School of Response/Ability

     Behind bars in American Prisons about 1.2 million men and 800,000 women are just waiting to be set free. Most of these persons are not really aware of how they lost their freedom or even what true freedom is. Yes, most did something that is not perceived as acceptable in an orderly, harmonious community.
 Neither the prisoner or many citizens outside the jails realize fully the chief difference separating them by metal and mental bars. That difference is one word…..Response/ability. Those persons inside jails haven’t learned to live as they should live and can live. They haven’t learned how to become response/able, to respond to life situations and adversities rather than …..React!  
 

     Since the word RESPONSE/ABILITY is a new word, it needs to be defined. I view this new word as the other side of the same coin. The powerful word RESPONSIBILITY means a person does what he can and should do, it is a duty and a virtue in home, business and in all phases of life. The new word, the flip side of the coin is a habitude, an attitude in process of becoming a habit of responding to situations and circumstances rather than reacting, as would a child.
 

     The SCHOOL OF RESPONSE/ABILITY was established to teach those in prisons, either metal or mental, to change attitudes and habits that cause persons to react, rather than respond, in ways that will be successful in life situations of stress and adversity.
 

     To grow into the virtue of Responsibility is a life long process. The process of learning this virtue is becoming Response/able. Every adult sometimes behaves irresponsibly because we don’t always play by the rules of the game of life. As we gain understanding in the processes of becoming responsible, we soon discover the 12 steps involved in growing more response/able.
 

     This SCHOOL OF RESPONSE/ABILITY will teach these steps, making it possible to change undesirable attitudes and habits resulting in a change of lives and destiny. These powerful steps are:

1. A new AWARENESS
2. A new INNER FREEDOM
3. A new THOUGHT PROCESS, POSITIVE THINKING
4. A new EMOTIONAL CLIMATE, POSITIVE FEELINGS
5. A new SET OF DESIRES, ASPIRATIONS
6. A new SET OF PURPOSES, SPECIFIC GOALS
7. A new SET OF VALUES AND PRIORITIES
8. A new FREEDOM TO CHOOSE
9. A new FREEDOM TO ACT
10. A new FREEDOM TO PERSEVERE
11. A new ATTITUDE OF RESPONDING, NOT REACTING
12. A CHANGE IN ATTITUDES AND HABITS AND DESTINY

     This SCHOOL OF RESPONSE/ABILITY will apply these powerful steps to making successful relationships with spouses, children, bosses, neighbors, friends and figures of authority. Students will be invited to read and study my book, “Family Power…Managing the Challenges…With Words I Never Learned in Any School.” In this book are the processes, secrets and principles that make for success in families and in the work place..

     This school will be unlike any other students have ever attended. As the teacher, I will expect each person to take the subject seriously. I will tell the class: “the subject is you---learning to know yourself and what you can become. Your past failures and experiences will not count against you, unless you let them.”  

     I will respect each as a person who would like to change and grow. I expect to get to know the students as they begin to know and respect themselves and me.

     Each class will begin a journey that will require effort and study. There are no simple, easy answers to the challenges life deals us. However, if the students come prepared to have a positive attitude that is open to trying some new ideas, they will learn ways that will help them succeed and grow..

     There will be 12 sessions, each a powerful process for successful partnering with people, especially your family:

1. CREATIVITY….the process of how we grow
2. COMMUNICATIONS…how we get connected with each other by communications
3. CONFLICT RESOLUTION…..how to make conflict a positive win-win process
4. CONFIDENCE….how to develop trust, respect, courage, hope and dignity.
5. COMPASSION….how to heal our suffering, hurts and help others to heal their hurts.
6. CAREFULNESS….how to manage all the risks that face us each day, make life safe for all.
7. CONCERN….how to find ways of serving others while serving ourselves.
8. CHOICE….how to make response/able decisions, not reactive choices.
9. CHANGE….how to renew, restructure, transform attitudes and habits, to make a new life and destiny.
10. CONTROL OVER STRESS…..how to manage all the stresses we face daily.
11. CONTROL OVER FINANCES….how to manage money and debts, become financially independent.
12.  CONTROL IN FAMILY…..how to manage and be a success in family unity, harmony and joy.

     There you have it. Each session will be at least one hour, except the first session, which will be nearly 2 hours. At the end of each session an examination will be given and will be graded. This will show the level of understanding the new knowledge.

     The only required reading will be a book that explains the 13 processes for successful partnering and relationships I mentioned above. 

     Just as we are required to pay for a license to drive a car, it will be each person’s responsibility to pay:

1. $19.95 for a textbook.
2. $25.00 for each session’s teaching

     This is to be paid at registration for each class. Requirements for enrollment in the SCHOOL OF RESPONSE/ABILITY:

1. Have been ordered by the court to attend
2.  A desire to learn from this experience how to grow toward a greater understanding of life, relationships and one’s full potential.
3. A desire to seek support systems and a higher power that will empower each person to success.
4. A desire to learn a practical, working definition of success.

Success is: THAT JOURNEY STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE IN LIVING, LOVING, SERVING AND GROWING INTO YOUR FULL POTENTIAL.

Syllabus

SCHOOL OF RESPONSE/ABILITY

Instructor: E. L. Hollenberg, M.D. AAFP

Phone: 574 946 7130
E-mail: edjeanwh@embarqmail.com

Address:

2919 S 175 E
Winamac, IN 46996

Credit hours: 2
Contact hours: 26

Prerequisite: Desire to grow---become a response/able person.
Text: Family Power….Managing the Challenges….With Words I Never Learned in Any School. Published October, 2009 by E.L. Hollenberg M.D.)

Description:

This course of thirteen two hour presentations is interactive with probationers and prisoners to learn how to become response/able rather than remain reactive persons. Students, hopefully, will be empowered to begin the journey to success, happiness and inner freedom. They will be shown the way to change their attitudes, habits and behavior to become better partners and parents through response/ability. They will be studying and learning the 13C processes (explained later), necessary for good interpersonal relationships in family, work, school or community. New dynamic paradigms for adaptive positive living simplify the complexities of character formation.
This course offers many new words and clear definitions as a basis for logo-cognitive-behavior therapy. These words give a basic vocabulary to increase their word power. An example is: Success: the journey striving for excellence in living, loving, serving and growing into our full potential.

Major Course Learning Objectives and Commitments: The 13Cs listed and defined below:

I CREATIVITY: The powerful process of personal and character growth. It is defined as the process of combining our awareness and inner freedom to think, feel emotion, desire, set purpose, set priorities, choose response/ably, act response/ably, persevere and become response/able persons to change and grow into our full potential. The first lesson introduces the master paradigm of growth and seeks to distinguish between reactive and response/able behavior. Emphasis is on process rather than problems, attitude change rather than focus on virtue, response/ability rather than responsibilities. A sense of Destiny is proffered.

II COMMUNICATIONS: The key powerful process to establishing and maintaining rapport, a connection with the uniqueness of each person. The power of a new vocabulary, words that motivate change and a positive mental attitude are given. The power of non-verbal language is discovered.

III CONFLICT RESOLUTION: The powerful process in a struggle-embrace relationship for change regarding differing passions, perceptions, expectations, needs, wants, principles, purposes and priorities. Seven skills are offered to resolve conflict creatively. Mediation---growing through adversity---justice and fairness are presented.

IV CONFIDENCE: The powerful process of believing in ourselves, others and a higher power, our worth as persons inspiring trust, respect, hope, courage and dignity. Sources of power---physical, intellectual, relational, emotional and spiritual power are discussed.

V COMPASSION: The powerful process of suffering with others to help through healing of sickness or circumstances to grow again. A paradigm of the healing process is shown to be effective by the relationship of the powers within self, support systems and spiritual powers. Finding the meaning in suffering is discussed.

VI CAREFULNESS: The powerful process of becoming aware of risk, its potential and pitfalls by becoming wary, thorough and vigilant. This is all about risk management, assessing and preventing stupid and deadly risks---addictions.

VII CONCERN: The powerful process of becoming a servant, responding with individual consideration to the needs of others. Altruism is one of the key elements in the General Adaptation Syndrome. (Selye)

VIII CHOICE: The powerful process of setting values and priorities. The Law of Choice and the Law of Freedom are discussed at length. Integrity, harmonizing the categorical powers of the human will. Ethics and Bioethics are explored.

IX CHANGE: The powerful process of renewing, restructuring, transforming our attitudes which yield new direction, identity and destiny. The ubiquitous presence of change in all of life and existence.  

X CONTROL OVER STRESS: The powerful process of managing those thoughts and circumstances which challenge us to adapt in a positive manner. Especially concerned is our health care system. Prevention is emphasized in all stressors since most of our troubles are self-inflicted.

XI CONTROL OVER MONEY: The powerful process of balancing our financial resources through seven steps in managing our money to become financially independent, free from debt and enjoy the freedom of wise spending and saving etc.

XII CONTROL IN THE FAMILY: The powerful process of managing the unity of persons committed to each other in loving relations for growth and sharing of common needs, purposes and values. Building successful, happy homes is finding the challenge a noble adventure filled with many rewards in spite of the enormous negative forces in our present society. Family is the primary school where character is formed and response/ability and responsibility are learned. The primacy of the family as the foundation of societies is discussed and notes of optimism are sounded.

COMMITMENT: This is the 13th C, the glue that ties them all together.
EVALUATION: There is an open book examination, take home assignment at the end of each lesson. Also, a final examination will be given, closed book and no notes available at the time. On the final exam there will be multiple choice and fill in blank questions in addition to the student’s demonstration of the ability to reproduce the essential paradigms and explain them. During the sessions the students will be given the opportunity to draw the paradigms and explain them. They will know that these basics will be given on the final exam. The basic paradigms are: The house of happiness, the twelve steps in the bridge of communications, the seven skills of conflict resolution, the twelve steps for changing attitudes, the seven steps to achieve response/able choice, the power sources for reaching one’s destiny, the healing heart paradigm, list their values and support systems, the general adaptation syndrome, the difference between reactive and response/able behavior, true personal intimacy and the seven steps to financial freedom and independence.
 While the students will be given a certificate of completion, their grade will come mostly by the instructor’s perception of the students’ attitudes and their commitment to change as expressed in their final question: As a result of this class what changes are making in your life? And what is your purpose for living? How will you make a positive difference in the world? They will also be given the opportunity to write their story, telling of how they came to be in jail or my class for probationees.