Bright The Day

Greetings, and welcome to another issue of e-divine, the newsletter dedicated to helping you Build a Better Life and a Better World through the Spiritual Practice of Everyday Life.

This newsletter is meant to serve you. I would love to hear your feedback on what inspires you, what resonates for you, and how I can do more of both of those! Please don't hesitate to send your comments, insights and suggestions to me at adam@dailydivine.com!

Enjoy!

Featured Article

Basking in the Sun

As the weather turns warmer, and the sun seems to burn brighter as it travels across the skies of longer days, I've had the time to reflect on other ways that warmth and light have come into my life. I've been incredibly fortunate to have had a number of amazing educators and employers throughout the years, an outstanding array of brilliant and talented women who have helped me discover my gifts, and step out into the world in many passionate and powerful ways.

These women have been teachers, bosses, or sometimes both, and through my time with each of these shining stars, I have been able to chart my course in many wonderful and at times unexpected ways. They have been mentors, friends, and inspirations to me, and I hope you will join me in taking a moment to lift up each of these women:

• Judy Wickett, of Our Lady of Peace Elementary School, an innovative educator who first demonstrated to me how compassion and creativity are fundamental to effective teaching and learning;

• Maureen Vivona, Jacqueline Peers and Carole Thompson, of Michael Power/St. Joseph's High School, three very different women, who together both challenged and inspired me artistically, academically and spiritually, and who helped me understand how vital each of those aspects was to my own identity;

• Veronica Hollinger, of Trent University, whose teaching and personal example continue to inspire the way I think and write about the world, and whose encouragement and support have ensured that I will be a lifelong scholar;

• Barb Weeden-Carmichael, of Seneca College, a woman of boundless energy and even greater kindness and generosity, who defined for me what engaged leadership can and should look like;

• Kathleen Gallagher, of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, an evocative educator and author, whose life and work model the constant interweaving of theory and practice, and whose example ensures that I will always be a reflective practitioner in my own personal and professional journey;

• Renee Jarrett, of Toronto and Region Conservation, whose vision and passion for both environment and education make the world a better place, and who showed me that a leader can both set the highest standards, and care deeply for every member of the team, without compromising either;

• Jo Bell, of the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto, who helped me embrace spirituality as a practice that can be deep and reflective, as well as dynamic and interactive, and whose teaching and leadership demonstrate that practice on a daily basis;

• Rhonda Hess and Laurie Cameron, of Coach Training Alliance, brilliant coaches who have helped launch the careers of hundreds of professional coaches, and who have been catalysts for me to grow as a teacher and facilitator, and to step into my own passion and purpose in bigger and bolder ways.

To all of these amazing women, I offer my deepest thanks.

Practice Tip: This week, take some time to reflect on who brings warmth and light into your own world, especially on those days that seem particularly cold and dark. Make a list of those people who helped light your way on your personal and professional journey, and take the time to capture a few words on HOW they had the impact they did.

Depending on the history, context and relationships, choose one or two from that list that would be a powerful and positive connection for you now. Make a phone call or send an email, and perhaps even make time to get together. Take the opportunity to bask in the brilliance they've brought into your life, and to let them know how much you've appreciated that gift!

Next issue…

Temple of the Body

Wind To Thy Wings

In each issue I will highlight a resource I think you'll find powerful and uplifting. If you have a suggestion for a book, movie, album or other resource that you have found significant in your journey, and would like to share with others, I would love to hear from you – email your suggestions to adam@dailydivine.com!

Today's resource is one that I'm particularly delighted to call to your attention. While I was pursuing my Masters degree, I had the incredible privilege of being part of a research team studying drama education in urban high schools, under the direction of Professor Kathleen Gallagher. One of the outcomes of this research is the recently published book The Theatre of Urban: Youth and Schooling in Dangerous Times. In this powerful book, Kathleen Gallagher weaves together the tales, insights and observations from four different urban schools in Toronto and New York, and illuminates the many complex interactions and performances taking place in the drama classroom, and on broader level in the schools and communities.

You can find The Theatre of Urban at Theatrebooks in downtown Toronto, or you can order it through your local bookstore, or online through the University of Toronto Press. If you have an interest in drama, education, youth or urban issues, this book is a must read!

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