Nobody Ever Taught Me THAT In School...

School's back in full gear for many of us. Believe it or not, every morning when I wake up, I feel extremely grateful to have the opportunity to home school my kids. I'm not going to lie, we don't like being rushed in the morning! We're now starting our 5th homeschooling year and I feel like we're really starting to get the hang of it. We know what works for our family, and we're more confident about this alternative way of life.

In anticipation of all the people who will be asking the kids 'What school do you go to?' this year, I think we will just call ourselves L'Académie Francophone Villeneuve-Carver. Sounds legitimate, right? That should at least reduce the number of awkward conversations with cashiers who think homeschooling is only for hillbillies. But hey, this post is not really about homeschooling. It's about the Art of living.

I wish that someone had taught me about the Art of living a happy, fulfilling life when I was a kid! I learned plenty of practical, interesting facts in school and University, but like the majority of us, I had to figure out the  most important questions on my own: What makes us truly happy? What's really important in life? What can we do on a daily basis to create a fulfilling and meaningful life? How do our thoughts matter? Where's the nearest Starbucks? Good, you're still paying attention.

The bottom line is, school didn't teach me that happiness is a choice I make every day. Did it teach you that? Maybe I just went to bad schools. Lol. I just felt like I had to go to school and things were largely out of my control. I never knew that I was creating my reality with my thoughts. I didn't know that my emotions were my inner-compass and that I could wilfully move myself up the vibrational scale of emotions. Nobody ever taught me that I would eventually get what I focused on, even if I was focusing on what I didn't want! If I had known these things, I would probably have felt much more empowered and confident. Thankfully, times have changed and these notions are now becoming more widespread, even in some schools.

Back to homeschooling for a minute. One of the things I love about it is that I can sneak in some of these 'Art of living' notions when challenges come up with the kids - because they always do- especially during school time! When the kids get frustrated or discouraged, I can immediately intervene and help them become more aware of the thought patterns that are creating their negative emotions. This helps them keep things in perspective, and it may prevent really bad habits from eventually forming. I can remind them to focus on what they wish to reinforce in their lives.

Education is super important, and it becomes even more powerful when it's combined with a growing self-awareness. As their teacher, I get to practice teaching mindfully each day, and that's a real gift!

Here are some of our rules at L'Académie Francophone Villeneuve-Carver:

Teachers:
1. Thou shall stop teaching immediately if you are unable to give loving, compassionate energy.
2. Thou shall stop teaching your lesson if there is no sense of joy, play and wonder in it.
3. Thou shall remember: your energy sets the tone. Be in the moment. Breathe.

Students:
1. Happiness is a choice you make every day. You are in control.
2. Your thoughts create your emotions. Choose your thoughts wisely.
3. You get what you focus on, so focus on what you want, not what you don't want!
4. You are the creator of your own reality. Your intentions are powerful.
5. Negative emotions tell you you're out of alignment. Raise your vibration!

Wishing you a wonderfully mindful school year!

Lise Villeneuve
Creator of Conscious Kids -downloadable mindfulness stories & activities
Get your free mindfulness card deck here
www.lisevilleneuve.com

What In The World Are We Teaching Our Kids?

This is my daughter Emma when she was 4. Today, she’s 11. She has good days and bad days. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed being a mom. If you have kids, I’m sure you can relate! Our children are growing up in a complex world, to say the least.

I often ask myself how I can help Emma feel secure in a world filled with daily unpredictable atrocities? How can I help her to feel grounded in a materialistic world that rewards spending time on electronic devices and in shopping malls more than playing outside? How can I help her to feel joyful and relaxed in a world that rewards productivity and performance at any cost? How can I help Emma to be loving and compassionate towards others in a world that encourages competition, power struggles and the survival of the fittest? How can I help her to feel energized and balanced in a world that has lost touch with what real food is and encourages her to take a pill to fix the symptoms of disease! How can I best prepare her for the future in a world that preaches the benefits of knowledge and education, but fails to ask these fundamental questions: Who am I? Why am I here? What’s my purpose? Was I meant to suffer or can I be happy? What is true happiness? How can I find lasting joy and peace in this complex world?

As parents, we go out of our way to sign up our kids for soccer, swimming, dancing, drama, music...which are all great, but let’s face it, something fundamental is still missing in their lives. Are we teaching them how to fit into the system so they can “win” at this game of life, or are we helping them to figure out how to be truly happy? Do we know how to be truly happy ourselves? What kind of example are we setting for them?

What I want for Emma is for her to be able to think outside the box. I want her to see beyond the illusions of this fearful world she was born into. I hope to raise her awareness so that she’s able to stop creating more suffering for herself and others and instead, she can concentrate on healing our planet. I want to teach her how to tap into her inner-wisdom. Ultimately, I want her to remember that her happiness comes from within. She’s not a victim of her circumstances. Neither are you, nor your children. But to change our perception of the world, we first have to change the perception of who we think we are. It’s time to awaken!

I wrote Conscious Kids (online mindfulness lessons) for Emma. It won’t change the world, but it’s a small step in the right direction. If you’d like to receive the weekly mindfulness lessons, you can sign up here (deadline is Feb 1^st, 2016): http://www.lisevilleneuve.com/#!consciouskids/ckgl

Blessings,

Lise

www.lisevilleneuve.com