One of the highlights of my work is the opportunity to meet and connect with new people and share in new experiences for all of these years.
I find these encounters inspiring, and I'm always learning and growing.
Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting with twenty young girls ages 7 and 8 who all belonged to 'The Embers', formerly called 'Brownies,' which I'm sure many of you remember and likely some of you participated in just like I did.
They were so filled with enthusiasm, and their energy was contagious. I had a permanent smile on my face the entire time we spent together. This is an example of a 'glitter moment' that I talked about last month.
Their meeting began with the girls all saying the Ember's promise.
"I promise to do my best, to be true to myself, my beliefs, and Canada. I will take action for a better world."
How beautiful to have such a thoughtful intention.
I started our talk by asking the girls if they had any stress. Their hands instantly went up, and they were eager to share. They were stressed about school or presentations, their brother or sister, kids not being nice to them, and so on.
It touched my heart that they shared openly and honestly. I doubt this would not have been a conversation when I was a Brownie over fifty years ago.
I discussed how meditation can help us release stress and feel happier, safe, and grounded. Many of them had meditated before, and some even practiced meditation regularly, at home with their parents or at school with their teacher. Three of the girls told us about the chakras in our body. Inside, I'm thinking, 'This is amazing!'
I share with the girls how we can't always control things in our life – like how people treat us or what's going on at school- but we can choose to do things for ourselves that help us feel at peace and happy. Our vibration impacts the world when we live from this place of mindfulness and intention.
With this in mind, we did a loving-kindness meditation and sent love out to our family, friends, animals, nature, and all people.
The girls held their hands outward as we all said these words together:
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you find peace.
May you feel safe.
May you feel loved.
They really enjoyed that.
We also talked about writing in a gratitude journal before bed. When we focus on gratitude, it makes our hearts and minds happy. It just feels good.
Sure, we can all get stressed at different times, but we can also do things in our day to help us feel happy and empowered. One of these things is noticing our thoughts and choosing to think positive affirmations.
In this spirit, I gave each girl a card with a different positive affirmation they read out loud to the group. These cards are lovely; I can't speak highly enough about them. If you're interested, they're called 'Manifest Your Magnificence' affirmation cards for kids (and are great for adults, too!).
Everything I shared with this group are things I practice myself, and I share in adult sessions. Mindfulness is not meant to be complicated. Keeping it simple makes us more likely to continue and build on our regular practice.
I left our meeting with such a big smile on my face! These girls are so aware, and I was touched by how open and receptive they were.
I am reminded of the lyrics of Whitney Houston's song,
"I believe that children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside."
Thank you to the women leading The Embers, I honour you. You're doing important work with these young hearts and minds.
I so enjoyed meeting and connecting with them. It was a day I won't soon forget.
May we all consider ourselves honorary members and intend to take action for a better world.
With loving kindness,
Diane