December 2005
DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?

I thoroughly enjoy holiday music. Habitually on Thanksgiving, I pull my Christmas, Hanukkah, and Winter Solstice CDs and cassettes out of storage and load them into the car for my listening pleasure during my travels (lots of heavy traffic in the winter!!!). The car is a safe place for me to sing to my heart's content without cares or concerns about being off key or tweaking lyrics.

This week while I was joyfully singing along with "Do You Hear What I Hear?" two lines kept repeating in my heart and mind: "Do you see what I see?" and "They (He) will bring us goodness and light." And then a series
of questions surfaced - remember last month's newsletter "Live the Questions"? What does Spirit want us to see? Through what lens or consciousness do we (collective "we") tend to view children? How do we genuinely see the unique blessings/gifts in each child? What are the "goodness and light" children bring to life? How can we experience the beautifully simplistic love and wisdom they unconditionally offer? Are we really, really seeking to see, hear, know, and experience the truth of who they are?

In this "season of gift giving", is it possible we are already surrounded with precious gifts that have yet to be unwrapped, opened, and appreciated?

THE GIFT OF A CHILD
Children are a priceless treasure and more precious than diamonds. A child is a gift from Spirit that brings us into closer relationship with Life and Self. When we are present with the pure presence of a child or children, life happens. With children, life is experienced more richly. While we make attempts to teach children about life, truly it is children who are teaching us the deeper meanings of a well-lived life.

We've all seen or done this - a group of adults surrounding or cuddling a newborn baby and filled with excitement, silliness, love, laughter, joy, smiles, intimacy, celebration, pride, tenderness, wonder, fascination, etc. - simply because of the beloved "presence" of a baby. Children freely give their innate gifts without conscious effort or
any expectation of return. It is their true nature…it is who they are. Children are a treasure chest of gifts simply because they breathe, simply because they exist and for no other reason.

Take a peek at some of the gifts children generously bestow: reverence for all life; spontaneity; enormous resilience and determination; the ability to live from the inside out; compassion, tenderness and care of nature's smallest creatures; a voice of honesty and truth spoken from the heart; laughter, fun, play and enjoyment of life to the fullest; curiosity, courage and willingness to take risks to honor dreams; acceptance of differences by seeing the beauty within; perseverance; unconditional and limitless love; boundless imagination and creativity; passion and purpose; excitement, delight and wonder….the gift list is endless.

EYES OF SPIRIT
We tend to see things from our own individual perspective based on personal experiences and backgrounds - cultural, educational, religious or adopted family value systems or beliefs. We may see things through a lens of what we know, what is familiar, what we understand and/or how we relate to it. Often our views are filtered through the spectacles of emotions and then we may see through fear, love, anger, etc. It is our near-sightedness or limited vision that creates a narrow perspective of others, the present moment or situations.

There is another option. What if you could see through the eyes of Spirit? What would/could you then see? Seeing with Spirit eyes, we would likely behold life situations from a greater perspective. When we see with
eyes of Love and Compassion, we are no longer blinded by the external, expectations or limitations. Instead,
we are better able to view the treasures that sometimes lay well hidden.

The way we view children impacts how they perceive themselves. Children depend on significant adults in their lives to help them reveal their essential nature. Yes, children are born into the physical world already embodying love and light yet they are not always conscious of this truth. Our ability to call forth their loving spiritual nature aids them in staying connected with their inner spirit. The more we are in touch with a child's authentic self, the more we appreciate and respect their spiritual gifts.

Simply put, it is a matter of consciously looking at things differently. Whatever we focus on expands. So what are you putting your attention on?

Let me give you an example. I taught a Kindergarten class a few weeks ago. There was enough energy vibrating from this group of youngsters to light up a city! A student named Teresa seemed to be operating with a rhythm and intentions unlike the rest of us. Everything we did as a small or whole group, Teresa did differently.
Preparing for our scheduled lunch time departure required me to walk across the room to obtain the class list from the teacher's desk. When I vacated the "teacher's chair" at the front of the class, Teresa hopped on. Instantly, Teresa took command of the class, engaged the children in songs, finger plays, and harnessed their full attention. (STOP-BREATHE) I observed with awe and wondered how she could magically take charge of the situation and actively involved 21 other children so easily. I surrendered to her lead.

Altered perception: I could have seen Teresa as noncompliant, disobedient, challenging, threatening, disruptive, attention-seeking, or rude and then responded with jealousy, anger or punishment.
Unwrap and open the gift: What I discovered and appreciated were the blessings of ease, order, helpfulness, organization, harmony, simplicity, support and solutions, just to name a few. Teresa unknowingly (maybe not?) gifted me and probably the other students as well!. I (we) received.

Get the picture? NOW are you ready to open your gifts? If so, scroll down to Nurture a Child Nuggets to receive the blessings of a lifetime.

Abundant blessings of "goodness and light",
Happy Holy Days,
Adrian Reznik

NURTURE A CHILD "NUGGETS"

TREASURE HUNTING TIPS
So, you've decided you're ready to shift your perceptions and embark on a "treasure hunter" adventure? Begin
by putting on your miner's headlamp (to help you see in those moments of darkness). Now, add LOVE goggles and this mission is yours, should you choose to accept it.

"Treasure hunting" requires active mining. It involves tapping into the beauty that resides within each child. "Treasure hunters" are just like you and me - nurturing, caring and compassionate adults who are willing to open their eyes and heart to witness the unique contributions children readily offer that is often and easily overlooked.

You are in charge of your prospecting experience. These are general guidelines. Choose where to start, when to end, how much to do, and tweak the suggestions to meet your needs. Release any judgments about yourself during the training. Enjoy the process.

There is a link at the bottom of this newsletter which will take you to a treasure chest (list) of "goodness and light" for your usage should you need them on this journey.

NUGGET HUNTING: Start with a beginner's mind/mine. Keep it simple. If this is the only time you are able to unearth gems, be grateful. Consider this to be the baby steps of your journey of a thousand miles. Here's your first mining assignment: Observe a student/child while napping, resting, sleeping or engaged in quiet activities. Then, unlock the treasure chest and cherish the riches of peace, calm, breath, tranquility, serenity, contentment, bliss, grace, ease, simplicity, independence, patience, or whatever gem sparkles and catches your eye.

FIND AN OUNCE OF GOLD A DAY: Now you are prospecting for precious metals. You may need a treasure map, compass or GPS, you know, the one that resides within and always guides you. Connect with your inner tools! You are equipped and ready for the next adventure. All set? Choose one student/child and search daily for one treasure to appreciate for one minute, one hour, one situation, during one subject area or one class period. Try this for one week. Select a different student/child each day or allow yourself to receive the abundant riches
of one student/child for a full week. Remember, this is not about function or what children do for you. It is who they are, their "presence", their natural state that counts! Go for the gold! Become a treasure tracker!

DIGGING DEEPER: This is where you may need your headlamp. Now you are digging through cavernous clues. Ready? Got your headlamp turned on brightly? Here's your task: choose a student/child with which you may have a history of being, well let's say, judgmental, critical, impatient, angry, one who you allow to irritate or frustrate you and drain your energy. Find 5 - 10 gems that you are willing to dig out and embrace. If necessary, picture yourself using a pick ax excavating and discarding the multi-layered conditions or negative thoughts that you have chained to this child for a long time. Tunnel through the darkness, past the muck, till you have discovered the treasure trove of truth. Keep digging, keep searching, it's there! Can't find it today? Go back tomorrow and then the next day and then the next till the sunken treasure has been revealed.

DIVINITY DETECTOR: You have come a long way. It takes courage to delve into the unknown, to be an explorer and a seeker of truth. Congratulations! Now that you have greater proficiency as a treasure hunter, you are ready for the mother lode. This time you are to create a list of 30 divine qualities, the riches quarried at children's soul-level. Select one child and one gem per day for 30 days. Keep the list on a 3 X 5 card or sticky notes or a cute note pad. At the end of the 30 days, give the child a copy if you'd like, also keep one for yourself. Wonderful tool to have on the days when one or both of you forget who you are.

TREASURING OTHERS, TREASURING OURSELVES: Ahhh…You are now an expert at excavating treasures. Are you willing to take the ultimate challenge? In addition to the task listed directly above, your final task is to repeat the 30 day treasure hunt for yourself! You can opt for doing it simultaneously, before, or afterward. This truly is no small task. I have tried it myself. Sometimes I had to drill through the crud to get to find the jewels.
My 30 gems are posted at my desk and have been vital on days when I forget my worth. At the completion of the 30 days for both you and a child, you can do a "gift exchange" and share your "goodness and light" with each other.

One small note. You may be wondering, "Do I tell the child about my discoveries?" I leave that up to you. It truly is about a shift in consciousness. And when I make the shift, I connect with children heart-to-heart, even without spoken words. They intuitively know your intentions and whether or not you are being authentic. I have no doubt that they see us with the eyes of Spirit. So sometimes I express gratitude (for the gift). I told Teresa I appreciated her helpfulness and quick solution during that awkward moment and how much I value ease. She smiled as if she already knew.

TREASURE CHEST OF "GOODNESS AND LIGHT"

Copyright © 2005 Adrian Reznik