2009 July

Archive for July, 2009

Puja’s Kids

To REACH, TEACH and EMPOWER a CHILD….how do we REACH?
July 28, 2009
I received an email from Ryan@mindmovies.com and read about a wonderful mission some wonderful human spirits have embarked on. 3 women are going to help children with dental treatments and other treatments in Uganda http://www.justlikemychild.com/.
It does not matter how you help a child, if it’s in your community, your neighborhood or another country. I just happen to encounter this cause and when it is a children’s cause I pay partciluar attention because this is my life purpose and mission and I believe it is our duty and responsibility to help and support those who are going on our behalf to serve these children.
As you read this please consider helping Puja’s kids, go to this website http://www.justlikemychild.com/ and donate what you can. Select “Puja’s Kids” and click send. Believe me, many, many blessing will come your way.
Have a great rest of the week.
Elizabeth

Empowering Children around the World

I was fortunate to interview The Bubble man Geoff Akins . An educator and performer he is living his dream empowering children by blowing bubbles! Yes, that is right, blowing bubbles! It did not come easy, keep tuned for the release of this interview very soon…

So, why is empowering a child so important. We all agree as parents we want the best for our children but recently I felt that all of us in the adult community globally have to ask this question… “How can I empower a child?”. The future generation and the future of this planet reside in the palms of the children of today and their outlook on life, their perception of who they are, what they can accomplish and how they should treat the environment around them.
What they are experiencing most of the time is news flash of the current circumstances, maybe it’s because what their parents are talking about, maybe that’s what their neighbors are talking about….is it wrong to talk about reality and the current circumstances? Maybe it is also important to equip them with the skills to perceive the possibilities of the future despite the current circumstances. Success is experienced through the storms of failures and every successful man and woman has their own story to tell. One might think, what could I do, I am just one person….why not just let the mass movement just flow in the direction of social gloom and environment melt down. If you cannot fight it join it?…..surrender, give-in, throw in the towel….what’s the point anyway…

“I have a dream” MLK

“Be the change you wish to see in the world” Mohandas Gandhi

In times of change, learners inherit the Earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists” Eric Hoffer

BECOME a DREAMER: Dream a dream of a changed world filled with people optimistic about the future, visionaries determined to make a planetary change for our children and their children.

BECOME THE CHANGE: take a stand wherever you are to make that change you wish to see….increased self-awareness, compassion for others, a restored blue planet, every child fed and clothed with a roof over their heads, a healthy body, emotional and spiritual balance…the list goes on…

EMPOWER yourself to BECOME THE WHISPERER: smile at a child, teach them to smile and pay it forward to create more smiles….read to a child and teach them to read with others and create growing knowledge….spend time quietly and experience the connection with your creator and teach a child to do the same to link one human spirit with another and cast the net wide…..

One child…one family…one community….then the world….

When we empower a child, we empower that child within each of us.

Gratitude is humility Awakened

CIAF workshop

We teach and remind our children to say “thank you” in pursuit to instill in them positive virtues. Many of us are extremely good about conveying the same when in receipt of a gift, a compliment, a positive gesture from those around us. However, in the business and craziness of life I believe that it has just become a lip service. Eye contact for instance is a novelty and taking the time to really appreciate and acknowledge those around us has become cumbersome. Just as the “hellos” and “goodbyes”, the “thank you” is just another word we automatically utter on auto-pilot.

Then there is our ego telling us that it is absolutely sufficient to provide that lip service, after all that is better than what some people do which is to just walk away with the Starbucks coffee or sandwich with an attitude that as a paying customer it is in their right to receive service without acknowledging gratitude to the service provider.

There are many who walk around with a chip on their shoulder determined to put up harsh walls and maybe it is because they feel unacknowledged inside. When I think about what we can do, just little things to heal those around us and emanate joy around us I think of looking into the waitress’s eyes as she brings my lunch and saying to her “Jenny, thank you, that looks really delicious”…or “Justin, thank you for that coffee” as I receive my skim soy latte to go!

Looking into one’s eyes is so very important to acknowledge their presence, it also acknowledges that you are here and now “present” as well. It gives meaning to the other when we say thank you by addressing them by name even if they are just a stranger. After all a stranger is just someone we haven’t met yet… and how many times have we walked into a coffee shop every single day to purchase that cup of coffee from the same person waiting on us never to acknowledge their presence?

When you are awakened to be present in that moment, even if it is just a simple gesture of buying a cup of coffee, and you appreciate the service being provided to you, you will feel a sense of humbleness which automatically makes you say “thank you” from your heart, you make eye contact, and you smile, and you “connect” because the recipient “feels” your gratitude and you acknowledgement with his/her heart as well.

Imagine teaching our children to say gratitude in this manner. Wouldn’t that make a difference? Imagine us adults taking a precious moment and getting off that cell phone and just being present to acknowledge the people around us.

This mother’s day is a perfect time to practice the gift of gratitude from the heart and believe me the flowers and gifts are wonderful but gratitude from your heart will melt your mothers into tears. Acknowledgement and a true sense of “yes I see you and I appreciate you” is something that will warm the heart and fill the soul.

To be in that space of giving gratitude from the heart, we must be in a space of humility and when we do so we will see that giving from this space is easy and fulfills us equally as it is fulfilling for those who receive this gift of gratitude from us.

I dedicate this article to all the mothers on this earth who are often the givers, the teachers, the nurturers, the providers…today I acknowledge you and who you are and would like to thank you for your presence and life. Thank you and may your life be blessed as it is a blessing to others.

Written by Elizabeth Zachariah

Twitter me @Elizabeth_4LIFE

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