The Golden Rule states "Do unto others as you would have them do unto YOU". I wonder how many people were taught that by their parents. My son certainly understands it. How many actually teach this to their children, teens? Based on what I see in the world, this rule has been largely dropped out or overlooked. There would not be all of the trouble and strife we’re experiencing. Warring countries would not war. Religions would love each other. You could count on your neighbor to respect you as you respect them because to do otherwise leads to stress, unhappiness, possible pain or death. What do you think of the idea of re-enforcing The Golden Rule?

1) Know where they are at all times. Freedom comes at adulthood.

2) They need to know you need to know where they are at all times.

3) Have agreements about where and when they are to be where they’re supposed to be.

4) Instill honoring agreements. This prepares them for adulthood. As you know, our lives work to the degree we keep our agreements!

5) Stick to your guns! Employ your alphaness.

6) Listen with your whole body.

7) Ask questions that get to the facts.

8) Speak to the facts once they are all in.

9) Share your experience with troublesome issues.

10) You are not their friend. Keep parental status.

11) Investigate before condemning. Too often we jump to conclusions without looking deeply into a matter.

12) Look deeply into their feelings. How did you feel in the same or similar circumstances.

13) Look for opportunities to praise them. Give some form of praise every day.

14) Reward them (and yourself) daily with a hug. Whether they want one or not.

15) Let them see you doing or have done what you ask of them.

16) Explain what works and does not work toward their ultimate success.

17) Explain why work is to be an expression of their Joy and is necessary for their Happiness.

18) Teach them how to cope with difficulty. Your spiritual practice is key here.

19) Share funny stories of your life. Laugh with them often.

20) Reinforce The Golden Rule. Live it yourself.

How are you at managing your teen(s)?

Parents often kick their own butts, stress their own selves out with an automatic expectation that the day or a specific situation will be difficult.

It’s ALL unnecessary but what REALLY gets me is when I do it over something that I know I can do easily! I’ll get a running commentary on the pressure of it all and then realize, wait a minute, I do this easily. What’s all the tension about?

When we practice monitoring the energy we’re creating on our own selves, it’s surprising how much crap we’re laying on OURSELVES UNNECESSARILY! MONITOR your thoughts and feelings and identify old dead roots that you thought you’d gotten rid of trying to come alive again. Do this at random times of the day and especially when you’re not feeling good about something that hasn’t even happened yet.

Check the negative feeling, put the spotlight of your attention on it, dig out the negative thought behind it, then Nip It. … and keep nipping ’til that sucker’s dead.

How often do you find yourself needlessly stressing yourself out?

I connect to wealth with my feelings in order to have a better relationship with money. It’s all about understanding how to relax into the thrill of it. Let’s say you want to feel better about money or your relationship with money. Let’s say further that you want to relax into the feeling of wealth or, moreover, the thrill of wealth. This can be a nebulous endeavor, a hazy proposition. How does one go about doing that?

First, I understand and know that our feelings drive, or rather, attract our reality. Hence, feeling good about money moment to moment attracts more to me. I’m presuming here that you want more money too.

Then, the exercise becomes one of knowing how to relax into it. I relax into it as I would a warm, soapy, lavender-scented bath… seeing myself drenched in unlimited wealth. This imagery is usually done sitting with my eyes closed, earplugs in, body totally relaxed but any chance I get, I’m in the actual tub with it. Meditate. Move into the feeling of wealth. Visualize…

What is wealth you ? Is it being totally supported by the money you’ve accumulated? For me, it’s…no need to go to a job…ever! Just working because I enjoy it. Is it having the ability to walk into any high-end jeweler and buy the whole place? Is it being in a position to feed, house and educate thousand of hungry and homeless children until their adulthood? I expand my feelings into it here in meditation. Relax and expand into it again and again. How do you feel?

Feel the thrill if it. Let’s take that feeling with us everywhere. Refresh it often.

What is wealth to you?

#13 or 20 Tips…LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO PRAISE THEM. GIVE SOME FORM OF PRAISE EVERY DAY.

Look for opportunities to praise your teen (and your other children) every day. If for no other reason than you need to make up for possible mistakes you have or may have made in the past in your handling of them. One of the biggest issues for kids/teens is fairness… how unfair you or others have been or are being to them. Unfairness registers internally to them as them being somehow unworthy of fairness and less than the royalty they are.

We are not perfect, I think it’s a good idea to off set as much of this imperfection on our parts (as parents) as possible. Being the authority figure is one thing, being someone who is beyond making mistakes is another. There are no such beings/parents. Just a touch of sincere praise helps offset blind oversight on our parts.

Of course, you know the overt benefits of giving your child or anyone else praise. There’s the higher self-esteem they (and you) feel, reinforced confidence in their abilities, more exercise of these abilities and the cooperation it causes when you need it AND least expect it. Heavens! Let’s not forget the cooperation part!

Look every day to give compliments and praise. Perhaps, it will be easier to remember to do this if you give it to yourself first. Can’t give what you don’t have, right? Pause in the morning mirror every day and praise yourself. Thank yourself for the wonderful contribution you make to their lives and your own. There is no more important job than Parent. There is no other person more important to their lives than You. Appreciate what you mean to EACH OTHER.

How good are you at exercising praise?