Flourish Connection #Edition 18

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One of the keys to thriving in life rather than just surviving, is knowing that we have a choice on how we respond to any given situation in our lives. Easier said that done right? All of us at some point in our lives have had an automatic reaction to a situation that ends up affecting ourselves and those around us. If you are like me (Deb), after reacting, you don't feel great about it later. If any of us have a longstanding habit of reaction to things that happen in our lives, rather than responding to them, it is not easy to just shift from automatically reacting, to a 'response' way of processing. It takes practice. The good news is, with practice, and over time, we can move from reacting to responding. In session 4 of our Flourish course we have our 'Reaction Vs Response' roadmap. This roadmap was created as an intentional way of forming a habit of taking the pathway that leads to a healthier outcome (thriving) rather than one of reacting whenever life throws a difficult situation our way. Personally, I know I am not where I want to be with my own reactions, but since using the 'Reaction vs Response' roadmap for myself, I am better than I used to be.

As we walk this journey called life, we learn a lot of 'life lessons' along the way. When we stay teachable, we grow and we thrive, and from the life lessons we learn, we can be a model for others to follow.

Deb

THE ROADMAP
Situation - What am I facing?
Emotion - What am I feeling?

Intentional actions

Pause - Take a moment and do nothing,
Breath - to bring calmness to your emotions
Decide - The thinking process. Am I going to react, i.e: Allowing my emotions to control me (knowing this will effect me and others) or respond, i.e: Manage my emotions to see a healthier outcome for myself and others.
Define - The action I take and the path I chose, will move me towards defining who I am and how I want to live my life.

React Vs Response Roadmap Example on page 97 of your Facilitator Guide.
#Session 4: Survive or Thrive

FROM NATIONS ACROSS THE GLOBE WE GATHERED FOR OUR VERY FIRST FLOURISH CONFERENCE

We were thrilled to see so many make the effort to come and gather together for our very first FLOURISH conference. At present we have 14 nations running Flourish, and to have 10 of those nations represented at this conference, was truly amazing.

CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS
Flourish Coordinators/Facilitators Interviews - It was wonderful to hear first hand the stories from some of our Flourish ladies who run Flourish courses regularly with the many women and girls in their country. As our lovely Flourish coordinators shared their stories, it was exciting to hear that although the participants had come from different life experiences, after journeying the Flourish course, they all had similar outcomes. These beautiful women and girls came away feeling more confident, more goal orientated and with a belief in a better future for themselves.
Taste of Flourish Workshops - Running the 'Taste of Flourish' in the morning sessions of our conference, gave those who were interested in knowing about our Flourish Program, a greater understanding of the course and a glimpse of how a Flourish session is run. Several women are now looking at being trained to use Flourish in their own context.
Standing strong in the face of adversity - Three women shared their very different journeys on how they stayed strong through the ups and downs of the challenges they faced or are facing. Standing strong through abuse, sickness or loss. In life, we all face trials of some kind, therefore hearing these very powerful testimonies were a great encouragement to us.
Hearing from our speakers - It was great to have those who run Flourish share at conference. Sharing on subjects of practical self care, the power of forgiveness, and how to stand strong in the storms of life. We also heard from our guest speaker who shared her life's story. She was also a significant supporter of our conference.
Connections - Last but definitely not least were the connections made. Everyone loved connecting with each other. Hearing each others stories of Flourish and how they can support each other across borders. Those who came to learn about Flourish were able to connect with women who run Flourish in similar contexts. This is definitely the heart of Flourish. Not I but us.

STORY FROM OUR AUSTRALIAN COORDINATOR

A participant shares her experience so far as she journeys the Flourish Course.

"Through doing Flourish, my worldview has expanded. I also find that I am digging deeper, thinking more about myself as I respond to the reflective questions that we are asked to think on in each session. As I learn more positive affirmation from each Flourish session I am now applying these to my daily life, my family and general everyday communication. Each week I come with a renewed attitude of joy. I love being part of this group."

Flourish
#createdtothrive

STAYING CONNECTED

Your stories and your feedback are important to us. We love you all and we want to be able to resource you, keep you up to date with all that is happening, but also gauge how we are going in the different countries and contexts. As a global network we want to be able to share resources, stories and concepts with each other. We also want to be a support network for those just starting out and in particularly those working in contexts or cultures which are more sensitive and may need guidance and experience from those in similar situations.

After each course, we would really appreciate you filling in your feedback forms including a photo of your course, whether that be a TTT course (training others to run Flourish) or a participant course (taking girls on the journey of Flourish for themselves). Be assured that information you share is secure and not shared publicly without your permission.

In the 'Feedback and Evaluation' section of your Flourish Facilitator Guide, you will find the resources you need to provide us with your feedback.

If you have any questions or need assistance, we are here for you. You can contact us on flourish@keystoneintl.org

With much love
The Flourish Team

“We know we were made for so much more. We were made to thrive.”
Casting Crowns

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*FLOURISH GLOBAL - CREATED TO THRIVE*

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