“I took the Dalai Lama to a Ski Resort and He Told Me the Meaning of Life”
The author tells a story of escorting the Dalai Lama through a visit to Santa Fe in the 80’s. In order to tell you why I am sharing this, I’d have to ruin the ending of the story, so here is the link first:
If you don’t want to read the whole article, do read the last few paragraphs that start in the middle of page 2 with, “As we finished, a young waitress with tangled, dirty-blonde hair and a beaded head band began clearing our table.” Interestingly you can find this article in other places including Business Insider (maybe that’s a validation for those who believe schools should learn from business).
Last spring, after a short talk to a whole faculty at Denver Center for International Studies, I blurted out, “I love you all.” Whoops. Standing in front of this group of people I had worked closely with to pilot a great project and had missed when the project was over, well, it overwhelmed what some might call my professionalism.
My personal feelings of admiration and appreciation translated into an emotional statement in the moment. I was embarrassed but not sorry. It is the truth. That admiration and appreciation, the love for them and for the students, drove me to give the project everything I had. We–the administrators, teachers and students—succeeded in many ways in whole school implementation of a new curriculum framework.
Still, I think about dangers that rise from relying on the emotions of love and compassion.
- When the project is over, there is no avenue for that love at that school so what do I do with it?
- Love cannot be measured nor can it be standardized.
- Love has not yet been packaged, tested or replicated based on scientific research.
- We don’t “talk” about love as a strategy or tool for leadership, teaching and collaboration.
- I was taught to keep a ‘professional distance,’ not to let my care follow me into my life.
How crazy is it to leave love out of our work with children? I have found people from all over the world, all faiths, all cultures, recognize the power of love. So, as we enter this week of Thanksgiving with all its complications of who you spend it with and what you think of the holiday’s myth, I want to share some quotes that help me believe in my capacity and tendency to love the adults and children as an essential part of my activism in schools and the world.
For the risk: I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.“ Mother Theresa
“Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.” Martin Luther KIng
“Let me say, at the risk of sounding ridiculous that the true revolutionary is guided by feelings of LOVE.” Che Guevera
I will greet this day with love in my heart. For this is the greatest secret of success in all ventures. Muscles can split a shield and even destroy life itself but only the unseen power of love can open the hearts of man. And until I master this act I will remain no more than a peddler in the marketplace. I will make love my greatest weapon and none on who I call can decent upon its force…my love will melt all hearts lien to the sun whose rays soften the coldest day.” Og Mandino
“The power of love as the basis of a State, has never been tried.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Anyone else willing to come out and explore love, as a basis for our State?
Thank you Marge! Happy Thanksgiving. Happy loving!
How are you? How are the boys?
Much love from the known region, John
I’m willing, Margie. This Thanksgiving, I’ve thought that
it is a rarely noted compensation of aging, that as so much else becomes harder, loving becomes so much easier.