If you have kids in your life, whether as a teacher or as a parent, you probably slip into auto-pilot on a regular basis. And why wouldn’t you?  You’ve got lots on your plate, so much you care about, so much you want to get right.  You’re a big part of kids’ lives, and what you do matters.

Well, I’ve met many parents and teachers who get so on auto-pilot with teaching and caring for their kids, they forget how incredibly valuable their roles are.  And they can’t take compliments and kudos for their efforts.

Lots of us look for recognition and support from outside ourselves, often from our superiors.  We wait for our government and principals and employers to treat us better.  But the time for waiting has passed.

That’s what we’re talking about today: taking a breath and realizing how incredibly important and valuable our roles are.  If you’re a teacher, it’s key to remember how much you will shape your students’ childhood experience.  That they will remember you for the rest of their lives. If you’re a parent, do you see the grandeur of what you’re doing? If only for a few minutes…

We can wish we lived in Sweden, where teachers and parents are respected and cared for.  Or we can take a pause and decide to respect ourselves.  Parents and teachers especially get to be the leaders in this, a movement to honor education and children and families, since no one is going to do it for us. We have to walk our talk. And the first step is to stop for a few moments, put your hand on your heart, and just be with the amazingness of your role.

When you practice this, your kids will notice, your bosses will notice, the world will notice.

You’ll begin getting ideas that support your magic role.  You’ll feel ready for kindness from all over.  You’re part of the magic tribe.

In honor of you, I’m doing a series of short videos called Brilliance from the Backseat, which allow you to easily have fun and unleash your kids’ brilliance on long car rides or anywhere else.  Click here to see the first one.