Have you ever considered the profound influence your thoughts have on your life?"

Have you ever wondered how your mindset shapes your interactions with others?"

Do you believe in the power of a positive mindset to transform your life? What about the lives of the children and families you serve?

During my morning reading, I opened the Bible to the book of Matthew and came across a scripture I had read many times, but this morning it took on a new meaning for me. Matthew 4:23 reads:

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

For some reason the words "teaching" and "healing" stood out to me. In a world overwhelmed by anxiety, depression, burnout, and other mental health challenges, we should all see ourselves as teachers. Educators may perceive themselves as teachers of content area experts, but they are so much more than that. The words we use, the conversations we have can either heal the mind or push people further into a mindset of victim or conflict. We have been entrusted with the profound mission of nurturing and sowing seeds that can alleviate many of the mental challenges we face today. In the book "As A Man Thinketh" by James Allen, he writes "Every thought-seed sown or allowed to fall into the mind, and to take root there, produces its own, blossoming sooner or later into action... Good thoughts bear good fruit, bad thoughts bear bad fruit."

Much like the ancient wisdom found in Matthew 4:23, where Jesus healed the sick through teaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, educators today possess the power to heal the afflictions of the mind by first preparing the soil of the mental ground for a bountiful harvest. Anxious thoughts, depression, and burnout are like weeds that can suffocate growth. To plant seeds that flourish, we must cleanse the mental landscape, ensuring it's fertile for learning to occur.

I've been fascinated by thoughts since I was a young girl. I can still picture myself sitting on the school bus in the morning while other children engaged in conversation. I would stare out the window, lost in thought, mostly pondering how I could change the behavior of others in my family or make them happy. Generations before me had passed down a legacy of mistrust, division, and suspicion, leaving me to view the world through a lens of apprehension. This mindset affected not only my relationships with outsiders but also those within my own family. Those who taught the lessons of fear inadvertently became the enemy themselves.

Throughout history, spiritual texts have emphasized the power of faith and Beliefs (the mind). Colossians 3:2 urges us to "set our minds on things above," emphasizing the profound impact our thoughts and beliefs have on our lives. As educators, we understand that the beliefs we instill in our children and students can shape their destinies. Our beliefs about their potential can either illuminate their path to success or plunge them further into darkness.

Our words carry immense weight; we shape minds and, in doing so, shape futures. We hold the key to helping students unlock their potential and rise above the weeds of the negative voice that resides in all of us. However, to instill a positive mindset in the people we serve, we must first be aware of our own thoughts and beliefs and how it they can either limit or propel us forward. Therefore, as adults, we must comprehend the power of our beliefs, be aware of our thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes, and understand how they impact ourselves, others, and the world.

Today, let us be mindful of our mission as educators. We are not just teachers; we are guides, helping minds see the unseen and believe in the possibilities. We are shaping the beliefs and aspirations of future generations. Our practice is not merely a profession; it is a transformative force that can illuminate the path to knowledge and wisdom not just in the content we teach, but in how we help others see the good in themselves. Remember, your words have the power to heal or to pull others further into the dark spaces of the mind. Let us carry this knowledge with us, striving to be the guiding light that dispels darkness and leads the way toward a brighter future.

Make it a great week or not. The choice is yours.

Niki Spears