Chaplain's Corner

CHANGE BEGINS                                                    WITH ME/YOU/US

Hi Everyone,

Did you and your family have fun with the ‘perspective’ pictures last week?  Our year 3/4 campers will have many different 'PERSPECTIVES' on their Philip Island experience this week.  I can't wait to hear about some of them!

In the last newsletter I wrote about 'perspective' and how many things determine who we are: our genes, personality, environment, experiences both positive and negative.  It is said that what happens in our lives between the ages of 18 months of age and 3 years of age has a profound impact on us and how we perceive and handle the world around us.  Of course, there are other events throughout life that impact us too. 

We all have a ‘STORY’.  The illustration of an iceberg is very useful.  On the surface we on average only see about 10% of the iceberg, the rest – 90% -being below the water’s surface. 

Often when I hear someone judging someone, especially if they appear homeless and/or are suffering from mental illness, I ask ‘do you know  their story?’ We may be seeing only 10% of who that person really is.

I also often apply the iceberg illustration to the situation in which someone tells me they have an anger problem.  Do they, or is it their reaction to the 90% of their story that we may not know?

How we handle our experiences is often a reflection on how we see ourselves. 

Which voices/messages are being listened to?  Do we tell people how we feel or ask for help?  Or is there a ‘volcano’ brewing? 

Change your thoughts, change your actions and you may change reactions.

THIS IS A VERY DIFFICULT CONCEPT TO CONVEY, ESPECIALLY TO CHILDREN. 

To see CHANGE in the world, we need to start with ourselves.  Children especially use the word ‘they’ when trying to sort out a problem with friends, instead of ‘I’ – what did ‘I’ do, how could ‘I’ have handled it better; how can ‘I’ change my thoughts and reactions?  Why did ‘I’ react in that way?

For many of us we need to work on the 90% below the surface that is impacting our lives.   This may mean professional counselling for you or your child.

IT CAN BE AMAZING HOW THE WORLD’CHANGES’ WHEN WE ‘CHANGE’. 

CHANGE OTHERS’ PERSPECTIVE OF WHO WE ARE, BY CHANGING OURSELVES!

I believe that it is a real privilege when people tell me their ‘story’ – whether happy, sad, traumatic, etc…   It can be freeing on so many levels when we share our story.

So encourage your child to talk about what is going on for them and really listen. 

For our year 3/4 campers TIREDNESS may be a driver behind their behaviour/attitude on Friday evening!  Every attitude and behaviour has something ‘driving’ it.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!  PLEASE STAY WARM AND SAFE, AND ENJOY SPECIAL TIMES TOGETHER!

Robyn Mulholland (School Chaplain)

 robyn.mulholland@education.vic.gov.au

What’s behind that ‘smile’?  'It is hard to fill a child's mind when their heart is empty'.