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Soul to Soul Parenting: Trust and Faith
by Annie Burnside • Willmette, IL

 

castleTrust and Faith initiate a relaxation into the moment, a knowing that all is well, a release of worry and fear, an openness to life, a love of the unknown, a belief that life itself is the ultimate blessing, and a complete surrendering to the divine flow of life.

Trust and faith may come to you all at once from a specific experience of divinity or may develop and deepen gradually as you embark on the journey within. Either way, you transcend from a place of inner hesitation and fear to a palace of inner peace. Over time it becomes apparent that trust and faith liberate you to live more fully, knowing that the Universe holds you in rapture as an integral tile in its beloved mosaic.

It is imperative that children understand the spiritual meaning of the word surrender. To the ego, surrender means to give up, shy away, or lose. Surrendering in the spiritual sense reflects an inner allowance and expansion for the infinite possibilities that exist in the Universe. The soul understands that to surrender is to merge with All That Is to call forth the highest outcome of any situation. Spiritual surrender also means allowing your own authenticity at all times.

In this way, you live true from your soul and surrender to your own truth. In this sense, surrender is the path to liberation from a reality tethered to the approval of others. They must understand fully their part in the faith equation. They must hold themselves in a state of allowing and receiving in order for physical manifestation of their true heart desires to occur. Children can understand early on that they are powerful creators in their own right and must do their part to receive with openness and trust what they have called forth.

Stay open to all possibilities that come your way. Many times you ask God for something, but then only remain open for the exact answer that you think you need. So many times, in fact more often than not, you miss the surprises that the Universe flows your way because you are solely focused on one rather rigid and closed answer. The Universe can answer you in millions of ways. Be surprised, delighted, amazed and grateful for the magic that unfolds and enters your reality. Know without even a seed of doubt that God will clear the way for your deepest desires to manifest. The toughest part is getting out of the way and releasing all resistance, attachment, and judgment. Your job is to receive with wonder and grace the surprises along the way. Allow your path to unfold naturally with the universal flow of life and encourage this daily in your children.

5 Tips for Soul to Soul Parenting

  • Utilize everyday life – such as friendships, nature, mealtimes, music, movies, and much more – as the perfect curriculum and forum to teach your children powerful, universal principles such as connectedness, self-love, presence, and forgiveness.
  • Teach your children to allow multiple perspectives in all life situations and relationships by “flipping” challenges into positive, learning opportunities. Train your children to be more conscious of thoughts, words, and deeds so that they can assume greater responsibility for the creation of their own reality.
  • Encourage compassion and empathy in your children on a daily basis by making them the most-used words in your home.
  • Turn the JOY in family life way up by singing, dancing, smiling, humming, laughing, and relaxing rigid perspectives as often as possible through openness and gratitude.
  • 5 Hallmarks of Soul to Soul Parenting

  • Modeling authenticity through speaking and living your truth thereby giving your children permission to do the same.
  • Showing your spirit daily so that your children can witness multiple aspects of you, and in turn, see multiple aspects in themselves.
  • Teaching your children that they are intuitive, creative, eternal spiritual beings, filled with infinite possibility and the capacity for direct divine connection, much larger than simply their physical form.
  • Assisting your children in understanding that an appreciation for life in the present moment, coupled with enthusiasm for the future, plants the necessary seeds for manifesting their true heart’s desires.
  • Providing the space and opportunity for your children to focus on their interior world as much as the exterior world, allowing greater intimacy with the voice of their own soul to feel what resonates as truth for them.

  • From Soul to Soul Parenting: A Guide to Raising a Spiritually Conscious Family, by Annie Burnside. Printed with permission from Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing.

    Annie Burnside is a parent, educator and professional soul nurturer, assisting clients in viewing their lives from an expanded spiritual perspective and integrating spiritual truths. She is a speaker & workshop teacher and offers one-to-one spiritual support. The Family Consciousness columnist for Evolving Your Spirit magazine, Annie received her Masters Degree in Education from DePaul University. www.annieburnside.com.