Contributed by:
Edna Olive
RYI Board Member, Exec. Director of Rocket, Inc. (www.rocketinc.net),
Author of Positive Behavior Facilitation
“Nine teens are charged in bullying that led to girl’s suicide”
“All teachers fired from local school”
“State Senate offers budget plan cutting $1.4 billion from schools”
Yes, these headlines are real. Each of them came from local news sources printed during the last two weeks. I don’t know about you, but when I read stories such as these, it’s easy for me to get fixated on the negativity of the world and the challenges facing those of us in the field of education, advocacy and child care. It’s easy to forget that in the midst of these headlines, there are children who need and deserve our support. In other words, it’s easy to forget what’s important.
In a time when the news and media would have us focus on the practically insurmountable challenges that haunt our youth and those of us who care for them, we must be diligent about what we spend our time thinking about and feeling about. Without this diligence, our attention can be easily shifted away from what’s important. While the issues of violence, economics, jobs, politics, and war are real in our nation and around the world, our children are equally as real and need our undivided attention. Our children must not get lost in the midst of these challenges. We must remain focused on whom and what is important. In order to do so, we may have to be willing to sit in the tough questions even though the answers can sometimes be elusive.
Here are a few questions that may be necessary for us to contemplate:
- What is important for us and for youth in times such as these?
- In such a climate, how do we remain positively focused on our children?
- How do we capture our “humanness” and offer it to our youth?
- What are the acts of kindness we can extend in a sometimes unkind world?
- How we can support ourselves while staying committed to supporting our children?
These questions deserve our attention because the answers can be the difference between being the influence that changes a life and being the influence that stagnates a life, including our own. The answers to these questions will be different for each one of us. While the answers will vary, what is common to us all is the need for a vision that will pull us forward in moments of difficulty.
Most of us have worked with a child or young person that others may have said couldn’t be successful or would never change. When we take the position that a child can be successful and have the life they deserve, we are creating a vision for ourselves and for the child of what is possible. When we operate from vision, we can accomplish what the world may say is impossible. Having a vision can help us stay clear about what we are doing and why we are doing it. In difficult circumstances, it’s easy to get lost in our thoughts and feelings about what is happening around us and to us. A clear vision can help us remain connected to what is important and can sustain us in trying times. Each of us must answer these questions above based on our personal vision and commitment to youth.
Perhaps we can benefit from reminding ourselves of what is in our sphere of influence and what we can do to remember what’s important. Here are some suggestions:
- Pay attention to yourself. Take care of your needs emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. Your needs are important!
- Remind yourself of why you chose to care for children. Remembering why you chose this work can be a motivation in rough times.
- Connect with at least one young person every day. Remember that your relationship with a young person can be his /her saving grace.
- Seek put positive stories/examples about children and education.
- Connect with other people (friends, family, co-workers) that are positive and supportive.
- Create a clear vision for your life and remain focused on what you can do to realize that vision.
In unkind times, it’s easy to forget about the importance of kindness. Although we are challenged with the events of the world, we are still human beings that respond to the kindness of others. Our children need kindness from us more than ever. Nicholas Long (1977) remind us that, “Just as sunlight is the source of energy that maintains organic life, kindness is the source of energy that maintains and gives meaning to humanity.”
In this business of being human with each other and with our youth, I encourage you to stay focused on and committed to what is important to you!
“Every Urban Prep senior is college bound”
“Three students achieve perfection in mathematics competition”
“Brooklyn kids give back in South Africa”
These are the headlines that are important to me. I pray that you find those that are important to you.
Long, N. (1997). The therapeutic power of kindness. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 5, 4, pp.242-246
