Becoming a SoulKids Mentor was life changing

Becoming a SoulKids Mentor was life changing 

By Sally Forrest
Managing Director of SoulCentre, www.soulcentre.org

30th April 2018

Sally recently interviewed Swapna Menon to find out about her journey to become a SoulKids Mentor.

What made you decide to become SK Mentor?

I happened to glance at a SoulKids programme brochure in school and I was completely wowed by the benefits it talked about.

I decided to take the course thinking that how beautiful it would be to transform myself and others and to see children “blossom" from buds into beautiful flowers

Personally I think that the most beautiful thing one can give back to the world is to “create a difference in the lives to others”.

Did You enjoy the SoulKids Mentor training program?

Yes! Without a doubt, it was amazing.
I particularly liked the transformation I saw in myself and then in the people I interacted with.

I loved the tools and teaching techniques used and in particular the stories!
As individuals, all of us connect to stories. Our eyes and ears are totally focussed and engrossed when we listen to a great story.
The stories shared at the SoulKids Mentor training are simple, unique and life changing.

The learning is so profound.

I could grasp and connect to it really easily and it also helped to change my perspective and my attitude.

It made me realise that I am in charge of my life!
Every thought I have and every action I take brings change to me and to my life.

The most beautiful part of the programme was to watch Vikas in action as he taught the program. He has such authenticity and passion, moving from one story to another with high energy. He never tired and I was totally focussed and concentrating all the time. It was enjoyable and the time just flew by. I was mesmerised.

SoulKids Mentor training is a programme that transformed me as an individual.

Have you incorporated the teachings into your life? 

Yes, I immediately incorporated the teachings.
First I changed my thoughts as I realised that as individuals we have numerous thoughts coming to us every day.
Some thoughts can be positive while some can be negative.
Of course the positive thoughts are great, however one negative thought is enough to influence our entire day and can spoil the moment.

Of course it can be a challenge to always have positive thoughts, however now I have this new awareness I am making a daily effort to keep the negative thoughts at bay.

How have you used SK with your family? 

Yes, I use it with my family.

I have all the SoulKids books and I read the stories to my daughter.
She loved the stories so much that she asked to attend a SoulKids program.

Every day when the opportunity arises I reiterate the learning from the stories.

There are situations when she may be impatient or may not be happy with her results.
I take situations like this as an opportunity to help her learn key life lessons from SoulKids like to “be patient” and “to not give up”
The stories of the patient spider and Bruce Lee help her to realise everyone in life goes through challenges and it enables her to focus and to be eager to change.

Every story that SoulKids teaches has invaluable life lessons that really benefit children (and adults).

Have you been involved in teaching a SoulKids program?

Yes I have and I loved every minute of it.

It is so rewarding to make a difference in the lives of others.

I am a very energetic person and I bring lots of enthusiasm and drama while narrating stories. 

The children definitely enjoyed the program and certainly left happy and smiling.

Many thanks Swapna for this enlightening interview.

We wish you continued happiness and we know that each child who comes into contact with you will most certainly benefit.

For more details on SoulKids please do connect with us on soulkids@soulcentre.org

How to raise a confident daughter?

How to raise a confident daughter?

By Vidhya Shailesh, SoulKids® Program Manager, www.soulkids.org16th April 2018

Confidence is a nurtured skill. As children grow up, they go through phases of confidence in their own abilities followed by phases of self-doubt. Peer pressure, comparisons with their friends, changing social environment all contribute towards their own self-belief. As girls grow up, body image issues, the need to be accepted and belong among others can affect their confidence. As parents or guardians, we can support them through these formative years to help them grow into confident young ladies.

1.    Encourage assertiveness

Encourage your daughters to stand up to their choices. Often when girls find their friends are making different choices, they feel compelled to choose otherwise. Encourage them to be assertive. Train them to stand by their choices, train them to make their own independent choices. It might start with simple choices like what to eat at a meal. Encourage them to make these choices often and stand up to them.

2.    Encourage competence

Teach her that competence takes effort and persistence. And it is only through persistent effort that competence is built. Encourage her to focus on her strengths and build on them. It doesn’t matter what her strengths might be – it could be academics, arts or sports or anything else that she is really keen on. With effort, she can keep growing and this leads to greater self-belief. Refrain from making assumptions on her strengths and weaknesses.

3.    Never compare her with others

Comparisons with friends, peers or siblings hurt a child’s confidence the most. It makes them feel they are not good enough. And with girls, this can have a much deeper impact. Remember, all children are special in their own way. Appreciate her efforts not just the results. Tell her often how she is doing something well, or what you think is special about her. Girls often need reassurance and this is where parents play an important role. Don’t judge her mistakes. Instead help her rise above them. Help them understand that mistakes are normal. Speak openly about your own failures or mistakes and embrace them. Avoid setting perfect ideals for her to live up to. Instead encourage effort and growth.

4.    Encourage a healthy body image

As young girls grow into their pre-teen years, body image plays a very important part. As their bodies change, encourage them to be accepting. Start by complementing them often. Girls are often lured by the images they see in magazines and can get caught up in their own idea of a perfect body. Tell them constantly how beautiful they are just as they are. Help them appreciate imperfection.

5.    Encourage them to have positive role models

Encourage your daughters to have positive role models. Help them see the effort that is put behind the success and the causes for which their role models stand. A positive role model can help inspire your daughter and encourage her to have the right mindset.

At SoulKids® we teach all children to believe in themselves. We teach them to be happy just they way they are, to never compare themselves with others and grow their own strengths. Essential skills such as this when taught early, lay the foundation for the rest of their growing up years. We work with many children on group programs and on one-on-one basis.

Parents can also learn how to inspire their own children and bring out the best in themselves. Our mentor training program is specifically designed to train adults in the SoulKids® philosophy. Mentor training happens only once a year and we have people flying in from all over the world to get trained. Mentor training in 2018 is happening from April 22-26. Sign up for this transformational training program and grow your own life and be a positive influence on everyone around you.

To find out more about our programs or one-on-one coaching, please visit www.soulkids.org or email us atsoulkids@soulcentre.org for more information. Register your children for our transformational programs and help them grow in confidence.