What I’ve observed from the readings this week (especially from Chapter 6) is that many of Ben’s philosophies about putting others first and living your life in a positive way have been in the Bible for thousands of years. The problem is, most people (including me) have not been so good about reading these principles and applying them to our lives. I believe that if we all spent more time reading and applying THAT guidebook that we would be able to show much more love and genuine concern for each other.
That aside, I particularly liked the discussions in the book on opening up your thinking to possibilities and using the word “and” instead of “but” to describe our current situation. I think it’s this type of positive thinking that can really help make or break your day and your outlook on your current situation. I also liked the discussion of leading from any chair. I think this idea is especially important to share with a classroom of students that might have confidence issues (which, for most teens, is almost a given). To understand that your contributions are valued no matter what your role is, is a very important concept to get across to a class and I appreciated the authors insights and stories about this idea.
My response:
I agree that many of the principals in the book have been in the bible and, for that matter, components to most world religions. They are about as close to universal "truths" as it comes. Like you, I often fall short. That is where religion and philosophy come in to guide us.
Your comments about leading from any chair made me think of the idea in a new way. As educators, we promote a community of learning where we are all seeking knowledge. What better way than for the teacher to physically put him/herself in the seats with the students and let the student become the teacher and treat them as an authority in the field. How powerful!
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