisions. What can I do in this moment with what I have, and what I am able to do to be safe? Then act. Working on dealing with emotions is not easy, but we have to do our best so we can think clearly. It’s part of our growth.

Inhale deeply, close your eyes and check with your essence, then smile because all is well no matter what the world brings.

I make a decision now that all will be well within me no matter what happens. How about you?

Posted on

No Matter What Happens

A couple of nights ago I had an interesting dream. I don’t know a lot about dreams, but I understand that all the participants in my dreams are me, even if the faces are different.

In this one, there was a younger version of someone I barely knew, and he was asking me, “How do you take care of the jitters when performing in life?”

“The way to do it is by understanding and knowing that everything is going to be fine no matter what happens!” I answered. (My higher self?)

NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS everything will be fine. Do you have to be reminded of that sometimes? When we look at some parts of life, they don’t always look so pleasant on the surface. It’s not always easy to see the good. How could an accident be good? How could being kicked out of a job be good? How could someone asking you for a divorce be good?

As you are going through these things, you may feel like you are drowning. The moment you catch your breath and begin to reflect, it’s a perfect time to put your feelings to one side. Feelings tend to blind us. Now you are able to see that before the accident you were going to embark in something you were not ready for, or you were doing too much in your life and the Universe gave you a reason to slow down. Maybe the job you were in was not fulfilling you, or you were no longer being productive, and you were forcing it. Maybe you two had grown in different directions, and it was time to be “you.”

Experience should teach us that in the long run it will be fine. In the short run, we should also remember that being grateful is a great way to find the good in the now. Even when we don’t yet see it in something, it’s helpful to keep the saying, “All things happen for a reason,” handy, to remind us that NO MATTER WHAT, all will be well! All is well!

Posted on

Is Life All About Relationships

-How we relate to ourselves
-How we relate to each other
-How we relate to beliefs and ideas
-How we relate to what we call things
-How we relate to the world and the universe

If all, including us and our ideas, is composed of particles of energy, when we enter something or someone else’s field of energy, we are affecting theirs and they are affecting ours.

It’s important to understand this to make decisions about what fields to enter and if we need protection. We may decide to help someone who is in anger, sadness or is physically sick, and sometimes how we are affected is visible to the eyes, sometimes to the emotions, and sometimes it’s deeper.

Today I invite you to relate wisely. Give and help others in ways that your energy is not diminished, and make sure to recharge with people, animals, plants and situations that raise your energy level.

Posted on

Self Discovery

Some education systems are obsessed with testing, and some are focused on individual self discovery and teachable moments. Which one do you think is more productive?

One of my hats is teaching reading to children who have difficulty learning. I have made it my goal to help each child discover the magic in learning. If they love learning, our relationship is easy. They ask for more things to learn about and for different ways to learn them. I give them choices from what I have planned specifically for them, and they choose with enthusiasm enjoying the task they are given.

If a student leaves school feeling that everything is hard or feeling that there’s no purpose in learning, we have failed. There are many unmotivated kids sitting at home after their schooling is done.

I don’t know how to infuse a love for learning in schools that follow the format of competition that began for me with FCAT (a Florida assessment given in the third grade that was equivalent to taking the Bar as a lawyer). Those tests have only gotten harder because they don’t take into account the individual child; what he or she has learned and it’s application to life. Now, teachers just have to teach test taking skills and the exact skills on the test. How sad is that. It will just serve as comparison to other schools which is translated into money given to a school. It is such a stressful situation to all involved including the children.

eI left the system several year ago and I couldn’t be happier. I make a difference one child at the time. There’s great satisfaction when they come back to the office saying things like, “I am sorry I had to go ahead one more chapter because the story was so good… or Can I start reading chapter books?or …Could we focus more on math? I need to get better at subtraction…. or Can you help me write a speech for Boy Scouts or an essay to get into the young firefighter cadets? Many times our next step comes from them.

In Finland and other countries, children begin to discover themselves and make decisions at an early age. They are expected to choose a sport and electives early on. They are also given lots of freedoms where they have to make choices constantly. These kids actually do better on academic tests when compared to kids in other countries. Their focus is not on the test, but on the child’s growth and wellbeing.

Our goal in education should be to help students learn who they are and what they are able to do, and to help them have a thirst for knowledge so they are not afraid or lazy to apply it, understanding that it’s all part of the process. They also need to learn to think and make decisions on their own. This takes practice and we can give them that time while they are still kids.

If this has not happened as children, when we become adults, we have difficulty knowing what we would love for our lives to be. We have difficulty choosing careers or staying in them. We have difficulty relating to others, and finding satisfaction in what we do.

Let’s help our little ones to discover themselves, to enjoy learning, and to love life.

Your DreamBuilder Coach

education #testing #lifedream #Finnisheducation #selfdiscovery #loveoflearning #values #Absolutelyrelativethebook

Posted on

Soldiers or Warriors

We are either soldiers or warriors.

A soldier follows instructions well, and fights wars or supports wars that may or may not resonate with her (or him). She serves with no regard for her wellbeing, and she may go against her beliefs and values to get the job done. She fights by habit, and it’s possible she may forget who she is in the process.

A warrior has been a soldier previously (most likely). She (He) knows how to follow instructions well, but now, she puts those instructions against her beliefs and values and decides if a battle is a worthy cause or not. A warrior spends most of her time being, rather than fighting. Yes, she may have to take out her sword which may look like words or specific actions, but since she is connected to a power greater than her, she can use those wisely. Her sword is not used for revenge or for the sake of destroying, but to help others wake-up to become warriors who listen to their own inner voices.

Being a warrior requires courage and humility. Sometimes it’s easier to stay dormant calling it being peaceful. When we are not sure if we should fight, lets reflect on the cause, our values and purpose, our state, and our resources. Does the cause align to our purpose? Are we physically and emotionaly ready? Do we have the proper tools to do it? If the answer is yes, it is time. Perfection as we define it is impossible, but we can get ourselves ready the best that we can, and that is good enough.

Today I invite you to see if you are being a soldier or a warrior and in what areas of your life. If you are being a soldier, I invite you to be courageous and take a step to choose causes that align with your values, and to choose being more often than doing.

Facebook Post- October 19, 2019

Posted on

Our Humanity Steps Out

Stepping into a new way of life or a dream requires courage and vulnerability.

Courage to go deep inside ourselves to figure out what we want to keep and what we want to let go. So deep that we realize that there are two parts to us, our divinity-soul -higher self and our humanity.

Our higher self knowing that our humanity needs to evolve sends her off to learn life lessons in order to achieve a purpose.

Our humanity supported by the higher self builds up the courage to step out, and then realizes that in the process of being courageous needs to open up and be vulnerable when exposed to new things that seem so difficult especially because they are in front of others. So, fear, anxiety, shame, and doubt surface. Our humanity may come back to the higher self feeling powerless and defeated, but if you have allowed your higher self to stand strong and connected, the higher self, with compassion, will hug our humanity and explain the process of growing through the feedback received in every step we take towards a goal, a new lifestyle, and a dream worth growing for. So, our humanity tries again knowing that the higher self is with her.

The reward of sending our humanity into the world with intention is not only for building skills through practice, but building confidence, connecting with what really matters to us, building crystal clear relationships, loving ourselves, and finding something to be thankful for no matter what circumstance we are in. This, of course, brings us to joy.

Like everything in the life we are living on this Earth, is a process which requires our constant attention so we can evolve. You see, we don’t get to choose to live a life. We have to live one.


Either we design it, or it gets designed by circumstances and other people. We might as well create our situations with intention to learn and grow towards our purpose. Let’s be active participants of the creation of our learning curriculum on Earth. The process is worth it!

Facebook Post September 9, 2019