I made this impromptu video whilst out catching the sunset today.
Though I refer to them as children in the video ~ I do feel them as part of me, my children~. They're not really, and the two mentioned in the video are between 14-19.
Whether in schools, or with young people, (and even adults) I meet whilst out and about, the message never changes: "You're Amazing, keep going."
With the young lady who sold me the shampoo bar, after she told me that she wanted to be a (hair)
stylist, and without ever having seen any of her work, I exclaimed, as above, "you're amazing!"
She blushed much and I went to ask, "of course you're doing hair and makeup for your friends, right?" Of course she is. She knows she's got talent, she knows it, I know it. I wish her mum knew it, and would just allow her to follow her passion, rather than the money that working in advertising promises...
Do what you love and the rest falls into place, really.
~
Whenever I go into a school now, (rarely the same school twice), the first thing I tell students is that they are better than they know- way more intelligent, faster, stronger, more able, more beautiful, more handsome...way more amazing than they've ever thought to be, or have been told.
For the most part, they're stunned because no one's told them that before, let alone a "teacher" -I quote "teacher," as see myself more a reacher- and there's no lie in what I say to them. I've got nothing to gain from it and what happens is that I do reach them. I reach their hearts, allowing them to be who they are.
This is not to say it's all roses during projects -sometimes it very much is, and I'm blown away from moment to moment, often losing track of time (and their breaks ;) - but even when I've got rowdies in the class, if it's too much for me, I'll just pull them aside and say something like "I get it. I understand you have a need to talk and express yourself all the time...I don't know what to do about it and well that's that..." I just let them know that it's ok for them to be who they are, whatever that is. After that, they tone it down (maybe just a little, but they do), & I catch them watching me inquisitively, as if to say, "how does she know...?", well, much like the young man mentioned in the video.
Usually they've been as the coined as one who acts out, by not just students but teachers too. They are the ones who I am drawn to in a different way than the rest see them.
As per this birthday and numbers thing, as I talk about in the video, I'll ask for their birthday, do the math, and nine times out of ten, as suspected, they do indeed carry the energy of a certain number. If the student remains true to him/herself, following their own guidance/heart, they truly have the potential to be heart-centred leaders. That's what I'm there for, to open up a different door, to perhaps change the trajectory that they're on, going down the path of drugs and alcohol, because nobody gets them.
These have become choice topics -drugs and alcohol- as they are the language of the students, among many many other topics/conversations that they're thirsty for, but not having (outside their peer circles). I leave that all part of a different post, and for now, come round full circle, by simply saying pay attention.
With this year of clear vision upon us, let us make it our priority to see our children for who and what they are, truly.
We cannot call them future leaders, expecting something different than right now, if we've not changed the way in which we're guiding them.
As we enter this new day, week, month, year, decade, let us all be our best, for ourselves, for each other and especially our children.
Blessings and much love as we head into 2020.
xxM
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