I am thankful today for so much! While personal gratitude is important, I am thinking today about my professional gratitude list. We can be so busy working hard to get our to do list completed and moving from one appointment or call to another that we forget how far we have come. I hope today and in the coming days you can reflect on your own professional gratitude list.

As a LSLS cert AVT, I have a few on my list.

• I am eternally grateful for the professionals in the field who have weathered many storms to get the profession to the status that it is today. In order to keep the organization of auditory-verbal therapists on a clear path of what it was intended to be, they were willing to compromise, but also kept strong in their knowledge that we had an important purpose. They had a vision and they have influenced all of our careers.
• I am grateful for mentors. It is the influence of the mentors in my life who have guided me toward the journey that I find myself in right now. The mentor relationship should not be taken lightly. It can be like life-giving water to someone who thirsts for knowledge and growth. As mentors we cultivate that growth gingerly and with grace.
• I am grateful for systems. When I implement the right kind of systems, my life has more peace and balance. I get more done and I learn more. Thank you to those who teach us about systems.
• I am grateful for parents. I am grateful for each and every parent that I have guided and coached. They are my heroes. They come faithfully to therapy every week, they smile when they do not want to and they do the dance when they do not want to. They have a goal and they WILL get the outcome they want. I love that. I love it when my families push me to do better and be better for their child. It is only a life at stake!

Those who come before us in the profession, our mentors, our systems and the families we work for and with, these alone can fill a gratitude journal. I will move forward in my day and enjoy some rest. I will think about family and comfort and joy. I will cherish the rest so that tomorrow, I can begin again refreshed!

Blessings,                                                                                                                                                                                                   Wendy

“Always leave enough time in your life to do something that makes you happy, satisfied, even joyous. That has more of an effect on economic well-being than any other single factor.” – Paul Hawken

Welcome to the Wendelyn DeMoss’ Listen-Learn-Lead blog. This is a blog designed with you in mind. See if any of these ring true for you.

• You have a great desire to become a LSL certified AVT or AVTed but you are fearful of the mentoring process.
• You wish you had more time to search for and read new resources.
• You recognize there is more to learn about listening and spoken language and need encouragement to turn that recognition into action.
• You are getting started in auditory based intervention and need therapy ideas.
• You work alone in the trenches with limited LSL professional interaction.
• You a seasoned LSLS AVT or AVed with a desire to share resources, influence professionals new to the field and to have touch-points with “friends” in the field.

If this describes you then it is my strong desire to make a connection with you! I would consider it an honor for you to join me in sharing our stories and empowering you to grow in your LSL practice so that you can change the lives of children and families experiencing hearing loss.

Learn more about the Listen-Learn-Lead LSL Mentoring Program by clicking here.