WHY WHAT WE SAY MATTERS

We take great pride in what we do. We teach children based on leadership habits. Yesterday we were teaching a rather important lesson. The question was very simple...what do you see when you look at your self? Towards this end we decided to open the topic with the illustration of the Japanese way of repairing broken pots where they use gold dust glue. The pot comes out looking amazing at the end of day.
Then we quickly moved to the story of the water bearer which i have posted here on a previous blog. it is basically a story about our imperfections. It talks about a pot which hated itself for having a crack. It was so focused on this crack that it failed to see the flowers on its side of the path that it had watered for two years.
We are not perfect. Most of the children we handle come from backgrounds that would make one blush in protest when they count their blessings. There are homes where anger and resentment are the order of the day. There are homes where a child is a bread winner before they are 10 years old. There are homes without parents only grandparents. There are homes where mothers and daughters are victimized constantly that they have to suppress who they really are. There are homes where poverty is so strong it comes with brothers. And yet, in spite of all this, this children will brave the morning cold in pursuit of an education.
However we have to step in and remind them that they have value. They can believe in their dreams. That we have imperfect people who have beaten all odds to come out on top. That there are flowers on your side of the path if you can only look. But we found that even for them its hard to recognize any good in themselves. And so our assignment for the week was set. 7 days of writing something nice. Seven days in which a child is required to affirm themselves. To dig deep and find that which is of value to them.

                                (a class of children with various learning disabilities using tablets)
of particular importance to me, is that as parents we really need to start telling our children that there is good in them, such that at a moments notice they can find the strength in who they are. Before they ever see the world for what it is, this precious little ones will learn it from somebody else's view point. What are we telling them?