Just by the fact they draw breath, they have the right to speak their mind, express their feelings, and embody their spirit. Such rights are bestowed with the birth certificate.

For this reason, the parenting experience isn’t one of parent versus child but of parent with child.

On the parent’s side of the equation, the problem with the traditional approach to parenting is that it rigidifies the ego with its delusions of power. Since our children are so innocent and ready to be influenced by us, they tend to offer little resistance when we impose our ego on them— a situation that holds the potential for our ego to become

To shift to a more effective way of relating to our children, we must be willing to face and resolve issues in ourselves that stem from the way we were parented.

Indeed the magical thing about the parent-child relationship is that it constantly presents us with opportunities to raise ourselves to a state of intensified consciousness.

Those who walk the path of consciousness are no different from anyone else, except that they have learned to mine their unconsciousness for its potential for heightened awareness.

The only meaningful way for parent and child to relate is as spiritual partners in mutual spiritual advancement.

Once we have detached from our expectations of how another person “should” behave and we encounter them as they really are, the acceptance we inevitably demonstrate toward them naturally induces connection. This is because authenticity automatically resonates with authenticity.

want to stress that there’s no point wishing your unconsciousness didn’t exist. Rather, understanding the ramifications of unconsciousness and becoming aware of its consequences can motivate a person to embark on the penetrating self-examination that’s required to become an effective parent.