Last Night we went to see the lightening thief. My 11-year-old daughter LOVED the books and begged for her reward for having straight A’s and once again being on the honor role to go on opening night. I had agreed and then the snow warnings were all over the TV. I had already bought the tickets so off to the movies we went.

I had not read the books so I had no idea what to think. My daughters were excited the theater was packed and the middle school principal was sitting right in front of us with his family. There is always such a natural high about being in a packed theater with kids illuminated with excitement of a much-anticipated movie from a very popular book.

As a parent I was elated that my daughter, who always finds something wrong with everything, found a series of books that she can’t put down and talks about constantly. I wondered why she as all abuzz. The book teaches Greek mythology in a fun, exciting way (as a parent you got to love that). My oldest is a chatter box so the entire movie she was sharing what was different what was going to happen next and how cool everything was, proclaiming at the end that this was better then Harry Potter and now her MOST favorite movie ever☺. Learning at this level and her ability to remember Greek mythology with such detail makes me giddy as a schoolgirl, not for the Greek mythology part but for the fact that she is so excited about learning and retaining information she loves. This just solidifies by beliefs in the dire need for a new education system that fosters the healthy growth of the minds of our children to encourage and support the decision to follow their dreams, their natural interest and talents. Her love of these books allows her to expand and express her creative mind.

The lightening thief is about children that were born to mortal through the procreation with Greek Gods. Percy Jackson and his best friend is a wonderful representation of today’s youth. He has been labeled by the mere mortals, teachers, doctors and adults has being ADHD and dyslexic and so he has low self esteem thinking that there is something wrong with him however feelings bouncing back and forth with thoughts of empowerment (how he speaks out for his mother) to self loathing. While in a museum learning about the Greek Gods everything that is all mixed up he can now see clearly as he is a half blood a demi-god who means his mother is a mortal and his father is a Greek God. Ahhh and then the true lessons that lie in the beautifully constructed story. I love it when Hollywood gets it right. When they reach out to our youth and instead of selling sex and perfection they are teaching love and the building of self-esteem and empowerment. Teaching lessons of purpose and passion and the very things we struggle with on our journey and that most of us don’t even begin to uncover and become aware of until much later in life. This is a wonderful teaching mechanism to teach the children of today who are feeling restless much earlier what most adults see at typical teenage behavior and phases are really the awakening of these beautiful enlighten souls, the children of today that are ready to pounce into their life purpose with passion and vigor at such amazingly young ages.

Percy finds out that he is a demi-god. In the story the Gods are forbidden to have any contact with the demi-god children so these children are raised without one parent. The bond with the missing parent is displayed though telepathic communication and these demi-gods are all knowing that the other parent exists and loves them. (As a co-parenting coach I work with so many kids that talk of this very same phenomenon. That after they are getting out of the clutches of an alienating parent these children say they know that the missing or alienated parent loves them and that sometimes they thought they could hear them talking to them even though they were not there☺) Percy’s best friend is on crutches and it comes out later that he is half goat and half man, he is Percy’s protector in the real world and even Percy thinks this is ridiculous when he finds out, as his friend has obvious physical limitations. These children are being treated differently and being label with things that would in today’s society be looked at as something wrong with them. Something to medicate, or look down upon with either rejection or pity as if they are not good enough creating limiting beliefs for a whole group of children, holding them back creating fear based actions and causing positive forward moving action paralysis. This of course has been happening for centuries, which is why so many adults are confused, and lost dealing with the inner demons of their own limiting beliefs.

The undertone lesson in the story, which is why I think my daughter, who was born with a cosmetic alteration with her ear and ALL children for that matter who are struggling with some type of negative label that their parents or society has placed on them resonate with the books and now the movie. The lesson is this. That we are unique and special with our physical or mental limitations. That we are All GOD we are all special. We are all here to learn and to grow to teach and be taught. That everyone and I mean EVERYONR has a purpose. We are all here in our own unique and special way. That when we place our limiting beliefs on others and ourselves it holds them back and it also holds us back. What it also teaches is that whatever your limiting beliefs are that are holding you back can be changed at the blink of an eye by becoming aware that they are illusions. That limiting beliefs are just that limiting and just beliefs. EVERY ONE of us has a duty to ourselves and others, to gain clarity around our own limiting beliefs so that we can clear and shift them and free our minds and spirits to do the work we chose to come here to do. To walk in our own greatness and to guide our children to walk in theirs. I teach people in my coaching practice skills, mindset, and easy to implement practices to do this I their own lives. I have to say I was so tickled to see this message to hear it loud and clear. It moved me to tears and at the core of my being to see this consciousness shift displayed through books and movies for kids.

If you have not seen the movie take your children. Use it as a tool to talk about the challenges your children are having in their lives. Use it as a door to open up conversation with your children about their own limiting beliefs. Use it to recognize your limiting beliefs and to be accountable for the limiting beliefs you have placed on your children from lack of awareness or your own fears. This movie or the books are a wonderful, fun tool to open up dialog with your children to connect on a level that is beyond the surface it allows you and your children to open up your minds and your hearts to the possibilities of connecting at new and deeper levels. Solidifying your deep connection to your children and to the world as a whole. AHHHHHHH Now that’s creating good karma and connectedness don’t you think?

To the success of creating healthy relationships.

Create a Magnificent day!

Dorcy

This week I was reminded of what it was like to view the world from a hawk’s eye view. every morning this week there was a hawk that waited outside my home and twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon he flew with me and my daughters as we walked up the street to the bus stop. He sat in a tree across from us and watched us as we waited for the bus. And once my daughters were on the bus he flew back down the street with me. I’ve always had a fascination with the Hawks as they started to show up when my grandmother passed away when I was 15. There always seems to be a hawk when we have a family reunion, a few years back I was in a not so healthy relationship and six families of hawks took up residence in my backyard for two years. it was loud and overwhelming but I didn’t want to recognize the real reasons that they were there. I didn’t really come to realize until just this week what the hawks really mean in my life.

You may be asking what is a hawk to do with parenting? and as it turns out plenty. We have a one hawk spotting a day rule in my family. Thia rule was placed on me by my children a few years back when hawks just seem to be showing up out of nowhere. In the most random places in the most interesting times. I looked up what Hawk energy means before and never really found much on it. But this week since the hawk was guiding me up and down the street with my children I figured I’d give it another look and see. and here’s what I found.

“Hawks are visionaries and messengers. As a totem they help to open the higher chakras so that we may hear and see the visions and messages that Spirit and the Universe are always sending our way. There is never a moment when the Universe is not trying to get a message through to us but we are so often too busy or unaware of what it is we need to be watching for! Hawk helps us to not only be aware that we are receiving a message but how to interpret them. The realm of symbols is also the realm of Hawk for Hawk is able to soar high above the earth to soar on the breath of Spirit, to commune with Spirit and thus understand through the intuitive level what the message means and with their keen eyesight, how to implement it once they return to earth through seeing the broader picture below.

Many of the messages Hawk may bring are about freeing yourself of thoughts and beliefs that are limiting your ability to soar above your life and gain a greater perspective. If one remains earthbound, then the possibilities of life are limited! It is this ability to soar high above to catch a glimpse of the bigger picture that is one of the aspects of Hawk medicine that makes it so valuable: If one is undergoing a difficult passage to know that just over the next hill is freedom and liberation if one keeps going can be a Godsend in supporting the person to keep moving forward! Likewise, if the path is not appropriate, Hawk Medicine can alert one to this and point out a far more favorable path.
Hawk medicine unites Heaven and Earth. Because of their ability to soar, they are able to reach up to the heavens to extract needed information and bring it back to earth. Much of this information is also very practical for use on a daily basis! It is not only higher concepts or ideas that are relayed, but also information we need to make our material or mundane lives more prosperous and fulfilling. For those who have difficulty attracting financial well being due to false or negative beliefs about money and success, Hawk can help to understand the true spiritual intent and purpose behind money and guide one in establishing new beliefs that are more joyful and abundant in nature.
Hawk can alert us to those times when we should NOT take action because we do not yet have all the information we need. For example, someone is thinking of about becoming involved in a relationship, personal or business, yet they get the feeling that something is “not quite right”. This needs to be heeded and Hawk sent forth to gather the appropriate information to help the person make the best choice. Sometimes the person finds that Hawk was telling them to steer clear for very good reasons.

One of the greatest gifts a Hawk medicine person can give the world is their visions of a better and brighter future. Visionaries are always ahead of their time and it’s not easy seeing what others are not ready to see. Often these people are not honored and recognized for their work and efforts until long after they have crossed over. And yet their work lives on to touch and enrich the lives of people the world over! Honor the Hawk people you meet in your life. Encourage them to soar so they may bring their visions and messages back to earth that all may benefit. If you are a Hawk person yourself, understand that Spirit can you an especial task to hold the energy of what could be, of potentials that are waiting to be envisioned and thus expressed through the mass consciousness. Seek out other Hawk people who can support you in your life and never allow others to cause you to lose sight of what is really important to you! Trust in the messages that Spirit entrusts to your special care and know that the expression of your visions will bring blessings not only to you, but also to all others!”

As a parent and a co-parenting coach I was awe in reading about the Hawks and even more importantly the Hawk medicine person. I often times find myself in thoughts and in feeling energy for others that I’m soaring above that I can see things in know things for their life and the direction they should be going, before they can see it. Sometimes this is the news that hangs around my neck and often times in my coaching is a gift that the aides and offering a light to the path that sets them free. for the first time in a long time I can see that this ability I have which oftentimes feels like a burden if used properly is a gift. If you’re reading this and you can relate you probably find the same comfort that I found which is I’m not alone. opportunity as parents to not only teach our children how to connect with God, the universe or whatever your spiritual belief is and what I have found since I’ve been apparent for the last 11 years and been working with children is that they often times in so many meaningful and deep ways teach us how to view our lives from the hawks eye view.

As a parent, often times we see things from a Hawk’s eye view. we have either learned a lesson from experience, or we can see things that are dangerous, harmful, or not the right direction for our children and so we want to guide them in the right direction. Sometimes his parents we think we see it from a hawk’s eye view and try to force our children to do it our way of course if we think about that and we know in our hearts that really isn’t a hawks eye view and more a desire to control.

This week I’ve been working very diligently on a new project of licensing instructors to teach my conscious coparenting course. There have been delays technical difficulties getting the website set up and anything and everything you can imagine. I believe that the hawk showed up this week to let me know I was on the right path. This particular hawk I believe was a spirit guide opening my heart chakra allowing me to soar above my work and really understand that their teachings of the conscious co-parenting Institute is coming out into the world in a really big way. The men and women who have already signed up for the licensing program or extraordinary human beings ready to take the co-parenting principles and skills and easy to implement techniques out into their communities with pride, passion, and purpose.

As as I soar above looking at my life from a hawks eye view. I am nervous, excited, at times overwhelms, but I feel very focused, purposeful, and driven. I am grateful for the Hawks in my life and for the spirit guides for whom they represent. I am grateful that the hot sub in my life during times of turmoil and strife, and in times where my purpose and passion are on the forefront in their presence is a continued reminder of the driving force and desire to bring positive change in the world. for hot start daily reminder for me to keep moving, moving, and moving in the direction of creating positive change for divorced families globally.

There were some delays with getting my licensing program launched and I was beginning to get frustrated but now I know that there were some things I still needed before it could take off. I am watching the licensing program next week for a couple of days and the following week for a couple of days. If you’re interested in learning more feel free to contact me at 888 – 379 -7279.

Thank you to those of you who have already signed up who feel driven by the same purpose and passion as myself. I’m excited to teach you and to guide you into your purpose and passion driven life.

Create a great day!

Dorcy Russell

This week was a crazy week. My sister’s mother in law passed away and so off to Northern California she travels with her husband, leaving her seven-year-old son behind to stay with my girls and me. I know so many people who parent more then one or two children and I say more power to you. I had three kids, three different schools, and all of the extra curricular activities. It was amazing how hard it was to step out of our daily routines and add just one extra child into the mix. We had car pool, bus stops, homework, and meals every morning and every night, family time around the table, lunches to pack, and of course just when it could not get any busier it was time for the State fair and my oldest daughter shows goats with her dad so just one more activity. You would think that would throw me into a tail spin but nope there was too much to do and to many little people counting on me so as one of my girlfriends would say I put the “S” on my chest, grabbed my cape and my cup of what is now cold tea that I had made earlier and headed out the door everyday to run the bus and carpool race.

I laugh at how by the end of the week we effectively had incorporated a new child into our routine and it felt like we had been doing this all along. My Nephew and I would walk my oldest to the bus stop and then race back up the street, it is pretty sad when you get your butt kicked y a seven-year-old. I was excited every morning after seeing my second daughter off on her bus to have the 30 minutes with my nephew as we sat in the carpool lane of his school. I was able to read a new friends amazingly clever and hilarious book, Feng Shui Love. We chatted about the book he was reading and I have to admit it was a little stolen pleasure in what could have very easily been a stressful and difficult week. We created a positive out of what could have been perceived as a negative.

Only a few small hiccups, just when I thought I had it all under control, 30 minutes before picking up my child from carpool for dance on Tuesday I realized it was at the same time I had to pick up my nephew on the other side of town. A fleeting moment of panic set in and then this super mom was freaking out about how in the world I was going to achieve the impossible and be in two places at once. I could feel my cape slipping off and my “S” fading and then my oldest daughter had called they had finished showing goats and I reluctantly asked to speak with her father thinking he would say no or be irritated or worse say something in front on my daughter to make me look weak and helpless and unable to handle my co-parenting duty. I really had no other choice at the moment and I was going to have to take that risk. And there he was ready willing and able to pick up my youngest daughter in time to take her to dance while I picked up my nephew and we met at the dance school. Whew another small crisis handed with ease and grace.

Where I am going with all of this is simple: Co-parenting can be difficult, maddening and sometime an outright pain in the behind. It is a choice you and your ex make to create chaos or calm in your lives. You can choose to work together or apart. Sometimes we let our own minds run away with what we think someone is going to do that we don’t give them the opportunity to do something kind.

There are times in my own situation I wonder if we are ever going to make it through our differences so that we can get something accomplished. And then there are the times when Mr. Ex steps up and is there for me and more importantly our children. I am so grateful that we can look past our differences most of the time and put our children’s needs first.

Could I have made it through a challenging situation of needing to be in two places at one time without the help of my ex? Probably, however it made it a lot easier that I did not have to worry about it for too long as he was cooperative and willing to help. This is not always the case and it is important as a single parent to remember to not always rely or abuse the other parent when you are in need or a time of crisis. If you are always crying wolf your child’s other parent is not going to respond. Remember that your crisis does not constitute a crisis for your ex even if it does include your child. As single parents we all need to learn to take care of things on our own we need to make a conscious effort to work with our children’s other parent and to not always rely on them but to know that we can count on each other in times of need when it is related to the children is a luxury we should all strive for in our co-parenting relationship with our ex. Cooperating with your ex means laying down your weapons in the war of divorce in order to protect your children.

I am grateful that my girl’s father and I have come to a place where we work together and help each other out. I am grateful that I can express gratitude without feeling slighted and he can help without feeling owed. I am grateful that we can put our children’s needs first and even though we get irritated with each other we can focus on what is the most important which is our children.

Its so easy to stay negative and it take effort to be positive but the rewards are so worth it.

Create a GREAT day!

In love and service,

Dorcy Russell

Conscious Co-parenting Institute

I’d like to talk to you about something that I have been experiencing with my children and really thinking about the perspective of which we teach, coach and parent our children. Our week has full of honors, my oldest daughter Savannah who is in the first year of middle school came home this week with their first-quarter grades and she’s on the Honor Roll. I can’t even begin to express how proud of her I am as the Honor Roll was an achievement I never received. Not because I couldn’t but because I chose from an early age the school was not important, it was boring and I simply did not care about it at all. Looking back I can see that a lot of this had to do with the fact that my mom did not care whether I passed or failed so therefore it became unimportant to me. On the way to the bus stop Savannah asked me if I had ever made the honor roll Then she started to laugh remembering how much a dreaded school as a young person. There was an internal tug in my gut wondering if I had done the right thing by sharing with my child my failures in school as a child and really my lack of desire to participate. It was a fleeting moment as I know how important it is to be truthful and honest to our children and to share with them not only our successes and our celebrations but also our failures and regrets. I’ve never been one to let failure or regrets hold me back or my lack of enthusiasm for school.

It’s difficult parenting and finding the right words and tools to teach children about the importance of school and what I have found more importantly the life skills that you can teach them while they’re in school. For example I’ve always worried about what I’ve done in my past and how it will impact my children as they continue to grow and become more aware of who they are and as they spread their wings to fly in their own independence that they will throw back in my face what a hypocrite I am for not wanting them to make the same mistakes that I’ve made. But then thinking about it I’m pretty sure our parents have experienced the very same thing. My honor roll child is very smart. She loves school even though she knows I never liked it. She hasn’t taken my experience and made it her, she’s clearly taking her experience and owning it. As the parent of a middle school child, as many of you know, it’s a very scary thing to think about how fast our children are growing up these days physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Our kids have come into this world all knowing with an incredible capacity to live their independent lives regardless of who their parents are or what their parents do.

Right now we are sitting in the hotel room Savannah and I, while the youngest in our family Jensen, is fully engaged in her seven-hour rehearsal for honors chorus. Jensen was born early is very small in her forth grade body and ginormous in her spirit and electric voice. Honors chorus was a really big deal. As Jensen has come into this world is a very talented and delightful singer. At three years old Jensen told a very good friend of mine when asked what she wanted to be when she was grown-up she simply looked at my friends who I might add is a professional platinum recording artists and says “why a singer of course just like I am now.” We all laughed at that tiny little three-year-old thinking, rights she already knows what she wants to be when she grows up. But here we are six years later and my little professional singer at the age of nine was selected out of over 400 kids who tried out to participate in the elementary school honors chorus. She is one of only 75 kids in the entire state. I’m giggling to myself as I’m writing this article thinking what a boastful mother I am and how I always roll my eyes at the bumper stickers on the back of the minivans that I often see “my child is an honor student at such and such school.” Now I’m not going to go that far and post all of my children’s honors all over my car but I will post it all over the Internet.:)

Besides being a proud mother, these story are leading to something I have been experiencing more lately in my coaching practice. I am currently coaching the young man who’s in college playing football on a scholarship. He’s one of the star players and frequently gets MVP. He was a straight A student in high school and now that he’s in college he’s failing. His parents asked me to work with him and so I’ve been coaching him for the last four months. And what’s been discovered with coaching is the star athlete who has the potential to become a pro athlete despises football. You may ask yourself how something like this happened and how does he get so far and become so good at something he can’t stand and the answer is very simple, his father was a star player he also played pro ball in his first year of playing professional football for the NFL he had an injury and was no longer able to play football. He is very successful at the business he does now however the failures and fallen dreams of this once star athlete are now being lived out vicariously through his son. It’s difficult as a parent to have a child who excels so well at something and happens to be the same thing that you also in your youth excelled at and were not able to fulfill that dream in your adult life. This particular young man has been failing in school not because he does not know how to do the work he is failing because he does not want to play football, he is in college on a full ride, and he does not want to fail his father. His father is the guy who pushes him to the end. They lack the communication techniques to be open and honest with each other. This young man is doing everything he can to get kicked off the football team so he does not have to quit. This young man has been playing football since he was 3 years old.

Often times well-intentioned parents have no idea the effect they’re having on their children by pushing and prodding them along in what truly is their dream. As parents we think when our children excel at something that is what they should focus on and that is what they should do. We’ve all seen them the Little League parents sitting on the sideline yelling at their kids to do more, to put on a happy face, to be better to get in there to take down the other children. We seen the fathers who continue to coach and put their children in all the lead positions forcing them to play the sport that they so loved when they were young. We see the moms on the sidelines bringing the snacks and encouraging their children who often times seems so miserable to play harder and play smarter. Sometimes these are just small children in the early stages of elementary school at the phase of life where children really want to do everything they can to please their parents. Don’t get me wrong I have nothing against Little League and understand fully the professional athletes have to start somewhere but let’s not all of us forget that it is a very small percentage of people that become professional athletes. Little League and sports and really any extracurricular activity that your stroke child participates in are for them, for their fun, fulfilling their desires, and meeting their needs.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how as parents we want our children to achieve the things that we never achieved when we were young. We want our children to excel in the things that speak to our hearts and our souls. We want our children to excel in the things that also speak to our egos. We forget that they have their own minds their own egos their own souls and their own desires. As parents we often times take advantage of the fact that children ultimately want to please their parents so we push and prod them along and doing things that they don’t always desire to do.

There is also the other side which I must admit I’ve experienced, which is my children participating in things that I don’t like at all things that I know their father loves and I can see them doing things to please him. They are not good athletes so it is hard for me to watch them struggle with sports to please their dad. I have also stepped back and realized that they do like playing some sports it is not all for their dad and that my old feeling from my marriage can cloud my vision with regards to the things my girls do that their dad loves. Having this awareness allows me to focus on what it truly is that my children desire and not what either their father or I desire for them or what we did not get to do from our childhood.

So as my children are processing through honors chorus and being on the honor roll I’ve also watched them struggle and things that they’re not so good at yet they attempt them anyways. As a parent, it’s is tempting to try to convince our children to do what we like and want instead of focusing on what they love and desire. It’s temping as divorced parents to push the things that you like and pull from the things the other parent likes. I am also a singer and love the arts my children’s father is Mr. Sports. My children are naturally gifted in the arts and music and not so much in the sports arena. There was a time I fought all sporting activates because of my own personal feelings. Now we strive for a healthy balance and let our children decide on the to extra curricular activities a year. Its not easy co-parenting, its not easy sharing time and passions, it is however one of most honoring gifts you can give to your children.

It is so vital to remember that we must HONOR our children as fellow human beings. We must hold sacred their innate desire to please us and to be sure that they are participating in the activities they truly love and desire not what we want for us through them.

In love, light and service,

Dorcy Russell

www.consciouscoparentinginstitute.com