I came across this fascinating, insightful, thought-provoking video on Facebook. In moments like these, I am in awe of the power of social media (thank you, Students Rebuild!…you really never know who you’re reaching, whose minds you’re growing!). This 10-minute film echoed and reaffirmed many of my thoughts I’ve shared here on parenting and mindfulness, like another nod from the universe.
I will pay attention to the tickled glances and coy smiles, take notice of the petty annoyances and profound nuances, and pause to interact with loving intention, attentive adoration. I will fill each day with meaningful exchanges of love. Because “every interaction counts.”
Favorite quotes transcribed here:
“As we said, a baby is born with 100 billion neurons, but those quadrillion connections, they’re not there yet. Those connections [in a child’s brain] form at a very rapid speed during the first five years of life, at 700 to 1,000 new synapses per second. Those connections are created through every interaction a child has, and are important because they form the architecture of the brain. So every time you talk to and engage with a child, you are literally growing a brain; connecting the different parts of the brain, which allows for new ideas, insights and creative thinking. So each moment of eye contact, each new word exchanged, each time you make a child laugh, you are strengthening these connections [in that child’s brain].
So how do we nurture both these growing interconnected networks to set a course for a better future? By paying attention to what we are paying attention to. Attention is the mind’s valuable resource. Every interaction counts.”
