Tags: education, teachers, love, elementary teaching, mental health, positive attitude, pandemic, Valentine's Day, friendship, mentorship, counseling, influence
"Heal the world. Make it a better place for you and
for me and the entire human race!” Michael Jackson
This is the week we celebrate Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate love and friendship and the joy of having that special someone by your side. I can remember when I was younger and single, Valentine’s Day was not exactly my favourite day of the year, but now that I have had my valentine, my husband Phil by my side, for almost 30 years, I certainly feel differently. Happy Valentine’s Day Phil by the way!
Love in general, never mind romantic love, is something we all crave and need. We all long to feel accepted and valued, and to know that someone thinks we are very special to him or her. Children are certainly no different. I have a wonderful career as a teacher, where I get to work with children each day. They are very tender hearted and loving individuals. Each year I am blessed to receive a beautiful assortment of cards, and pictures they have carefully prepared and at times I see the words “I love you Mrs. R.” on them. This is one of the perks of my job, because receiving these make my day as these love notes absolutely warm my heart. I am always happy to display these masterpieces proudly around my classroom. My priority as a teacher is to ensure that each child knows I care for him or her, and that I am there to help in any way I can. With this established first, the atmosphere for productive learning can then take place. Kids need love and positive interaction from caring, mentoring adults like never before. I consider it a privilege to be able to help to mold the next generation each and every day. 
The song What the World Needs Now talks of “what the world needs now is love, sweet love. It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.” These simple phrases sum up what the world truly needs quite well. The world at present feels so divided. Every time you read a newspaper, or turn on the TV, you hear of people debating, a sense of sadness, and a raging pandemic with seemingly no end in sight.
My first career before teaching was a clinical social worker. My clients consisted of many individuals who were often struggling with addiction issues and major life challenges. As their stories would unfold, my heart would break as I knew how they so desperately needed someone to believe in them and show them they mattered. I tried to be that person, by showing them love and mentorship. I wanted them to see that they had the power to change their lives with self belief, hard work and taking “one day at a time.” One particular individual was really making great progress in her recovery and kept saying each week “You wait and see Dana; I’m really going to make something of my life!” I believed in her 100%, and conveyed that to her often, never doubting that she indeed would do just that one day. Several years later, our paths crossed again, and she was still clean and sober and working at a non-profit agency as a receptionist. We were both so excited to have this conversation and to rejoice in her positive changes and accomplishments. 
There seem to be so many people needing a little love sent their way during these challenging times. With so many needing loving words or actions, it can seem overwhelming knowing where to start.
Here are some simple action steps to take, to help make a difference in our world using the actual word LOVE as our guide. L: Listen well.
When it comes to being a good listener, we need to truly listen when a person is speaking. This means to listen not just with our ears, but also to listen with our hearts. Hear what people are NOT saying as well is critical. Be skilled at "reading between the lines" and become comfortable with just listening without responding sometimes. This shows people our love and genuine concern for them, and provides them a much needed listening ear.
O: Open your heart to others.
Be on the lookout for where you could be a blessing, or offer a helping hand to others. Look for people in your life who need encouragement and offer it freely. It does not have to be a huge undertaking, but it is often the little, kind gestures that mean the most! A hug, a word of encouragement, a little prayer, a card or uplifting email can make a powerful difference to someone who feels down. Ask God to direct you to people you can touch in a positive way. He designs "divine appointments" for this very purpose!
V: Value and validate people.
Tell people how much they mean to you. It is not enough to assume people know how we feel. People need to hear it from you and when you vocalize this or write it down, you will be so glad you did! You may never know if today could be the last day you see that person. Those who may get overlooked are those quiet folks, the unsung heroes, or the faithful volunteers. Let them know you notice their efforts and they matter. It will mean so much to them! I have had amazing volunteers in my classroom. They are enthusiastic, faithful, dedicated and very committed individuals. I value them and let them know I am very grateful for their support in my classroom, and their beautiful mentorship they provide to my students.
E: Embrace opportunities
Put your talents and skills to work in different settings, even those that are out of your comfort zone. You may be led in a different direction then you could have ever imagined, and you will be given new people with whom to share your loving interactions.
I originally had no idea I would be a teacher. I was happy working as a librarian, but God clearly had another plan for me. Going back to school for teacher’s college was out of my comfort zone, but I am so glad I took that path. I am now right where I am meant to be in my happy, little, primary classroom. I hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day. Love is all around us, and remember when we show love to others, we end up a winner in the end as well. Just as the little song goes: “Love is something if you give it away, you’ll end up having more!” Sounds like a win-win to me! Until next time, ~ Dana 1 Corinthians 13:13: (The Voice) But now faith, hope and love remain; these three virtues must characterize our lives. The greatest of these is love. Little Lesson Learned: We all need to feel loved and valued. Don’t forget to let someone know how much you love and value him or her. Do it today. Copyright © 2022 littlelessonslearnedbydana Dana Romualdi, the copyright holder reserves all rights to the content on the blog and website Little Lessons Learned by Dana, including the right to reproduce, distribute, and display the content. No content or photographs may be reproduced or modified. Blogs may be shared on social media platforms in their entirety only with full credit given to the owner. Any photographs used by other photographers are used with permission and are also protected. All Rights Reserved.
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Tags: conversation, words, compliments, words of affirmation, 5 love languages, self-talk, God's love, choose your words, positivity
"Our words have power. They impact others but they also impact us."
~ Michael Hyatt
Words have such power. They have the power to heal, encourage, motivate, and comfort. On the flipside, they also have the power to discourage, offend and destroy a person as well. Don’t let anyone ever tell you that words are "just words," and they don’t mean anything. There is nothing further from the truth! I always had a hard time with the quote “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” I thought who is the misinformed, disconnected person who coined that silly phrase? Words can hurt very deeply, and people can carry the wound from them for years, if they are not addressed properly.
I have experienced situations where someone’s kind words have touched my heart so deeply, that the words that were spoken will resonate in my heart forever. I have also had snide remarks or criticism made to me that have had a lasting, negative impact on me, for years. 
On my Facebook page, (Little Lessons Learned by Dana) we are discussing the
5 Love Languages as discussed by author, Gary Chapman. If you are not on my page, I encourage you to get on Facebook and "like" the page as it is a very fascinating topic. The five love languages are words of affirmation, acts of service, quality time, physical touch and receiving gifts. Everyone has a primary love language. When we understand what that is for ourselves and our loved ones, and we do more actions that validate that love language, our special people feel very loved by us. We are currently discussing words of affirmation on my page. Words of affirmation are more than just telling someone you love him or her. It is letting people know how proud you are of them, giving compliments and sharing uplifting, positive, heartfelt statements to enhance their self worth and make them feel valued. We need so much more of that these days. Don’t even get me started on this one! There is so much negativity out there, it is truly sad. When we hear of positive situations, stories and uplifting words, it is the breath of fresh air, and change in conversation we need right now. It is not enough to think things that are complimentary and positive about people. We need to vocalize them. I have heard people say things like my husband KNOWS I love him. I don’t need to say it, or my mom KNOWS that she is important to me. I don’t need to say it. I would challenge that and say you DO need to say it, because we all need to hear positive statements about ourselves. Sometimes it could be the exact thing that that person needs to bring him or her a little bit of hope, or a smile that day. Let’s unpack together how words could be affecting you in three, important and profound ways. 
How’s Your Self-Talk? ~Words About Yourself
What words are you using to describe yourself at present? Have you thought about that recently? I have heard people so easily say about themselves comments such as: “I am so fat” or “I am so lazy.” “I am so unorganized” or “I am so clumsy.” You get the idea. The same people often have a very hard time saying anything positive about themselves, or even accepting a compliment. Be aware of the negative self- talk and put an end to it. You can be your own best friend or worst enemy. Choose wisely!
If there is something you are working to change about yourself, acknowledge it, phrase it in a more appropriate fashion, and follow it up with an action. For instance, if you are struggling with weight loss, tell yourself I am not the weight I want to be, but I am working hard through healthy choices and exercise to get where I need to be. Another example could be saying I have struggles with organization, but if I focus on organizing one area at a time, I can do it. We ALL have areas we need to grow in. Acknowledge them and articulate how you will address them in a positive and productive fashion. 
He Said, She Said: Words from Others About You
Many people have blessed me with their gift of positive and kind words. I can think of many occasions when there were tears in my eyes and my heart was full from kind words said to me. Why is it though that even if many people say so many kind things to me, I may choose to focus on the negative comment I got?
Can you relate? I remember a blog I wrote years ago that got great feedback from others, however one reader did not agree with the person I quoted at the beginning of my blog. He felt that that person had no business being quoted on a Christian blog and he was both offended and shocked. Truth be told, I had not researched the life story of that person, so it was a good reminder, but I let that comment rattle me so much. I questioned my judgement about my entire blog, and was so worried about who else I had perhaps offended. I am growing in this area, and I know I must learn to take the good with the bad. When any of us gets criticism, we need to learn to accept it and ask what we can learn from it? Sometimes it has nothing to do with us and is more a reflection of a broken person lashing out and as they say, “hurt people, hurt people.” I am learning to extend more grace to those people because we really don’t always know their story. Why is it also even when we have created a wonderful life for ourselves as adults, we can’t forget the damaging things that have been said to us as children from someone we trusted? Why do we give those words power anymore? You are not those negative things that people said you are in your past. You are an incredible, interesting, beautiful, and valuable person. You are worth getting to know, have much to add to this world and bring something to the table that no one else can. If someone has hurt you deeply in the past, I challenge you to do the work and forgive that person for his or her hurtful ways. You are punishing yourself by holding onto the inconsiderate comments. This is difficult to do, but so liberating in the end. See yourself the way God does. He looks at you through pure love. 
The Father Speaks: Words About You From God
God is crazy about you. He is totally obsessed with you, to such an extreme that He even knows the number of hairs on your head! Of all His creation, you my friend are his absolute favourite. The Bible says that He knew you before you were born, and His word says he has written your name in the palm of His hand. That is how important you are! You are chosen, loved and precious. There is no one that could ever take your place, and there is nothing you can do to ever lose God’s favour. You are that valuable and special to him.
I get really worked up about this topic because I have made it my personal mission to change the dialogue and atmosphere wherever I can. I want to radiate positivity and assist people to see their inherent value, maximize their potential and step into all they have been created to be. In closing, decide to focus on positive words about yourself, dwell on the positive feedback you have received from others, and rest in the unconditional favour and acceptance of God. Trust me this is a beautiful place to be! Let’s hang out there together. I’ll bring the coffee. Until next time, ~ Dana Ephesians 2:10 ( NLT) ~ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things that he planned for us long ago. Little Lesson Learned: Words have power, but only the power we assign to them. Give power to the words that lift you higher and get you closer to the person you are striving to be. Copyright © 2022 littlelessonslearnedbydana (Dana Romualdi) Dana Romualdi, the copyright holder reserves all rights to the content on the blog and website Little Lessons Learned by Dana, including the right to reproduce, distribute, and display the content. No content or photographs may be reproduced or modified. Blogs may be shared on social media platforms in their entirety only with full credit given to the owner. Any photographs used by other photographers are used with permission and are also protected. All Rights Reserved. AuthorDana Romualdi is a Canadian elementary teacher, social worker, blogger, author, motivational speaker and recording artist. She has a passion for helping others and spreading much needed encouragement. She lives in Canada with her husband and two grown children. When she is not working or blogging, she enjoys drinking coffee, watching Netflix and reading great books. 
Want to know more about what our Heavenly Father thinks of you? Click on picture here for blog: Everybody Know Dat!
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