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Where Can I Publish?

I have mentioned in other articles about the importance of creating a writer’s footprint. You want to have so much of your writing published that publishers and editors can easily find you. My daughter came to me one day and said, “Mom, I googled your name, and you came up in the news.” I had written over eighty articles for our local paper, so those articles came up when she searched for my name.

 When you first start writing look at all the options available for publication. You can write for your local media, magazines, local businesses, and online publications. Where you publish will also depend on what you write, but here are a few ideas.

Literary magazines and journals. The New Yorker, Ploughshares, The Paris Review, The Sun Magazine, Rattle, Barren Magazine, Flash Fiction online.

Here are some databases to find calls for submissions. Submittable Discover, Duotrope, The Submission Grinder.

Online communities and small presses. Vocal, Medium, Reedsy, Prompts. Press fifty-three, Graywolf Press, Tin House Books.

Essays, articles. Medium, Substack, Vocal Media.

Self-publishing. Amazon KDP, Ingram Spark, Draft2Digital

Blogging. WordPress, Ghost, Substack, Medium

Social platforms. Threads, Bluesky, X, Instagram, and Linkedin.

Starting a blog allows you the chance to publish as much and as often as you want. I use WordPress, and I also publish on Medium and Substack. On WordPress and Medium, I can build a subscriber list that allows me to send monthly newsletters. Here are some important points about blogging.

· Make your posts useful, well-written, and authentic.

· Use a mixture of formats: how-to guides, listicles, personal stories, interviews, or reviews.

· Use catchy titles to draw reader’s attention.

· Find attractive pictures.

· Make your site easy to navigate.

· Post consistently.

· Reply to comments and emails.

· Build a sense of community.

· Share your blog posts on other platforms.

· Be patient. Building an audience takes time.

Join social media writing groups then interact and make your presence known.

There are several books that will help you find publishers. Here are a few.

Writer’s Market Children’s Writer’s and Illustrators Market

The Christian Writer’s Market Guide

There are different types of publishers. A traditional publisher will not ask for any money unless they are print on demand, and they may pay for your writing. A vanity press will publish your book for a price. Most writers steer clear of the vanity press experience. You can also self-publish, but know that traditional publishing is often more respected.

Good luck and don’t give up!

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The Power of Failure

How your reaction to adversity changes everything.

I used to fear failure. What would people say? How would they judge me? Would I be embarrassed? I felt all of those negative emotions many times until I realized how good failure is for me. I can fail a million times and as long as I learn from the experience and find a way to grow and succeed, I will always come out better. I can make those moments even better by being transparent about my failures and sharing them instead of hiding them in shame. Maybe I can make someone else see the possibilities if I can share how I moved on after a failure. Here are a few examples of how failures have taught me valuable lessons.

I practiced Go Juru karate for six years and I learned more about myself and life than I would have imagined, but many of those lessons were brutal both mentally and physically. The dojo I was in was full contact which meant on Saturday, (sparring day), you were going to be pummeled by the other students. There were three black belts who were massive, burly, scary men. I used to call them the oak trees. Fighting them was terrifying, and I often did not fare well. I remember my oldest daughter had come toward the end of class to take me to lunch. I was about to fight the biggest of the oak trees when I heard my daughter start yelling from the waiting room. “Mommy, don’t do it! No do not fight him!”  When class was over, she tried to convince me to never do that again.

Although I was terrified most days, karate taught me to face my fears and do something even when it scared me. My favorite oak tree told me once I was fearless. I know my mouth was open in surprise when I said, “I am very afraid before I fight.” He replied, “Yes, but you do it anyway.” The many times I had to get back up after being knocked down gave me confidence and it taught me resilience.

I remember the first time I saw someone doing kata which is a series of movements that incorporates important techniques for each belt level. I told myself I would never be able to do that. I practiced and made every mistake possible, but gradually I mastered it. The experience with kata taught me that anything is possible if you want it bad enough and you are willing to work at it. It also taught me that frustration is wasted energy. I used that knowledge in my classroom teaching when one of my best students had a meltdown because she was trying to master a French skill. Frustration is wasted time that you could use to be focusing on your mastery.

My daughter took a job after college that paid well but made her miserable. She was so anxious that she had to take medication. One day, she decided she had to make a change, and she began her own at home sales. Her boyfriend at the time saw this as a failure. Why would she quit her respectable job to do something risky? My daughter took that perceived failure and used it to fuel her drive to succeed. She has been so successful that after ten years of being in business she was able to allow her husband to retire and stay home with their young son.

Don’t let failure hold you down. Some of the most amazing people have been failing their whole lives, but they keep moving forward to make it work. Share your failures with others, and I guarantee they will share their stories. Brainstorm together for success.

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How to Edit and Revise Your Writing

Edit and edit again. You might think that editing your writing once or twice will be enough, but you would be surprised by how many errors you will find when you look again. Use an editing tool like Grammarly or Word, but realize neither program is perfect, ask a friend to review it, and consider having a professional editor review it before sending it out.

Avoid repetition. This is a constant challenge for me. Go through your work and make sure you have not said the same thing numerous times. Have a variety of words instead of overusing the same ones. Make it a challenge to find diverse ways to say things.

Good grammar matters. There are some rules that can be broken, but good grammar is important. Have a grammar guide close by that you can consult and use the grammar guide that Grammarly or Word provides.

Cut out the extra words. We all use extra words that we need to cut out because the sentence can stand without them, or we have used them too much throughout our piece. Mine are that, just, sometimes, own, and really. What words could you eliminate?

Read everything aloud. I can edit my work repeatedly, but I always find more errors when I read my writing aloud. I can also hear if it flows well when I read it.

Delete passive words. Have your subjects do the actions instead of the actions being done to the subject. Tanner decided to make dinner for Kate is an active sentence. The dinner was made by Tanner is a passive sentence. Passive words are words that make writing less direct or less engaging. Examples of passive words are perhaps, I think, could, and might.

Make it look good. Presentation is huge. You can pull in a reader if you have an attractive piece of work. Use color and some of the many software tools that can help you make it look great, like Canva.

Use strong verbs vs. weak ones. An example would be The music was loud. (weak) vs. The music pounded in my ears. Here are some examples of weak and strong verbs.

Instead of saying walk, use stride, march, stomp, or shuffle.

Instead of the word say, use shout, whisper, or declare.

Instead of look, try stare or gaze.

Instead of go, use hurry, rush, or wander.

Instead of make, use create, build, or construct .

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What Do Students Remember?

What do you remember from your classes? Do you remember how to diagnose a sentence or how to form the past tense in a language? It’s very possible that you do, but I imagine there are some things you remember better. Here are a few things more students remember than the material we teach.

They remember

How we made them feel. Are you the teacher who saw the potential or talent and nurtured it? You may be the first one who did. What if a student has a dream or a passion but doesn’t see the possibilities or his talent. How huge is it to unlock that dream. It could be as simple as making them feel special and showing them they are capable.

When we find the help they need. Parents don’t always see the same thing we see in the classroom. We might see that they learn differently and need some additional resources to find success. If we can find those resources for them it is a game changer.

Helping them live a dream. As a language teacher, I felt it was my job to plan trips to France for my students. I always loved seeing the joy and excitement they found in travel. I remember when two girls started crying when they saw the Eiffel Tower. They both told me they were crying because they thought they never would have the chance to see it.

Fun activities. Learning doesn’t always have to be serious. Incorporating fun events will make them love your subject even more. At Christmas, I started a tradition where the entire French program and their families would come to a potluck dinner so we could have our version of the French Christmas dinner, Le Réveillon. It created a family atmosphere and when everyone went home the janitor helped me clean up while I washed the dishes.

Our support. Learning becomes easier when you know you can take risks because someone will help you succeed. When our students know we want them to do well they try harder.

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Making Students Listen

We have all found ourselves standing in front of a class while we teach passionately about the new material when we realize that no-one is really listening. In several minutes when you begin an activity to practice what you have been trying to teach them, the questions will begin. “What are we doing?” “I don’t understand how to do this.” “Have we done this?”My favorite example of this happened last year. Here is the exchange that occurred;

Me: O.k. put the paper in your folder.

Student 1: Mrs. Bonn, do we put the paper in our folder?

Me: Put the paper in your folder.

Student 2: Mrs. Bonn, what should we do with the paper?

This actually went on for another few minutes. Thankfully, I was able to see the humor, but it also made me think about how much time I waste when students are not paying attention. All of these questions could have been avoided if the students had been listening. There are ways to keep their attention though. Follow the following strategies and you may have more success keeping them focused.

You have to make it about them.

No matter what you are teaching, you have to find a way to tie it into their lives to make it meaningful. Ask your students questions about themselves while tying it into the material that you are teaching. If you can make that connection, you will have their attention.

Deal with the emotions first

Pay attention when your students are entering your room. It is fairly easy to pick up on any raw emotions that may flare up during class and turn your lesson plan that you worked on until midnight into mush. Try to diffuse the emotions before they even happen by addressing them. Ask simple questions such as “Is everything o.k.?” Ignoring obvious emotional upheaval is like sticking your head in the sand. 

Use hands on activities

Do activities that involve everyone. The more students who are actively involved, the more focused attention you will see.

Get them up and moving

It is difficult for anyone to sit in a chair for a long period of time. Find activities where your students will be up and moving around. Place information that they need around the room and make them travel to different stations to find the information.

Use your presence

Move around the room and change your voice level to hold the interest in the room.

Use Visuals

This is an age where children use visual entertainment. We can use it to our advantage to teach them. I love saving interesting magazine pictures and turning the lesson plan into solving a puzzle about the picture.

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10 Tips and Encouragement for Parents

Parenting is like being thrown into a lake and told to swim before you know the basic swim techniques. You go from hoping you will be a good parent before your child is born to transitioning into survival mode once the baby arrives. There isn’t a 100% reliable guidebook, and the same technique rarely works twice.

Although there are some rough spots, there are just as many magical moments. Savor those moments and laugh about the rest.

No matter where you are in your parenting journey, everyone can benefit from some practical advice and encouragement, so here are ten I would like to offer you.

  • Filter through the advice. Once you announce a baby is coming, the advice will start pouring in from everyone. Some of the advice will be helpful, and some will be crazy. You must filter through the noise to decide which advice is going to help you and your child.
  • Give yourself grace. You don’t have to be perfect to be a great parent. I had so many less than stellar moments as a parent. We were in a restaurant with the whole family when my youngest had a diaper blow out. It was the kind where the poop not only leaks a bit out of the diaper, but it was all over me….everywhere. I remember thinking that there was no good ending to this story, so I grabbed a diaper, lots of wipes and headed out to the car to repair what I could. The best thing to do in a situation like that is to realize you are not the first or the last to experience that and to find the humor.
  • Talk with other parents. Especially in the beginning of parenthood, it helps to share your struggles and joys. It can be encouraging to hear that other parents are facing the same challenges.   
  • Don’t compare yourself to other parents. There is always the parent who looks like they handle parenting with ease. She is immaculately dressed while you have spit up on both shoulders, her hair looks perfect while you cannot remember when you had a shower, and she looks well rested while you would give anything for a nap. Don’t worry about it because she might have challenges you would never want to have. Be the parent that works for you.
  • Love them when they don’t expect it. Two of my three children went through a phase when they would say, “I hate you.” When I would make them do something they didn’t want to do. I always answered, “I love you.”
  • Maintain consequences for actions. You have to be fair and consistent with the consequences for actions even when it’s hard.
  • Know the power of distraction. When your children are younger you can use distraction to avoid a tantrum or keep them from doing an activity you would like to avoid. When they are older, you can distract them when you want to change the subject.
  • Keep your cool. This goes along with don’t engage in drama. There are things your child will do that will make your blood boil, but don’t let your emotions take over. You can teach them how to handle an explosive situation in a productive way. Hand out the consequences for the actions, say how you feel, but express it all as if you are in complete control. Children need to know that someone is in control amid all the chaos of life.
  • Offer choices. Let’s say your child comes to you and says they do not want to go to college, but you would like to see them earn a college degree. Instead of losing your cool, or beginning to list the many reasons why that is not an option try saying this, “Okay, tell me why?” Many students, even those with high grades are afraid of college, and don’t think they will do well. Open up the dialogue to talk about your child’s feelings. You can also do what I did when I said, “Okay, what is your plan then?” That simple question made her think about what her plan would look like without college.

When younger children ask to purchase something, they can be given the choice between two things.

The point of giving them choices is to make them think they are making the decision instead of being told what to do.

  • Use silence. When you want to find out more about a situation, ask a question and then maintain silence. When your child answers you, maintain your silence and see if your child adds anything. Silence is powerful.

I hope some of these ideas will be useful for you. Enjoy every minute with your children.

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Developing a Writing Process

Know your audience. My daughter-in-law is a successful artist, but her art is targeted at a specific audience. I once suggested she come to sell her art at the local artisan market where I sell my books. She said, “I know who my audience is, and I also know who would not appreciate my art.” If you are writing for a certain audience, gear your writing to them.

 I do not mean you must stick to one niche. I write about a variety of topics, and I want to challenge myself by writing in different forms, but if I am writing a picture book for children 4-8, I am going to write it in a way that is attractive to them.

 Learn how to make it flow. When you are reading your favorite books, pay attention to the flow, the way the words make the scene move. You do not want your writing to be choppy. One way to notice if your writing is moving smoothly is to read it aloud or have someone else read it aloud. Play with different sentence structures and see what works best.

 Offer a new perspective. I love reading writing that makes me see a unique perspective. I want to be able to think about opinions from all sides, and when someone offers me a different window on a thought or event, I enjoy that moment of enlightenment.

 Be transparent. Readers want to be able to relate to someone who is like them. Show your flaws and how you are trying to improve them. Talk to your readers about topics that matter to them or create a world of fiction where they can escape their struggles.

 Stay focused and finish. I can only speak for myself, but I often become distracted while writing. People call, text, walk into my office, and ask for my attention, and I can lose focus because I look out the window and start watching the neighbor’s dog. Most of the time, I lose my focus because I always have several projects going on at the same time.

 Put in the work. You cannot complain about a lack of success if you are not putting time and effort into your craft. Make writing a priority, find a suitable time and place, and sit down and do it.

 Let your writing sit. After you have finished writing, walk away from it before you send it for publication. Often, you will decide to add or delete something when you look at it again.

 Check your facts. Make sure your research is correct before you publish something. Check your facts with more than one resource. You should be a trusted source of information for your readers.

 Take out hatefulness. We all feel bitter and angry at some point, but your pen is powerful. Decide if you want to use it as a weapon to hurt or a way to heal. I know when I write something full of hate, I do not feel good about it afterward.

Craft catchy titles. Your title is your first chance to pull the reader in to read your work. Create titles that make people want to investigate what you want to say.

 Keep it simple. The best messages are the most basic ones. Be honest and real, and just tell your story.

 Ask for feedback. Hearing critiques of your work can be difficult, but the feedback can help you grow. When you can brainstorm with someone by listening to what he thinks of your work, you can collaborate with him to improve your writing. If you have a writing friend, ask him for an honest opinion.

 Do not force your writing. I often hear the advice to write every day. A better idea is to write consistently. If you force yourself to write, what you produce might not be of the same quality as what you can produce when you feel more creative.

 Be authentic. Do not try to be someone you are not. Your readers want to know you are genuine.

 Do not let the thought “What if this stinks” keep you from finishing. When a writer spends time and effort on crafting a book or article, negative thoughts can creep into your brain. You might ask if the quality of your writing is worth your effort, but you will not know until you do it.

 Write the bones down. Many writers have trouble starting because they feel overwhelmed. Instead of worrying about having a perfect product, write down all your thoughts and then start to make sense of them and create the form you want.

 Build trust. Once your readers know who you are and that they can trust you, you will find greater success, When I vend at the local market, people want to talk to me before they buy my books. A man who was considering carrying my books in his store told me he insists on meeting an author first to make sure the author is genuine. You build trust by being truthful, delivering an honest, helpful product, and being transparent.

 Do not worry about pleasing everyone. Taylor Swift had a beautiful reaction to a question about her album. The interviewer asked her how she felt about the negative comments about her album. She responded that she was not the art police and any art was subject to interpretation, and everyone had the right to that interpretation. I heard something similar while vending at the craft market. A young lady named Lindsey makes beautiful jewelry. Several customers asked her if she ever made any silver jewelry. Her response was that she was a gold girl and since gold made her happy, that was what she was going to make. If you are happy with what you have created, you are winning.

 Have a formula for articles. I write on a platform called Medium where I have a chance to interact with other others and learn from them. One author had a great formula for writing good articles. Here it is.

  • Identify a problem.
  • Make the problem felt. (Why is it important to solve it?)
  • How have others tried to fix it?
  • Give your solution.
  • Give a takeaway. What is an action step the reader can do?

 Engage with readers. The more you can interact with readers, the more you will understand what they enjoy about your writing, and they will feel more like a part of your adventure.

 Write a great query. Before you can craft a catchy title and use your first sentence to grab the attention of your readers, you must catch the attention of a publisher with your query.

         Your query should be around a page, and within that page, you need to describe your writing as well as provide any information a publisher might need. Convince the publisher why your work should be accepted. How is it unique? What qualifications do you have?

Here are the guidelines for formatting a query.

  • Use a normal font and typeface, such as Courier and 10- or 12-point type.
  • Include your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, and website.
  • Use one-inch margin.
  • Address a specific editor or agent.

 Remember to say thank you. Thank your customers and thank everyone who has helped you on your journey. That includes the people you ask to do reviews, your cheerleaders, your editors and publishers, local media who help spread the word about your work, and those who share the wisdom you need.

    The three people I thank the most are my friend Kim, my friend Donna, and my publisher Victor. When I first began writing full-time, I did not believe in my ability or my identity as a writer, but Kim did. She taught me to only listen to critique that makes me better. Victor, my publisher, has made my writing adventure possible. He advises me if he does not think a book idea is feasible, and he guides me through new projects. My friend Donna is ready to help me with anything I need, and she encourages me constantly.

Break some rules. You can break a few rules. Do not let the rules constrict your writing. You need to use good grammar, but the way you construct your writing does not always have to fit in a box. One rule that I hear all the time is to write what you know, but if you do not write about other subjects that interest you, how can you grow?

Avoid using I think. It is evident that this is your opinion, so don’t restate the obvious.

Keep track of submissions. Document where and when you sent your writing and how long do you need to wait before expecting a reply. The market listings for a publication will tell you how long is appropriate to wait for a response. Wait a few more weeks after the suggested time then follow up with an e-mail or letter.

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What Teaching is Really Like

Students Classroom Leakey, Texas, San by U.S. National Archives is licensed under CC-CC0 1.0

Teaching is a profession that requires flexibility and a sense of humor. These two

qualities are necessary because the moment when a teacher thinks his expectations are

clear, his lesson plans well thought out, and his classroom management plan impeccable,

something inevitably happens that turns everything upside down. Flexibility is necessary

when this happens to be able to think on your feet and come up with a plan b and

a solution to whatever the current problem is. A sense of humor is necessary to avoid

any frustration when the best laid plans don’t work out. It helps to be able to laugh when

you are having a problem that was not discussed in any of your teaching classes.

     Teaching is full of these ironies. Here are some examples of the ironies of teaching.

  • Your school has adopted a new textbook which comes with a variety of supplemental activities. Your principal is certain you will be a better teacher now that you have a book with all the bells and whistles. Unfortunately, you have to read three 1,000-page instructional manuals to know how to use any of them.
  • You spend four hours the night before a class preparing a great activity for the internet only to find when you enter the class that the server is down and the internet is not available.
  • You go to a great workshop on ways to use a projector in your classroom. When you return to class the next day, you discover that the school’s only projector has been broken and there are no imminent plans to fix it.
  • You prepare a special speech for parents’ night, and you put it in a folder so that you will not lose it. When it is time for your speech, you open up your folder to find that you are staring at your daughter’s kindergarten report.
  • You have a strict policy about the students turning in work on time, but you cannot seem to finish grading the report that they gave you a month ago.
  • You stay up until two a.m. writing a report on the effect of sleep deprivation on an individual’s work habits.
  • You have only one period for planning, grading, going to the bathroom, yet administrators are amazed that you have not replied to the e-mail that they sent five minutes ago.
  • A copy of your exams is due in the office in an hour, but every copier in the school has broken down at the same time.
  • A parent writes you a four-page e-mail which takes half of your planning period to read and wants to ask you if you have some extra time to meet with her so she can tell you everything that she just told you in the four-page e-mail.
  • You have five preps of full classes, and you also help with extracurricular activities. A colleague with two preps and small classes decides to tell you how overwhelmed she feels with all the work.
  • You are in the middle of exam week; your spouse is on a business trip and two of your children’s schools call and report that your children are ill and need to be picked up immediately. You try to rejoice that at least the third one is o.k. and then the cell phone rings.
  • You plan an amazing, stimulating lesson plan, but when you enter your class, you realize that last night the basketball team didn’t arrive home from a tournament until midnight and a major English paper is due today. Drooling zombies is the best you can hope for as an audience.

Teachers deal with a myriad of situations daily. Some of them are frustrating

and some of them are rewarding. No matter what the situation, it is the teacher who can

pull plan b out of the hat and then laugh at what happened who will be the one who

prospers in the profession.  

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Teaching Summed Up in Ten Tips

After teaching for forty years, if I had to give a new teacher ten tips to be a great teacher, here is what I would suggest.

  • Know your students. Know their names, their interests, and what motivates them. Ask them questions and show an interest in them. Show them that they matter and that you see them. When you do that, you can convince them they have value and they are special. When a student feels comfortable in your class and has a sense of belonging, teaching becomes easier. Two moments that were special for me were when parents let me know I had made their children feel special. I had a student named Guleus who was one of those multi-talented children, it is a privilege to know. After four years when I met his parents, I raved about him, showed some videos of contest presentations and described how wonderful he was. What parent doesn’t want to know if their child made a difference? Sophie was another student who will always be in my heart and was grossly underestimated in high school. At graduation, her mom introduced me to the family by saying, “This is Sophie’s person.”
  • Meet them where they are. When a new year starts, assess where your students are and gradually move them to where you need them to be. Expecting everyone to be stellar after day one is setting everyone up for stress and failure. It’s a marathon not a sprint.
  • Be a role model for them. If you expect them to do their homework, you have to do yours as well. Correct assessments in a timely manner, communicate well, keep grades updated, and listen to your students.
  • Don’t give up on anyone. School isn’t always the spot where someone is going to flourish. You never know when someone who struggles in your class might be your biggest success.
  • Cultivate relationships in the greater school community. It takes a village to be a good teacher so be kind to your colleagues and the administration. Build relationships with parents and local organizations that can support your teaching. Every Christmas, I hosted a French Christmas dinner for everyone in the French program. I remember the first year when I said to bring your whole family and one girl looked at me with wide eyes and said, “Madame, I have five siblings!” Everyone was welcome, we made it potluck so parents could show their cooking skills, and it created a feeling of family. Find your marigolds, the people who make you smile.
  • Be professional. Show up on time, do your work, be a team player, and be positive.
  • Give your best. It’s not enough to do the minimum expected. The students are counting on you, so do your best.
  • Build boundaries. You need to also take care of yourself, so make sure your students and parents know where those boundaries are.
  • Keep a sense of humor. This probably should have been number one because there will be days when everything goes horribly wrong like the day I was walking across the floor making eye contact with a student who had asked a question. I forgot about the plastic craft box on the floor and I stepped in it while wearing platforms and a dress. My foot slid out from under me and I went down hard. I jumped back up, threw my hands in the air and said, “Whooo! I’m okay!” but the students were horrified. I still laugh about that moment.

Give yourself some grace. A great teacher doesn’t have to be perfect!

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5 Steps to Overcome Sensitivity Syndrome

Do you suffer from sensitivity syndrome? Here are the symptoms. When you see a picture of friends on social media you wonder what is wrong with you because you were not invited to hang with them. You turn a simple comment that is made about you into a criticism of you. You replay every conversation because you want to make sure you will not cause a conflict. Even though friends and family tell you that you are awesome, you are certain they are only being kind.

Sensitivity Syndrome can wreak havoc with your mental health and yes, I made up the malady, but many of us suffer from these symptoms. So, what can we do to overcome this Syndrome. I have a few ideas.

Limit your social media. Social media can be like kryptonite to a sensitive person. Social media can cause you to compare yourself to friends who paint a perfect picture, you see friends having fun without you, and you wonder why you cannot be better.

Keep in mind that what is being presented to you on social media is not the whole story. There is often some ugly baggage behind the pretty picture. Don’t compare yourself to anyone because everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Embrace your unique qualities.

Reflect and Check. Ask yourself what the reality of the situation is. When a friend group doesn’t treat you well ask yourself if they are quality friends. If other people continually lift you up, why are you the one tearing yourself down?

Stop chasing what hurts you. It seems logical that if something disturbs our peace, we should close that door, but many of us refuse to let go of what hurts us. We keep revisiting what does nothing to make us better. Walk away and don’t look back.

Use affirmations. Repeat short positive descriptions of yourself and keep repeating them until you believe them. Good examples are I am strong, I have value, I am kind, I have grit. Kick any negative thoughts to the curb and focus on the positive.

Accept your positives. I was talking to a former student that I have known for more than twenty years. I told him the last few days had been heavy. He responded, “Madame, you are a legend.” Before I could reply, he said, “No Madame. You have to receive it!” It made me think how many times we refuse to accept a compliment or a positive description of ourselves. Listen to those positives and accept that they might be true.

If you are hypersensitive overcoming that will not happen overnight. Do your best day to day and make gradual progress.