From the desk of ... Mary Robinson Reynolds, M.S. Educational Psychologist
Re: Thoughts about yesterday's rant!

I gotta say, a well-intentioned rant is so invigorating!

Yesterday, I felt the energy of what's most important for making a difference come up through me from my toes, and I am even more focused and determined that ever before.

Please understand that this is not about being frustrated or dissappointed...
it's about determination to do whatever it takes to get people on board, regardless of who might decide to be offended.

To quote the African proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child" ... I believe it really does take a community, and that's why I developed Make A Difference with the Power of Acknowledgment UTrain® Program.

YES! There is MORE than one way to make our schools safe for kids to come and learn, especially if you are a person who IS doing something about this!

For example: Rachael's Challenge, which is a program that was created by the father of Rachel Joy Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings (requires paying a facilitator to come in and do it.)

For example: Helice Bridge's Difference Makers program, which approaches acknowledgment from a different angle (requires paying a facilitator to come in and do it.)

And then there is my MPDA Program: Make A Difference with the Power of Acknowledgment UTrain® Program. This is a program which schools, businesses, churches and organizations can DO THEMSELVES.

I understand - from what one person wrote to me - that by putting myself out there in the biggest way I possibly can to hopefully tap in to other people's passion about making a positive difference with MDPA, that they perceive me as being "self-righteous with an innappropriate tone" ...and that was certainly not my intention.

It was my intention to be transparent and authentic.

Whether or not it lights a fire under people, motivating them to step up and join in with me, is not as important as the fact that I am willing to do everything within my power to help with what I have to offer.

Which brings up a teachable moment.

Writing an email to accuse someone of being "self-righteous with an innappropriate tone" is an unnecessary way to speak to someone to get your point across.

How does saying stuff like this to anyone help make a positive difference?

Here's another approach (not the only approach - just a peaceful approach): "Are you saying, Mary, that your MDPA program is the one and only way, and that if we don't buy your program that we are somehow not doing enough?"

This gives me the opportunity to answer without also having to deal with unproductive name calling.

This is all about communicating effectively - ask questions and stop assuming, judging and taking shots at people because they have a point of view that you don't yet understand or that you do understand but don't agree with. Instead of name calling and making accusations, you can simply say that you disagree.

This passion of mine is not about me "not acknowledging" those of you who are making a difference; it's about me doing everything I possibly can to explain that what I have developed in MPDA has the potential to make a community-wide difference.

Let's move on to what's really important here:

MDPA is a great beginning point.

Unskillful behaviors come out of our own pain and suffering, because of bottled up emotions that we have not learned how to put into words - in ways that we will be heard and regarded with a degree of humanity and compassion.

Many today still look at bad behavior and attack back - to over power it - as if that is what will work. While it may work for the immediate situation, it never works in psychologically healthy ways for the long term.

Together, let's make our schools a SAFE ZONE for ALL Students by first learning how to get outside ourselves to learn the skill of acknowledging others.

This is just STEP ONE.

There are many steps and many ways to creating a safe community that is conducive for kids to live and learn.

And I have a program which can help this be accomplished...

To put an end to hurtful gossip, backstabbing, prejudice, jealousy, labeling, defiance, beligerance, emotional and psychological escape through drugs, alchohol, food and electronics, we must begin with a NEW conversation.

This NEW conversation can begin with the inspirational movies I've brought into the MDPA program, followed with a series of thought-provoking questions designed to engage students with each other and their teachers to discuss the concepts of the story represented in the movie.

As adults, we need to learn how to listen to what Today's Children have to say about how they feel and think even if their "truth" or view makes us uncomfortable - for the adult it is as simple as slowing down and continuing to ask questions until each point of view has been expressed and/or vented.

MDPA is structured so that adults who get jumpy when things get emotional can stay with the questions provided and simply let a classroom of students share their feelings and thoughts ... and keep it SAFE for them to do so.

MDPA teaches students, faculty and staff how to express thoughts and feelings in a way that keeps them coming back to their most AUTHENTIC selves. THIS is where self-esteem begins.

Kids who are getting addicted to drugs, alchohol, food, bullying and electronics must be given SKILLS to deal with their worlds in effective and empowered ways.

This program begins this process, and - if it's used all the way through - it will make tremendous inroads to opening kids up to USE THEIR WORDs in ways that they can be heard and they can get their emotional needs met and understood.

Click picture to hear what Mary says about Acknowledgment.

MDPA reaches out in the community - to the parents and businesses where parents work and where stuff happens!

Until we address what's really going on emotionally for ALL of our students - collectively and as a compassionate caring campus-wide community - there will still be those students who are NOT being seen, heard or felt until they do something extreme.

UNTIL we deal with the CONNECTION issue - the violence will continue and grow exponentially.

MDPA opens the doors to reaching into what's really going on for kids today.

If not you, then who?

If not now, then when?

You have 2 more days to get on this train, because it is leaving the station...

I AM OPENING THIS EXCELLENT OFFER BACK UP
FOR ONLY 2 MORE DAYS
I'D LOVE TO SEE YOU IN THIS TRAINING!

By giving you my Train the Trainer overview of MDPA UTrain® Program, I can help you bring the transforming impact of the "Who I am Makes a Difference" Acknowledgment Story into Your Community's classrooms NOW, along with other momentum building stories / movies: The Teddy Stallard Story, The Simple Gesture and more.

The Make a Difference with the Power of Acknowledgment UTrain® Program is designed to inspire and equip educators with a revitalized educational philosophy and practical techniques that will give life to academic performance and requirements.

It is the ONLY program of it's kind, because I'm teaching people about the debilitating effect that shaming, condescending Attitudinal Energy has on the kids who are already in pain, AND most importantly, this program teaches a SKILL SET that deals with Attitudinal Energy in a HUMANE MANNER.

Each Lesson in the program comes with discussions and activities to bridge the gap between social emotional issues and their often dramatic, life-altering effects.

So ... I am offering you free training on the delivery of the program, and you can invite whoever will be delivering the program, if that's not you.

In my VIRTUAL training, I will give you my BEST Exercise that gets everyone on the SAME PAGE - AND INVOLVED in delivering the program.

Plus, I will be walking you STEP-BY-STEP through exactly how to deliver this training site-wide for the greatest results possible. It WILL make a self-sustaining and measurable difference to the entire school for the whole year.

MDPA UTrain® Program is specifically designed to:

==> create social connectedness
==> provide concrete support in times of need
==> teach social and emotional competence

I will also teach you how to get Funding...

EXTENDED! 2 DAYS LEFT
I'D LOVE TO SEE YOU IN THIS TRAINING!

If you feel as strongly as I do about this then DO SOMETHING TODAY.

Reaching out to Make A Positive, Transformational Difference ...

Mary Robinson Reynolds
Author & Founder, Heart Productions & Publishing
MakeADifference.com/Acknowledge
UTrain® Program for Business, Churches, Organizations and Schools

PS ... Investing in the wristbands is not required - however, you will receive
85% SAVINGS on them at the time you invest in the MDPA UTrain® Program.

PPS ... AND HERE's THE THING, even if you don't see yourself as someone who can take a program like this into your schools, church, business or organziation YOU CAN invest in "I Make A Difference" Wristbands and have
4 of them on your wrist every day so you are READY in a MOMENTS NOTICE to MAKE A DIFFERENCE in somebody's LIFE TODAY - it just may be the life you save! Watch the movie: www.AcknowledgmentMovie.com

Wristbands only go to: makeadifference.com/Wristbands


Heart Productions & Publishing, Greater Boston Area, 800-639-8191