| How do you define yourself? | | | | Vallely, Sensational Meditation for Children |
| Journal Exercise | | | | When we think ourselves to be a certain thing, we will |
| Grab your journal or a pen and a piece of paper and | | | | live out the experiences of someone who is that thing. |
| write down ten words to describe yourself. These can | | | | A Brief Meditation |
| be good qualities or ones you don't like as much or | | | | Close your eyes and imagine that in front of you is a |
| words that feel neutral. | | | | row of doors. Each one has one of the descriptive |
| After you have made your list, go back and look at | | | | words you chose. Once you choose a door, open it |
| each one. Take a moment to consider how you came | | | | and step inside, you will have an entire day created by |
| to describe yourself that way. Did someone tell you | | | | that label. All of your experiences will reflect that |
| that you fit that description or did you decide | | | | descriptive word as if it is your only truth. |
| completely on your own? | | | | Which one would you choose? |
| Next to each descriptive word or label, write what you | | | | Now, imagine turning around and seeing a door with no |
| can remember about how you came to know yourself | | | | words on it. There is blank space to write one on it if |
| that way. | | | | you want, or you can leave it blank. If you choose to |
| I feel quite sure that some of your labels are outdated, | | | | walk through that door, your day will be completely |
| and your current experience does not bear them out. | | | | unpredictable. |
| And some were never true to begin with but you | | | | What might that day be like for you? |
| drew the conclusion about yourself because of painful | | | | Take a few minutes to imagine having your |
| early experiences or you came to believe what | | | | experience completely created by the way you define |
| someone else told you or thought of you without | | | | yourself (because it is) and decide what you want to |
| questioning its veracity. | | | | do with this gift of a day you have been given. |
| Diminishing Your Experience | | | | That exact same choice is yours every day. |
| "One of the ways we close down is by confining | | | | "Becoming aware of the words we use to describe |
| ourselves to certain 'rooms' in our castle of experience. | | | | ourselves --words we have absorbed or invented-- |
| As the years go by, we define ourselves more and | | | | empowers us to let them go if we choose to do so." - |
| more narrowly. Whether we decide we are a certain | | | | Sarah Wood Vallely, Sensational Meditation for |
| way or we hear others repeatedly label us as such, | | | | Children |
| ultimately, we accept the definitions and labels....When | | | | Define yourself using words that inspire and empower |
| we take on labels to define who we are, we confine | | | | but do not restrict, and heal whatever binds you to the |
| ourselves and diminish our experience." - Sarah Wood | | | | labels that no longer serve you. |