I try to stay out of politics, chicken little rants, and random causes (at least in this blog). But occasionally I will run with something of interest to me. It is rather important to be a doer, not just a watcher, and even if it seems pointless sometimes, we all have a duty to speak up and refuse to ' not get involved'. Other's problems are one step away from our own, and are often just waiting in the bushes for us.
That being said, my friend Mark Schillinger, a life coach/ health practitioner I know well, posted his newsletter, and had a link to a Matt Damon video statement that rang true with me. Being from the arts community, and having had an 'attentive' set of teachers in my younger years, I can truly relate to his point. He is advocating for smaller classes, personalized classroom attention, and the abolition of standardized testing (unfairly tied to job security)... testing which doesn't even begin to include the most highly prized and specialized skills-in-training that students may harbor, and which need nurturing. From Dr. Mark's post:
Some of you are aware that I counsel patients privately in life coaching sessions using a method I created, called The RIGHT Way. RIGHT stands for five virtues (Respect, Intelligence, Grace, Humor, True) that I use to help people discover who they are (their virtues and values) and how to transform their unique perspective into a lifestyle filled with positive beliefs and productive behaviors.
I created this method after three decades studying comparative religion, Western psychology and Eastern philosophy. I realized that there was no one right way to become physically healthy, mentally clear or spiritually enlightened. At the same time I understood that if I wanted to be truly happy, I would have to find a way that was right for me. As part of that process, I dedicated myself to studying how to help others find a way that was right for them.
The reason why I mention Matt Damon is because there's a video of him talking about this concept.