LIVING IN HARMONY - Chapter Two

Empowering Children to Become World Harmony Builders

...Building Harmony through Affirmations

Chapter Inspiration:

-The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts. -Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

-The language of the heart is the only language that everybody can understand. -Sri Chinmoy

-I am the greatest.‖ -Muhammad Ali

Chapter Story:

Muhammad Ali grew up in a very poor section of Louisville, Kentucky. In those days his name was Cassius Clay. His family did not have very much money. One of his only possessions was his bicycle. He loved his bicycle and he loved to ride all over the neighborhood. One day somebody took his bicycle from the front of his house. He was very sad but he was determined to get his bicycle back. Cassius went looking for his bicycle at the local Boys‘ Club. There he did not find his bicycle, but he saw some young boys who were practicing boxing. He could not take his eyes off them. He watched how they moved their arms and their feet. He watched their eyes and how they breathed. It was as if Cassius were in a trance. He forgot all about his bicycle. He felt a powerful feeling well up in his heart. Suddenly he said to himself, -I want to be a boxer. I can become a great boxer. I will be the greatest boxer of all time!‖ He asked the boxing coach if he could take lessons.
In 1960, Cassius Clay won the Olympic gold medal in boxing. Then he went on to also become the professional champion of the world. When he converted to the Muslim religion, Cassius changed his name to Muhammad Ali, to show that he was making a new commitment in his life. From the age of twelve, and continuing throughout his boxing career, he repeated his affirmation, -I am the greatest,‖ thousands and thousands of times. This helped him tremendously to believe in his goal. Lo and behold, he achieved his goal. He became the greatest!

Chapter Overview:

Affirmations are like messages we give to ourselves. When Mohammad Ali said, -I am the greatest,‖ it might sound as if he were bragging. What he was actually doing was giving himself a positive message. The message was that even though he was very, very poor, even though he was not good at school, even if nobody else believed in him, he still could be a champion if he believed in himself.

Chapter Lessons:

Lesson #1 - Your first affirmation
Here is your first affirmation to practice:
There are so many good things in me-
I just close my eyes to clearly see.
I am a good person, even if I sometimes make mistakes. What are some of the good things about you? Put them into a picture or a poem or even just a list.

Lesson #2 - Changing the world from inside out
Harmony begins with me.
This is the motto of the World Harmony Run. If you are peaceful and loving inside yourself do you notice more peace around you? Try it today. You will be surprised how much you can change the world around you for the better by changing yourself first.

The World Harmony Run consists of a team of runners who are running through every state in the United States - right now - carrying a torch and spreading this message: ‘Harmony begins with me' (that's You!). They started running from New York in April and will be getting back home to New York in August - when they will come and visit your summer camp! You can follow the story of the runners from the road every day on: http://www.worldharmonyrun.org/usa/news/2010

Lesson #3 - Speaking the truth
I try to speak the truth and do what‘s right.
I soar with integrity, like an eagle in flight.
Do you stand up for yourself? It takes a lot of courage to say how you feel or to say, ‗no,‘ if you feel something is wrong. Using some role-plays to create different situations, practice telling someone how you feel or practice telling someone ‗no.‘

Lesson #4 - Achievement
There are no limits to what I can achieve,
If I work hard and just believe.
I can do anything I want to in my life, if I believe in myself and if I work hard. What is something you would like to achieve? Close your eyes and imagine yourself doing it. Now repeat the affirmation while you are holding this image of you!!!

Lesson #5 - Good and bad feelings
Feelings come and visit me,
Happy, or sad, or maybe angry.
There are many things that I can feel,
And all of them are really real.
I let bad feelings go away -
Feelings that are good can always stay.
Our feelings are part of who we are, yet our feelings change from day to day or even from minute to minute. Try to be aware of what you feel right now. Can you say what feeling you are experiencing right now? Are you happy, sad, angry or frustrated? This is called owning your feelings or being with your feelings. Being present to your feelings in this way is very healthy and empowering. Share your feelings with the class or with a partner - only if you want to.

Lesson #6 - A magical day
Today can be a magical day,
Cheerful and positive I will stay.
Our thoughts are very powerful. To a great degree, we can shape the kind of experience we are going to have by being conscious of our thoughts. If we can say a positive affirmation at the start of each day, it can help us to get started on a positive note. Create some mini skits to show the power of positive and negative thoughts.

Lesson #7 - Accepting people who are different
I do not see people as black or white,
I see in every heart a special light.
This affirmation can be very helpful in shaping an accepting attitude towards others. Inside of everyone is the same kind of invisible heart. It is important to remind ourselves of this every day. Try making a group picture with this affirmation written at the top. This will be a good way to cooperate and to share your feelings about the meaning of the affirmation.

Discussion Questions:

a) When he was a child he was called Cassius Clay. Later in his life, when he converted to the Muslim religion, Cassius changed his name to Muhammad Ali. Do you know anyone who is a Muslim? A Muslim is someone who believes in the teachings of the prophet Muhammad, which are written in a book called the Koran. When and where did the prophet Muhammad live?

b) Did you like practicing affirmations? Do you think it would be good or helpful to practice them more often?

c) What was your favorite affirmation? Can you say why?

Supplemental Activities:

• Borrow a copy of the Koran from a Muslim friend. Show it to the class - the beautiful cover and binding, the pages, and the special writing, which is usually Arabic. If it also has an English translation, choose a part of the Koran to read to the class.

• Gather some books and videos about Muhammad Ali. These can be shared by the class. There are many lessons to be learned from the life of this amazing man.

• Create an affirmation that is special to you. Write it down in beautiful handwriting on a special piece of paper. Then decorate the paper with crayons, markers, colored pencils or other art materials.