Resolutions & Affirmations

This episode starts with a breathing exercise where we visualize blowing away the fog to make a sunny day. Then we talk briefly about new year's traditions around the world, before focusing specifically on what resolutions are. We share sample resolutions, before turning our attention to affirmations. We encourage your kids to choose a special affirmation for the year, again offering examples for inspiration. The episode ends with a song about growing and learning.

Transcript

Hello,

I'm Noah,

And this is Like You,

A mindfulness podcast for kids.

I'm so glad you're here.

Today we'll talk about New Year's resolutions,

And also maybe we'll come up with our own New Year's affirmations.

So listeners of all ages,

Find a place to listen where you feel comfortable and safe.

As I ask questions and invite you to say affirmations,

You're welcome to speak out loud,

Or as always,

You can just think your responses quietly in your mind.

Recently there were a few very foggy days where I live,

And it got me thinking how I wish I could just blow the fog away.

So that's what we'll do for our breathing exercise today.

So close your eyes if that helps you imagine.

And now picture a gray,

Foggy day.

It's like a cloud has descended from the sky and covered up everything around you.

You can only see a few feet in front of yourself.

You can't see any trees or any flowers.

You can't see the blue sky.

You can't even see the sun.

So let's blow away the fog to clear up our view,

And then we'll see how far we can see.

Start by taking a deep breath in.

One,

Two,

Three.

Then blow a long breath out.

One,

Two,

Three.

It's still pretty foggy,

So let's try another breath.

Deep breath in.

One,

Two,

Three.

Now blow the fog away as hard as you can.

Okay,

Things are starting to clear up a bit now.

You can just barely make out a few trees in the distance,

So keep going.

Let's try a few deep breaths in a row.

Breathe in.

One,

Two,

Three.

Now blow a long breath out.

Another breath in and out.

The fog is starting to blow away,

So keep going.

In and out.

In and out.

Great job.

Now all the fog is gone.

You can see that you're surrounded by trees and flowers,

And the sky is blue,

And the sun is shining down to warm you up.

Now on the count of three,

We'll all say,

I like me.

One,

Two,

Three.

I like me.

I like you too.

You are full of warmth,

And you radiate joy.

I look forward to growing and learning with you this year.

Well,

Friends,

It is a brand new year.

So did you and your family do anything special to celebrate the new year?

Many people try to stay up late on New Year's Eve to welcome the new year as soon as it arrives with a countdown.

Some people also have special food that they eat on New Year's Day to bring luck in the new year.

In my family,

We eat cornbread,

Greens,

And black-eyed peas for our New Year's Day meal.

It's one of my favorite meals of the year.

Did you eat any of those things on New Year's Day?

Or does your family have different traditional New Year's foods?

In some places,

It's traditional to eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight.

Other cultures eat noodles on New Year's Day,

Or mochi,

Or tamales,

Or pickled fish.

Whatever way your family celebrated,

I hope you had a fun time saying goodbye to last year and hello to the new year.

Today we'll be talking about another very common tradition,

Setting New Year's resolutions.

Have you set any resolutions for the new year?

If you already have,

Take a few moments to recall your resolution and think about it again.

If you haven't set any resolutions,

That's fine.

Or if you're not even sure what that word,

Resolution,

Means,

No worries.

We can come up with some together.

A resolution means that you've made a decision to do something or to not do something.

It's kind of like setting a goal for yourself.

For instance,

You might decide to read more books this year or to spend more time outside.

Or you might decide to set a goal to learn something new,

Like how to paint or play guitar or ride a bike.

Or you might resolve to focus on developing a certain trait,

Like practicing kindness or working on being brave or using empathy to consider how others are feeling.

Other times,

A resolution isn't even about doing something new at all.

It can actually be about deciding not to do something or at least to do something less.

For instance,

You might decide to watch less TV or play fewer video games and to spend that time doing other things you enjoy.

Since you're the kind of kid who enjoys listening to mindfulness podcasts,

Maybe your resolution could even have something to do with mindfulness.

If you haven't already thought of a resolution for yourself,

I'm going to give you a few ideas of what a resolution might sound like.

So I'll say a few resolutions,

And at first it might sound similar to the affirmations that we often say.

In some ways,

Resolutions actually are similar to affirmations,

And we'll talk about that later.

But for now,

There's no need to repeat these resolutions.

You can just listen while I say a few examples and see if these inspire any of your own resolutions.

Here we go.

I will use my words to tell others how I'm feeling.

When I feel angry,

I will take deep breaths to calm down.

I will be nicer to my brother or sister.

I will pay closer attention to the people around me.

I will practice mindfulness every day.

I will treat everyone I meet with respect and kindness.

I will listen to what my body is telling me.

I will learn to appreciate silence.

If I need help,

I will ask for it.

I will practice loving myself by saying affirmations.

Did any of these ideas sound like resolutions that you'd like to make for yourself?

If you have decided on a New Year's resolution,

Go ahead and tell me what it is.

That's great!

And you might even want to write it down somewhere you'll see it often,

So you can keep practicing whatever your resolution may be.

Now,

I want to let you know something that's important to know about resolutions.

They can be very hard to keep.

You might start the year by saying you'll be nicer to your sister,

And then a week later you realize you're still arguing with her every day.

Or you might say you'll practice mindfulness every day,

And then realize a whole week went by without doing it.

And it's okay if you don't keep your resolution perfectly.

The resolution is just about trying your best to learn or grow in whatever way you think you would like to.

So decide what you'd like to do,

Then do your best.

But remember,

It's okay if things don't work out perfectly.

So with that in mind,

I want to suggest that in addition to a New Year's resolution,

You could also choose a New Year's affirmation.

Remember affirmations are words you can say about yourself to help you remember how wonderful you are.

I always offer a few different affirmations on each episode of Like You,

But you can also say affirmations to yourself anytime.

You can even write them down on your school folders or on a bookmark.

You could even make up your own special affirmations that are unique to you.

So a New Year's affirmation can be an affirmation you choose to say to yourself often this year.

Maybe you'll say it every morning when you brush your teeth,

Or every evening when you get in bed.

I'll say a few affirmations now.

You could choose one of these if you'd like,

Or come up with your own later.

I'll say each affirmation twice so you can listen the first time,

Then say it with me the second time,

Either out loud or inside your mind.

Here we go.

This is going to be a good year.

This is going to be a good year.

Good things are coming my way.

Good things are coming my way.

Every day I will learn and grow.

Every day I will learn and grow.

It's okay to make mistakes.

It's okay to make mistakes.

It is enough to do my best.

It is enough to do my best.

I love myself for who I am.

I love myself for who I am.

My mind is full of brilliant ideas.

My mind is full of brilliant ideas.

I will share my joy with the world.

I will share my joy with the world.

I'm in charge of my future.

I'm in charge of my future.

I will learn from yesterday and live for today.

I will learn from yesterday and live for today.

I believe in me.

I believe in me.

Now smile and take a few slow,

Deep breaths as we wind down our time together.

If any of those affirmations stood out to you,

Feel free to write them down or just store them safely in your mind to say whenever you need it.

If you've picked out a resolution or an affirmation for the new year,

I would love to hear about it.

If you'd like to share one with me,

Have a grown-up record a voice memo of you saying your affirmation or resolution.

Then they can email it to me at hello at like you podcast.

Com or you can ask them to send us a message through Instagram at like you pod.

I may even share some of your affirmations on the podcast.

For now,

Bring your resolution or your affirmation to the front of your mind and spend the next few minutes thinking about it as you listen to this song.

I'm growing,

I'm growing with each new thing I'm knowing.

I am growing body,

Heart and mind.

I'm learning,

I'm learning each day the earth is turning and I know a little more each time.

I'm listening,

I'm listening the world around is whispering and I learn so much from what I find.

I'm growing,

I'm growing with each new thing I'm knowing.

I am growing body,

Heart and mind.

I can't wait to spend some time together again soon.

Until then,

I like you,

I'm proud of you and I'm glad we are friends.

Have a happy and peaceful day.

Like You is written and hosted by me,

Noah Glenn.

I also composed and performed the Like You theme music and other music that appeared in this episode.

Our podcast cover art was illustrated by Maya Sane and our episode art is created by Lindsay Glenn.