Carved in Stone

The innocence in a young child is the radiance and strength we need, to re-create the warmth and fearlessness within us. The warmth which is the essence for transformation; the willingness to alter our fixed ideologies. The fearlessness to explore what is deeply rooted. Ideologies created as a result of our past experience, current situation or future concerns.

As a parent and teacher, it is only recently that I had a light bulb moment. It was amoment of deep reflection and inner awakening. It is the potholes we fall into that can either lead to dark places; or we can make the choice to adjust our lens/perspective, and embrace the challenge; as fire is one of nature’s most essential elements to ignite change.

I echo the voice in my head and the passion in my heart, as I carve in stone, some tools required for a healthy mindset:

Deep breathing – So simple, yet so profound. Something that we can control. Silence the mind and focus on our breathing. It brings us to the present moment and helps us manage our emotions.

Visualising – Once we have learnt how to take in deep breaths, and appreciate how it grounds and brings us to the present moment, we can use the art of visualisation to explore the world of creative imagination. If there are difficulties creating a vision, begin to listen to an audio to aid this process, create a setting that embodies positivity and takes away the worries, and if it means stepping into an imaginary world that puts us at ease, then let us explore the world where the impossible becomes possible.

Gratitude – Be in a state of gratification. As our thoughts race ahead, this beautiful tool makes us pause for a moment and become mindful of what surrounds us, therefore bringing us back to the present. This can help us overcome negative rumination.

Let go – Let our worries float away. Acknowledge that there will always be things we cannot change, and some things we can. Focus on the changes we can make and take action. Trust me, our mind and body will thank us for it.

Positive Thinking – I absolutely love this! With practice, the speed in which we can take a negative thought and turn it around, increases. It becomes a habit, enabling us to reduce our negative rumination, manage our emotions and re-focus our energy on our goals.

Intention – This powerful tool helps us focus. Our intention and what we think and feel we want to do will usually appear before us. For instance, “I want to help people.” When this intention is processed and thought repeated, someone will usually turn to us for assistance. When the intention is pure and for the greater good, opportunities will surround us, and what we get back can only be positive.

Affirmations – Believe in ourselves, and use words for encouragement, to have conviction in our abilities and in life. “Everything will be okay.” Repeat it like a mantra. The power of repetition is astoundingly impactful, making it a reality.

Introspect – We must always remember to question our thought process and intention behind what we think and do. Keep it positive.

Learn from others – Often as children, we may develop a stubborn nature and our ego might overpower our ability to think rationally, ultimately having to learn from our own mistakes. But what if we role modeled positive traits instead of having role models?

Children learn best through example. Adopting these tools for ourselves and teaching our children can build a better future for them and for society as a whole. It takes time to reflect. However, it is undeniably an incredible tool for success.

I often ask myself: Am I introspective? Am I resilient? Am I positive? Am I grateful? Am I kind? Yet, my favourite question and the stepping stone to make a profound change within myself is, “am I emotionally intelligent?”

We must take one step at a time to make gradual changes. Learning to look within and becoming the master of our emotions is the epitome for a progressive future.

By: Sukaina Amirali Mukhtar
(Parent. Educator. Author – Books available on Amazon)
Website : www.love2learn2.com
Instagram : love2learn 2