The end of the year in the journalism world means you get to use up an issue or two highlighting predictions for the year ahead, so I thought I would take a shot at it as well, but with a little twist. Instead of trying to identify random occurrences that happen outside of our influence or control, how about I suggest actions we all can take that will have real impact over the year, decade, and century ahead? I’m sure you can add many more as well. So, here goes - some simple, personal things we can do to shape the year 2010.
What can we do in the year ahead to make this world a better place?
Devote significant time to the well being of the children around you. Provide good examples to them in areas that will allow them to work towards a better world as they grow up.
- Show them responsible interactions with others, even those who make you see red on the road, cut ahead of you in line, or foul up your order at the checkout counter.
- Instill in them the importance of understanding money and financial issues that go beyond accumulating the most you can regardless of your resources.
- Give them a sense of personal responsibility for the world around them: help them question whether or not the quality of clothing is only defined by its label, the advertising budget, or the inflated price, and whether the conditions of manufacture were humane.
- Help them decide where they stand on the state of our environment and whether its condition matters enough to make personal sacrifices.
- Ask them questions about the world around them - its people, politics and history. True curiosity only comes when one seeks more than what they are comfortable with.
- Reinforce literacy and self-learning: read to them, and make it something a little challenging. Talk with them about it, or better yet, listen to their ideas as they spring up - the joy of a book is that it is uniquely shaped by each reader and they get to say what’s what.
- While you’re at it, let them read their favorite book to you. Close your eyes and remember the pleasure of hearing a story.
Lighten up! We’re all wound too tight nowadays, and I’m certainly no exception to this rule. Let go of the worry and go into glide mode. You’ll live longer and happier.
- Try not to talk on your cell phone while driving. Period.
- Turn off your cell phone when asked - don’t just set it to vibrate.
- Don’t “catastrophize” everyday inconveniences - it doesn’t make them go away any faster.
- Leave earlier for your appointments. You really cannot get there as fast as you think you can, even though you’ve been trying to for 25-plus years now.
- Find things to do that require more than 20 minutes of your time: weed your garden, stop e-mailing and write a real letter, play a round of golf and don’t keep score.
- Try watching one hour of TV without touching your remote. Betcha can’t do it!
Invite the arts into your life. It won’t hurt, I promise.
- Visit museums, galleries, theatres and other assorted venues in any city that you visit. Take the time and treat yourself and those around you to the creative process.
- Read a couple of the classics this year. Jane Austen will remind you of your in-laws, Chaucer will make you laugh, and Twain will surprise you with his modernity.
- Support an arts institution beyond the price of admission with your dollars, time, or leadership. I’m not writing this to be self-serving; the world would have only popular culture if all we did was to pay the going price.
- Try to see art in the making - attend open rehearsals, visit an artist’s studio, attend premieres of new work.
- Find a creative outlet at home. Write a journal, paint furniture, sing with your Wii game, have a poetry reading night, make a home action-movie with your kids. Sounds corny? So what? No one is keeping score!
And last but not least, as I have mentioned again and again this past year, invite celebration into the lives of you and your loved ones - loud, messy, contagious celebration that is spontaneous and non-judgmental. Invite everyone to the dance, and let them pick the steps. It doesn’t have to be in honor of anything important, just make it happen. Let the music be loud, and the energy real, and don’t worry if it doesn’t turn out exactly the way you planned. Life rarely does. The next time the whole gang is together, hand out the noisemakers and get everyone up and out of their chairs and identify a couple of important landmarks from the past year and run out on the lawn and “let the wild rumpus begin!”
2010 can’t help but be memorable if we all just give it a try.
Have wonderful holidays!
No comments:
Post a Comment