By Sarah Chana Radcliffe
So many negative and anxiety-provoking thoughts pop into our minds during the day...
Want to lead a happier, healthier life? When a negative thought pops into your mind, immediately sift it into one of 2 categories: 1) a serious issue that you need to attend to or 2) a piece of reality that there is no benefit in addressing. If your negative thought is in category #1, requiring real problem solving, schedule a session with yourself later in the day to tend to it seriously. If it is in category #2, immediately move your attention to something positive (like a gratitude).
We better look in the mirror just before we reprimand a child...
Sometimes we expect our kids to be better than ourselves: more prompt, more self-controlled, more self-disciplined. We are less tolerant of their outbursts and their errors than of our own, coming down hard on them for what are essentially expressions of normal human weakness and imperfection. They see us as hypocrites when we inevitably display our own less-than-ideal sides. The cure? Correct then with kindness and compassion, with understanding and with patience, and most of all, with respect. Keep our own imperfection in mind as we guide them to better behavior. Humility makes us better educators- and far better parents.
