I was sixteen when I moved from Nairobi, Kenya to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
It was overwhelming…new environment, new friends and new school.
First day of high school, our teacher Mr. Pandeya, asked the class, “Who do you love the most?”
I looked down as I didn’t want to give a wrong answer.
He picked students for an answer.
One said, “My mom.” Another said, “My Dad.”
Finally, Mr. Pandeya looked at each one of us and said, “The answer is ME.”
He reiterated, “I LOVE ME THE MOST.”
Walk in nature…breathe…feel…
· What do you enjoy most about this moment? _________________________________________________________________________
· Now express what do you love about yourself __________________________________________________________________________
· Look within you, what quality do you see as your strength? ___________________________________________________________________________
· Which skill or talent of yours gives you the greatest sense of pride or satisfaction? ______________________________________________________________________________
· Complete these sentences to your satisfaction
I am…
I have…
I can…
Life has many inescapable dualities such as night and day which exist as separate, but neither is absolute. Similarly, we have two tangibles, our strengths and our weaknesses, that are indisputably tied to one another to make us complete.
To understand one, we need to know the other just like we could never know “hot” without experiencing a “cold” or know “old” without comparing it to a “young”.
Understand you without judgement.
· What do you feel are your biggest weaknesses? ________________________________________________________________________________
· What are your fears? ________________________________________________________________________________
· Identify three triggers that make you annoyed, worried or anxious. ________________________________________________________________________________
· Complete these sentences…
I struggle when…
I feel stress when…
Changes occur to us and around us every day. Reflection allows us to review past experiences and improve our effectiveness for the future instead of doing the same thing and expecting a different result.
Ask any question to yourself that evoked a strong emotion in you…It could be about your past, present or future. Reflect on the question the next day.
· What did you feel? ___________________________ Why? _________________
· How did you react (Say or do)? _______________________________________
· Contemplate as to what was the driving factor (e.g. fear, hope, etc.) _____________________________________________
Accept that every experience in life is a lesson that made you stronger today;
· Name one positive thing you learned from the situation. _____________________________________________________________________
· What favourable quality/trait in you was strengthened from the experience? _________________________________________________________
· What 3 things would you like to change most about yourself?
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For more free worksheets, free activities and my children's book and activities check my blogs at www.kidsquest.ca
Children's Author: Zulebia Esmail