Your Voice. Your Purpose.
This afternoon I was laying on my daughter’s bed with her, petting my dog Poochie and looking at my dog's sweet eyes.
I had this thought about kindness and I was reminded of a conversation I had earlier in the day with someone, yet another person, that told me, “I was bullied when I was younger”. I was hit with the thought and reality that kids are bullied every day, kids are mean to each other every single day. I thought how so many kids go through life with a lump in their throat, wanting to be accepted, but dealing with the unkind comments, mean behavior, and thoughts that swirl around in their heads. They just want to be happy, to be accepted and to be loved. Bullying isn't only between kids, it even happens with adults. Some kids are abused or treated poorly by adults. While I want to focus on the good, I cannot ignore this truth, this fact and this huge, real problem that we are not addressing in the way it needs to be addressed.
I told Kaili that for some reason, that I had these thoughts and that it bothers me to see kids treated so unfairly by others, and she responded, "me too".
I was reminded that I am so passionate about this topic. It bothers me, upsets me, and I see it as a big problem, one about which we should be doing more. I said out loud to Kaili, “I need to do more”. I have so much passion. I know I inspire others, but what am I really doing if I am not doing anything more about this important topic and both the kids and adults that need someone in their corner? They (we) need someone to champion this more.
That was the end of the conversation. Was it a God Shot? Was it a reminder to teach kindness? My daughter said something brilliant, which I could not agree with any more: “They should teach this more than so many other subjects in school”. True. The emotional health of our children (our future) is so low, even though we like to believe it is so high. Testing, standardization, scores, and so much content that they will never use in life is shoved down their throats in every grade. Yet, being kind, being compassionate, being empathetic, and being a champion of others is not at the forefront of where kids learn, where they develop and how they embrace these important characteristics.
Why on God’s earth are we not doing more about this?
Why don't Moms (who I believe are the most amazing people on the planet) speak up and rally to create change, not only for children but for adults (we can’t even be good to each other sometimes, as we judge, criticize and compare)? One might argue this should start at home. We all know it does not or it only does for a few. I even see great families, families that sort of talk about kindness, push their kids so much that they become so competitive and lack kindness and furthermore learn criticism from their well meaning parents. These parents continue to unknowingly teach their children how to criticize and compete rather than to understand and empathize. Emotional intelligence is not valued as it should be and we as a society are suffering, our kids are suffering.
As I think about my purpose, this topic comes to mind. While I love to inspire and teach people to live their best life, I can’t help but want to teach kindness; kindness to self and kindness to others. Empathy, compassion, kindness are not valued to the level they need to be. School is wholly about academics and I can’t help but think that they will never use so much of it. Instead, the important lessons on how to be kind, how to treat others, how to build others up are what matters. This is what will make our world a better place.
It is all so big and overwhelming. How do I make this world a better place by teaching kindness? By standing up to bullies, by calling others on mean girl behavior, by sticking up for the children that are being treated poorly by peers, adults, teachers???????
I don’t have the answers, but I need to understand that I am being guided and that I will be used in this purpose and in His purpose.
I will reflect more on this. I will remind myself that my own experiences with childhood bullies and adult mean girl behavior were not there to hurt me. Instead those experiences were there to help me and prepare me to be a voice for so many. It is so much bigger than me.
What is your purpose? How can you use your voice to create change and make our world a better place?
We all have a voice, we all have a purpose. It is our job discover it, to uncover it, and to exercise it for the betterment of ourselves and others.
My purpose and my voice scare me. It is so big at times that I can’t get my head around it. I remind myself that my heart is bigger and that I have way too much passion inside to just follow someone else’s passion. I need to unleash my own even more!