Welcome! This world needs more Guide Grand – Elders like you, especially now.
You know how the world feels upside down and the littles you love like crazy are struggling and you’re not sure how to help in ways that are real for you?
It’s always been hard to be a kid, finding your way in the world. It’s gotten considerably more complicated in this world.
Learning used to be about learning stuff. Now it’s about learning how to learn what we need to know. And that, dear sister, takes a certain amount of faith in ourselves… something that’s pretty hard for kids to come by just now.
Actually, it may be hard for you to come by just now, too. That’s a really powerful thing to notice, if it is, because it gives us a way to relate to what life is like for lots of our kids.
Kind of ironically, we Guides have something in common with the cheerleaders we knew, or may have been, in high school. It’s our job to be, enthusiastically, on the side of our littles. Not with cartwheels, or lists and “facts” and rules, so much, but with deep listening and some empowering perceptions we can share.
My favorite is this… There’s no such thing as failure. Only experience to be learned from! (HSG)
Here’s the catch… we’ve got to live as if we believe it, too!
And here’s another perception that’s absolutely vital. It comes with a bit of a disclaimer. This one may require a pretty big shift from the way many of us learned things.
Ready?
It’s not their job to make us proud. It’s their job to make themselves proud!
At this point, I’m channeling a dear friend’s first granddaughter who had a complex name she pronounced Mebbit. Her favorite phrase, when she didn’t want help, was, Mebbit dood it!
And that will make us enormously proud for them… I know I am for my girls.
Here’s one way to inconspicuously help them get to their own sense of pride…
Instead of saying, “I’m so proud of you!” try, “Wow! That’s amazing!!! Are you proud?”
Which reminds me. Questions are often a more empowering strategy than answers! Here’s an all-time favorite:
What are you/we trying to accomplish?
This gets everybody (well, almost!) out of the my way/your way trap and into the miraculous space where moving forward together is possible!
There’s more. Much more. For today, we believe in them so that they can believe in themselves!
You are a Guide Grandmother. Thank goodness!
Recently, I wrote a Grandmothers’ Manifesta. A friend asked me how long it took.
My answer was simple. Thirty-five years and 10 minutes! Which is to say, it’s a path. A path of passionate hope, even on the hard days. A path to empowering our families and our world. I’m so glad you’re on the road, too.
For much of those 35 years, I was making my way from life as a poor, scared single mom, turned professional student, all the way to a whole lot of diplomas in the basement and some really helpful learning. Among the useful things… years and years as a pastoral counselor putting that learning to use. I’m a certified leader of Developing Capable People, a certified Intentional Creativity® Teacher & Coach, and the author of three Grammy friendly Amazon bestselling books.
My life was transformed when I became a Grammy! So much so that, these days, I help wise Grand-Elders like you discover and claim your special archetypal gifts for empowering yourself and the ones you love the most to survive and thrive. Art and creativity are often involved!
You can get started now, with this link to download a copy of the Grandmothers’ Manifesta, just for you!
