"You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection." ~Buddha
Dear Aspen Chapel Families,
Somewhere along the way as we were conditioned by our families, our peers, our education, media, economy, and culture, many of us were taught NOT to love ourselves. We've been taught the virtues of selflessness and humility. We have a hard time accepting compliments and feel guilty if we take care of ourselves or take a day off from our responsibilities. As we deny the flow of love for ourselves, we seek love from others and are disappointed and resentful when people don't love us the way we expected them to.
What if this new generation of children could learn EARLIER to love and honor themselves? Perhaps if we teach them to honor their own needs and love themselves unconditionally, they could be fulfilled no matter what's going on in their lives externally! What if they loved themselves enough to listen to their inner-wisdom and could learn to say no in the face of peer pressure or a desire to please others?
Tomorrow in Sunday School we'll talk about the importance of loving ourselves and practicing self-acceptance. We'll read Giraffes Can't Dance, which illustrates the idea of embracing our individuality instead of denying who we are in order to fit in. And children will make a Valentine for themselves, using images from magazines to create a self-care collage. And we'll again close with a meditation, which is a practice that over time can help us develop self-love.
I still have a long way to go in the self-love department. But I did buy myself some yellow roses yesterday. I even asserted my need for help without using passive-aggressive communication techniques, like sighing. I hope that you, as parents, will do something good for yourselves today, as an example to your children that we can become better at loving when we start with ourselves.
Happy Valentine's week and I do hope to see you all tomorrow.
If you ever have any questions
regarding our services or your
children's needs, please email
me at michelle@aspenchapel.org
In Peace and Blessings,
Michelle Skagen
Aspen Chapel Youth Coordinator
Somewhere along the way as we were conditioned by our families, our peers, our education, media, economy, and culture, many of us were taught NOT to love ourselves. We've been taught the virtues of selflessness and humility. We have a hard time accepting compliments and feel guilty if we take care of ourselves or take a day off from our responsibilities. As we deny the flow of love for ourselves, we seek love from others and are disappointed and resentful when people don't love us the way we expected them to.
What if this new generation of children could learn EARLIER to love and honor themselves? Perhaps if we teach them to honor their own needs and love themselves unconditionally, they could be fulfilled no matter what's going on in their lives externally! What if they loved themselves enough to listen to their inner-wisdom and could learn to say no in the face of peer pressure or a desire to please others?
Tomorrow in Sunday School we'll talk about the importance of loving ourselves and practicing self-acceptance. We'll read Giraffes Can't Dance, which illustrates the idea of embracing our individuality instead of denying who we are in order to fit in. And children will make a Valentine for themselves, using images from magazines to create a self-care collage. And we'll again close with a meditation, which is a practice that over time can help us develop self-love.
I still have a long way to go in the self-love department. But I did buy myself some yellow roses yesterday. I even asserted my need for help without using passive-aggressive communication techniques, like sighing. I hope that you, as parents, will do something good for yourselves today, as an example to your children that we can become better at loving when we start with ourselves.
Happy Valentine's week and I do hope to see you all tomorrow.
If you ever have any questions
regarding our services or your
children's needs, please email
me at michelle@aspenchapel.org
In Peace and Blessings,
Michelle Skagen
Aspen Chapel Youth Coordinator
