It is very fashionable now to talk about the Emotional Education of our children, without realizing that the real education comes from the heart, whether you are a parent or a teacher, it begins with ourselves. No matter what your social status is or how successful you are financially in the end, everyone wants the same: TO BE HAPPY AND ENJOY LIFE.
This does not mean living in a continuous state of euphoria or joy but enjoying the path and learning from the mistakes we make. Understanding that life is not perfect and everyone makes mistakes and everyone fails sometimes. For this it is important to understand that there are no so-called negative or positive emotions but harmful or not harmful. Fear, for example, can be an emotion that helps you overcome danger, but in excess it can paralyze you and make you lose the opportunity to carry out a project that would change your life, or say something important to someone you love.
Being able to maintain balance between our brain and our heart is the basis that enables us to develop our emotional intelligence. The only way to educate and leave a positive mark on our children, who are the future, is THINKING WITH THE HEART when we are teaching, compassion and gratitude are very important.
There are more educators who are aware of the need to include emotional education in the classroom, considering it is essential that children not only know how to count numbers or draw lines, but also are able to say “I’m sorry”, “I love you” or “I am sad” to the people who are part of their environment and for whom they feel affection. Hence, the importance of parents and educators also knowing how to manage their emotions and provide our children with strategies and behaviour models to understand and express what they feel. It is impossible to teach a child to be empathetic with others or to share if the adult of reference is a tyrant who treats others with contempt or an egoist and is only moved by the greed of money or fame. The Dalai Lama, a wise man with followers all over the world says that “only if you are humble will you be successful”, and “only if you are kind to others will you be happy”.
It is that human quality that makes us special. In these current times of economic crisis, wars or greed for money it is important for families and teachers who feel and think that happy children are the future of our society. That´s it, in reality, our goal should not be, to be happy in the “now”, but to be happy “along the way”. Being able to adequately manage everything that we find on our journey of life, be it positive or negative.
