A frequently asked question from people who are introduced in Gentle Teaching is if they have to become someone else and leave their ‘old’ identity behind. Sometimes this seems like it, but it isn’t.

Being loving towards others is a core quality of every human being. Parents are by nature loving towards their children. This is a proof that every human being has the capacity to be loving. People who have chosen to serve people with special needs or become a teacher in a school, almost without exception tell us that they make this choice because they want to do something good for others. This is a clear expression of their loving core quality.

If you think that you have to change a lot and that you aren’t allowed to be yourself anymore, you can question what kind of self—image you have. Do you see yourself as a person who lacks patience and understanding, and who wants to control children or people with special needs in a domineering way? Or do you see yourself as a loving person, who wants to do his utmost best to make others happy and help them through challenging moments in their life?

Most of us will feel more comfortable with the second picture than the first. So keep that picture in mind when you question yourself who you really are, and if that also is your character.

Your heart and nature are loving, but surrounded by a lot of conditioned behaviors and beliefs. This outside isn’t always so kind and we have started to believe that this is who we are.

Though working from a loving posture isn’t always easy, it is way of working that gives the most satisfaction and often also new energy. This in contradiction to working from a domineering posture in which you are mainly trying to control behaviors of others and together try keep your head above the water. This posture costs you a lot of energy and it hardly gives any satisfaction.

If you have this posture only occasionally, it may not be such a big problem for yourself. But if it is your daily way of working, it is a problem. It can result in:

• Tiredness
• Loss of motivation
• Irritation towards others
• The beginning of a burn-out

Gentle Teaching challenges you, but also teaches you how to come back to yourself and be who you really are in contact with others: a loving person.  By coming back to this personality, you not only honor the people you serve, but also yourself; maybe it even begins with yourself. Work becomes more enjoyable and more interesting.

This development doesn’t go by itself. For some people it requires an investment and doing specific practices. These practices are presented to you on this website.