http://www1.cbn.com/books/its-my-pleasure-testament-value-simple-wisdom

It's My Pleasure a Testament to the Value of Simple Wisdom

Chick-fil-A has long been celebrated as a company that does things a little differently. From the familiar phrase “It’s my pleasure” ringing through its restaurants to being closed on Sunday, this fast food favorite has developed one of the most powerful and distinctive cultures in American business.

Chick-fil-A Vice President Dee Ann Turner believes much of the company’s success can be found in concentrating on the small details. Instead of focusing on success at any cost, the Atlanta based company has chosen to focus on honor, dignity, and respect in everything that they do. Simply put, it’s much more than selling a tasty chicken sandwich.

I recently sat down with Turner to discuss her new book, It’s My Pleasure, why Chick-fil-A is America’s favorite fast food restaurant, and why her company finds it of the highest importance to incorporate biblical principles into their business.

You have had a successful career as a corporate executive for one of the largest restaurant chains in America. I’m not sure author was on your list of career pursuits. I understand this book originated from a blog post. What inspired you to write It’s My Pleasure?

It was a combination of things that happened at the same time. I had lost the two biggest mentors in my life – my dad and Truett Cathy. Truett, of course, is the founder of Chick-fil-A. During the course of those 12 months I heard an Andy Stanley sermon about Joseph. His question in that sermon was, ‘God, what would you have me do in these circumstances?’ So, I started praying that prayer. The other part for me was I said if you say so, I will. This meant that if God told me to go meet somebody or to something I would do that. Through all of that a publisher that asked me whether I was interested in publishing a book contacted me. I told them I didn’t know. But then I poured out the first half of it while sitting on a beach over Christmas vacation. It was through that that I realized I had a lot to say. The two things that are the most important to me about it is that I wanted the people who didn’t know Truett and didn’t know his people principles to never forget them and the people who came after him would never forget them and also know. He would say, ‘We are not in the chicken business. We are in the people business.’

From a real high level, what do you think the key to success has been for Chick-fil-A over the years?

I think the single most important thing is, and Truett always said this, people decisions are the most important decisions we make. And the single most important people decision we make is who we give the key to the restaurants to. That restaurant leader, I believe with all my heart, and the consistency of the selection of those leaders and what they have done in their restaurants is to model a lot of things that Truett did with his very first restaurant. I think that is the key to the whole thing.

That leads me right into my next question. What does it take to create a compelling culture? Is there a set formula or does it differ from franchise to franchise?

I think there have been four key parts for Chick-fil-A. It all starts with knowing why you are in business at all. For Truett, the corporate purpose did not come about until Chick-fil-A had existed for about 20 years. It really came about in a time of crisis. We had hit our first sales slump ever which was in 1982. He had just opened a new Chick-fil-A campus in the southern part of Atlanta. He was heavily in debt. They were trying to figure out what they were going to do about this. Truett took his executives and went on a retreat. A lot of companies would come back with a reduction of job force plan, a new marketing plan for selling more chicken, a greater incentive plan, or a cost reduction plan. But they didn’t do that. They came back with a purpose for why we were in business at all. That is … to glorify God by being a faithful steward of everything entrusted to us and to be a positive influence on everyone who comes in contact with Chick-fil-A. That changed everything. We haven’t had a sales slump since then. In fact, we have had positive sales increases every year since. Amazing results happen when you just decide that business is something bigger than ourselves. It’s not just about selling chicken. It’s about the impact we can have on lives. Second is knowing your mission, what you are in business to do. And missions change over time. At one time, we were focused on being America’s best quick service restaurant that satisfies every guest. When we accomplished that we needed to have something new. Our current mission is really simple. Anyone can remember it. It is, “Be Remarkable”. That phrase is really important because what it really means is that we would be so remarkable in our food, service, and the guest experience that guests would want to remark about us in a positive way. Quickly, the last two are establishing your core values and lastly, a set of guiding principles.

In your book you write about nurturing an abundance mentality. Why is this important?

As a leader, I see this everyday. You can get so much more done when people don’t care who gets the credit. Or that they believe there is enough for everybody. In environments where there is a scarcity mentality you see it. People snitch behind people’s backs because somebody got a promotion and they didn’t. Or they are constantly doing things to claw their way to the top. We have tried to create a culture where there is enough for everybody. We want everybody to be wildly successful. There is a focus on the individual both at the corporate level and also among our franchisees. When everyone is successful we are all successful.

Recently, Chick-fil-A was voted America’s favorite fast food restaurant by the American Customer Satisfaction Index Restaurant Report. Earning this type of award just didn’t happen overnight. From your view, why does your restaurant have such an appeal with Americans?

I go back to what we were talking about a little while ago. Meticulous, careful selection of who receives the keys to our franchises. Truett used to say, ‘If I’m going to do this (quick service concept) I’ve got to find people who will run these restaurants like I would run them.’ He looked for people who had a heart to go into business for themselves but not necessarily the financial outlay required. He looked for people who had a servant’s heart. He looked for people who were leaders and could engage their employees and guests. He meticulously selected them and made sure everybody who did that work after him was just as careful. For instance, when I was doing corporate talent acquisition the last thing I would ask potential franchisee owners is why would I want my children to work for you? If I wouldn’t want my children to work for you then no one else would want their children to work for you. I wanted to hear that answer. That was one of the ways I used to make my decision about a franchisee on that basis. This has permeated throughout our business because Truett did it right from the start. It’s so much easier when you start your business that way. It’s the foundation for everything.

An important concept that Chick-fil-A stresses is something called Second Mile Service. I understand it is based on a biblical principle. Can you explain?

If you go back to the New Testament of Matthew, Jesus teaches, and He explains that if a Roman soldier asks you to carry his pack one mile then carry it for two. That was the premise for the whole thing. It actually came from Dan Cathy (Truett’s son), this idea of if we want to endear people to us than we have to go above and beyond the others. With first mile service, you come into our restaurant and you expect your order to be correct, you expect to receive it in a timely manner, you expect the team members to be reasonably friendly, and you expect the restaurant to be clean. But with second mile service that’s where we become remarkable. What you might not be expecting is that large orders are going to be carried out to your car for you. Or somebody is going to come by and refresh your beverage at your table. They might bring a big pepper grinder and put fresh ground pepper on your salad.

As an author, what is the one thing you want your readers to get out of reading It’s My Pleasure?

Everything we do is an opportunity to impact the lives of others. Some are called to sell chicken but that doesn’t mean we sell chicken for chicken sake. We try to impact lives all over the world. In the book, I write about some of the things we do internationally in places that have never heard of Chick-fil-A or Truett Cathy. We are impacting lives through this trickle down effect in our organization. When you commit yourself to doing something that’s impactful for generations to come I think that is much more significant and fulfilling.

Sent from my iPhone

https://www.edutopia.org/article/6-techniques-building-reading-skills-susan-barber?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc

6 Techniques for Building Reading Skills—in Any Subject

Students need good reading skills not just in English but in all classes. Here are some ways you can help them develop those skills.

Students need good reading skills not just in English but in all classes. Here are some ways you can help them develop those skills.

As avid lovers of literature, teachers often find themselves wanting to impart every bit of knowledge about a well-loved text to their students. And this is not just an ELA issue—other disciplines also often focus on the content of a text. However, teaching reading skills in English classes and across the disciplines is an almost guaranteed way to help students retain content. Unfortunately, the tendency to focus on the content is a real enemy to the ultimate goal of building reading skills.

Without a repertoire of reading strategies that can be applied to any text, students are being shortchanged in their education. In order to teach students to read effectively, teachers must be sure that they are not simply suppliers of information on a particular text but also instructors of techniques to build reading skills. Here are some ideas on how to incorporate reading skills lessons into a curriculum.

Teach Close Reading Skills

Guide students in annotation by directing them to do more than highlight or underline. Encourage students to have a conversation with the text by jotting notes on the text while reading—this keeps students engaged and often increases comprehension. Annotations can include:

• Defining new words
• Asking questions
• Coding recurring words and themes
• Making personal connections to the text
• Citing current events
• Highlighting heading and subheadings
• Summarizing paragraphs
• Chunking
• Categorizing information
• Numbering and ordering
• Drawing pictures

The list of possibilities is endless—the point is to have students form their own process when approaching a text. But don’t be afraid to give students specific annotation guidelines such as “annotate the writer’s characterization techniques” or “find examples of . . .” to help them focus. Annotations also help students identify which strategies work best for them as they try to process and understand information. The clip “Girls Read Comic” from The Big Bang Theory is a great way to introduce the concept of reading closely and its importance.

Appeal to the Senses

While reading is the work of the mind, incorporating the senses provides extra reinforcement for students who are still growing their skills. Reading passages aloud and verbalizing questions you would mentally ask while reading can be a great benefit to students. Students often have no idea how to ask questions, what type of questions to ask, or the frequency of questions, so modeling this skill is invaluable. This can be further reinforced especially for visual learners by using a document camera or overhead projector to write questions, mark key words and phrases, and interact with a text. And as always, encourage students to read with a pen or pencil in hand.

Guide Students in Setting Reading Goals

While writing goals are used regularly in the classroom, students do not assess personal reading skills on a regular basis. Begin the year by having students write a reader’s biography to gain insight into their reading habits, struggles, and successes; this serves as a foundation for discussions on setting reading goals. After reading a novel, nonfiction text, short story, or poetry unit, help students evaluate their reading skills: Did you feel confident reading the text? Why or why not? What parts of the text gave you trouble? Could you have used a different strategy to make reading the text easier? Students should evaluate goals on a regular basis and create new goals based on their needs and growth.

Vary Text Length

When approaching a particularly difficult text, break it up and offer it in shorter segments. Students often become discouraged with lengthy texts that require intense concentration. Giving smaller segments allows the students to digest chunks in pieces, acquire academic vocabulary, and build confidence.

Offer Opportunities for Choice Reading

Simply put, the best way to improve reading is to read, and students are more likely to read when they have a choice in the reading. Newsela and CommonLit offer a variety of nonfiction articles for choice (and CommonLit includes fiction as well); both sites include articles with various grade levels and across multiple disciplines. Classroom libraries built from donations, garage sales, and thrift shops encourage students to take books for personal reading. Ask students about their interests and make recommendations. Reading for pleasure builds transferable skills for content reading and should be encouraged, including in class.

Assess Content and Skill

Students should be able to demonstrate their skills in assessment, whether it’s formal or informal, formative or summative. Recall and comprehension questions are a good way to check for basic understanding, but teachers should then move to the harder how and why questions. Choose activities that require students to dig deep into a text, such as:

• Facilitate a socratic discussion.
• Create a playlist for a character.
• Write a formal essay.
• Make a meme for a character.
• Present a mini-TED talk on research inspired by a text.
• Create a mind map, literary 3x3, or infographic.

Most teachers already incorporate skill building in their classes to some degree; however, taking time to discuss and actively engage students in the process will keep skill development at the forefront of learning. The result will be students who not only make gains in reading but also have an understanding of how to become better readers.

Sent from my iPhone

Worship The GOD Who Dared To Do What Man Dared Not Dream

http://contentz.mkt4728.com/mson/2016/12/23/QJn4OCqtSQw0/index.html

FaithGateway

Worship The GOD Who Dared To Do What Man Dared Not Dream

Some call him Sinterklaas. Others Pere Noel or Papa Noel. He’s been known as Hoteiosho, Sonnerklaas, Father Christmas, Jelly Belly, and to most English speakers, Santa Claus.

His original name was Nicholas, which means victorious. He was born in AD 280 in what is now Turkey. He was orphaned at age nine when his parents died of a plague. Though many would think Santa majored in toy making and minored in marketing, actually the original Nicholas studied Greek philosophy and Christian doctrine.

He was honored by the Catholic church by being named Bishop of Myra in the early fourth century. He held the post until his death on December 6, 343.

History recognized him as a saint, but in the third century he was a bit of a troublemaker. He was twice jailed, once by the Emperor Diocletian for religious reasons, the other for slugging a fellow bishop during a fiery debate. (So much for finding out who is naughty and nice.)

Old Nick never married. But that’s not to say he wasn’t a romantic. He was best known for the kindness he showed to a poor neighbor who was unable to support his three daughters or provide the customary dowry so they could attract husbands. Old Saint Nicholas slipped up to the house by night and dropped a handful of gold coins through the window so the eldest daughter could afford to get married. He repeated this act on two other nights for the other two daughters.

This story was the seed that, watered with years, became the Santa legend. It seems that every generation adorned it with another ornament until it sparkled more than a Christmas tree.

The gift grew from a handful of coins to bags of coins.  Instead of dropping them through the window, he dropped them down the chimney. And rather than land on the floor, the bags of coins landed in the girls’ stockings, which were hanging on the hearth to dry. (So that’s where all this stocking stuff started.)

The centuries have been as good to Nicholas’s image as to his deeds. Not only have his acts been embellished, his wardrobe and personality have undergone transformations as well.

As Bishop of Myra, he wore the traditional ecclesiastical robes and a mitered hat. He is known to have been slim, with a dark beard and a serious personality.

By 1300 he was wearing a white beard. By the 1800s he was depicted with a rotund belly and an ever-present basket of food over his arm. Soon came the black boots, a red cape, and a cheery stocking on his head. In the late nineteenth century his basket of food became a sack of toys. In 1866 he was small and gnomish but by 1930 he was a robust six-footer with rosy cheeks and a Coca-Cola.

Santa reflects the desires of people all over the world. With the centuries he has become the composite of what we want:

• A friend who cares enough to travel a long way against all odds to bring good gifts to good people.
• A sage who, though aware of each act, has a way of rewarding the good and overlooking the bad.
• A friend of children, who never gets sick and never grows old.
• A father who lets you sit on his lap and share your deepest desires.

Santa. The culmination of what we need in a hero. The personification of our passions. The expression of our yearnings. The fulfillment of our desires. And... the betrayal of our meager expectations.

What? you say. Let me explain.

You see, Santa can’t provide what we really need. For one thing, he’s only around once a year. When January winds chill our souls, he’s history. When December’s requests become February payments, Santa’s left the mall. When April demands taxes or May brings final exams, Santa is still months from his next visit. And should July find us ill or October find us alone, we can’t go to his chair for comfort — it’s still empty. He only comes once a year.

And when he comes, though he gives much, he doesn’t take away much. He doesn't take away the riddle of the grave, the burden of mistakes, or the anxiety of demands. He’s kind and quick and cute; but when it comes to healing hurts — don’t go to Santa.

Now, I don’t mean to be a Scrooge. I’m not wanting to slam the jolly old fellow. I am just pointing out that we people are timid when it comes to designing legends.

You’d think we could do better. You’d think that over six centuries we’d develop a hero who’d resolve those fears.

But we can’t. We have made many heroes, from King Arthur to Kennedy; Lincoln to Lindbergh; Socrates to Santa to Superman. We give it the best we can, every benefit of every doubt, every supernatural strength, and for a brief shining moment we have the hero we need — the king who can deliver Camelot. But then the truth leaks, and fact surfaces amid the fiction, and the chinks in the armor are seen. And we realize that the heroes, as noble as they may have been, as courageous as they were, were conceived in the same stained society as you and I.

Except One.

There was One who claimed to come from a different place. There was One who, though He had the appearance of a man, claimed to have the origin of God. There was One who, while wearing the face of a Jew, had the image of the Creator.

Those who saw Him — really saw Him — knew there was something different. At His touch blind beggars saw. At His command crippled legs walked. At His embrace empty lives filled with vision.

He fed thousands with one basket. He stilled a storm with one command. He raised the dead with one proclamation. He changed lives with one request. He rerouted the history of the world with one life, lived in one country, was born in one manger, and died on one hill...

After three years of ministry, hundreds of miles, thousands of miracles, innumerable teachings, Jesus asks, “Who?” Jesus bids the people to ponder not what He has done but who He is.

It’s the ultimate question of the Christ: Whose Son is He? Is He the Son of God or the sum of our dreams? Is He the force of creation or a figment of our imagination?

When we ask that question about Santa, the answer is the culmination of our desires. A depiction of our fondest dreams.

Not so when we ask it about Jesus. For no one could ever dream a person as incredible as He is. The idea that a virgin would be selected by God to bear Himself... The notion that God would don a scalp and toes and two eyes... The thought that the King of the universe would sneeze and burp and get bit by mosquitoes... It’s too incredible. Too revolutionary. We would never create such a Savior. We aren’t that daring.

When we create a redeemer, we keep him safely distant in his faraway castle. We allow him only the briefest of encounters with us. We permit him to swoop in and out with his sleigh before we can draw too near. We wouldn’t ask him to take up residence in the midst of a contaminated people. In our wildest imaginings we wouldn’t conjure a king who becomes one of us.

But God did.

God did what we wouldn’t dare dream. He did what we couldn’t imagine. He became a man so we could trust Him. He became a sacrifice so we could know Him. And He defeated death so we could follow Him.

It defies logic. It is a divine insanity. A holy incredibility. Only a God beyond systems and common sense could create a plan as absurd as this. Yet it is the very impossibility of it all that makes it possible. The wildness of the story is its strongest witness.

For only a God could create a plan this mad. Only a Creator beyond the fence of logic could offer such a gift of love.

What man can’t do, God does.

So, when it comes to goodies and candy, cherub cheeks and red noses, go to the North Pole.

But when it comes to eternity, forgiveness, purpose, and truth, go to the manger. Kneel with the shepherds. Worship the God who dared to do what man dared not dream.

Excerpted with permission from Christmas Stories by Max Lucado, copyright Thomas Nelson.

 * * * 
Forward to a Friend

Your Turn

Family traditions about Santa Claus, especially within our Christian communities, vary widely. Some celebrate the magical ideas of Santa and others feel that detracts from the holiness of Jesus' birth. Whether or not your family leaves a plate of cookies out for Ol' Saint Nick and carrots for the reindeer, remember that Jesus is the only true Hero! Join the conversation on our blog. We'd love to hear from you! ~ Devotionals Daily

Forward to a Friend

Save 40% off Max Lucado's Christmas Stories: Heartwarming Classics of Angels, a Manger, and the Birth of Hope

Sent from my iPhone

10 Signs You're Turning Into Your Mother Sorry, but it's time to face the facts.

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/parenting/a41962/turning-into-your-mother/?src=nl&mag=ghk&list=nl_gga_news&date=100116

10 Signs You're Turning Into Your Mother

Sorry, but it's time to face the facts.

Blame genetics, but there's something slightly eerie about the slow-but-steady transformation you make into your mother. It starts out by using the same phrases that she also counts as verbal ticks, or nagging friends to put on a jacket. Next thing you know, you're a full-blown, robe-wearing, coupon-clipping, finger-wagging mom — no kids required.

While moms are basically real-life superheros (seriously, we couldn't live without 'em!), here are a few sure-fire signs that your mom-ification is almost complete:

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

1. Nothing's ever truly "trash."

"I've become a total garbage hunter. I grew up with three sisters and we all remember mom pulling over the Dodge Durango to scope out furniture that had gotten the curb — literally. We used to always worry that the owner of the furniture would come outside as she was shoving it into our trunk, even though it was trash to them and "treasure" to my mom. That actually happened a few times. As I've gotten older, moved out and tried (scraped) to make it on my own, it hit me — furniture is expensive. Now I linger a little too long when I pass promising trash stations and sometimes take the long way home on garbage night. My best score yet? My perfect, 30-year old blush pink couch. My mom was so proud." —Sarah S.

2. You actually feel compelled to clean.

"I'm super particular about how my home looks before having visitors. I have to vacuum and dust and have it looking perfect or else I feel super embarrassed … something I never thought I'd care about." —Lauren M.

3. You talk (and sometimes weep) watching TV.

"I've noticed I've become like my mom when she watches television. She will gasp, ooh and ahh at scenes, even if she's seen the show a thousand times. I find myself doing the same thing now, and TBH, it's something my grandma does as well." —Michelle M.

4. Happy hour lasts longer than an hour.

"I've started drinking wine earlier in the day." —Ashley L.

5. Sometimes you make the *exact* same jokes.

"I made a joke about naming my daughter Stacy when listening to "Stacy's Mom" with my friends. Two weeks later, while listening to it with my mom, she goes, "I should have named you Stacy!"' — Meghan R.

6. You're a teensy bit paranoid.

"I check to make sure I locked the door twice, sometimes three times. When my brother and I were little, our big family vacation meant driving to the Jersey Shore. One year, we were all packed up in Mom's white Jeep Cherokee, and she started backing out of the driveway, only to throw the gear into park again because she wanted to make sure she'd turned off the oven. Then she wanted to make sure she'd turned off her curling iron. I think we did this about three or four more times before we finally got on the road. Now, as an adult, I've gone all the way across town, then back to my apartment again to make absolutely sure that I turned off the oven or avoided whatever potential disaster I've cooked up in my head." —Devin T.

7. No one leaves your house hungry.

"I'm constantly trying to feed everyone. When people come over, I always offer snacks multiple times (even if it's right after dinner). I'll pack my boyfriend lunches with extra granola bars. I make sure that no one is hungry — and if they are, I am on it." —Kate B.

8. You will NOT let those old wives' tales die.

"I tell my girls to not go outside with wet hair, even though science proved that's not how you catch a cold." —Elizabeth P.

9. Your keys? They're probably buried at the bottom of your purse.

"I'm always thinking that I lost something or left it somewhere, frantically looking around for it and finding in the right place." —Kayla R.

10. You're pretty confident in your look.

"My mom used to take my sisters and me shopping and would see things she liked and say, 'This would look great on me!' We thought it was so weird and annoying but now we will do the same thing when we're out and about and are feelin' a look that we find." —Molly C.

More from Good Housekeeping:

Sent from my iPhone

http://www.lifenews.com/2015/06/25/abortion-has-killed-more-black-americans-than-crime-accidents-cancer-or-aids/

Abortion Has Killed More Black Americans Than Crime, Accidents, Cancer or AIDS

This week Right to Life of Michigan launched a new website that exposes the massive amount of abortions taking place on African American babies in their state. The pro-life group reports that Black women had 13,065 (49.6 %) of the 26,321 abortions performed on Michigan residents in 2014.

Their website explains, “In the United States, the abortion rate for black women is almost 4 times that of white women. On average, 870 black babies are aborted every day in the United States. This tragedy continues to impact the population levels of African-Americans in the United States. The abortion racial disparity holds true when the focus is on Michigan statistics as well.”

In announcing the new web page, Right to Life of Michigan said, “More than crime. More than accidents. More than cancer, heart disease and AIDS. Abortion has taken more black American lives than any other cause of death since 1973.”

“Did you know that? Abortion is the leading cause of death in the United States, but for black Americans abortion causes more deaths every year than every other cause of death combined. Now is the time for this fact to be addressed in the media and in the classroom,” it added.

It concluded: “This week Right to Life of Michigan has launched a new webpage to provide information and statistics on abortions in the black community to help encourage dialogue. The webpage also features a beautiful new full-color brochure that can be downloaded and printed for free, as well as links to our Compassion Project ads and contact information for Right to Life of Michigan’s Multicultural Outreach Office.”

As LifeNews previously reported, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released its national abortion report last year and the new statistics reveal that Michigan is one of ten states in the U.S. that perform the most abortions on minority women. Unfortunately, every year in Michigan over 10,000 African American babies die in abortion as well as nearly a thousand Hispanic babies.

According to the Census Bureau, Blacks and Hispanics comprise only 13.2% and 17.1% of the population respectively yet account for the most abortions. In fact, abortion ends the life of more African Americans than all other causes of death combined, including accidents, cancer, AIDS and violent crimes. These new statistics confirm a pattern that has been going on for years: the abortion industry, specifically Planned Parenthood, targets minority women.

In the media, Planned Parenthood is praised for being “diverse”, but 79% of all their abortion facilities are located near minority neighborhoods. There is no way that’s simply “coincidental.” Since 1973, approximately 13 million black babies have been lost because of abortion, and out of the approximately 4000 abortions that are performed daily in the United States, 1452 of them are performed on African American women and their unborn children.

Click here to sign up for daily pro-life news alerts from LifeNews.com

In 2014, Alveda King, the niece of Martin Luther King Jr., addressed abortion and racism. King said, “Right now in America almost half of our babies are being killed in the womb, and in certain parts of America more of our babies are being aborted than being born. While we were marching in the sixties, a place was being prepared for us at Planned Parenthood. We were trying to get off the back of the bus, and they were going to have a space for us in the front of the abortion mill.”

Visit Michigan Right to Life’s new website by clicking here.

Sent from my iPhone

https://m.mic.com/articles/108022/science-just-discovered-something-amazing-about-what-childhood-piano-lessons-did-to-you#.qKYjzu7vg

Science Just Discovered Something Amazing About What Childhood Piano Lessons Did to You

If your parents forced you to practice your scales by saying it would "build character," they were onto something. The Washington Post reports that one of the largest scientific studies into music's effect on the brain has found something striking: Musical training doesn't just affect your musical ability — it provides tremendous benefits to children's emotional and behavioral maturation.

The study by the University of Vermont College of Medicine found that even those who never made it past nursery rhyme songs and do-re-mi's likely received some major developmental benefits just from playing. The study provides even more evidence as to why providing children with high-quality music education may be one of the most effective ways to ensure their success in life.

Source: Steve Russell/Getty Images

The study: James Hudziak and his colleagues analyzed the brain scans of 232 children ages 6 to 18, looking for relationships between cortical thickness and musical training. Previous studies the team had performed revealed that anxiety, depression, attention problems and aggression correspond with changes to cortical thickness. Hudziak and his team sought to discover whether a "positive activity" like musical training could affect the opposite changes in young minds.

"What we found was the more a child trained on an instrument," Hudziak told the Washington Post, "it accelerated cortical organization in attention skill, anxiety management and emotional control."

The study found increased thickness in parts of the brain responsible for executive functioning, which includes working memory, attentional control and organizational skills. In short, music actually helped kids become more well-rounded. Not only that, they believe that musical training could serve as a powerful treatment of cognitive disorders like ADHD.

Source: Getty Images

We need this sort of proof now more than ever. In presenting their findings, the authors reveal a terrifying truth about the American education system: Three-quarters of high school students "rarely or never" receive extracurricular lessons in the music or the arts. And that's depriving kids of way more than just knowing an instrument.

School systems that don't dedicate adequate time and resources to musical training are robbing their kids of so much. Prior research proves that learning music can help children develop spatiotemporal faculties, which then aid their ability to solve complex math. It can also help children improve their reading comprehension and verbal abilities, especially for those who speak English as a second language.

In these ways music can be a powerful tool in helping to close the achievement gaps that have plagued American schools for so long. It's even been shown that children who receive musical training in school also tend to be more civically engaged and maintain higher grade-point averages than children who don't. In short, musical education can address many of the systemic problems in American education.

Hudziak's research is an important addition to the field because it shows that music helps us become better people, too. One thing is clear: Learning music is one of the best things a person can do. Who knows — running scales may have changed your life. And it could change the lives of future generations too.

h/t Washington Post

Sent from my iPhone

https://www.inverse.com/article/24819-intelligent-people-friendships-satisfaction-savanna-theory?utm_content=inf_10_3448_2&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=jabra&utm_campaign=influencer&tse_id=INF_4395d340c56511e686924f044efee13a

Evolution Made Really Smart People Long to Be Loners

Psychologists have a pretty good idea of what typically makes a human happy. Dancing delights us. Being in nature brings us joy. And, for most people, frequent contact with good friends makes us feel content.

That is, unless you’re really, really smart.

In a paper published in the British Journal of Psychology, researchers Norman Li and Satoshi Kanazawa report that highly intelligent people experience lower life satisfaction when they socialize with friends more frequently. These are the Sherlocks and the Newt Scamanders of the world — the very intelligent few who would be happier if they were left alone.

To come to this conclusion, the researchers analyzed the survey responses of 15,197 individuals between the ages of 18 and 28. Their data was a part of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health — a survey that measures life satisfaction, intelligence, and health. Analysis of this data revealed that being around dense crowds of people typically leads to unhappiness, while socializing with friends typically leads to happiness — that is, unless the person in question is highly intelligent.

The authors explain these findings with the “savanna theory of happiness,” noting how different our world is than that of our Pleistocene-era ancestors. The savanna theory of happiness is the idea that life satisfaction is not only determined by what’s happening in the present but also influenced by the ways our ancestors may have reacted to the event. Evolutionary psychology argues that, just like any other organ, the human brain has been designed for and adapted to the conditions of an ancestral environment. Therefore, the researchers argue, our brains may have trouble comprehending and dealing with situations that are unique to the present.

The two factors that differ the most between ancestral and modern life are population density and how frequently humans socialize with friends. Today, most of us are around more people and spend less time with friends than our ancestors. But not the exceptionally smart among us: The authors argue that less intelligent people are affected by the savanna theory more than highly intelligent people.

“In general, more intelligent individuals are more likely to have ‘unnatural’ preferences and values that our ancestors did not have,” Kanazawa tells Inverse. “It is extremely natural for species like humans to seek and desire friendships and, as a result, more intelligent individuals are likely to seek them less.”

The survey results also revealed that smarter people were less likely to feel that they benefited from friendships, but they actually socialized more than less intelligent people.

Intelligence is believed to have evolved as a psychological mechanism to solve novel problems — the sort of challenges that weren’t a regular part of life. For our ancestors, frequent contact with friends and allies was a necessity that allowed them to survive. Being highly intelligent, however, meant an individual was more likely to be able to solve problems without another person’s help, which in turn diminished the importance of their friendships.

Because highly intelligent people do not necessarily prefer what their ancestors would have wanted, they are more comfortable in urban settings, the authors write. Historically, people tended to live comfortably in groups of around 150: the typical size of a Neolithic village was 150, Roman military units were usually 120 men, and the average company size of a World War II army was 180. Densely packed urban centers, in contrast, are thought to bring about isolation and depression because they do not foster close relationships. But a busy, alienating place has less of a negative effect on more intelligent people.

“In general, urbanites have higher average intelligence than ruralites do, possibly because more intelligent individuals are better able to live in ‘unnatural’ settings of high population density,” says Kanazawa.

That certainly doesn’t mean that if you enjoy being around your friends that you’re unintelligent. But it does mean that the really smart person you know who spends much of their time alone isn’t a sad loner — they probably just like it that way.

Photos via Giphy (1, 2), IMDB

Sent from my iPhone