"Do what's most important first," my favorite Principal ushered, as we fled the scene....
Welcome to the Blog of Angela Terga. Presenting a new episode of "Memoirs of a Mad Teacher." This Blog attempts to create a book of memoirs throughout the Journey of a Thousand Miles that began with a leap of faith based on inner dreams but without a clear view of what's to come. Discovering that Only Self mastery can make your dreams come true is the first step. For me that was writing to express and expand. Are you living your dream or living the life?
To organize our life and achieve self mastery we have been writing books and screenplays, self-publishing for our authors, writing pitches, creating film schedules and film budgeting. It has taken a lot of organizing your thoughts, yoga, meditation and long bike rides. But mostly staying on the MacBook writing, researching, and learning how to improve my situation as an artist.
We have improved our writing, design, and marketing skills thus increasing our potential for growth. With this blog and our website www.angelaterga.com we reach out to you hoping to whet your appetite for books enough to activate a link and make a purchase. Also, with the creation of a nonprofit organization dedicated to conscious arts through multimedia productions we hope to appeal to your donations pocket so we can carry on our efforts and increase our reach. CAMP creates, produces and disseminates conscious multimedia arts. Our message is to induce compassion and cultivate peace.
Only "Self mastery will take you there," that's why organizing my thoughts and all aspects of Life requires awareness. Mindfulness will lead you to the calm. You will see the road opening up once you are clear. Let go the past. Let tomorrow come with the best, for your thoughts today will manifest.
We, me, myself, and I want to wish friends of CAMP and TAT Productions this new year already ending the first month of January and for the rest of the year 2024 to imbue your life by rejuvenating and renewing old and new goals and aspirations with joyful hope. Don't give up. Reach inside and burst out the light.
Tip 1: Unabashedly Know What You Want and Why You Want It.
In my journey, I have found many inspirational authors that have helped me find local anchors. I found The Tao and Master Tsai, Swamiji's books I read on the beach before visiting his Ashram, Wayne Dyer got to me, Abraham Hicks has been a great teacher, Deepak of course, Tolle, the KTD monastery, and many other guides, including my family and close friends. To achieve Self mastery through writing and organizing my thoughts I have found purpose and clarity. For me, writing books and making movies that make a difference in outlook has been my dream and struggle.
In the process of awakening between confusion and orientation, I discovered my ancient origins and true aspirations as I witnessed my subconscious mind manifesting my purpose. Right then and there, I decided to take my power. That's what every guru, saint, magician, artist discovers on the way. The power lies within your God self connection. Nothing like reading the Tao to help you a flexible thinker and master of your life. Self Mastery feels like you know you're going to be right no matter what with God on your side.
When we figure out that it's not the destination but the ride that teaches us the universal laws of manifestation. we pay more attention to how we feel on a daily basis to determine whether we are suffering or rejoicing, craving our of lack and full of angst, or confident and enthusiastic. That's what tells us if we are on the right track.
This is important, in creating awareness of our feelings we help ourselves align. When we confront obstacles and differences, it is easy to argue a poi and poison our mind with anger. Mastery of Self-Control is yet another topic to write about.
Staying focused on our breath throughout the day allows us to stay present and pay attention to our thoughts, diet, motion, and relaxation while carrying out the tasks, however menial or elevated they are that weave the web of our desire, thread by thread.
If we manage to stay with the breath, nothing will take our focus away. Nothing will anger us. We will thrive. Practice.
Knowing what you want and where to get it is the first step in the journey. Figuring out how to get there deserves a purpose greater than our petty greed. However, the grander the goal the higher the stakes.
Tip 2: Check your happiness meter every morning.
Are you cheerful and hopeful when you open your eyes in the morning? Do you feel that you can develop the habits of body-mind-soul that combine to intentionally manifest your desires? Do you feel that what you do on a regular basis is taking you closer to it or do you need to effect change in your life and relationships?
To many, each new year represents an opportunity to renew our life in some way for the betterment of all. My friend and first poetry client, Tony Correa, found writing to be a complement to song writing. He has continued to write and published a second edition and a book of children stories in the press. His poems are based on memories that prove to the world that the heart of a troubadour is still among us.
Master your Self, conquer your dreams. Organize your thoughts and Watch your life go beyond the walls.
Is every morning a drag or you can't wait for morning to start the day? The greater the happiness and ease of being, the sooner you get there. In surrender there is contentment and faith. Let your God-Self relationship lead the way.
Anger not. That which angers you owns you.
When you leave behind regrets and remorse, you can complete a better version of you instead. Keep the end in mind, in view, in thought, and speech. Feel and witness the unfolding of the truth you have given returning to you. Patiently, be still, work on the craft.
Tip 3: Read More Poetry. Poetry is what separates us from the rest of the Animal Kingdom and AI. It bears our soul. It expands our sensitivity to light.
These three books above are examples of conscious art that meet the criteria for CAMP, a new nonprofit foundation. Conscious Arts are instruments of peace and compassion that help us heal from painful memories and lack of hope. Finding solace in the written and spoken word, visual arts, film and photography, audio arts, and performance arts among other forms of expression of our inner self, we break out of the mold and free ourselves from the dark.
Literature, Poetry, Music, Film, Theatre, Dance, Illustration, Animation, Video, Painting, Weaving, Make-Up, Tattooing, piercing. There and many more expression of the soul searching for the light/.
We chose Owen Hill's book because it speaks in the language of compassion and brings beauty to what is.
When I walked out of the teaching scene from the museum magnet school on Brickell it wasn't because of how challenging it was to install a new exhibit every nine weeks.
In fact, the student/classroom development showing the narrative of the themes through UBD methodology, opened my mind to new horizons within myself.
Although exhausting, implementing the Smithsonian Museum Education UBD (Understanding by Design) and VTS (Visual Thinking Strategy) offer a holistic approach to integral learning which ignited in me the desire to exp0lore the "real world" and bring my hidden dreams to the surface against all odds.
Poetry helped me understand my feelings and my journey's purpose. The Way was not something I found but what I created with my thoughts and actions.
Tip 4: Quit your fears.
Don't settle for less. Follow your bliss. Reach for the Stars. Quit your fears. Dare. Take the first step. Make that call. Mobilize in that direction all your efforts and thoughts. You will get there because you're already on the way. Stay steady. Grow. Be fearless and defiant. Meet the bull head on, and with a swift twist and step spread the red cape and let the beast's enraged charge pass away. See obstacle dissolved under the magic cape of consciousness.
To decide what is most important, our mind-body-soul connection exerts great amounts of energy when a new mode is prioritized over the mundane. Prioritizing makes us analyze each taxing task towards the final outcome according to its weight. This correlation between feeling and logic, intuition and reasoning is the key to harmony. Where there is dissonance, disease sets in to make us see, but we can find our way back.
Constant performance and decision making in our life keeps us in hyper mode trying to put out a couple of fires at a time. It builds up pressure and a great deal of anxiety, higher blood pressure, and as time goes on, burn-out and depression. We see its indelible mark in obesity, drug abuse (including medications), congestive heart failure, kidney failure, cancer, arthritis, etc.
What is more, stress is a condition even children experience on a daily basis.
This is the cycle of life we live before breaking the chains of fear. Doing so adds even more gloom to the scene as we are left out in the cold without a basic life foundation and on a wild goose chase.
But if you keep the dream alive you will never die! In spite of the noise, disease, time, and a million things to do, instead of a laggard you willbecome an innovator.
Tip 5: Sail away. Steady and steadfast. Don't be blown away. Stay rooted in purpose.
As I dove for the highest most exhilarating dream I could dream, part of me was reluctant to change and impeded my progress. But I just knew I had to go. Cat Stevens' song comes to mind. All that anxiety in me goes away when I follow my bliss. And I found a way it can be of service to humanity. I hope you would agree that having more art in our lives is the cure for apathy, trauma, and disease. Root you life on your purpose whatever it may be, wherever you are, and whatever you do in alignment with your vision will always be on the way.
My former Principal's words "Do what's most important first" will always resonate with me, and even more so after his recent passing away. None a more loyal or dedicated public servant than he who mustered to keep his hen house in line and crackling will there ever be.
I loved him as a Principal who cared for all the sides of the table and enjoyed his job. I have loved all but really connected with 3 out of 8 Principals. Mr. Sch was short, round, and balding with a paintbrush mustache that waved up and down in a peculiar way when he grinned and when he was annoyed. I read him well.
The children loved him. I created his character into a caricature version for a children's book I initially titled Max and Robbie, the Stoney Meteorite. As a matter of fact, All the teachers in the book are caricatures of the real ones. Finding themselves replicated in this book I know will get one or two laughs and frowns from my former co-workers. At the museum magnet where I spent 7 years in Fifth, Spanish, and Second grade manipulating time to get things done I learned to organize my life around teaching. When I left the profession I was in turmoil.
Tip 6: Create your own map. Make your own To Do List based on your fanciest dreams.
Coming Soon! 1. Max and Robbie, the Stoney Meteorite, aka 2. Max and Rocky the Meteorite, aka 3. Max Found a Rock, aka 4. Max Found a Meteorite. If you made it this far down please leave your choice title below when you fill out the contact info whether 1-4 or your own. Thanks.
I graduated from second grade and moved on to high school for a rude awakening when another student said 'You must be trippin.' Out of choices, I toured the middle grades and even college once. Everywhere I taught, it was the same. Teachers have a never ending list of tasks to perform that take up most of their waking hours. Student-teacher relations are superficial and require careful positioning. This causes a great deal of stress, anxiety, and depression leading to diseases of various kinds in teachers and a lower performance quality in students.
Notably, students interest in school declines subjectively as they rise in grade level. Dissonance between the building blocks that compose the book of education, Principal-Teacher-Parent-Student relations distort reality to the point where it is obvious nobody knows where truth lies. Truth is, everybody is not in it together—meaning somebody really doesn't want to see things a different way.
The fear of losing credibility and the desire to exert power over society based on immoral parameters are characteristic of power hungry empires.
Our world is the result of thinking patterns that need to change by creating awareness of how thought manifests.
Thinking thoughts of peace and compassion will bring just that onto the scene, the script, the outcome. But wanting peace by making war will lead to more war and endless hate. Social backwardness ensues. Bad guys versus good guys. 'I am the good guy and you are not tight' type of thinking brings more war among us and the world reflects us.
Tip 7: Aim higher and higher by perfecting your craft. Hone in and quit making the same mistakes in your art and in your life.
The only school where there was no stress (except that of not having benefits and a low salary) was a Prep School in Kendall which had an excellent staff and a marvelous philosophy of education in practice. They taught self worth all the time by giving value to others and themselves. It was a happy place to work and study.
But I was only there for two years. It was a wonderful experience that lasted as long as my recovery from whiplash allowed. I witnessed a great deal of emotional healing through the power of love and allowance at this school where race and religion dissolved into the heart..
Without knowing it, I was organizing my life for what was to come. Now I must make mastery speak for itself.
Tip 8: Trust that the alignment between purpose and goal will lead you to the other side. Believe.
Benefits and salary steps called and I reentered the public sector at a school of my choice where I found a wonderful assistant principal who got me. I saw his face light up during our interview when I mentioned I would take my kids to the library and check out all kinds of books that talked about the topic at hand and would then divide up into groups according to the 5 w's or 3 a's, an exercise in prioritizing information.
In Public Education, there is mostly competition for better grades, higher scores, and more coolness. Teachers have less time and encouragement to inspire students. We don't practice or teach the organization of our thoughts and self mastery of our intention.
Teachers have even less incentive when administration, parents, and politics mandate what the their words of choice and tone may be at any given time when referring to race, gender, and historical perspective. They may spend the hour trying to be politically correct to keep the job. Instead, a teacher should allow discussions of sensitive topics with an open ear and a nonjudgmental voice.
It is obvious that ruring times when not knowing which books are on the new banned books list can get you on the black list, education suffers from the concealment of truth to avoid damaging an image created on a false premise. (The discovery of the Americas was not a discovery but a robbery, for example. Slavery in the Americas was a means of getting rich at the expense of human trafficking that created a caste system today, is another example. America became the colonizer and the survivors of the holocaust brought a holocaust to the people of Palestine). These are ideas that are banned from public discourse but are the bread and butter of the stock market.
I left education in 2018 just before the Pandemic. When I felt so fed up, unappreciated and depreciated that the choice to talk and discuss had long expired, I proved my point by walking out and writing letters expressing why.
Today, I have no regrets, I took a stand and gave up a lot but not my integrity. Now, from the outside, I look in and feel compassion. Among the imprisoned with me were men and women silently suffering while counting the years, months, weeks, days, hours before retirement and sighing when the newbies showed so much cheer when entering the next rabbit hole.
Are you living your dream or living the life?
This is what I asked myself?
All because it is easier to shut up and go home fast to avoid the rush, get your nap, take your dog on a walk, and start all over week after week, year after year, losing ever more what ever little power you had which was your voice as an educator.
This brings me to the purpose of CAMP (Conscious Arts Media Productions)— to fortify the arts education across profitable productions intertwined in a cultural web that calls for its own market share.
Join us in developing stories with a twist of supernatural rooted in reality, among an integrated society across time and place. All for the sake of peace and make love rei
Join us in reflecting on our thoughts and actions, creating peace building bridges, and cultivate love through Awareness, Allowance and Acceptance. Conscious Arts Media Productions takes its place and participates in the wheel of fortune.
Thank you for reading this blog. I hope you encourage the production of conscious media arts devoted to the creation and dissemination of literary, audio, visual, kinesthetic, and healing arts by purchasing the books and visits our sites.
We believe that our social and individual performance and expression are part of the evolutionary process of integration and allowance for society to pursue peace and evolve a greater consciousness. The research put into this blog is conducted without bias towards any given party or affiliation of any kind.