I recently received an email from a parent who is desperately frustrated over the struggles her middle-school son is facing. He has been diagnosed with ADHD and bi-polar disorder. School and everyday life, she says, is a real struggle; he looses everything and forgets everything. Like every other student I have met with these same characteristics, he also happens to be brilliant. But, his mother says, “All I hear is, “I’m stupid! Over and over again…” Maybe he is. There are several formal definitions of the word, “stupid,” according to Dictionary.com. In my world, however, “stupid” is the word I use to describe someone who has talents, gifts, and skills, but is choosing not to use them. Let me tell you, I know a lot of stupid people! But, you don’t have to be one of them. This struggling young man doesn’t have to be, either. Unfortunately, he is one of many, many students who think they are not smart for a variety of reasons. In his case, he is probably frustrated that he cannot organize and keep track of his papers as well as other classmates. “There must be something wrong with me,” he thinks. “There IS something wrong with you,” he hears when he visits the doctor and is told that he has ADHD and bi-polar disorder. He can probably solve challenging problems, can think of creative solutions, or can design clever things, but he does not recognize any of these skills as gifts because he can’t do something as simple as keep track of a homework assignment…and now he has a diagnosis to “prove” he’s stupid. Meanwhile, “I’m stupid!” becomes an easy excuse and a great way to get attention. When he says, “I’m stupid!” people tell him he’s not. They feel sorry for him and give him attention. Eventually, they organize his things for him and do his work for him…It doesn’t take long for “I’m stupid!” to become a crutch he depends on. This is a very common, well-intentioned situation that has been turned upside down and is back-firing on this student and his family. It is understandable how he ended up here, but the cycle has to stop and he has to be willing to step off and stop being “stupid.” How does he do that? **Action Plan** The best antidote against feeling stupid is to make a *decision* to not be stupid anymore. That may sound overly simple and obvious, but this student HAS to decide that being successful in school is worth his while and –more importantly- that he is worth the effort. If he can acknowledge that, he will immediately stop being ‘stupid,’ and will have already won more than half of his battle. The next step is for him to take action. As wonderful as our education system is, mandated curriculum has a way of beating students into a passive, coma-like state. Students quickly feel that “learning” is about sitting, getting, rehearsing, and spewing it all back on homework or a test. However, when a student realizes that he can be strategic… that HE can make some of that dry information just a little more interesting, that he can use a couple of tricks to learn it just a little bit faster, and remember it just a little bit better, he will quickly realize that there is a strategy to learning. Strategy can be fun! There are millions of study strategies plastered all over the internet. The free Homework Rx® Toolkit at www.soarstudyskills.com/freestuff.htm has several quick and simple strategies. He can start by simply trying 2-3 of them. He will soon discover that all he needs are a few of the right tools (a.k.a. strategies) to learn how to learn and organize more effectively…and make learning more interesting. Finally, he needs to stop using all of his labels as excuses. I’m not suggesting that diagnosing a student with ADHD, bi-polar disorder, or any other medical diagnosis is a bad thing. Instead, I am suggesting that the way those labels are handled can sometimes be a bad thing. For example, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis when I was 19. At that time, I did not even know what that disease was. There was no internet in “those days,” so I went to the library and checked out a book about RA. Right from the first chapter, the attitude of the author was, “So, you have rheumatoid arthritis. That’s (literally) a pain in the neck. BUT, you don’t have to stop living! You just have to start living better.” Throughout the entire book, as I learned about my disease and better ways to take care of myself, the author continued to emphasize that I could have a better life because of my experiences with the disease. After 13 years, I can honestly say that the quality of my life is much better because of the things I learned from my illness. This is the same attitude that we should be bestowing on our students when we tell them they have ADHD. We should be saying, “Okay, you have ADHD. That means that you are going to struggle a little more in traditional school settings, but you’re IQ is significantly higher than the national average and you can use your talents to do great things. We just need to figure out a few strategies to help you get through school.” Isn’t that a much more empowering message? **Conclusion** If you think about what a child, or any human being, is really saying when they say, “I’m stupid,” they are repeating messages they’ve heard or felt in some way, shape, or fashion. They can spend their life blaming other people for sending them that message, or they can decide to not be stupid anymore, take action, and be in control of their own learning!

“There is the known, and there is the unknown, and in between is the doors.” – Jim Morrison “Break on through to the other side…Where the day destroys the night and night divides the day…Break on through to the other side.” These were the famous haunting words sung by the American poet, rock artist, Jim Morrison of The Doors. With these words, he electrified an entire generation. And with these words, he began his own destruction. Morrison was talking about the great hero quest that he longed to take: to break on through to the other side, the dark side, the spiritual side, the unknown, and beyond. To penetrate the deepest darkness of his soul, enter on to the other side of pure light, and return with a vision to heal himself and his people. But Jim Morrison never returned from the dark side. Jim was not prepared to enter into the dark side. He did not understand the psychology of the hero soul, and did not have the capacity to deal with the horror of his inner demons. Instead of slaying the dragon, his ego, he fed his ego with more fire and hatred. He set out to kiss the serpent, to ride the snake to the end of time and beginning of eternity, but he was swallowed by it. He was consumed by his own darkness. The same thing happened with Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. They got stuck in the dark side. By using artificial means, massive quantities of drugs and alcohol, they were able to shut the spinning wheels of their mind and receive a small glimpse of the other side. In their drug-induced trances, they caught the occasional beams of light on ‘the other side’ that penetrated their darkness with visions of poetic expression. But they did so at a great cost to themselves and people around them. These visions may have electrified their generation, but they did not heal. They simply entertained people, and at best, during their peak, may have satisfied a small yearning inside. But their music did not elevate people to a higher level of understanding like Mozart, Beethoven, or John Lennon. Joseph Campbell, in his book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, beautifully illustrates the path of the hero: “the birth, life, and death of the individual may be regarded as a descent into unconsciousness and return. The hero is the one who, while still alive, knows and represents the claims of the super consciousness which throughout creation is…unconscious. The adventure of the hero represents the moment when, while still alive, he found and opened the road to the light beyond the dark walls of our living death.” The penultimate hero is able to enter into the unconscious realm and beyond, still awake, and bring back the boons that elevate entire civilizations and create the titan works that give birth to cultural enlightenment. He or she has the strength, will, courage, and inner capacity to defeat the dark demons of the other side. Heroes also survive the cruel impact of the world. They learn to effectively deal with the initial, furious scorn and ridicule from people that don’t understand them upon their return. They learn to shatter the ego, and return transformed, offering people the life elixir to renew and transform themselves as well. They cause the illumination of the collective soul and liberation of the mind. The highest purpose of the hero is to provide a vision that heals our tribe called humanity. Can we all aspire to become like this in our lifetime? This is a question that I cannot answer, because I have no authority to decide what is possible and what is not. The important thing to remember is that this work is a composite of the universal hero in a state of perfection. We only need to access a small fraction of this power to experience a new life with new power and new blood.” [Excerpted from "Psychology of the Hero Soul," by Sharif Khan, Chapter 1.] Psychology of the Hero Soul is an inspirational book on awakening the Hero within and rekindling people’s passion for greatness. It is based on author, Sharif Khan’s ten years research in the field of human development. The Hero Soul is availble to order in most major bookstores including Borders, Barnes and Noble, Chapters, Indigo, and Coles bookstores. To order online visit: http://www.herosoul.com Psychology of the Hero Soul, by Sharif Khan, ISBN 0973192208, Diamond Mind Books, 160 pages, $14.95 US, trade-paperback, Self-help/Inspirational, distributed by Ingram, Baker & Taylor, and University of Toronto Press. For more information on special quantity discounts call (416) 417-1259 or email: inspire@herosoul.com

Along an island in the North Sea,five miles from the Dutch Coast,stretches a dangerous ledge of rocks that has proved the graveyard of many a vessel sailing that turbulent sea. On this island once lived a group of men who, as each vessel was wrecked, looted the vessel and murdered those of the crew who reached shore. The government of the Netherlands decided to exterminate the island pira tes,and for the job King William selected a young lawyer at The Hague. “I want you to clean up that island,” was the royal order. It was a formidable job for a young man of twenty-odd years. By royal proclamation he was made mayor of the island, and with in a year, a court of law being established, the young attorney was appointed judge; and in that dual capacity he “cleaned up” the island. The young man now decided to settle on the island, and began to look around for a home. It was a grim place, barren of tree or living green of any kind; it was as if a man had been exiled to Siberia. Still, argued the young mayor, an ugly place is ugly only because it is not beautiful. And beautiful he determined this island should be. One day the young mayor-judge called together his council. “We must have trees,” he said; “we can make this island a spot of beauty if we will!” But the practical seafaring men demurred; the little money they had was needed for matters far more urgent than trees. “Very well,” was the may or’s decision–and little they guessed what the words were destined to mean –”I will do it myself.” And that year he planted one hundred trees, the first the island had ever seen. “Too cold,” said the islanders; “the severe north winds and storms will kill them all.” “Then I will plant more,” said the unperturbed mayor. And for the fifty years that he lived on the island he did so. He planted trees each year; and, moreover, he had deeded to the island government land which he turned into public squares an d parks, and where each spring he set out shrubs and plants. Moistened by the salt mist the trees did not wither, but grew prodigiously. In all that expanse of turbulent sea –and only those who have seen the North Sea in a storm know how turbulent it can be– there was not a foot of ground on which the birds, storm-driven across the water-waste, could rest in their flight. Hundreds of dead birds often covered the surface of the sea. Then one day the trees had grown tall enough to look over the sea, and, spe nt and driven,the first birds came and rested in their leafy shelter. And others came and found protection, and gave their gratitude vent in song. Within a few years so many birds had discovered the trees in this new island home that they attracted the attention not only of the native islanders but also of the people on the shore five miles distant, and the island became famous as the home of the rarest and most beautiful birds. So grateful were the birds for their resting-place that they chose one end of the island as a special spot for the laying of their eggs and the raising of their young, and they fairly peopled it. It was not long before ornithologists from various parts of the world came to “Eggland,” as the farthermost point of the island came to be known, to see the marvelous sight, not of thousands but of hundreds of thousands of bird-eggs.

Today’s world is changing at the most accelerated rates ever, and our bodies, minds, emotions and spirits are all being affected by these larger changes. Have you noticed recently that you’re experiencing more intense emotions? Many people are feeling a heightened sense of emotional intensity, so we are seeing more incidents of disruptive outbursts and behaviors, and also more positive emotions related to expanding love, that are inspiring people to take more risks within their interpersonal relationships, and in relation to important life choices. The human heart is growing larger on a spiritual level, expanding beyond its perceived small boundaries of focus on the self. The growth of technology and the process of spiritual evolution on the Earth have created unprecedented levels of communication between people, and also between humanity and the planet Earth that we live upon. It has become clear that our previously self oriented behaviors have created multiple planetary crises that must be addressed. Each of us is being called by the time we live in, to step forward into greater self responsibility and a greater willingness to join with others to find solutions to our common problems. As the spiritual evolutionary impulse continues to transform us and to open the hearts of humanity, we are also seeing increased incidences of the worse of humanity as well. We see shocking examples of negativity expressing itself in large and small ways, which seem even more abominable as we become more spiritually aware and more sensitized to the world around us. This process which seems so harsh and difficult is known as the process of purification. As greater levels of spiritual light manifest on the Earth, the light acts both to open the heart and open spiritual awareness, and it also acts to illuminate what has been hidden and separated from the light of spiritual oneness. When the negativity is released, it floods our awareness and feels like it will never end. This is the most difficult part of the process, which we are in the midst of right now on planet Earth. Once the flood of negativity has subsided, we can begin to be able to feel the greater love, light and freedom that results from being cleansed at a deep level. The end result of the process of purification is a life that exists in harmony with oneself, with God, and with all of life. This process is happening both individually and on a global level, so that humanity can live at peace, in harmony with God and with all of life. Most of us carry within ourselves pain which we endured in our younger lives, or that we are aware of from within our hearts. As the spiritual atmosphere of the Earth becomes more illuminated, we may feel these emotions in a more heightened way. It could be a constant sense of anger, or despair or grief, that seems to pervade our consciousness no matter what is happening in our daily lives. It may be that little has changed in our outer lives, but suddenly we are beset by all these feelings which seem to emerge from an endless well. Or, we may have endured unexpected life crises which trigger deep and painful wounds that feel like they will never be healed. These intense emotions that are surfacing right now are a part of this larger movement happening on the Earth. Your inner being is a pure and divine child of light which carries within itself the inner knowing of what needs to be healed within you. If you can hold the awareness that the emotions you are feeling are a part of a natural healing process, then it becomes easier to breathe, and to remember that you are feeling the emotions but you are not your emotions. You are a precious and beautiful soul, created in God’s image with infinite care, to share something special with the world that only you can offer. Allow your emotions to pass through you like water, with trust that they will pass. On the other side of the storm is a new tomorrow with infinite possibilities that exist within God’s loving embrace of spirit. You are deeply blessed with the gift of God’s life, for a divine purpose. Trust this and follow your innermost hearts calling. Your body, mind, emotions and spirit will find a new harmony and alignment, and a new level of peace and inner fulfillment.

Do you tell yourself that you are not a creative person because you can’t draw or play an instrument or write poetry? I often hear many of my clients bemoan, “I’m not creative!” This isn’t true! We all have the ability to be creative – it is a God-given gift – but you might not be noticing or enjoying your particular form of creativity. It’s important that you become aware of which forms of creativity are fun and fulfilling for you, because expressing your creativity is a powerful way of feeling filled up and joyful within. Creativity naturally pours out of my three-year old grandson, as it does out of all little children who are given the opportunity to express it. When I was spending time with him recently, he was playing with a children’s microscope that has little slides with various bugs and other little creatures that he can slide in. He slid in a little shrimp and then starting running around the room saying, “Grandma, the shrimp is in the heater! Get it out!” Once I coaxed out the little shrimp, it now magically appeared under the table, or in the lamp, or back in the heater! He delighted in running around pretending this little shrimp was everywhere and engaging me in his magical game, laughing as he thought up new place for the shrimp to hide! I could see the pure joy he experiences in expressing his creativity. How can you express your creativity in everyday ways? Perhaps you really love scrapbooking or making photo albums, creating ways of enjoying memories. Do you enjoy setting a beautiful table, or creating a lovely flower arrangement from flowers that you grow? Do you love creating a wonderful garden? How about creating a bulletin board in your home or office for others to enjoy? Perhaps you just enjoy putting on music and allowing your body to dance around the room. Do you love being in your workshop, making things out of wood for yourself and others? One man I know decided to express his creativity by carving a totem pole, even though it was something he had never done and had no idea how to do it! Maybe picking out fabrics and making clothing or blankets is fun for you, or knitting or crocheting for yourself, family and friends. Do you have fun making cards with stamps? Maybe you enjoy making collages with pictures from magazines. You might be a person who expresses your creativity through your kindness or through your humor. Perhaps volunteering is a form of creativity for you. Perhaps you have learned to express your creativity in saying something kind to each person with whom you are in contact throughout a day. The point is, all of us have many ways in which we can express our creativity, and expressing it is vital to our wellbeing. It is a wonderful form of play. If you spend all of your time just getting things done and do not allow time for your everyday creativity, you will not feel alive and content within. The old saying, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” applies to all of us. We feel dull inside when we don’t allow time for play, for creativity, for kindness to ourselves and others. Creative expression will occur naturally when you open your heart to yourself and others, allowing the gift of creativity to flow through you from the spiritual source that is always available to you. New ideas are always waiting to be expressed through you – you just need to open to them and allow the time for them. When you do, you will feel the joy and fulfillment that comes from everyday creativity!