His teachers and principal are exhausted, and rightfully so.
He feeds off of their frustration, as he attempts to navigate the world.

What I have found is that, by being a neutral observer, I can be present with him and honor his gifts.
He is incredibly intelligent.
He reads well, he writes well, and he comprehends well.

What he does not yet do well is focus on the things that he is expected to focus on.
This gets exaggerated when he is in the presence of adults who are openly frustrated because they do not know how to reach him.
It seems to give him even more reason to run amok.

My intention is to bring compassion to everyone involved.
I acknowledge that it is not an easy task to educate someone like him, in a school that is set up the way it is, in a world that prioritizes certain values and qualities over others.
I acknowledge how hard it is for a principal to be expected to rescue a teacher from a student that is enigmatic at best.

By honoring everyone involved, and by being open to what comes forward when I am with him, something new has been happening…

I have sat with this boy and seen him complete some amazing work.
I have firmly asked him to say, “please” and “thank you” when asking for things.
I have held him accountable for completing what he starts, before he goes off to do what his little body so urgently wants to do.

I let him know that he is a genius, that he is amazing.
I remind him that it is his job to honor himself as such.
He hears me, loud and clear, and he responds accordingly.

I cannot claim that this is the answer to everyone’s prayers.
I can only know that I have seen what is possible, and this brings me a feeling of satisfaction and hope.
Together we are tapping into genius, and that changes everything.

For more great cartoons and inspiration from Darrell Fusaro, just click on the link: www.DarrellFusaro.com

Recently one of my students stopped eating his lunch at school.
He would not eat lunch around his friends, and seeing as there was no other easy option, much of his lunch went uneaten.
From the perspective of Applied Behavioral Analysis, the most popular behavioral modification methodology used today, this student was avoiding eating with his friends.
The function of the behavior was labeled avoidance and the goal was to reward him for eating with his friends, even if he was very upset about it.

Well, I happened to have heard from his parents that he was not eating because he was afraid of the germs that were present at the table and he did not want to become ill.
One day I had an opportunity to talk to him before lunch and ask him if he would be eating that day.
He said “No, and I don’t eat breakfast, and it is not for the reason that (the behaviorist) thinks it is.”
I asked him what was the reason, and if he was willing to share it with me.
He then told me the real reason was that he was afraid of the germs.

I immediately started chuckling and said, “Are you kidding me? How is your body going to fight the germs if you do not eat?”
He got it immediately.
I told him how a good friend of mine, Darrell Fusaro, had recently started refusing to talk to me if I have not eaten yet. (True story!)
He loved it!
I told him that I would not talk to him either if I found out he had not eaten, and we both started laughing together.
He understood that I understood.

Since that day he has eaten his entire lunch daily, as well as added an orange in the morning for breakfast.
So simple, and i could not have planned it any better.
That is what I call Tapping Into Genius.
Anyone can do it!

For more great cartoons from Darrell Fusaro, just click on the link: www.DarrellFusaro.com

I am becoming more honest with myself about how frustrated I have been with my Life.
It is actually refreshing to feel those feelings and let them go, rather than push them away, and keep on marching up victory hill.

As an educator and a parent I am reminded, time and time again, that games are the best way to learn.
Whether it is time to clean up a mess, or time to go out to eat, as soon as it becomes fun, the ease of the operation flows.
Suddenly everyone becomes willing to participate, and the tone of the conversation changes completely.

I have seen it with my students, including some that have been labeled as particularly troubled, and I have seen it with my son.

Here is the trick.
It is not about whether or not they are having fun.
It is all about whether or not I am having fun!

So take parenting and make it a game.
Take learning social skills and make it a game.
Take listening to your children when they are upset and make it a game.

The other day I wanted to go hiking with my son and I had one “special” place in mind.
To my surprise, he actually wanted to go hiking!
But wait…
He wanted to go somewhere else.

Immediately the Big Baby in me came rushing forward and needed to stomp his feet and complain about how I wanted to go to my “special” place.
I had to admit that my son’s idea just did not sound fun to me at that minute.
So I caught myself, and told my son that I was just going to call the plans off for now because I had nothing positive to say.
He understood completely and went back to Lego building.

I laid on the sofa and talked myself down into a better feeling place.
I thought about what I really wanted out of this experience.
I focused on being outside with my son and recognized that I would enjoy that time no matter where we went.
So, I took a deep breath and approached my son again.
This time I said I was willing to go to his chosen spot, or we could just walk around the block.
He smiled and came up with an even better idea…
We could take our cat for a walk around the block!

Remarkably, we all had fun.
After our walk, my son went to his room for more Lego building and I sat down to play some music.
Two and a half hours later we both emerged from our creative caves with satisfied looks on our faces.

Most of the time, I have to let go of my expectations in order to tap into the genius, or the fun option, of the moment.
It is so worth it!

For more great cartoons and inspiration from Darrell Fusaro, just click on the link: www.DarrellFusaro.com

There are certain friends who are great sounding boards.
I am able to open up and they will hold the space without taking offense.
These same friends are also willing to give it right back to me if the need arises.
They are great friends because they are willing to be honest with themselves and me.

I have a great friend who will always remind me, “What do you mean you are taking another meditation class? You should be teaching the class!”
He does not really care if I take that meditation class or not.
What he is reminding me is that I do not have to put other people on a pedestal, or search outside myself for what I already have within.
He is really saying, “I love you just the way you are! You are enough!”

My wife is another great friend who will always tell it how it is.
She is especially adept at getting me on track with my fashion choices.
Recently, she sat me down and told me, “Ed, I think it is time to get rid of the moustache.”
It was perfect timing because I had already been thinking the same thing and was just holding onto the moustache because for some reason I thought I needed it to be cool.
That is the type of thinking that I can do without!

It is amazing how wound up, and out of alignment, I can become when I try to figure it all out in my head.
This temporary sense of peace never lasts, nor does the illusion of control that comes with it.

What I love is a combination of honesty, open-hearted listening, and a good dose of self-forgiveness.
When I combine these three qualities, I find my life, and my conversations flowing rather naturally along.
I also find my dreams coming true, and I find myself laughing along the way.

Anything that gets me back to appreciating being in square one is fantastic.
Afterall, in a journey of 1,000,000,0000 squares (You get the idea!) we are always in square one.

So find someone who will listen without judgment, then return the favor.
Afterall, this path was never meant to take away the human experience, just make it more fun.
That is where the genius lives!

For more great cartoons from Darrell Fusaro, just click on the link: www.DarrellFusaro.com

I was reading my son’s new book, How Come?, by Kathy Wollard.
It explains many of life’s scientific mysteries to children (and their parents!).
Reading the book is a great way to relax and feel the wonder of Life.

One question that the book answers is, “How do magnets work?”.
The answer was simple, yet profound.

Certain materials, such as iron, have large amounts of atoms clustered together in what are called magnetic domains.
Most of the time they are all facing random directions and cancel each other out.
However, when in the presence of a strong electro-magnetic field (a big magnet), all of those atoms line up in the same direction.
When all those atoms are lined up, the iron becomes magnetic (at least temporarily).
So, in the presence of a strong magnet, other materials also become magnetic.

This got me thinking about how I feel when I am around magnetic people.
These can be people who are strongly positive, or people who are strongly negative.
Either way, I can easily be pulled in whichever direction they are leaning.

The great teachers, such as Jesus, or the Buddha, carried a strong positive charge.
In their presence, and in the presence of many other great teachers, people seem to magically heal, to wake up, to remember who they are.
The best part of it is that these great teachers tend to remind us that the strongest magnet of all is within each one of us.

Similarly, in the presence of a strong negative charge, such as Adolf Hitler, people seemed to magically forget who they are and become capable of doing awful things.

One question that came forward for me is, “What kind of magnet am I?”

So how do I apply this right now?
Well, in order to live the life I desire, I find that I must become a magnet for that which I desire.
What is fantastic is that, by being positively charged, I can transform my environment, so that it also becomes magnetic.
By doing this, I get to live the Life I desire and the world around me seems to become a brighter place.
Because it is a brighter place!

So when I am with my child, my students, or even my partner or colleague, I always benefit from becoming a magnet of positivity.
When they see me, they actually remember who they are.
When they remember who they are, they immediately become more open to joy, to Love, to inspiration, to Genius!
As they become magnetic, the field grows, and the potential for greater positive energy increases.
The best part is, I don’t lose anything in the process.
That is called a win-win situation.

So let’s find ways to stay charged with enthusiasm.
We are literally transforming our world.
That is what I call Tapping Into Genius!

For more cartoons by Darrell Fusaro, just click the link: www.DarrellFusaro.com

He then said, “that can be remedied”.
Herein lies my newest insights.
It is not mandatory for creative thinkers to suffer.
It is not mandatory for creative thinkers to feel stifled or unfulfilled.
This can be remedied.

I have a very active imagination.
I am very sensitive to my environment and any thoughts that pass through my awareness.
This can lead to my mood swinging back and forth like a trapeze artist, if I am not paying attention.
I have spent some time developing the tools to pay attention to my thoughts, and the way I feel.
As a result I am recognizing that I have a choice about what I focus on, and that this choice is very important.

The other piece that is becoming clear to me is this:
I have to create!
Writing songs, drawing on a napkin, dancing in my garage, laughing at absurd things with my friends, and playing tag, are a few of my outlets.
If I do not do these things, then my imagination turns in on itself.

For years, I continued to believe that there was something wrong with me.
Now I am seeing, in a whole new light, that I am gifted with an active imagination, and it does not fit in any one else’s box.
It does not even fit in mine.

So, here at Tapping Into Genius, I encourage you, if any of this resonates with you, to find some outlets and then let it rip.
If you have a child who is sensitive, or even overly insensitive, take a moment and ponder what is going on inside his or her mind.
Be willing to let go of all the boxes and create a new story, create a new schedule, create a new world.
It is amazing how different I am when I am in the flow of my creativity, and I know this is true for the children in my Life.

How often are we told to go out and have more fun with our children when problems arise?
How often are we told that our child is right, this school is too uptight, go outside and get creative and he’ll be fine?
Well, I am a teacher (14 years running) and an Inclusion Specialist (that’s a great title, right?!) and I am telling you that you and your child are fine, go out and play! (Or sit quietly and imagine something beautiful together…)

We are living in a beautiful time.
I sense that this is the time when the window is opening wide enough for all of us to play together again.
There is no genius without imagination, Einstein was accurate with that one.
There is no limit to the possibilities of what we can do when we tap into genius.
Go for it!

Dr. Michael Prazich is Certified Life Coach. For more information on his work just visit the link: www.PerfectLoopCoaching.com
For more great cartoons from Darrell Fusaro, just click on the link: www.DarrellFusaro.com

Lately I have been hearing alot about this thing called imagination.
For years I actually believed that I did not have one.
Now I see that I am using my imagination all of the time.
Sitting here writing these words on a computer is one use of my imagination.

What I am learning is that my imagination is always in full effect.
I can be imagining where I want to go, or I can be imagining where I do not want to go.
Either way I am going somewhere and this imagination is playing a big part in that.

The importance of the imagination is often underestimated.
This country was born in the imagination of some courageous men and women.
The computers, the internet, even the language with which we communicate are all products of the imagination.

There is a more subtle imagining that I want to point out.
It is the use of the imagination to create the kind of day I want to have, the kind of world I want to live in.

Today I was on my way to surf with my brother and started imagining everyone on the road sharing the same love that is in my own heart.
I extended that vision to everyone in my life, to everyone on the planet.
I had the amazing awareness that in order to fully receive the Love that I am, I must honor it in others.
I feel more liberated recognizing that all of the gifts and potential that live in me, live in everyone.

This is comforting and healing for me, particularly as a father and an educator.
I can imagine the gifts within my child and my students, and I can imagine that all the people in this world have gifts and a great potential for love.
This is a world that I can live in, and can rest easy in, supporting my child and all of my students along the way!

Am I imagining all of this?
Yes.
Does it show up in my life to confirm my imaginings?
Yes.

So imagine the possibilities!
That is what tapping into genius is all about…

For more great cartoons from Darrell Fusaro, just click on the link: www.DarrellFusaro.com

Hello Again!

I have been growing, stretching, and learning these days.
I know that is a bit redundant.
It feels like Life gets redundant during these growth spurts.
The feelings that have surfaced, the memories, the thoughts.
It can feel like deja vu, all over again, to quote the great Yogi Berra.

If there is one medicine that has come through for me like no other, it has been laughter.
I have a great friend, Darrell Fusaro, who keeps me rolling just when I think I am ready to roll over.
He drew the cartoon at the top of the page, and has also been known to spray a thick cloud of lemon scented air fresher in the bathroom, just before I walk in.
It is stunts like this that keep me from forgetting that laughter is the best medicine.

I have been enjoying running in the grass, throwing the football, and rocking the hula hoop.
Such simple practices!
Playground gurus everywhere, mostly under the age of 11, are masters of this ancient practice called play.

I scoffed at it for years, like a hurt child, standing on the other side of the fence, secretly longing to join the game.
Well, it is never to late to hop the gate and make some friends.
It takes the weight off of the game when we play it together.

I love you all and wish you all the laughs, joy, and smiles, that you can handle.
It is called tapping into genius, though it is more often about dumbing things way down, and remembering what really matters…

For more great cartoons by Darrell Fusaro, just click on the link: www.darrellfusaro.com

It is said that when the student is ready the teacher will come.
I recognize that this applies to all things in life.
When I am faced with challenges in parenting, in teaching, in my marriage, or in simply being me, I am learning to become receptive to the solution.
Another way of saying this, is that I am seeking alignment, rather than seeking answers.
When I align, or connect, or remember who I really am, I find that I have had the answers I needed all along.

So if your dream seems to be on hold, you have a student that seems unreachable, or your child is behaving in an unsavory way, I recommend a pause.
Take a breath and become a receptive student.
Find out what Life is teaching you.

When the old way does not work anymore, there is always another way in.
It is true with relationships, it is true with dreams, and it is true with tapping into genius.

For more great cartoons from Darrell Fusaro, just click on the link: www.DarrellFusaro.com

Hello there,
It has occurred to me that as a father and as a teacher that I want to give my children the best that I have to offer.
In the past I have found myself judging what I have to offer is not good enough.
Just last night, I found myself wondering if I spend enough time playing with my son and how that will effect him in the future.
In those times it is good to remember that I am only a stand-in for Love, for God, for Life.

There will come a time when my son, and my students, will move on.
All relationships change.
It is good to remember that I am not here to be more than I am.
I am here to reflect my beliefs to my children in the way I Live.

By being honest with myself and my children, I give them a deeper understanding about what it means to be human, as well as Divine.
By showing them, that while I am never living up to some definition of perfect, I am always learning, always living, and always in good hands, I create a safe and secure space for them to do the same.
By taking risks to tap into genius in my Life, to continue expanding and becoming, I show the children in my Life that they can go for it, without fear of reproach.
This turns into a bond of deep Love and Respect, as we recognize that we are all in this thing together.

So don’t worry.
By being you, you are being exactly what your child needs.
Remember, we are just stand-ins for Love, for God, for Life.

For more inspiring and hilarious cartoons from Darrell Fusaro, just click on the link: www.DarrellFusaro.com