School does not prepare you for life. Thai schools have a different approach.

A couple of weeks ago I met and worked with a man living in the USA. He told me his son and daughter both had a university degree. He was proud of that. Also he was sad because they were struggling with and in life because, in his opinion, they were not prepared for living life.

"Working now for a couple of years they both discovered that they are working in a system. They build up knowledge at schools and university in a certain direction to serve this system but did not learn life skills. They have had so many years of education yet nobody taught them how to live life. The most important thing is to make something of life. School does not prepare you for life. There are prepared directions to choose but most of the time they do not serve all the talents and gifts that are available in the individual children. Parents, more and more, are not available to teach children life skills because they both have to work to earn money for living the live the life they think brings them the most happiness. 

Children, already at a very early age, go to kindergarten. There is no or not enough time for children anymore to develop. 'Street University', as the learning place for life skills, is fading away more and more.The school system is about read, remember and repeat. Digital 'baby sitter' and 'au-pair' devises keep the children connected so they do not disturb life of the parents too much. But learning life skills...? Basic things how to survive and how to stay safe in life are not available in most of our school systems. Less and less resilience is available to adapt to the thing called living."  

Listening to his story I recognized a lot. Schools, in my opinion, most of the times and in our so called civilized world are only preparing to support 'the system'. Sometimes I even think we are not more than our National Citizen Service Number to support and bring in money into this system. And yes, being a member of a community you have to support. But where to learn life skills and to develop all your talents and gifts. I think this American guest was not wrong in telling the Western School system is poor in learning life skills. 

Scouting in Thailand part of the school curriculum. 

Thailand shows a way of learning life skills at school. They introduced Scouting as part of the school curriculum, open to boys and girls of all religions. Scouting receives strong support from the Thai government and people. Even the Royal Family are keen members. The present monarch, King Bhumibol (Rama IX), is the Chief Scout and under his patronage, Scouting has flourished in Thailand, and continues to develop many programs to fulfill the needs of its young people and of the country. 

Schools in Thailand are free to choose the day of the week that is Scout day. Students come to school wearing their Scout uniform. After morning assembly they have inspection. Then later in the day they meet as a Pack or Troop or as a year group and learn about Scouting from books or through practical activities. All of these activities are adapted to the challenge of change and aimed at a strong sense of services according to Scouting Fundamentals, to develop individual physical fitness, life skills and a good moral mind so that Scouts become good citizens who can take responsibility for themselves, their families and their society.

Because Scouting is part of the school curriculum, the students have to sit an exam at the end of each term.

Thai Scouts participate in a variety of training activities during the year concerned mainly with national development and public services which include cleaning up public areas, first aid, traffic control, disaster-relief, summer public services and particularly the environmental and natural conservation.
Thai Scouting has received much publicity due to its impressive work during emergencies. Such work includes taking part in ambulance and first aid teams, helping the Fire Brigade and assisting in flood control.

Happy my children joined scouting a couple of years. Proud on the people who serve this groups and I think more and more necessary to close the growing gap of not being prepared for living life. 

Frans Captijn
Host / Catalyst / Talenteer at Captijn Insight

Captijn Insight: “Catalyst in your process to new sustainable flow. Whether you are an individual, couple, team or an organization.” 

www.captijninsight.com

captijninsight@gmail.com

Profile pictures back to 'normal' again. When you kill your enemies the world will change.

On the evening of 13 November 2015, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks occurred in Paris, the capital of France, and its northern suburb, Saint-Denis. The attackers killed 130 people. There were 368 injuries. Seven of the attackers also died. Wikipedia mentions the attacks were the deadliest on France since World War II, and the deadliest in the European Union since the Madrid train bombings in 2004.

People from all over the world seemed to be upset. Is this the world we are living in? What about our freedom? Lots of debates and dialogues about this theme. Do we have to go on with introducing more protection mechanism to feel safe (again)?

Lots of expressions to support France and Paris to show we are standing shoulder on shoulder in the so called war against terrorism. One of the expressions was the change of profile pictures on social media. To show this is not what we want. Unfortunately it did not change the world. And yes, the world eeds a change. But…

The world does not change by itself. Only we can make the difference and change the world by the actions we do. Every action we do leaves a mark. Just try to be more aware of this.

Try to be conscious of that in your every action. 
Life is about doing good things, the basic written rule off all religions, of all our ways of life. Only people make a mess of it by there actions and interpretations.

Nothing more or less is asked of us then to be YOURSELF. To share your unique set of talents and skills with the world. Only to live YOUR mission so our community can make use of it the way it is mend to be. So together and in peace and appreciation can life life the fullest.

By being yourself you support yourself and your environment in the best way. This has nothing to do with any position you have or take in society. 

We do not have and cannot take all the sorrow and regret in the world on our shoulders. Nobody is asking that from us. We only can start small, in our own families, in our own living and work environment. Out of that this change can and will flow and spread. But when it is not even possible in our own heart or in our families... how can we change the world. 

Going on over and over again to change our profile picture when the next disaster, attack, crime or whatever sad circumstance appear, leaves a mark but does it really make sense? 

Make the difference!
There is nothing wrong in killing your inner enemies. Your hate, your impatience, your greed, your short-sightedness of only your truth, your impulse to be better than you already are, etc.. Using this kind of killing you really change the world more than we think. Be yourself, live and share your unique talents, share your mission. Nothing more and nothing less to do. 

Only when we make a change ourselves and show our example in this mostly wonderful world and we do this together, we make the world an even richer place to be. Good for ourselves, our environment and the people who come next.  

Maybe a thought in 'the days of light' Christmas is called. 

We wish you a peaceful and wonderful Christmas, Maybe a start of something even more beautiful.

Frans Captijn
Host / Catalyst / Talenteer at Captijn Insight

Captijn Insight: “Catalyst in your process to new sustainable flow. Whether you are an individual, couple, team or an organization.” 

www.captijninsight.com

captijninsight@gmail.com

More life energy? Connect your rhythm of life.

There is a song called: The rhythm of life: The refrain of this song says;

"For the rhythm of life is a powerful beat,

puts a tingle in your fingers and a tingle in your feet!

Rhythm on the inside, rhythm on the street,

and the rhythm of life is a powerful beat!" 

Ever thought about the idea we live the rhythm of life most of the time in contradiction with the rhythm of nature? The free available natural energy available in the seasons.

Not being aware of this periods, we force our body and mind to blossom all the time. This is not even possible and a very hard job to do. Actually we drain our own energy. 

You only can freely blossom when you also take enough time to recharge and let go. Do you live life in relation to the rhythm of nature? When you understand the rhythm of nature, the seasons, more and bring them in relation to your rhythm of life, you make living life much more easy and energetic. Be aware and make use of the natural periods to bloom and the natural periods to let go and to rest. 

The Buddhism learns there is an ongoing cycle of life (Dhama circle). This ongoing cycle shows us there is a time of rise, shine and set in everything. Underneath is the always pushing energy flow of need to grow. 

In this cycle we can also find the rhythm of the seasons. Spring (and the first half of summer) as rise, summer (and first half of autumn) as shine, the last part of autumn and winter as set/falling. And every season carries four seasons in itself. So we have springtime in Spring, summertime in Spring, autumntime in Spring and wintertime in Spring, To flow into springtime of Summer and so forth. 

In summertime days are long and nights are short. In Buddhism the day - especially the sun - is connected with the color gold. The highest energetic color. Gold is connected with 'action'. 
In wintertime days are short and the nights are long. In Buddhism the night - especially the moon - is connected with the color silver. Silver is connected with 'rest, letting go and building up inner wisdom'. 

How strange we act in our rat-race we call life. When the energy level in nature is high, summer time, we take the time for holiday and resting. In wintertime we are used to eat more and higher energetic food and work longer in the evening hours with a climax every year in the month December because it seems the world reaches its end that month on the 31st. Everything has to be done and finished. 

End of November a group of Hong Kong guest was visiting our place. They brought their own young yoga teacher.
By coincidence checking her busy year schedule it said: "December 5th [teachers name] taking time off, being in touch with nature... December 27th it's time to stop everything and come back to the core of life.". 

Asking her about this she said she already did this for several years to stay in touch with nature, her good health and to recharge in connection with the seasons. December is not a month to run and stress yourself out. 

End of Autumn is the time to let go. By dropping its leaves a tree effortless creates space on the branches for new life (see picture). You can see this as new creative ideas, drop old friendships for new friendships to come, etc.. To allow changes to come so grow can go on. 
The end of December (Winter in Winter) was really the time to stop everything to make herself up to come back to the core of life. A natural movement in connection with natural flow. 

Living more in connection with the free energy our seasons offer, makes you feel more energetic and productive throughout the year. An easy healthy decision. 

Frans Captijn
Host / Catalyst / Talenteer at Captijn Insight

Captijn Insight: “Catalyst in your process to new sustainable flow. Whether you are an individual, couple, team or an organization.” 

www.captijninsight.com

captijninsight@gmail.com

Where did you learn the main source of life, breathing? Live longer, start to breath!

When you take some time to think about this question isn’t it strange? Probably, you never asked yourself this question? You just do it. Most of the time are not even aware of it. You never learned it. Actually it is the main sign you are alive. Being born you start to breath. Passing away the last thing you do is to breath out.  

Breathing is the primary source of living. Ever thought about this? Lots of studies will tell you, you can live about three weeks without food, about one week without water but only about two till three minutes without air. So what about your breathing? Do you take care? Where did you learn breathing? How do you breath in and out? What does your breathing pattern mirror? What does it say? Can we learn how to breath (again)?

Just give yourself some time to be present with your breath passing the throat going into the lungs, moving the diagram. Be very present. You have no idea how it happens. Watch it, you cannot change it. The interaction of the elements we have no clue how we do those things. They just happen. And they just pass away and arise again. So far, your whole life long.

I have been in the ‘Emergency room’ in a hospital three times so far. Thinking of having a heart attack. I was wrong (happy for me because I trust I have a mission to fulfill). The only thing that happened was the confrontation with my (high) breathing in a wrong way. Actually signs enough to change your life / life-style, but I did not listen and needed a traffic accident to believe this.

My background is Master in Crisis and Disaster Management. What I learned is not how to breath but just to observe the breathing pattern of my management team members when we had to make a decision in crises. I learned that, scientifically proven:

# When staff members breath approximately 4 – 6 times per minute they are calm and in control

# When they breath approximately 7 – 15 times per minute they experience unrest but are still in control

# When they breath approximately 16 – 20 times per minute they experience unrest and are out of control.

# When they breath in and out more than 20 times per minute they are uncontrollable. The stress level is too high and they are not available anymore to make right decisions.

Temporary stress is not a problem. In some situations it can even be healthy. Sustainable stress is killing. Being aware of breathing can help you to survive. You need to recharge in time and/or need to change ‘your way of life’.

Breathing exercises in meditation and yoga can help you to connect again with your source of life. It is not a hard thing to discover. Lots of breathing / pranayama exercises you can find on youtube.

A couple of weeks ago a young international student asked me about tools to diminish or release his fear for presenting and being on stage. Breathing exercises helped him. It’s just a ‘school-example’.

Connect more with and be aware of your breathing, discover how to use and regulate your breathing to stay healthy, to be more connected and to live life. Use your breathing pattern as a mirror for yourself to see If you are really connected with the things you are doing or have to do. Use it as a sign to change your life/work (style) in time.

Being aware of breathing, your life is worth it.

Frans Captijn
Host / Catalyst / Talenteer at Captijn Insight

Captijn Insight: “Catalyst in your process to new sustainable flow. Whether you are an individual, couple, team or an organization.” 

www.captijninsight.com

captijninsight@gmail.com