For my coaching blog at Simply Leap I wrote that I love cocktail parties and seeing art films with subtitles. I like going to the cafe for pain au chocolat, mostly so I can say the name. My parents can attest to me, as a child, always ordering something exotic sounding on a menu even if I had no idea what it was. Ok, I still do that today.

Like Nancy, I also do not understand people who like plain vanilla ice cream. Not even sprinkles on top?

The lesson for me in Fancy Nancy is to share your individuality with the world, and to be appreciated for it.

It is also about values. I think most of us think we know our values without stopping to consider what they are.

Case in point: fancy. Reading Fancy Nancy I was reminded how I have always thought of it as an interest, not on par with health and career, my “real” values.

Truth is, fancy influences my decisions and contributes to my overall happiness – indicators that it is a value.

So now I can more unabashedly cherish my fancy-ness, my joie de vivre if you will, and share that sheer delight with other people.

By understanding and owning our values, we get to more fully accept ourselves. And, as you teach your students, accepting yourself means others can witness and accept all that is you.

It’s a great gift that we can give to each other.

How do you introduce values in the classroom? What role do they play in your own life?