The Simple Things
One of the great things about homeschooling my children was enjoying their endless imaginations. One of the finest tools/materials we had were cardboard boxes. What they created from the cardboard was amazing. Using your imagination is a skill we can learn or remember.
It was so fun to observe how they would form, with their little hands, what had first been formed in their minds. It was fascinating to watch.
Why Homeschool?
How could I put them in an institutional box to be molded into corporate thinking? So, I ended up homeschooling all of them until they began university.
How I would love to tell you I had a higher purpose in homeschooling but it was, initially, the simple reason of not wishing to give those precious little minds over to be institutionalized. I have absolutely no regrets.
Now, in retrospect, I know I was answering a call, even though I thought ‘I was doing my own thing’. I was driven.
The power to create depends entirely upon spiritual power; there are three steps, idealization, visualization, and materialization.
Charles Haanel, The Master Key System (16:8)
No Reservations
Children have the unique ability to harness spiritual power without having to dig through labels, judgments, and self imposed limitations.
By the time we are in adulthood, we are carrying so many little packages of lies, others’ opinions, and judgements, we cannot even move well or breath with ease.
Everything is Possible When Using Your Imagination
By this time in the Master Key Experience (MKE) class each year, some cement has come off, reminding me of limitless possibilities that exist in all of us – we need just to tap into it.
Again, I am grateful for all the small progressions and exercises we have learned in the past 18 weeks that created habits that loosened cement. As the course continues, more cement drops off and my eyes are opened to those unlimited possibilities.
Visualization must, of course, be directed by the will, we are to visualize exactly what we want; we must be careful not to let the imagination run riot, imagination is a good servant but a poor master, and unless it is controlled it may easily lead us into all kinds of speculations and conclusions which have no basis or foundation of fact whatever. Every kind of plausible opinion is liable to be accepted without any analytical examination and the inevitable result is mental chaos.
Charles Haanel, The Master Key System (16:35)
Validation of the DMP
This is a validation of why our Definite Major Purpose (DMP) needs to be so specific, descriptive, and full of emotion. This keeps the power harnessed to manifest our vision.
The unabashed creativity flowing from the imagination of my children would sometimes result in a combination of admiration for resourcefulness and horror.
Case in Point
In the earlier years of child rearing, this happened:
Working in their creative corner for a while, I was summoned by some very excited cherubs to see their creation. It was a small village, made of cardboard, brightly painted buildings, with thatched roofs. …THATCHED ROOFS!!!!????
“Mommy, don’t you love our village? We made it like olden times in England.” “Hummm, nice paint. Very cute…”
“And look! We made the roof of the houses like straw, like we were reading about!”
The statement was delivered with such pride and excitement. “Yes, yes, but where did you get…” (I pause. I gasp!) That is when I knew exactly where the thatching material came from.
Looking at the sweet, excited faces of my two redheads, then looking at the roofs, I needed only to look a bit closer to see which one donated a portion of her hair to the project.
I was completely taken by their creativity and mortified by their method.
From their perspective? A thought, coupled with belief and feeling, and put into action resulted in EXACTLY what they had in mind.
Success After All
I certainly was not going to dampen the moment, although I did immediately make an appointment with a hair salon specializing in children’s hair.
This memory is what came to mind when I read Haanel – we are to visualize exactly what we want. There was no stopping those wee artists when they wanted to thatch the roofs of their village.
There was no strategy. There was thought, vision, and implementation.
As the cement falls away and I believe I am nature’s greatest miracle, I am closer to gaining freedom from the bonds of mechanics and free to follow my bliss .
Kindness Week
MKE’s Kindness week coupled with Haanel’s exercise from 16:37 “to realize the important fact that harmony and happiness are states of consciousness” makes for an absolutely joyous life! Haanel goes on to note that truth “…makes me free from every lack or limitation of any kind.”
There is freedom in Hannel’s poignant words, and still freedom in my kids’ spirits to this day.
What a wonderful story about your kids and their ability to realize whatever they had in mind. Thank you so much for sharing Louise! I remember when I went thru the MKE course that I related all the time to things and situations from my whole life. It didn’t just give the course an extra dimension but also to my life; my past, my now and my future.
Awesome blog Louise, I love the hair story! I did not homeschool, but I remember those moments of learning when you could almost see the lightbulb come on. Such precious memories.
I love you Louise, blessings to you and your loved one’s to have been able to be touched by your teachings.
Louise, your blog was invigorating and enjoyable. The quote that you used by Charles Haanel was a great reminder of the importance of visualization and imagination: “Visualization must, of course, be directed by the will, we are to visualize exactly what we want; we must be careful not to let the imagination run riot, imagination is a good servant but a poor master, and unless it is controlled it may easily lead us into all kinds of speculations and conclusions which have no basis or foundation of fact whatever.” I’m also glad that you answered the call and homeschooled your children and that you had no regrets in doing that. I am sure your children enjoyed their learning experience too. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Great of you to step up way back then and present the best opportunity for your children to become self-directed thinkers by living your choice to do that with them. Bravo Louise!
Great point Michael, I’m with you 100%, congratulations Louise!
Now, more than ever, Louise, is the time to be homeschooling our kids. My hat’s off to you for doing just that; for knowing how horrible the altrernative is; for making sure to preserve the imagination of your young pupils, while promoting their potential to be self-directed thinkers! 🙂
100% agree, Loren! Same disastrous situation of school system in Europe…Our children need us more than ever…because we need them even more!
This is such a wonderful read. I love how this touches on so many of the MKE teachings.
I love your story, Louise! You did such a beautiful gift to your children, and also to the human community as a whole by increasing its number of self directed thinkers…The law of giving & receiving is going to return it to you ten-fold, if that didn’t happened yet!
I encourage homeschooling and if you every consider this especially in our ‘new world’ reach out to Ms. Kohl, she is fun, creative and thoughtful to all personalities.
Thanks, Louise, for sharing this wonderful blog! My favorite part was “Children have the unique ability to harness spiritual power without having to dig through labels, judgments, and self-imposed limitations. By the time we are in adulthood, we are carrying so many little packages of lies, others’ opinions, and judgements, we cannot even move well or breath with ease.” It is so lovely how the Master Key Experience helps the Member to overcome the “cement”!