Teaching Mirror Work to Children
Children also face the stresses of life. Today you learn how to practice mirror work with little ones, and you watch the miracles that happen.
You are nearly at the end of this course and you are doing beautifully. I applaud your commitment and dedication! Every day you practice your mirror work, you are giving yourself the gift of love. And every day you practice your mirror work, you are letting go of old, negative beliefs you have been carrying around for so long. Where did these negative beliefs come from? We picked them up as children. We absorbed every word that was said to us. The more we heard our parents or other adults saying negative things about us, the more we believed them.
Growing up, we often called one another cruel and hurtful names and belittled one another. But why did we do this? Where did we learn such behavior? Many of us were told by our parents or teachers that we were stupid or dumb or lazy, that we were troublemakers or not good enough. Maybe we cringed when we heard these statements, but we believed them. Little did we realize how much these beliefs hurt, or how deeply embedded our pain and shame would become.
Look back at some of the more difficult lessons of this course, lessons in which you uncovered beliefs that were blocking you. When you did your mirror work and journaling, did you find that those beliefs often stemmed from past hurts from your childhood?
I was not taught in school that my choice of words would have an effect on my life. No one taught me that my thoughts were creative, that they could literally shape my destiny, or that what I gave out verbally would return to me as life experiences. No one ever taught me that I was worth loving or that I deserved to have good things happen to me. Certainly nobody taught me that life was here to support me.
We can change all that for our children now. One of the most important things we can do for them is to remind them of the basic truth that they are lovable. Our role as parents is not to be perfect, to get everything right, but to be loving and kind.
Children today have a lot more issues to deal with than we did when we were their age. They are steadily barraged with news about the critical state of the world and are continually having to make complex choices. How children handle these challenges is a direct reflection of how they truly feel about themselves. The more children love and respect themselves, the easier it will be for them to make the right choices in life.
It is important that we instill in our children a sense of independence and power and the knowledge that they can make a difference in today’s world. Above all, it is important to teach them to love who they are and to know that they are good enough no matter what.
Young people are looking up to us and listening to every word we say. Be a shining example of positive statements and affirmations. When you begin to believe them, so will your children.
Nurture the children in your life just as you are learning to nurture yourself. Remember: nobody has the “perfect” child or the “perfect” parent. We are bound to make poor choices at one time or another. That is simply part of the learning and growing
process. What is important is to love your child unconditionally and, most important, to love yourself unconditionally. Then watch the miracles happen for your children as well as for yourself.
Let’s affirm: I can be what I want to be. I can do what I want to do. All life supports me.
Your Day 20 Mirror Work Exercise
The Power Is Within You: Your Day 20 Journaling Exercise
Your Heart Thought for Day 20: I Communicate Openly with My Children
It is vitally important to keep the lines of communication open with children, especially during the teen years. So often children are told things like Don’t say that. Don’t do that. Don’t feel that. Don’t be that way. Don’t express that. When all they hear is don’t, don’t, don’t, they stop communicating.
Then, when the children are older, parents complain, “My children never call me.” Why don’t they call? Because the lines of communication have been cut, that’s why.
When you are open with your children—using positive statements like “It’s okay to feel sad” and “You can talk to me about it”—and you encourage them to share their feelings, the lines of communication will be restored.
Your Day 20 Meditation: Welcome the Child
(Day 20 of the audio download)
Place a hand over your heart. Close your eyes. Allow yourself not only to see your inner child but also to be that child. Ask someone to read the following paragraph to you. Imagine you are hearing your parents tell you:
We’re so glad you came. We’ve been waiting for you. We wanted you so much to be part of our family. You’re so important to us. The family wouldn’t be the same without you. We love you. We want to hold you. We want to help you grow up to be all that you can be. You don’t have to be like us. You can be yourself. We love your uniqueness. You’re so beautiful. You’re so bright. You’re so creative. It gives us such pleasure to have you here. We thank you for choosing our family. We know you’re blessed. You have blessed us by coming. We love you. We really love you.
Let your little child make these words true for you. Be aware that every day you can look in the mirror and say these words. You can tell yourself all the things you wanted your parents to tell you. Your little child needs to feel wanted and loved. Give that to your child.
No matter how old you are or how sick or scared the little child within you is, it needs to be wanted and loved. Keep telling your inner child, “I want you, and I love you.” It is the truth for you. The Universe wants you here. And that’s why you are here. You’ve always been loved and will always be loved throughout eternity. You can live happily ever after. And so it is.