Blog

Goodness & Safety

Each day we are given a gift.  It’s how we unwrap it.  I unwrap my gift every day and I cherish every minute of it”.     Brenda Yoho elaborates in greater detail in her book, Lead with Two Rules.

In her conversation with TesseLeads it becomes clear that Brenda Yoho considers herself an overcomer.     “I understand trauma firsthand.   I have Crohn’s disease which resulted in a surgery to remove some of my small intestines.   I have been struck by lightning; I have been involved a car crash with my daughter and granddaughter which left me with a traumatic brain injury and other injuries.   I am a breast cancer survivor, and I recently experienced another catastrophic traumatic loss. 

Rather than being downtrodden and overwhelmed by her losses, Brenda is hopeful, appreciative and optimistic.     Sunny side up, Brenda encourages herself and others around her to embrace an attitude of gratitude.   “No matter what I go through there are others who have it worse.   I am not embracing toxic positivity, I am just mindful that by focusing on what I cannot change, shape or influence, I am not moving towards any resolution or lightening of the problem or situation. No good can come from dwelling on the past or living with regrets”  

We are stronger together as a family than we ever have been. We talk. We’re together. We’re stronger because we went through that. Our love is untouchable.” 

Brenda Yoho's book “Lead with Two Rules, Feeling Good and Feeling Safe” offers a simple and powerful framework for supporting students dealing with trauma and poverty.

Other Brenda Inspirational Quotes

1.I can make others feel good and to feel safe.  Every day I do something that I know will help someone feel a little bit better and that brings value to them.

2.I have all these beautiful positive signs everywhere with positive messages. In problem situations I ask are you part of the problem or part of the solution? 

3.When learners build a trusting relationship with you, you can’t let that be broken because that’s more traumatic for them.

4.When you go through a storm and you find yourself on the other side, I think we forget to reflect and go back and look what got us through the storm. Because if we don’t appreciate the component of what helped us to get through the storm, we’ll find “ourselves repeating things that could have got us into situations that caused the storm.

Brenda inspires positive change in the field of education by empowering educators, nurturing students wellbeing, and contributing to the ongoing dialogue on effective leadership in schools. Brenda is married to her high school sweetheart. They’ve been together since they were 16 years old. And she has three precious grandchildren, sixteen, nine and six.