Strange Bedfellows

I realized in my last post that I’d fallen into a rut of using the term “Life” in my blogs over the last month or so. I’m glad I’m finally breaking that. And I’m so glad it’s because of this topic.

I’ve been described as “strange” on more than one occasion, probably moreso lately with my continued interest in things such as KPop. (BTW, the Monsta X concert was great for those with seats that allowed you to see the entire stage and screen. Which didn’t include me. That’s all I’ll say on that subject.) I will mention & thank the interesting people I sat with for the time I stayed. In fact, meeting Ryan was one of those random opportunities that make life so much fun. I’m glad we were seatfellows. I wish him and his podcast with Andrea well!

We’re defined, in part, with whom we spend time with.

Today, that time can be spent face-to-face or across vast distances, spanning many time zones. I look at my daily contacts and am in awe. I could never have imagined the network that I have around me today if I was asked to do so even 5 years ago.

Whether I know you via music, education, diabetes, writing, exercise, books, children, family, schools, work, gaming or remotely some other way, you affect me and I am grateful!

Our networks can grow and change daily.

I recently was given the opportunity to write a blog posting titled Dear Teachers: Don’t Forget To Take Care Of Yourselves for TeachThought, whose #Grow17 conference will be running this week in Louisville, KY. I’ve also been contacted to be a possible source for an article for BetterHelp because of a recent posting on my own blog, titled A Good Life. In addition, I’ve had a ton of fun giving out some copies of my book to some amazing educators in the UK and learning more about them and their work. Let’s not forget my new and renewed connections at a family wedding, outlined in Love...And Life!

Most of these connections were made possible through positive social media interactions. Twitter is an especially amazing tool. I never would have met many of these people without today’s channels of communication.

The tiniest things can change a life- yours or someone else’s.

I look back over my life, and I find a series of moments that my life turned on. It could have done so in vastly different ways had I reacted differently to certain people and/or situations. Did I made the right choices? The best choices? I will never know. But my life has evolved to today’s time and place because of these interactions and I have to thank the people and occasions that have led to today.

We all have these powers to affect another person’s life. We need to be mindful of that as we go about our days.

We’re stronger together.

That sentence is gaining more and more meaning to me as I continue to use it. I titled this piece “Strange Bedfellows”, but we’re all bedfellows, in some fashion.

The more we seek to relate to others, the more we can get accomplished. At first look, we may think we have nothing in common with a person we meet. By extending our hand and opening up by sharing a bit of ourselves, we might discover a bond or even create one of those life-turning moments. We’ll never know until we try.

We might not be such strange bedfellows after all.

July is half over! There’s still time to order a copy on Amazon of my guided journal, Dear Teachers, for yourself or special teachers in your life! Dear Teachers makes a great gift of positive encouragement for education professionals- if you are an administrator, principal, youth group leader or home schooler please contact me to discuss its potential to support your staff!

Signed copies and special bulk pricing opportunities are available! Please email me dearteachers2017@gmail.com.

When's It Gonna Change? Right Now.

Photo: earthday.org

There is always going be someone complaining about something- just as there will never be an end to reasons for complaints. “Perfection” in this world is impossible. As it’s said in Buddhism, there will always be suffering. However, being upset at perceived ills in the world is beneficial (and perhaps necessary) to us as long as we take the next logical step: action to correct those ills.

I’ve written before about having hope (Truth, Youth and Love) in humanity and this world. I still do. I’ve been given a few reminders this week of reasons why.

Global Networking

I have wide-ranging interests. On Twitter, I follow a number of professionals in the fields of education, mental health, philosophy and science based in the United States and the UK. Other contacts include professional writers from around the globe specializing in a rainbow of subjects. On a daily basis I receive messages of hope, frustration, humor and inspiration. I see that the struggle is real and while the details differ, it is shared by all. That’s comforting and inspiring to me.

Every single person on the planet with access to a smartphone can find valuable contacts and transmit powerfully positive messages anywhere. Yes, we must fight the urge to fall into the abyss of argument and attack, but the potential benefit of our current abilities to see The Other as more like us than not is enormous.

Awareness of Varying Cultural Histories

This networking doesn’t just count for today’s events. This ability to connect with members of the global community allows us to exchange stories of our personal and cultural pasts well beyond that of our personal circles of influence. As a simple example, if I mention something about a certain food online and describe how it relates to my past, someone from another culture can gain that perspective and offer to me a comparison based on their own story. We both grow.

Thus, the old adage of “If we forget our history, we’re doomed to repeat it” can now be applied in much greater terms: we can ALL learn from ALL histories. We can take lessons learned in one place, take its lessons and reconfigure things to help a situation in a whole other hemisphere. Powerful stuff!!

Young Adults With Strong Social Conscience

The benefits of this cross-cultural awareness is already in play today and young adults are assuming the mantle of responsibility. For example, the Washington DC-based rap artist Wale released a collaboration song with Korean singer-rap artist Rap Monster of BTS entitled Change. Teen Vogue has an interesting interview of BTS that includes talk of the collaboration and XXL Magazine described Rap Monster as someone to watch for in the hip-hop scene. Both artists have reputations as deep-thinkers. In this song, they caution listeners on a wide range of negative choices (personal and societal) and the lyrics say “I believe that real friends love you to no limit (yea) I believe that real change lies in the mirror (yea)”. How they will influence the future as hip-hop stars is yet to be seen but I have high hopes from what I've seen so far.

In a broader view, Grist publishes a list each year of 50 innovators working on some the world’s biggest challenges. This year, the organization dubbed them Fixers. Each person on this year’s list has a unique perspective and mode to accomplish something constructive, from sustainable cities to improved sewage treatment. In scanning through their smiling faces and interests, I am consoled by the depth and breadth of both.

These are only 2 examples- I am sure you can name of many others. From neighborhood coffee shops and religious organizations to large organizations like Omaze and Heifer International, people can and are stepping up and speaking out for themselves and others.

I admit that today, we are capable of horrendous lows. However, I declare just as adamantly, that we can rise up that much higher. As Rap Monster and Wale say, it’s not IF or WHEN the world’s going to change. It’s right now.