Thinking of the words those two students wrote, I know that the
guiding light
of our teaching should be to spread an aura of goodness, to help others become
better
persons rather than merely more informed or more skilled wage earners we call
professionals or otherwise. That's the stuff of which making a significant
difference is
made.
I am convinced that those who can and do make a difference are not
just the
particularly special Mahatma Ghandis, chosen Maria Teresas, select Nelson
Mandelas, or
extraordinary Martin Luther Kings. Each person can make a difference if she or
he
cultivates two intertwined and inseparable inherent human "soul-like" qualities
and
capacities that lie latent within each of us, which allow each of us to
experience a sense
of compassion and beauty and sacredness of those and things around us.
As I just told someone, the first quality is a courage that comes
from
following a purpose that goes beyond personal concerns. Courage is, to
paraphrase James
Allen, a drawing of strength from both cherished ideals that beats in our heart
and what
Peter Senge calls a reflective and articulated "personal vision" of what we
want to create
of ourselves; it is a loveliness, a tenderness, a kindness, and lovingness that
drapes
each of our thoughts and feelings; it gives meaning to a person's actions; it
is an
unrelenting commitment to doing what is right and when our integrity will not
allow us to
take any other path. It is powerful and demanding, but reachable truth and
purpose put
into action. The second capacity is attentiveness to the needs of others. The
sin of not
be attentive, not being unremittingly aware, alert, or awake, is the sin, as
Joseph
Campbell once said, of missing and not making use of the only thing that is
truly ours:
the present moment of life.
Writing as a practioner and not as a theorist, I can assure you
that as you
demonstrate courage with attentiveness of, empathy toward, and patience with
others. you
will find yourself walking inexorably down what I call a path of "do thats":
Do that and
everything which passes so quickly in a blur will ever slow down and be sharp;
do that and
you'll hear what the daily breezes and constant whispers have to tell; do that
and you'll
acquire a sense of indestructible wonder at how startling life is; do that and
you'll see
the sacredness in each person; do that and you'll see the whole future in one
person; do
that and everyday, you'll think as you wake up that you are fortunate to have
woken up,
that you are alive, that you are a precious human life, that you're not going
to waste it,
that you're going to use all your energies to develop yourself to expand your
heart out to
others for their and your benefit; do that and you'll see with open eyes and an
open
heart; do that and you take notice of the unnoticed; do that and you'll do
everything that
needs to be done to do all the good that you can do from where you are and with
what you
have; do that and you'll fill each day with your gifts of love and kindness; do
that and
you'll the experience the real joy of being fully engaged in whatever you're
doing; do
that and difficulties will disappear and obstacles will vanish into the thin
air; do that
and you'll see the face of meaningfulness; do that you'll blow away the dark
and blinding
fog of despairing tiredness, regrets, frustrations, sadnesses, worries,
anxieties,
complaints, jaded boredom, angers, and resentments; do that and you'll enter
wholly and
make loving use of this day, feel a rich texture and fullness of life, have a
peaceful
heart, and exercise a clear mind; do all that and you'll opportunities opening
up to make
a difference in someone's life and change the world.
Trust me. All that "do that-ing" is tough. It's demanding. It
gives a lot
of headaches. It offers huge challenges. It requires a lot of emotional and
physical
strength. It takes a lot of work and demands a lot of time. It asks for
sacrifice. It
even creates a lot of pain and agony. But, if you think of the effort as
purposeful and
wonderful, and if you feel it as purposeful and wonderful, it will transform
what others
might ordinarily see as a heavy and laborious burden into a continuous stream
of fired
energy of joy and meaning that will pour from your soul.
Make it a good day.
--Louis--
Louis Schmier www.therandomthoughts.com
Department of History www.newforums.com/L_Schmier.htm
Valdosta State University
Valdosta, Georgia 31698 /\ /\ /\ /\
(229-333-5947) /^\\/ \/ \ /\/\____/\ \/\
/ \ \__ \/ /
\ /\/
\ \ /\
//\/\/ /\ \_ /
/___\/\ \ \
\/ \
/\"If you want to climb
mountains \ /\
_/ \ don't practice on mole
hills" -/
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