84: A Letter of Appreciation & Gratitude for Yourself

In today's episode, I share a compelling practice of self-love and self-recognition; writing a letter of gratitude to yourself. Writing this letter to yourself is a radical opportunity to pause and appreciate who you are and where you've been while providing inspiration for your next stage of growth. Gratitude is a huge part of the School of Excellence Framework and as a director or owner, it is important that you realize that it is very different from gratitude for others. When we show ourselves gratitude, we give ourselves permission to reflect on and accept everything that we've been through.   In a nutshell, I talk about: Why it is important to show gratitude to yourself, for things that you have done or have to do Leaning into your emotions, fully expressing them to get space for other beautiful emotions The 6 incredible steps on how to write a gratitude letter to your former self         …and so much more!   Resources and links mentioned in this episode:   Access the free resource to write your letter of gratitude and appreciation here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IjWtyucqwAyXRGYHy8bLwnsPn9wBoGEv/view?usp=sharing   Join the conversation in our Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolsofexcellencelounge   The Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ is the #1 community & training program specifically designed for early childhood school leaders and owners who are committed to building schools of excellence. You get 24/7 access to exclusive templates & training to help you motivate your staff and build a collaborative culture that positively impacts the lives of children. Plus the support & accountability you need to create massive momentum. Learn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: http://Chanie.me/jointhedic   More about the show: If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.     Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.Mentioned in this episode:New School Playbook WorkshopAre you ready to stop guessing what your families want and start knowing exactly how to connect with every family in your school? You will learn how to implement 5 power plays: 1. Know Your Families: Learn the exact data points that predict family satisfaction and longevity. 2. Speak Their Language: Master the art of creating parent avatars, a proven template that’s revolutionized communication for hundreds of schools. 3. Be Where They Are: Discover the channels and messages that resonate with modern families. (Stop wasting time on platforms your families don’t use!) 4. Train The Troops: Transform your team and teachers into family engagement experts, including our “quick-win” scripts for common scenarios. 5. Sync Your Calendars: Build a communication calendar that keeps families engaged and referring new