A Taste of Mindcamp (Making Omelets)

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One of a series of posts profiling some of the 100+ hours of Mindcamp programs you can take this summer. For more on this and other programs, go to: Mindcamp Sessions.

Breaking It Open

Finding the gifts in adversity

You can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs. As with breakfast, so with life. Sometimes it takes going through a mess – sitting in the rubble of egg shells and kitchen scraps – to find the joy waiting on the other side. No one is immune from feelings of sorrow or pain, but in every adversity there is a gift. Using metaphors, small group discussions, experiential activities, and reflection, Missy and Beth will help you discover the gifts life gives you, even in the midst of raging storms.

From understanding how our experiences are affected by mindset (and how we can adjust it) to developing an intentional gratitude practice, you will learn tools to use before, during and after life’s most troubling times. Your program leaders will create a safe space to explore past adversity and find opportunities to practice resilience.

The Skinny: 3 things you will get from this session

  • Identify the gifts that have come from past adversity
  • Experiment with tools to make it easier to find gifts in the future
  • Learn how to develop a resiliency mindset to allow for more positive experiences

Beth Slazak holds a BA from the University of Buffalo in History with a minor in Dance, a Social Studies Certification in Education from Buffalo State College, and an MSc in Creative Studies from Buffalo State College. When not on Buffalo State or Genesee Community College’s campuses teaching, she spends her time on stage at Buffalo ComedySportz and working on her Certified Humor Professional standing. She uses this work when she speaks on the value of laughing through challenges.

Missy Goldwasser Carvin joined New Directions Consulting, full-time, in 2007. Previously, she worked for the firm on a part-time basis for almost 15 years, while putting her BA in theater and history from Hartwick College into service working for Girl Scouts. Now she is President of New Directions, heading up its creative and online services as well as designing and implementing traditional research projects. She has been a presenter at CPSI since 2011 and has also presented workshops at Florida Creativity Weekend and Mindcamp.