A character named Allie comes alive in my book Through the Lens of Serendipity. Allie is one of those woman you look at and immediately think, “She has it all.” Yet, if you knew Allie’s story, you would look at her completely differently. Instead of feeling threatened or jealous, you would look at her with grace, empathy, and admiration.
We are heading into a time of the school year where the fresh start has faded into routine, the honeymoon is over, and the challenges are on the rise. Our patience might falter and self-doubt might creep into our psyche. We all have lots going on in our lives. Some of us might have a past filled with trauma like Allie, and some of us have other challenges. There is one thing that is for sure, we all benefit from grace, acceptance, and empathy. Every single one of us…students, colleagues, families, community members.
The good news is that we don’t have to know each other’s stories or challenges to know how to HANDLE each other with care. There are universal steps that we can take that will help everyone around us discover the best in themselves. The bonus is that if we live in a way that helps others be their best, we benefit even more than they do. We get to rest easy at night knowing that we gave everyone around us the same grace we’d like back from them. Everyone is doing their best, including you. Here are six ways to HANDLE those around us with care.
These six supports that allow people affected by trauma to heal and grow are good for all people. Focusing on having strong, positive relationships and being empathetic are the backbone of a trauma-informed approach to life and to life in general. Trauma sensitivity is people sensitivity.
This acronym is unpacked in Through the Lens of Serendipity with trauma-informed strategies and research that benefit everyone in your life. You can download a free PDF of this poster by clicking here. Feel free to contact me at allysonapsey@gmail.com for other Through the Lens of Serendipity resources.
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