The Wonderful Spirit of Youth

My 11 year old grandson ask for my help to learn to relax when he takes tests in school.  Yesterday I made an appointment with him after school and we sat down together to see how I could help him.  He said that he gets nervous when taking tests and doesn't do as well as he could.   We discussed the reasons for his nervousness and realized that he was fearful of not doing well.

I took him through some relaxation techniques and taught him how to relax his body through his breathing.  He closed his eyes and focused on different parts of his body as he relaxed.  When he opened his eyes he said his body was still tingling.  He was so receptive to everything I suggested and was able to connect with his inner spirit very quickly. 

We then talked about setting positive anchors so he can remember the positive experiences when he is in doubt about his ability to succeed.  We used the techniques I learned in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP).  So I asked him to describe a time that he had done something really well.  He told me about a specific experience and I ask him to give more details about how he felt, what he saw and what he heard around him.  We filled in all the details of the experience as if he was there again in the experience.  I told him to close his eyes, put his finger and thumb together and take deep breaths to relax as I retold his experience with all the excitement and passion of the event.   When we finished he opened his eyes and smiled.  He had relived the excitement of the event.  Now he can access that experience by putting his thumb and finger together as he needs it and he will remember.

There are so many ways we can access the positive and motivating experiences of our lives.  I was thrilled that he was so open to finding ways to access his personal power and tap into his God Source or Spirit to help him do better.  How wonderful it can be to realize that there is a spiritual power within us and learn how to connect at such a young age.  I am grateful for the opportunity to share with him and allow his spirit to grow.