WORDS FROM THE SUP’T: In adversity, check the accuracy of our thinking

This month, our community will commence its Well Being Campaign.
This will include a variety of business, health, education, civic, government, and parent leaders coming together to discuss what it means for a child to be socially, emotionally, and physically well and the structures we have or can put in place to ensure the well-being of every child.
Please let me know if you are interested in participating.
We invite all community members to take part in an associated book study of The Resilience Factor by Karen Reivich and Andrew Shatte. Electronic and print copies are available at the Clarkston Independence District Library.
The “success first, happiness second” formula with which many of us live our lives is broken, according to the author of the book, The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor.
In fact, “More than a decade of groundbreaking research has proven in no uncertain terms that the relationship between success and happiness works the other way around…. Happiness is the precursor to success, not merely the result. And that happiness and optimism actually fuel performance and achievement.”
“Cultivating positive brains makes us more motivated, efficient, resilient, creative, and productive, which drives performance upward.”
In the book, The Resilience Factor, the authors conclude that, “Thinking styles determine people’s resilience and that resilience determines how well they do in life…. The number one roadblock to resilience is not genetics, not childhood experiences, not a lack of opportunity or wealth. The principal obstacle to tapping into our inner strength lies with our cognitive style, the ways of looking at the world and interpreting events that every one of us develops from childhood.”
What does this mean? When we experience adversity—whether it be another driver cutting us off in traffic, a friend who does not say hello when he walks by, or a note from a boss asking for a meeting without reason—we experience a series of explanations outside of our awareness.
We then associate the consequences with the adversity. In reality, it is often the explanations—”how we feel and what we do in the moment of adversity”—that determine the consequences.
When we are aware of our thinking, we can intervene in moments of adversity, suggesting alternative explanations or causes.
We can question ourselves: “Maybe my friend is not angry with me. Perhaps he didn’t see me when he walked by. Maybe he was distracted by something else. I haven’t done anything that I can think of to make him mad. Maybe I should check with him to make sure my thinking is accurate.”
By checking the accuracy of our thinking in moments of adversity, being thoughtful with the language we use when we correct our children, and modeling this type of thinking in our own explanations, we can better manage stress and anxiety.
In the process, we can enhance the well-being of every child in our community.
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On Feb. 16, 17, and 18 at 7 p.m., with matinee performances at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 18-19, the Clarkston High School Drama Club will present our annual musical, “Les Misérables-School Edition” by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg. You may secure tickets at www.centerstageticketing.com/sites/clarkstonhigh/ and use the promo code 1832. By using the online service you will receive your tickets in a PDF via email.
I can assure you with 100 percent accuracy your physical, emotional, and social health will improve by attending one of these performances.
Our theater, choir, orchestra, and band students have achieved statewide recognition and outstanding scholarships to college. You do not want to miss seeing them perform.
Dr. Rod Rock is superintendent of Clarkston Community Schools

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