Positive Thoughts

Our very positive Head of Middle School Jonathan Davis recently had this quote on his notes for a faculty meeting. I love it that our Middle School faculty and students are surrounded by a leader who always sees the cup ¾ full.

I recently read a study that followed hundreds of underprivileged children from age 8 through 21. The research found that 20% of the children were considered positive and optimistic by their teachers and friends. Regardless of the challenges, sorrow and pain these children experienced, they somehow emerged as positive people with hopeful futures. The important part of the research was to discover why. Why did these children rise above the environments that crushed the other 80% of the people in the study?

Are some children born optimistic or do they need a role model to show them the positive side of a difficult situation? The researchers could not say with 100% clarity that a single factor came into play; however, they did state that the vast majority of children who overcame their difficult environments had been impacted by someone who showed them how to make the best out of difficult situations.

I was touched by a story of one boy who brought two pieces of bread, with nothing in between them, to lunch every day in middle school so he would fit in with the other students. He refused to stand out for reasons that he did not want to share. Most of the 20% that overcame the hardships with a positive attitude had someone embrace them and make something positive happen even when the situation was horrible.

So, I ask:

“Who am I?”

“Who are you?”

Are we people who see a problem and complain and complain and complain, or are we the person who makes lemonade out of lemons?
Do our children learn that they can make a situation better, or do they turn sour in the face of a challenge?

During interviews with seniors I regularly hear stories about parents, grandparents, guardians and other relatives who have modeled resilience. Our sons, daughter and students learn a great deal from the adults around them. They regularly report their admiration for adults who have overcome hardships. The examples of these adults provide a way for our students and children to realize that they, like their adult role models, are capable of overcoming huge obstacles. The way a role model responds to a challenge provides an important lesson to our sons and daughters. I vote to keep those lessons as positive as possible.

I hope our children will not face any terrible challenges as they develop. I hope they learn coping skills in a controlled and moderate manner. At the same time, I hope they observe role models who show them how to be resilient and how to develop grit, if it is needed. Role models who are committed to positive improvements provide life lessons that will be mirrored for a generation.

Cheers!

Mike