by Megan Larson & Lama Lakshey Zangpo: Teaching children how to stand up for themselves in the face of challenges is a necessary life skill.
Many of us as children, may have struggled to know what to do when harmful comments or actions came our way. In my psychotherapy practice working with families, over the years I received many messages and questions around how to help a child who is being teased or bullied. Many of these children and their families feel at a loss of how to intervene, sometimes falling into the trap of being a victim to the situation. This often can cause further damage pushing those who are bullied to feeling helpless and scared. As a result of many of these inquiries, dissatisfied by the information I encountered, I set out on a quest to understand what truly is helpful for these children and their families.
The most simple answer to this predicament is teaching children to develop a compassionate heart, while empowering them to stand up for themselves. Sometimes things that are so basic or considered “simple” can be overlooked; yet the best medicine is compassion time and time again. In many wisdom traditions, it is taught that freedom and happiness come from a compassionate heart. I had the great fortune to co-author a new children’s book, Jupiter’s Journey, written together with Lama Lakshey Zangpo, a Tibetan Buddhist Teacher.
This book was born out of a shared aspiration to bring wisdom teachings to all children and their parents as a way to highlight this timeless truth. In the story, Jupiter, the main character, encounters bullying and as a result begins to question himself. Like many children (and adults) who experience bullying, he begins to internalize the words of others and wants to change himself to escape the pain of feeling inadequate. The story takes him on an adventure to a wish-fulfilling land with a longing to change himself. While on the journey he finds meditation, learns to work with his mind, and have compassion for others. He eventually sees that he holds the key to finding freedom for himself. Once he has this realization, it brings great joy to his life and inspires him to share what he learned with others.
To order a copy today visit IngramSpark: https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?TIPnVCMch2T15P9IaXAL6Ite0Y12TxaqTWmErd5qf3Z
Will be available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble late Spring 2024
Illustrations by Melissa Parhm https://www.melissaparhmfineart.com
