Why I Do What I Do!

At the very top of Denmark, where it juts into the North Sea, sits Hamlet's Castle. One of its windows offers a view into the courtyard where Danish royalty have walked. Shakespeare imagined a fictional Prince Hamlet living his tragic life here and contemplating "To be or not to be..." I can relate just a tiny bit to Hamlet's reflective thinking. As an international trainer for the Feuerstein Institute, I have had the honor of training teachers, parents, and psychologists all over the world. My first experience in cross-cultural training was in South Africa. As I completed my first day, I remember thinking, "THIS is what God created me to do!" Seven countries (and three continents) later, I still firmly believe that. But shall I continue "to be or not to be" only a trainer who trots the globe? So recently I sensed a new passion for my own home town. The bottom-line is this - so what if I train people around the world if I am not helping families in my own town? So the MindCAP Center has begun! I had no trouble finding a team of amazing professionals who share that passion: Greta Ehlers, Karla Sheley, Vicki Snyder, and Laura Taliaferro will work beside me to meet the cognitive challenges brought to us by those who want to improve how they think and learn. Its a tad difficult when your services have such broad applications such as ADHD, traumatic brain injury, aging, genetic conditions, cognitive fog, etc., etc. for children or adults. We moved into our new space at 6507 Constitution Drive the day after Christmas. What a gift! I am excited to look through this new window into a new world here in my own home town where the adventure is yet to be!

"I Want to Be Smart."

A group of girls in a Destiny Rescue Safe House, somewhere in southeast Asia, were having a tea party. All the cups and pretty napkins had come from a caring group in Indiana. The girls were offered the opportunity to write back to the Hoosiers to thank them and add prayer requests. One of the girls wrote, "Please pray for me that I could be smarter." Of all the things to ask for, I find this absolutely stunning. She gets it!  By having a good mind, you can have a good job, you can seek truth, you can value freedom, and you can change a world that enslaves children for the sex industry. The International Labor Organization estimates at least 20.9 million adults and children are bought and sold worldwide into commercial sexual servitude, forced labor and bonded labor. You can resell a person multiple times and make more money than selling drugs, a one time exchange.  So my daughter-in-law, part of the group who sent the tea party, told me, "Jeanne, you have to go there and train the Safe House Staff in MindCAP!"  She was right, I do, so I am! I worked through months of the proper channels, and yesterday was given the go ahead! Tomi Cardin, director of Redemption House, and I will travel to southeast Asia sometime in the spring of 2016 and join the revolution by using Romans 12:2. Transformation by a renewed mind is a powerful thing and I ask you to join us in praying for these children and young women to transform their nations by realizing their cognitive and spiritual potential and then finding a voice. A strong voice that says ENOUGH!  We in North America need to join the revolution and also say ENOUGH by funding Destiny Rescue.  Sadly we must also be aware there is a sex tourism industry of Americans traveling to Southeast Asia to fuel this evil. ENOUGH! I can hardly wait to go!

Three Questions to Ask Your Brain

When faced with a problem or even a great opportunity, it is important to know how to have a conversation with yourself. After years of working with children with learning challenges and now with a group of beautiful women in addictions recovery, I've narrowed it down to three really really good questions you can ask yourself to stay focused and not jump to a conclusion you might regret later. Almost everyone in today's culture is wired for some degree of impulsiveness. Our high use of technology and screen time helps make our brain crave things that move fast, including our thought life. But almost everyone agrees that this condition is not very helpful for a meaningful life where we make thoughtful decisions based on good input. So after 35 years of working with children and adults with impulsivity, there are three amazingly simple questions that can help anyone slow down, reflect, and get to a good solution or to a new idea. So here they are, short and sweet.
      Number One is "What do I see?" I know, that sounds way too simple, but that is exactly the point. We often do not take the time to acquire enough useful information for our brain. We have very blurred or sweeping perception of things we see or hear. We fool ourselves into thinking we "got this."  "I saw that." "I know what I heard." In reality, we did not catch all the details or the ones that would be relevant. So by slowing down for just a few seconds and looking again or listening again and digging into the details, we can think with more focused clarity.  Ask yourself, "What did I REALLY see?" and then, "What else did I see?" Get some good answers before moving to the next step.
      Question Number Two is, "What is the problem?" Not just the surface issue, but what is the real underlying concern? The one that if I solved THIS problem, all others would also fade away? We often chase the obvious and think we are being the hero for solving a problem, when actually we are just taking the easy road. This also takes a few seconds or minutes to ponder and pursue in a methodical manner and it is worth it in the long run. When that step is taken, then the third question really has some punch in it for solving problems.
      Question Number Three is "What is my plan?" What steps does your brain have in mind to solve the real problem you identified from the excellent details you observed? Here is where rubber meets the road as your neurons fire away, searching for good steps to take. It will be easier to male the plan because you invested a few minutes, or sometimes a few days, into answering questions number one and two. A great method for accomplishing the plan is to put the steps into writing. Somewhere I read research that showed we accomplish more goals when we put them into writing. That makes sense.

These three questions sum up how to solve problems in life. Just be willing to invest a few extra minutes. May you have a delightful little conversation with yourself today!

1. What do I see? 
2. What is the problem? 
3. What is my plan? 

Can I Stop That Negative Thought?

The simple answer is "Yes, you can!" Not that it will be easy, but it is very do-able. The process will take FOCUS, COMPARING, and PERSEVERANCE on your part. The brain can be changed by how and what you think. Begin with using a journal and write down with quotation marks the very thought that plagues your mind. Examples many people deal with are "I'm worthless."  "I can't believe I did that. I'm so stupid." "Life stinks."  You get the drift!  Committing something to writing indicates you are serious about the process. We all have internal messages that might have originated from a voice in our past or we developed them all by ourselves. Either way, you know this one thought needs to be taken captive and removed from your life. So commit it to writing and start today with the first step: FOCUS. Be aware of when the thought pops into your mind.  I was taught years ago that negative thoughts are like birds flying over our heads, we can't stop the bird from flying through, but we can keep it from making a nest!  So FOCUS on when the thought flies through. Be aware of it. Second step, COMPARE! Go back to your journal tonight and compare the negative thought with a new one.  Write down the new thought you believe would be helpful in your life. Instead of "I'm so stupid" (doing a particular thing), write down, "I just don't know how YET, but I can learn if I work at it."  The next time the negative thought flies through, compare and replace it with the new one. The last step is the PERSEVERANCE. There is a beautiful example of this in a letter Paul wrote to the church in Corinth. He told them to "take every thought captive in order to obey the Messiah." Whether you are a Christian or not and reading this, know that Paul was onto some very good brain science! This is just as cognitive-building as it is character-building. So are you ready to try the three stop process of FOCUS - COMPARE - PERSEVERE? I think you are! Let me know how it goes!  Jeanne

The Story of Jan

May I tell you about a beautiful woman in another country (that I will leave anonymous) whose life was too short, yet she touched many with her courage and her enthusiasm for life? Her name was Jan and she was in one of my Feuerstein training classes in 2013.  She had an enormous smile, was very infectious with her laughter and her insight. She was a joy to train!  Yet she was battling cancer. You wouldn't have known it except for the lovely blonde wig she wore. Her oncologist was very surprised at how she went through several rounds of chemotherapy, but never exhibited any of the brain fog that almost 80% of patients suffer from. She and I were attempting to make a visit to the head of the oncology center at her doctor's request. That trip didn't happen because the person at the top wasn't interested in a "new program" if the research did not already exist for it. WOW! What a fixed mindset!  Here was a patient  ready to share how the Feuerstein program helped her keep mentally clear and focused and he's not interested?!?  Such a shame.  So this is for Jan that I press on into new fields of cognitive coaching. We will get the research someday - just too bad that Jan's country missed their chance to be on the cutting edge of discovery. We'll take care of it here!

Who and Where is MindCAP?

Catch us if you can!  MindCAP is now just up the road from where we launched on Magnavox Way. You can find us at 6505 Constitution Dr. in the Constitution Hill Office Park.  The vision of MindCAP is to unleash the limitless potential of every person to think, learn, and thrive.  Whether an adult or child is challenged by impulsivity or inattention (ADHD), academic learning, or recovering cognition following an addiction, traumatic brain injury, or stroke. Where traditional therapies leave off, MindCAP picks up with personalized cognitive coaching. Based upon the research in neuroplasticity, growth mindset (Carol Dweck) and Feuerstein's Instrumental Enrichment (Reuven Feuerstein), we help our clients believe in their ability to change and grow cognitive skills. Integrated, intensive intervention is offered by certified Speech Pathologist Karla Sheley, Occupational Therapist Vicki Snyder, and Feuerstein certified mediators Greta Ehlers and Laura Taliaferro. Founder and Director of MindCAP is Jeanne Zehr, Ph.D. an international trainer in Feuerstein Programs. Discover more at mind-cap.org

Byron Health Center

In case you haven't heard yet, there is an amazing thing going on at Byron Health Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  Five staff have taken FIE Standard and Basic training and they are implementing with residents.  Thanks to the positive and visionary leadership of Deb Lambert, CEO, it is a very uplifting and positive place to work or live!  Congratulations to Elaine, Chey, Maribeth, Liz, and Amber who are hard at work using FIE to improve lives of residents.