Eyes of Wonder
Recapturing Your Childlike Spirit
Laurie Gabriel
Certified Speaker and Trainer
Conflict Resolution Mediator
Author and Curriculum Developer
Award-winning Teacher
Resources
Use this treasure box of quick ideas to regain your childlike spirit and all its benefits. Improve your focus and sense of presence; enhance your creativity, imagination, and curiosity; boost your positivity and self-image; and be more comfortable in your relationships. Bring yourself back to a place where nature fascinates, troubles seem small, and potential friends are everywhere.
Trainings
Laurie will lead your team members through a series of exercises designed to recapture their childlike spirit, with such long-term benefits as:
• increased ability to focus on details
• ease in interpersonal relationships
• boundless creativity and imagination
• enhanced problem-solving skills
• reduced prejudice/amplified empathy
• heightened gratitude and positivity
• better communication/leadership
Programs
KEYNOTE / LUNCH AND LEARN - An adult-geared, highly participatory 45-minute encapsulation of the exercises in Eyes of Wonder: How to Recapture Your Childlike Spirit. Participants will learn how to increase their focus, look at things from fresh perspectives, ignite dormant creativity, turn on their imaginations, and communicate more effectively. They will receive a takeaway list of actionable steps to keep the momentum going.
10-MONTH PROGRAM - A recurring program focusing on one element per month with kick-off keynote, assessments, consultation services, and weekly focus assignments.
RETREAT - A three-day recharge for grown-ups looking to express their creativity, indulge their curiosity, boost their focus on the positive, and diminish negative thoughts. Sessions include music lessons, arts and crafts, yoga, photography, creative writing, social games, nature walks, historical scavenger hunts, and more. Think summer camp for adults. A signed copy of Eyes of Wonder: How to Recapture Your Childlike Spirit is included
SCHOOL ASSEMBLY - Individually tailored for grades 1-8, Laurie's 30-minute "Paint Your World" assembly focuses on holding onto the childlike qualities that can serve us in adulthood, particularly that of seeing everyone around us as a potential friend. This assembly centers around imagining the world one might want to inhabit and consistently taking steps to make that world a reality, with heavy emphasis on social emotional learning.
Laurie Gabriel Bio
Laurie is a writer, public speaker, and musical performer. Her teaching career spans over three decades. She has published resource guides for schools and is the author of Eyes of Wonder: How to Recapture Your Childlike Spirit . She has spoken across the USA about seeing life through a child's perspective. She delivered a Tedx Talk at Mountain View College in Dallas, Texas, and has presented numerous workshops at national education conferences. Laurie holds a Texas certificate in conflict resolution and mediation. She has visited over fifty countries and is passionate about researching other cultures. Raising a child (who traveled to all those countries with her) has allowed her to see things from a more carefree perspective. She hopes she never loses the ability to see the world and its inhabitants through eyes of wonder.
Media
Testimonials
"Laurie's programs are always memorable, with fun, whimsical commentary thrown in. She is creative and innovative." - John McIlvannan, Brookdale Village at Skyline
"Laurie is an amazing force for good —demonstrating warmth, commitment, grace, and joy!" - Carl Chevallard, Conduct Your Life Consultants
"Laurie is a master teacher with a wonderfully honest manner." - Tom Fleecs, Colorado Springs School District Eleven
"Laurie helps people connect with each other and really get to know each other so they can take their learning experience to another level." Rich Allen, Tour de Profit
"Each time she gave a different point, there was always a segment where she would tell us what we could do better." -Christine Lockridge, Lockridge Academy on Wheels
"Laurie has a fresh way of looking at school culture, and the concepts she shares are eye-opening." Debbie Sardone, Kyso Consulting
"Laurie inspired one of my kids who felt like he was stuck in a rut and now wants to assert himself more in school." -Zach Schneider, Mountain View Core Knowledge School
"It made me want to change myself into being a more humble person and it made me want to give more to other people and do as much as I can for the community." -youth group member, First Lutheran Church of Colorado Springs
"She got to know people in our organization better than I know some of them. She had a completely customized message and talked to us about us in a way that made for a complete connection." - Grant Rampy. CHEMetrics