Love Is The Answer

During my time in Dothan I got to go speak to a few groups of kids at the Boys and Girls Club.

Visiting Boys and Girls Club are some of my favorite appearances.

I love teaching kids about self esteem, bullying, positive thinking, and choosing love. It's effortless really!

So I wanted to share with you how I teach young kids to "Choose love."

I start off by telling them about my personal experience with bullying growing up, and how I was severely bullied.. Then I'll ask, "Has anyone in this room ever been bullied?" (Hands go up all around the room!) "Has anyone in this room ever been called a mean name, or has anyone ever been hurt by the way someone treated you?" And by that time, everyone in the room has raised their hand to at least one of those questions.

 
Then I bring up three volunteers, I'll ask their name, and then I'll say something like "Annie, what if I said to you 'I don't like your red hair!’ How would that make you feel? Are you gonna go out and dye your hair now?” And of course she says, "No." Then I'll say something similar to the other two volunteers.

After those examples, I hold up a peace sign with my fingers. I explain to them "In order to achieve peace with yourself, to love who you are, and to have peace with others…...In the same way that there are two fingers in the peace sign, there are two rules to “choosing love” and achieving peace."

That brings me to my first rule:

You choose!

You have a choice: to believe, or NOT to believe what others say about you! You can either choose to let it affect you, or choose to brush it off, and not allow it to bother you.

I pick three more volunteers and have them shoot some "hoops" for an exercise.

I start off by having everyone cheer one of them on while he tries to shoot the basketball into the hoop.

Saawoosh!

Then I have everyone "booo" another while he shoots.

And he misses.

Then I tell him one “try and shoot while the audience ‘boos’ however this time, don't allow it to bother you.”

Saawoosh!!

I refer back to my personal story, how I allowed the bullying to bother me, to the point where I had cuts all over my legs from shaving at the age of nine.

To read my story visit my blog:
http://theinternationalpageants.blogspot.com/2016/10/beauty-for-ashes.html?m=1

And the second rule, choose love!

Regardless of how others treat you, treat others, the way you want to be treated.

I explain that “hurt people, hurt other people.” Kids who bully, are normally hurting and need love the most.

So I ask "what would you do if someone brought you a candy bar one day with a letter saying 'Can we be friends?' You'd be their friend, right?"

Everyone says, "Yes!"

“Well, what if you handed that same note and candy bar to your bully next time he was mean to you?”

(They're all quiet.)

"Do you think they would consider being nice?"

"Yes.." They all answer in unison.

"What if you continued to be nice, until he eventually became your friend? What's the worst that could happen?"

The we go through scenarios, "What's the worst thing that could happen if you choose love?"

*You waisted money on a candy bar? That's no biggie!

*The bully doesn't want to be friends?
Maybe at first, but if you keep trying, and eventually, he will either give up and stop picking on you... Because he can't get a rise out of you. Or, you'll gain a friend!

It's worked time and time again.. The kids love it, they're engaged in the conversation, and everyone of them learns something from it.

You're more than welcome to use this concept and become a part of the "Choose Love Movement"

I'm your Mrs International reminding you-
TO CHOOSE LOVE,

Priscilla