Thoughts are Things
The way we think has the power to determine how we feel and how we experience the world around us. Have you heard the saying, “Thoughts are things?” Teaching our kids how to observe and shift their thoughts is a powerful tool, one that benefits us to practice along with them.
What You Think is Your Greatest Treasure
Recently, I was teaching a group about the power of our thinking. I likened it to a treasure chest, explaining that how we think is our greatest treasure. We can fill our minds with thoughts that feel good and thoughts that don’t feel good, but the most important first step is paying attention and observing our thoughts. What IS it that you are thinking?
Treasure Mindfulness Practice
The best way to increase our ability to observe our thoughts and not judge them as good or bad, is through mindfulness practice. Judging our thoughts just leads to more feeling bad, particularly if we are stuck in not liking what is presently going on. The best way to return to center is to disengage from judging and switch to simply observing your thoughts. Guide your child to watching his/her thoughts as they float by, as if on a cloud. You can simply ring a bell, or preferably a singing bowl, watch the thoughts pass by for a minute, then ring the bowl again.
You Get Good At What You Practice
Dedicate some practice time so that you and your child can talk about and practice thinking Treasure Thoughts, the jewels of your mind. I went to the dollar store and bought some jewel stickers to make flashcards of sorts. Next, I drew some cards from Manifest Your Magnificence for Kids (www.magnificentcreations.com) and created flashcards for practice time. In my group, we made a little song/chant out of the Jewels and focused on creating more treasure in our minds.
Then, they created their own treasure thoughts to write in their journals.
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